Botany Bay Plantation Wildlife Management Area, state preserve on Edisto Island, South Carolina, United States
Botany Bay Plantation Wildlife Management Area is a 4,600-acre protected site on South Carolina's coast that combines coastal forest, beaches, freshwater ponds, and historic structures. Towering pines, live oaks, and palms draped in Spanish moss cover the land, while marshes and ponds provide habitat for deer, alligators, and numerous bird species.
The area grew from two plantations, Sea Cloud and Bleak Hall, known for Sea Island cotton production from the 1700s onward. After the Civil War and damage from boll weevils in the early 1900s, the land changed owners several times until John Meyer bequeathed it to South Carolina in the 1960s with the request that it remain protected for wildlife and public enjoyment.
The name Botany Bay reflects the area's historical connection to plant study and botanical work. Today, visitors can see how the land serves as a meeting point between the work of earlier residents and the natural world that now surrounds those old structures.
The causeway to the beach is wheelchair accessible and takes about half a mile to walk from the parking area. Check tide charts before heading to the shore, and bring water, sturdy shoes, and sunscreen, as facilities are limited throughout the property.
The beach is called Boneyard Beach because of the bleached white fallen trees scattered across the sand and water like natural sculptures. These tree remains, shaped by sun and waves, create an otherworldly appearance found nowhere else in the region.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
