Kiawah Island is a gated community and as such requires a guest access pass if you are not a property owner or reserved guest of the island. If you are not a property owner or reserved guest and would like to visit one of our preserved areas, please contact Collie Farah (Kiawah Conservancy Land Preservation Specialist) at collie@kiawahconservancy.org or 843-768-2029 to schedule a visit and obtain a gate pass for the island.
Rhett’s Bluff Nature Area
Conservation Easement
Preserved: September 2010
Size: 2.78 acres
Location: Rhett’s Bluff Road and River Marsh Lane in the Center of the Rhett’s Bluff Community
Habitat Type: Isolated freshwater wetland and maritime forest
Conservation Value: This easement preserves one of Kiawah’s few freshwater wetlands. In addition, the property is a haven for wildlife and has been identified through Bobcat GPS Research as critical bobcat habitat. In 2007, a GPS-collared female bobcat and kittens were seen several times on the property, suggesting that the property was perhaps being used as a denning area. A paved path and boardwalk bisect the property offering Island owners and guests an interesting walk through the middle of this unique freshwater wetland habitat and adjacent maritime forest.
Undeveloped Home Sites
Owned Property
Conservation Value: In addition to the conservation easements it holds on larger properties, the Kiawah Conservancy owns the following properties.
The Wassén Preserve located at 9 Airy Hall – 0.29 acres preserved October 1999
The Maritime Forest Reserve and Nature Trail located at 133 Conifer Lane – 0.71 acres preserved December 2002
77 New Settlement Road – 0.41 acres preserved February 2004
168 Bluebill Court – 0.67 acres preserved October 2004
25 Arrowhead Hall – 0.49 acres preserved February 2005
141 Red Cedar Lane – 0.27 acres preserved April 2005
107 Marsh Elder Court – 0.63 acres preserved February 2006
41 Marsh Edge Lane – 0.43 acres preserved June 2006
227 Sea Marsh Drive – 0.22 acres preserved November 2006
523 Ruddy Turnstone Drive – 0.35 acres preserved July 2007
38 Berkshire Hall – 0.35 acres preserved July 2007
765 Curlew Court – 0.70 acres preserved September 2007
66 Blue Heron Pond Road – 1.73 acres preserved July 2008
579 Oyster Rake – 0.19 acres preserved December 2008
83x Blue Heron Pond Road – 0.60 acres preserved November 2013
128 Halona Lane – 0.24 acres preserved July 2014
130 Halona Lane – 0.16 acres preserved December 2014
132 Halona Lane – 0.23 acres preserved February 23, 2015
1 & 2 Little Rabbit Lane – 0.59 acres preserved October 29, 2015
60 Salthouse Lane – 0.50 acres preserved December 9, 2015
112 Halona Lane – 0.14 acres preserved November 2016
74 Blue Heron Pond Road – 1.26 acres preserved December 2016
269 Doral Open – 0.36 acres preserved December 2016
134 Halona Lane – 0.37 acres preserved December 20166
120 Halona Lane – 0.21 acres preserved May 2017
118 Halona Lane – 0.17 acres preserved October 2017
114 Halona Lane – 0.18 acres preserved November 2017
12 Grey Widgeon Lane – 0.93 acres preserved November 2017
140 Halona Lane – 0.15 acres preserved November 2017
136 Halona Lane – 0.32 acres preserved December 2017
185 Marsh Hawk Lane – 0.14 acres preserved April 2018
182 Bull Thistle Lane – 0.59 acres preserved October 2018
10 Kiawah Island Parkway – 0.23 acres preserved December 2018
12 Kiawah Island Parkway – 0.23 acres preserved December 2018
137 Halona Lane – 0.44 acres preserved October 2019
29 Lemoyne Lane – 0.68 acres preserved August 2021
137 Blue Heron Pond – 0.6 acres preserved October 2021
1 Members Lane – 0.98 acres preserved December 2021
2 Members Lane – 0.99 acres preserved December 2021
3 Members Lane – 1.01 acres preserved December 2021
4 Members Lane – 0.97 acres preserved December 2021
5 Members Lane – 1.66 acres preserved December 2021
6 Members Lane – 0..96 acres preserved December 2021
7 Members Lane – 0.98 acres preserved December 2021
2195 Deer Point Lane – 0.39 acres preserved March 2022
489 Pete Dye Place – 0.16 acres preserved April 2022
507 Pete Dye Place – 0.16 acres preserved April 2022
64 Salt Cedar Lane – 2.82 acres preserved April 2022
472B Helena Court – 0.51 acres preserved September 2022
2 Kiawah Island Parkway (Lot 5) – 0.16 acres preserved June 2023
These areas provide key habitat areas for wildlife resting, nesting, cover and movement. Although the majority of the habitat associated with these preserved parcels can be characterized as maritime forest, a handful also have salt shrub thicket habitats contiguous to tidal wetlands and or associated edge habitats adjacent to brackish ponds.
These areas of mature maritime forest, which often exhibit substantial understory habitat, have great ecological value. Natural areas, where they exist across the Island, are extremely important to wildlife. The preservation of these properties maintains important corridors and limits small-scale habitat fragmentation in developed areas. Additionally, many of the lands owned by the Conservancy adjoin neighboring green spaces, buffer properties or existing natural features, allowing them to add acreage to existing, wildlife-friendly, habitat areas.
Though small, these habitat pockets are frequently used by a variety of wildlife. In addition to regular bobcat use on many of these properties, as observed through ongoing Bobcat GPS Research, these areas of lightly managed natural habitat provide important nesting space for a variety of resident and migratory songbird species.