Audubon Newhall Preserve

Great place to visit if you love nature and learning about the plants and the wildlife that's native to South Carolina. It's interesting to learn about the area and how it looked hundreds of years ago. They have bird feeders so you can sit quietly and watch birds feed. They have pollinator gardens and what's in then. The plants along the trails have id cards so you can learn the common , the genius, and the species name where they are native. Also, anything special about them, like if the Native Americans Indians used them for anything special. It's not good for wheelchair access since there's tree roots that go across the dirt paths. Some spots look like Jurassic Park. They do have a small pond. You can walk around and see the turtles in the water, and yes, there is an alligator in there, too. I didn't see him and am kind of glad I didn't. I highly recommend this nice, quiet place to get your steps and get your brain learning. If you do take small kids, don't let them run around and keep them on the path because of snakes and the alligator.

Neat small sanctuary with lots of interesting information on local birds, lakes and plants. Very clean. Short, well worn paths go throughout the area. Be sure to sit on the benches to take it all in. I would have missed this small alligator and several small birds if I hadn't. I used my bird app which was fun.

Beautiful and peaceful place in the heart of a busy island. Great place to get away from it all. Nature viewed at its finest. An abundance of interpretive signage along some very easy to walk and well maintained paths. Walk around the pond, chill by the pond or take a stroll through the forest and see what the island looked like before we invaded it. The paths are relatively short and can be covered in very little time. But this is no place to be in a rush. Limited parking but I’ve never seen more than a few vehicles at a time. Lots of birds so bring your binoculars. Turtles and the occasional small gator in the pond.

I was super excited to check this place out, as I was visiting from California. I'm an avid birder and found this place on eBird. I saw it had a good amount of biodiversity and trails which I was excited about as well because I also enjoy herping. I would have loved to get there earlier than their opening time of 7, but I came about half an hour after 7 to give a little of time for the people managing to have things open and ready. I get there at 730 and the gate is padlocked. No signs indicating why. No number to call. Nothing. Super disappointed.

Five stars! There is so much nature packed into a small area. The girl at the gate was super friendly. Trails are clearly marked and are short for easy hiking. The pond was super nice to view but we did not see any alligators. If you like nature, take the time to stop by and have a look. Bring your own water for drinking and go to the bathroom before arriving as there are none here.

Beautiful little park, kind of hidden off the main road. It would be difficult to find if you did not see it on the map first. Parking may be limited during busy times because there are just a few parking spaces in the small lot, but we were the only ones there, so this was not a problem for us. Please note that this is a nature area primarily for the wildlife, with walking trails and educational signs for humans. There is no playground, picnic area, or restrooms. The trails are relatively flat and well maintained. The main trail is possibly wheelchair accessible, but it is not paved, and there can be a lot of twigs and bumps on the ground, so I would not recommend it for someone who is considered a fall risk. The paths off the main trail are a bit tighter of a squeeze between brush. Also, beware that there’s a pollinator garden at the entrance with the potential for a lot of bees, so be careful if you are allergic. Otherwise, the variety of trees and flora, along with the pond, make this a nice little place to explore--and escape if you are there during the high tourist season because it is lesser known and not very crowded. If you are looking for wildlife, I suggest dusk and dawn. Unfortunately, we did not see many species because we could only go during the middle of the day, but it was still a pleasant place to go. I appreciate all the signs and literature for education. Thanks for your hard work, Audubon Society. Keep it up!

What a little Oasis on HHI! Love the quiet and abundant wildlife here. Sit and enjoy!

Pleasant place to walk around and learn about the local plant life. During the summer season they have walking tours on some days and if you are solo you can read the signage around the trails. There were a few other couples or families around, but it was quiet enough that I could use a bird app to id birds by sound. The trails were well maintained and the park was clean.

The preserve is an easy to miss pulloff on the main Hilton Head thoroughfare. It is not large, and I made a round of most of the trails in half an hour or so. It does offer some distinctive variety of settings meant to evoke various Carolinian landscapes, and is pretty successful at that. The parking area only accommodates a few cars, so it isn't likely to be crowded. If you're really looking for wilderness, Pinckney Island has a lot more of it to offer, but I'm glad that this little patch of land on Hilton Head is preserved for public use.

Audubon Newhall Nature Preserve is small, but you don't have to leave town to get there :-) Tip: If your objective for visiting is even a moderate hike then you're likely to be disappointed; this place is ideal for elderly people or those with really young children in tow When you come here, you'll find some informative signage that will teach you about the various flora in the immediate area.

