Description - The Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge is one of the southeast's premier sites for viewing the rapidly diminishing longleaf pine/wiregrass ecosystem. This unique ecosystem, shaped by thousands of years of natural fires that burned through every two to four years, has been reduced to fewer than two million acres, representing a 97 percent decline in this important ecosystem. Today, only scattered patches of the longleaf pine/wiregrass ecosystem occur, primarily in the coastal plains of the Carolinas, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, and Texas. About half of these surviving stands of longleaf pine exist on public lands.
Attractions
- Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge lies along the fall line which separates the Piedmont Plateau from the Atlantic Coastal Plain. The largest population of endangered red-cockaded woodpeckers within the refuge system are found here. Rare plants and several carnivorous plants are found on the refuge along with the unusual pine barrens tree frog as well. Thirty ponds and lakes dot the 1,400 acres of fields and forests and 42,000 acres of woodlands on the refuge. Other wildlife include: white-tailed deer, turkey, fox, squirrel, Bachman's sparrow, brown-headed nuthatch, wood duck
Recreation - Opportunities for public use include hiking the two trails, hunting, fishing, bird watching, picnicking at the three shelters & numerous tables, or driving the eight mile paved Wildlife Drive. Birdwatching is also a favorite activity at Caroliina Sandhills. The Refuge is home to nearly 200 species of birds, including the red-cockaded woodpecker, the southern bald eagle, and a variety of migratory waterfowl. Climate - South Carolina generally has a temperate climate, with cool winters and warm, humid summers. Snow and freezing temperatures are possible in the winter at the higher elevations. Thunderstorms are possible throughout the year but most common in the spring and summer. Tropical storms occasionally strike the coast during the hurricane season. Location -
The Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge is located in north-central South Carolina. The refuge sits three and one half miles North of McBee on U.S. Hwy. 1, 60 miles northeast of Columbia.
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