Prothonotary Warbler
Latin: Protonotaria citrea
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Photo: David Ramage
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This year we're hosting a number of events to recognize International Underground Railroad Month. If you didn't know, Beidler Forest was designated by the National Park Service as a site on the Underground Railroad - Network to Freedom program in late 2020. Bringing attention to the stories of those who lived and endured here is just as important to us as sharing the importance of conserving local habitats for our native flora and fauna. Join us for these events hosted this month!
Guest Guide: Erica Veal
September 14th, 2024 at 10:00 AM
Cost: Free!
Join us at the Audubon Center & Sanctuary at Beidler Forest for a guided tour along the 1.75-mile ADA accessible boardwalk through the ancient swamp. Beidler Forest, located in the Four Holes Swamp, has a well-documented history of 19th century Maroon encampments, as it was a place of refuge for Africans seeking freedom from enslavement on nearby rice plantations. The swamp is also home to the Edisto Natchez-Kusso tribe. We'll discuss all this and much more on this guided tour, which will last approximately 2.5 hours.
To register for this event please visit our registration page.
Guest Speaker: Robert E. Scarlett
September 21st, 2024 at 10:00 AM
Cost: Free with admission.
Historian and Educator, Robert Scarlett of the Summerville Museum and Research Center, will share the stories and histories of Maroon communities in South Carolina. These will be tales of survival and resistance as enslaved African Americans sought freedom.
In these stories, freedom was not sought just through the normal avenues of the Underground Railroad, or the numerous slave rebellions that are important pieces of South Carolina's fascinating history, but through a more daring and dangerous method, that of establishing communities in the swamps and forests of the upstate and lowcountry.
To register for this event please visit our registration page.
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Multiple Meanings of Freedom - Borderland Maroons of the SC Lowcountry
Guest artist: Brittney “Blue” Washington
Cost: Free!
Brittney Washington uses painting, illustration, and filmmaking to uplift the experiences and perspectives of African-Americans living in the US South. Her work decolonizes ideas of normality and invites radical empathy across difference.
This photography exhibition being displayed within the visitor center at Beidler delves into the lesser known history of maroons—enslaved people who sought freedom by escaping plantations and carving out a self-determined life in Four Holes Swamps and the wetlands of the South Carolina Lowcountry.
To learn more about this awesome exhibit check out the exhibit page.
Information about our center and trails is located here. For more information check our Visit, Program, and our Bird FAQ. Online registration for tickets is available but not required. Walk-ins welcome, we just ask that you arrive by 2 pm so you have plenty of time to enjoy the boardwalk. To purchase your tickets online click here!
| Quick Swamp Notes | |
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| Center Address | 336 Sanctuary Road, Harleyville SC, 29448 |
| Hours of Operation (Center & Boardwalk) | Wed-Sat 9AM-6PM, Sun 11AM-4PM (gate closes after 4PM) |
| Admission Prices (Boardwalk) | Adults: $12, Children (ages 6-12): $7, Children (under 6): Free |
| Admission Discount (Boardwalk) | Buying tickets 24 hours in advance will give you $1 off per ticket |
| Hours of Operation (Grassland/Woodland Trail) | Seven days a week, sunrise to sunset, no admission required |
| Center Phone | 843-462-2150 |
| Do you have yearly memberships? | Yes. Prices are Indvidual: $50, Family (2 adults, 2 kids): $125. |
| Do you allow pets on your trails? | No (we do allow registered service animals) |
| Do you allow bikes on your trails? | No |
| Do you allow strollers on your trails? | Yes |
| Are your trails ADA accessible? | Boardwalk: Yes | Grassland/woodland trail: No |
| Is preregistration for tickets required? | Only for programs, not general admission |
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If you would like to become a Beidler annual pass-holder, and support your favorite swamp, please click here to purchase an annual pass.
If you are unable to register for a walk on our boardwalk, consider visiting the new Grasslands-Woodland Trails near the entrance to the center! Open everyday from sunrise to sunset and no admissions or reservations are required, although online donations are always appreciated.
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Photo: Richard Covey
We're open Wednesdays thru Saturdays 9 AM to 6 PM and Sundays 11 AM to 4 PM.
Frequented by photographers and nature lovers from all over the world, our 18,000-acre bird and wildlife sanctuary offers a beauty unsurpassed in the South Carolina Lowcountry. Beidler is the world’s largest old-growth cypress-tupelo swamp forest — a vibrant ecosystem untouched for millennia. Enjoy thousand-year-old trees, a range of wildlife, and the quiet flow of blackwater, all from the safety of our 1.75-mile boardwalk.
We are actively working to restore native habitats of South Carolina. Check out our work!
We're open Wednesdays thru Saturdays 9 AM to 6 PM and Sundays 11 AM to 4 PM.
Click here to purchase a membership, which provides free admission for a year and other benefits. We offer both Individual and Family Memberships.
If you wish to support us, please consider donating. 100% of your donation goes back into Beidler Forest.
