Ernest F. Hollings Ace Basin National Wildlife Refuge

About Ernest F. Hollings Ace Basin National Wildlife Refuge

ACE Basin NWR was established in September 1990 for its significance for wetland and habitat protection, migratory bird benefits and conservation opportunities served by the lands and waters of the refuge. In 2005, the refuge was renamed the Ernest F. Hollings ACE Basin National Wildlife Refuge (E.F.H. ACE Basin NWR) in honor of South Carolina's retired U.S. Senator Ernest F. Hollings. The refuge is located within the larger 350,000-acre Ashepoo-Combahee-Edisto (ACE) Basin system, widely recognized as a unique and critical environment for its wide diversity of wildlife and plants.The E.F.H. ACE Basin NWR is composed of two units, comprising approximately 11, 815 acres. The Edisto Unit, at 7,203 acres, is located approximately 20 miles southwest of Charleston. The unit lies along the South Edisto River and includes the Grove Plantation – the Refuge Headquarters. The Combahee Unit, consists of 4,612 acres in Beaufort, Colleton and Hampton counties, and is located about 20 miles northwest of Beaufort. Drained by two river systems, the Combahee-Salkahatchie and South Edisto, the refuge contains exceptional wildlife habitat including forested wetlands and mixed pine and hardwood uplands, brackish and freshwater natural marshes, wetland management units, marsh islands, agricultural fields, and pristine estuarine rivers.E.F.H. ACE Basin NWR provides haven for a vast array of birds, fish, and many other animals including endangered and threatened species. Threatened Wood storks forage and nest in managed wetlands and, endangered Shortnose sturgeon breed and feed in the Edisto and Combahee rivers. The neotropical Painted bunting, a Species of Continental Conservation Interest, finds nesting and foraging habitats in the forested edges, scrub thickets and upland fields during spring and summer months. Bald eagles and American alligators can be seen throughout the year.The ACE Basin system represents the largest estuarine resource in South Carolina and, the Edisto River is the

How to Get There

Driving Directions to Refuge Headquarters, Edisto UnitFrom Highway 17, take SC 174; Stay on SC 174 through the town of Adams Run; At the intersection with flashing light, turn right onto Willtown Rd/State Rd S-10-55; Approximatelt 2 miles, refuge entrance road/State Rd S-10-346 is on the left. Headquarters is the Grove Plantation House, about 2 miles down the gravel road. Driving Directions to Refuge Combahee UnitFrom Highway 17, take River Rd/State Rd S-7-33; travel 1.9 miles to 1180 River Rd, Yemassee, SC 29945GPS Coordinates to Combahee Unit: 32.661278, -80.7261197

Plan Your Visit to Ernest F. Hollings Ace Basin National Wildlife Refuge

Heading to Ernest F. Hollings Ace Basin National Wildlife Refuge? A few things to know before you go:

• Reservations: popular sites fill up fast — check Recreation.gov 6 months in advance
• Fees: day-use and camping fees vary; check current rates on the official park page
• Trash & pack-out: follow Leave No Trace principles
• Wildlife: store food in bear boxes where provided; never feed wildlife
• Weather: the 5-day forecast above is updated every 6 hours; verify just before you go

References & Official Resources

• Official Recreation.gov page
• View on OpenStreetMap
• Driving directions (Google Maps)