Need a day outside? Explore Beaufort County’s newest park near the Broad River Bridge
One of the most stunning parts about living in the Lowcountry is being just a short drive away from untouched nature.
A new opportunity to experience the natural beauty of Beaufort County opened Friday morning with the ribbon cutting of Widgeon Point in Okatie.
The 162-acre nature preserve is located on Lemon Island, directly off of S.C. 170 and borders Port Royal Sound.
It includes a 0.7-mile earthen trail nature loop, bird blind, picnic area, event barn and temporary restrooms to be replaced soon by a permanent building.
The pet-friendly park is open from sunrise to sunset every day.
The preserve provides a place for unhindered bird watching, hikes among the forest and encounters with wildlife such as wading birds, songbirds, alligators, and the occasional deer.
Widgeon Point is a mix of pine-hardwood forest, maritime forest, freshwater depression wetlands and salt marshes just south of the Broad River Bridge.
It is co-owned by Beaufort County and the Beaufort County Open Land Trust.
The picnic pavilion has three picnic tables that are available on a first-come/first-serve basis for visitor use.
The barn at the preserve can be reserved for weddings and gatherings. To reserve, you can submit a passive parks facility rental application, available on the county’s website, to the passive parks manager.
Beaufort County manages and maintains the property and all proceeds from the barn rental go back into the property maintenance needs.
This story was originally published January 19, 2021 at 4:00 AM.
