Explore Pinckney by boat, bike ­-- and bale

This week, Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge is allowing kayakers on guided tours to launch from a boat site normally closed to public access.

The site is about halfway through the refuge and is only open during National Wildlife Refuge Week, which ends Sunday.

The island is part of the Savannah Coastal Refuges Complex managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The complex has partnered with Water-Dog Outfitters on Hilton Head Island to provide public hayrides and kayak and bike tours throughout the week.

Cyclists can bike through about 14 miles of trails on Pinckney. Kayakers will paddle along the shoreline of three isolated islands that are part of the refuge and are likely to see dolphins and a bald eagle.

Activities range in price from $12 to $50 and require reservations. About 10 percent of the proceeds go toward managing Pinckney Island, said Lisa Fleming, an owner of Water-Dog Outfitters. Last year the event raised about $500 for the refuge.

"The purpose (of the awareness week) is to encourage visitors and residents to come and utilize the national wildlife refuge," Fleming said. "And our purpose is to communicate a lot of the history and ecology to enhance their experience out there."

Amy Ochoa, refuge ranger for the complex, said she wants residents to understand the refuge is not a park but a place reserved for native wildlife.

"These lands are being protected and conserved for wildlife management," Ochoa said. "We don't manage them for people, even though people are more than welcome to visit. Our main focus is to manage habitat and wildlife first."

The Pinckney Island refuge consists of about 4,000 acres on five islands and numerous hammocks. Pinckney Island is the largest of the five islands and the only one open to the public.