Webb Wildlife Management Area
Take a journey through unspoiled terrain at Webb WMA
A black water wonderland sits along the Savannah River in the heart of Hampton County. The Webb Wildlife Management Area is protected by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources to protect and preserve the wildlife habitat on the historic property. This care has also created opportunities for public recreation.
Follow the brown binocular signs 2.7 miles from Garnet to the oak tree-lined drive that leads to the wildlife center complex. The office is open Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. -4:30 p.m.
Inside you’ll find maps and a restroom. Maps can also be found at the sign-in kiosk outside if your visit falls on a weekend. Follow the Bluff Lake directional signs to find the 2.1-mile Savannah River Nature Trail and a 1.2-mile canoe trail.
Webb WMA Wildlife
There are many opportunities along the way to spot local wildlife. Managed fields and openings are great places to spot white-tailed deer, fox squirrels, and turkeys. The Savannah River and its tributaries offer glimpses of alligators and turtles. Two oxbow lakes provide great opportunities for fishing and canoeing.
Photo by Karen Marts.
Webb WMA is featured in the South Carolina Nature Viewing Guide. This book showcases selected sites for nature observation in the state. The WMA also has a rookery where viewers can get glimpses of swallow-tailed kites, prothonotary warblers, painted buntings and even the extremely rare red-cockaded woodpecker.
Photo by Karen Marts.
While driving through the upland pine forest, keep an eye out for white rings painted on trees. These rings mark nest activity sites of the endangered red-cockaded woodpecker.
Photo by Zadok Moss.
The Webb Wildlife Center Office
The Webb Wildlife Center office is housed in what was once the plantation house of a long-gone race-horse training facility. The state acquired the 5,866-acre property in 1941 and set out to protect and preserve the unspoiled property. The area’s pineland forest, wildlife openings, bottomland hardwood forests, and cypress-tupelo swamps make the perfect spot for a woodland hike along the Savannah River.
Bring your bug spray, binoculars, camera, and walking shoes. There are 40 miles of trails and roads to explore. The area is open year-round during daylight hours but will close on certain days for special hunts.
Webb Wildlife Management Area, 1282 Webb Ave, Garnett, SC 29922
For more information on other wildlife preserves and nature trails visit https://southcarolinalowcountry.com/wildlife-preserves-and-nature-trails/ .