This is a very pretty spot. There is a pond that you can walk around on a trail. There are signs by the trees and shrubs telling you what they are. They also have a pollinator garden. Be careful there are alligators.

Great place to be with nature. The area overall is small, but there are a few trails you can take. You will see lots of butterflies and plants and bushes that are labeled. A lot of the area is shaded with all of the trees, which is nice in the hot summer.

Nice area for a nature walk. I was a little surprised to find it. I stopped in for a bit. I walked around the pond. It is pretty and peaceful. Worth checking out at least once. Enjoy!

We stumbled upon this place by pure accident, and it ended up being one of the highlights of our visit to HHI. If you like nature, this little hidden gem is for you. You can park outside for free and embark on a short hike through this preserve, where you'll hear and see many birds and maybe, if you're lucky, even gators. The trail itself was beautiful - lots of different plants, most with a short description of what they were. Once you make it deeper into the preserve, you'll find a lake/pond that;s just gorgeous. You can walk around it and sit in one of the many benches to just take in all of nature's beauty.

Audubon Newhall Nature Preserve is a nice, secluded woods you can explore right in the middle of HHI. It's 50 acres of land just for the preserve, which was created in 1965. The location was easy to find and worth a stop while I was working in the Bluffton area. Even in February it was a wonderful experience, full of tall pines, beautiful saw palmettos, and many other natural interests to keep me there for an hour or so. There is ample parking at the front, with a small info booth where you can grab a map. The walk takes you right to the pond, which has a small dock to look out on. Plus there are other benches around the pond. I enjoyed the info signs on plants and trees, and descriptions of the different areas between ridge, wetland, etc. It was a quiet walk, and after circling the pond I then followed the trails around. Nothing grand, just a simple walk amongst the trees. I liked coming here. The best part was the large bird on the pine tree above the pond, who was grooming itself and totally ignored the humans. Not sure what type of bird, I'll post a pic and maybe someone can tell me the correct name. I noticed they had to recover from some prior hurricanes, as there was still evidence of fallen trees. Plus they were clearing an area to plant more tall pines. Thank you to the HHI Audubon Society for maintaining this preserve and allowing it to be shared by all.

I visited Hilton head last month and had to stop to check this place out. It was a mild chilly day so why not... It was very peaceful and well maintained. There are little benches to sit and pretty defined paths. There are many beautiful plants and I got some good photos. If visiting the island definitely worth checking out very serene and lots of cool birds for those who enjoy bird watching.

Have always wanted to check this place out and finally made the time to do it this last visit. It is literally a small drive off the main road into a wooded area. Small parking area, then a trail to follow. There is a guide pamphlet of the trails, but it's a small place, you can't get lost. Basically long ago a local started saving plants/trees in the area from developers and it's all here to enjoy. The trails are flat and wide. Plants and trees are labeled. Lots of birds to watch/listen to. We only spent 30 min here, but it was so nice to be totally in the woods in a touristy place so quickly. Worth checking out if you have a little time to get outside.

I LOVE this place! I actually visited back in the summer of this year. It was my first time on Hilton Head Island, and driving in I passed the sign. I was curious, as I didn't expect an actual nature preserve in the midst of this tourist beach town. I was a beginning birder at the time and looked it up as a possible place to go birding. It's not hard to miss the sign off the main road, and once you get in there is a pretty small parking lot. I was the only car at the time though (probably everyone else was at the beach =)). I was surprised at how big the place was for being so tucked away. Not big enough to get lost in, but big enough that I easily spent a couple hours there walking the paths. I didn't have binoculars with me, so didn't get as good a look at birds as Id've liked, but so many of the birds came up so close to the path that I didn't even need them. Maybe they are so used to humans not intruding on their space, I don't know. Also, it was just beautiful there. But I really like nature and the outdoors, so there's that too. They had trail maps at the front, and also a list of all the birds that had been seen there before, if you care about birds =) If I go back to HIlton Head Island some time, I will most definitely plan this into my agenda.

Nice place to take a quiet stroll and read all the signs for the native plants. Took the dog on the trails, sat at the pond and watched the blue heron.

We had an enjoyable walk through the trails. We didnt see much wildlife. Some birds a squirrel...many of the flowers and trees are labeled which was nice. We may have seen more if we had more time to just sit quietly by the pond on one of the benches. Still a very nice walk. And we saw a pair of blue birds.