ACE Basin National Wildlife Refuge, SC

The Ernest F. Hollings ACE Basin National Wildlife Refuge is the only federally protected component of the greater ACE Basin area, covering 11,815 acres. The Edisto River unit and the Combahee River unit are the two sections of the wildlife sanctuary.

What is the location of the ACE Basin?

Between Charleston and Beaufort, the basin is located on the southern portion of South Carolina's Atlantic coast. The basin's name is derived from the Ashepoo, Combahee, and Edisto rivers, which all drain the area.

Is it possible to visit a national wildlife refuge?

Visitors must walk lightly because national wildlife refuges exist primarily to protect wildlife. Most refuges in the lower 48 states, for example, do not allow camping, but strolling on beautiful routes is nearly always permitted.

What is the meaning of the ACE Basin?

The ACE Basin, which is named after the confluence of the Ashepoo, Combahee, and Edisto Rivers, has 350,000 acres of rich biological splendor and the Southeast's largest estuary system. In the mid-1700s, some of the area's tidal marshes were turned to rice crops.