Preserve Rules and Regulations

Ordinance 2018/53, Chapter 91 of Beaufort County Code, provides all rules and regulations governing Land Preservation Department preserve properties.

Hunting is not permitted on any County preserve property, unless otherwise stated online or on site.

Business Use Application

The Land Preservation Department Business Use Application provides instructions, a fee schedule, and an application process for business use of available preserve properties. Any nonprofit organization and/or association, educational institution, or for-profit individual, limited liability corporation, and/or incorporated corporation desiring to utilize County preserve properties is required to obtain a permit for such activity. This includes those who invite the general public to attend the activity, those who charge attendees admission/fees to participate in the activity, and/or any recreational activity including, but not limited to, a run/walk, educational class, ecotour, or fitness class.

Click here to download the Business Use Application as a fillable pdf.

Some preserve properties are managed by other municipalities who have their own applicable use policies. Please refer to the table below for available preserve properties and the appropriate person to contact for more information.

Property Name	Managing Agency	Contact Name	Phone Number
Altamaha Town Heritage Preserve	Beaufort County	Stefanie Nagid	(843) 255-2152
Camp St. Mary's Park	Beaufort County	Stefanie Nagid	(843) 255-2152
Crystal Lake Park	Beaufort County	Stefanie Nagid	(843) 255-2152
Fort Fremont Preserve	Beaufort County	Stefanie Nagid	(843) 255-2152
Green's Shell Park	Town of Hilton Head	Eileen Buckalew	(843) 341-4639
Oyster Factory Park	Town of Bluffton	Lyndee Simoneaux	(843) 540-1662
Whitehall Park	City of Beaufort	Jennifer Pointer	(843) 379-7519
Widgeon Point Preserve	Beaufort County	Stefanie Nagid	(843) 255-2152
Wright Family Park	Town of Bluffton	Lyndee Simoneaux	(843) 540-1662

 

Facility Rental Information

On occasion, some County-owned parks and preserves may be permitted for small social gatherings and events. The Land Preservation Department considers these requests on a case-by-case basis depening on the requested location and the size and details of the event. Our local municipal partners also manage facility rentals at several parks located within the municipal boundaries. Please click here for the Facility Rental Application, or contact the Land Preservation Department Director at snagid@bcgov.net for further inquiries. Please see the links below for more information about our partnering agencies.

City of Beaufort Reserve a City Park

Town of Port Royal Parks and Recreation

Town of Bluffton Parks and Trails

Town of Hilton Head Island Parks and Amenities

 

Environmental Education Program Reservation

Under the influence of the EPA's Nonformal Guidelines for Excellence, the County's Naturalist provides FREE environmental education programs intended to build a community of environmentally literate individuals and provide the opportunity to safely spend time outside in a nonformal setting to enjoy the unique environment Beaufort County has to offer. These programs are both indoor and outdoor for all age groups and include topics such as trail talks, fish clinics, birding, saltmarsh meanders, herpetology, pollinators, and much more. Public programming is offered and advertised on a monthly basis, however schools and private groups can also request tailored group programs.

If your group would like to request a private environmental education program, please click here to download the program information and reservation form, or contact the County's Naturalist at destiney.rains@bcgov.net.

 

Geocaching/Letterboxing Application

Geocaching is a hide and seek outdoor recreational activity where participants use a GPS device to find a "cache". Geocaching is similar to letterboxing, which uses landmark clues and references to find the cache. A typical cache is a small waterproof container with a logbook and/or trinket, such as a small toy or stamp. Geocaching and letterboxing is allowed with an approved permit on County preserves that are currently open to the public.

Click here to download the geocaching/letterboxing permit application as a fillable pdf. Permits are valid for 12 months. A new permit request is required every 12 months to confirm its active status.

 

All-Terrain Wheelchair Reservation

Beaufort County is excited to be able to provide all-terrain wheelchairs available to the public, for FREE! There are currently 3 all-terrain wheelchairs available, one is located at both the Bluffton and St. Helena County branch libraries and one is located at the Crystal Lake Park department office building.

Click here to download the reservation and waiver form as a fillable pdf.

For more information about the all-terrain wheelchair, you can visit the GRIT website and watch these videos: