Dolin Hill

Dolin Hill Tract
Calhoun County
regional director: Caroline Eastman

Our original plans for April 2016 were to visit the new Wateree HP/WMA [aka Cook’s Mountain]. There is a turkey hunt scheduled the morning of April 23, so the area is not open that morning. . We are very fortunate to be able to revisit the
nearby Dolin Hill tract owed by Dick Watkins instead. We are still planning to visit Cook’s Mountain and are working with DNR to identify appropriate dates. So look for this trip, either as a special or in 2017.

We will meet at 10:30 at the entrance to Dolin Hill; directions are given below.

Those who might want to get coffee or a late breakfast are welcome to meet John Cely at the Hardee’s in St. Matthews at 10; this group will then travel to Dolin Hill. Hardee’s is in the center of St. Matthews, at the intersection of SC 6 and US 601.
We will have dinner at the Town and Country restaurant in St. Matthews; the private dining room has been reserved for us. The restaurant is also at the intersection of SC 6 and US 601 across from Hardee’s.

While in St. Matthews be sure to look for the Purple Martins using the houses along US 601.

Note that South Carolina 48 across lower Richland County to US 601 is SCHEDULED to reopen on April 15. Make sure this road is reopened before planning to use it to travel to the meeting.

Dolin Hill tract — 357 acres (protected with conservation easement) This site is on the south side of the Congaree River, with high bluffs overlooking Congaree National Park. It is one of the highest of Calhoun County’s “high hills of the Congaree” – more than 200 feet higher elevation than the floodplain. As a
north-facing bluff, it has many montane species including mountain laurel. It also has mixed pine-hardwood slopes and beech ravines, with small creeks fed by seepage springs. The slopes and ravines descend to more than 100 acres of
bottomland hardwood forest. This site includes the mouth of Butler’s Gut, a former channel of the Congaree River.

SCAN last visited this site on 04/05/2008. SCAN saw the state rare mud salamander & eastern fox squirrel here. Notable flora seen included slash pine, burreed, hooked buttercup, short-spurred corydalis, hop hornbeam, giant chickweed, both cottonwoods, Piedmont azalea, pinxter flower, flowering spurge, sandhills blue-star, creeping speedwell, Virginia dwarf dandelion, and butterweed. Invertebrates seen: acetine ant, twin-spotted spiketail, crab-like rove beetle, deathwatch beetle, root-eating beetle and lots more. Birds seen or heard: great horned
owl, barred owl, white-breasted nuthatch, white-eyed vireo & black-and-white warbler.

Moth researchers in April 2015 identified more than 200 species, including a new species for SC.

Directions from Columbia and points north:
1. Go east on I-26 towards Charleston.
2. Get off on Exit 119 and follow Hwy 21/Hwy 176 towards St Matthews.
3. Drive 6.7 miles on Hwy 21.
4. At 6.7 miles, the highway divides. Hwy 176 to the left and Hwy 21 goes straight.
5. Go left onto Hwy 176 towards St. Matthews.
6. Drive 7 miles on Hwy 176 to Old Belleville Rd, (on the left).
7. Turn left onto Old Belleville Rd.
8. Drive 4.7 miles on Old Belleville Rd.
9. Turn left onto Sikes Pond Rd. It is a dirt road.
10. Drive 0.2 mile and turn right onto Dolin Hill Ln.
11. Follow Dolin Hill Ln to the gate where the road dead ends, (about 1.5 miles).

Directions from Charleston and points south:
1. Go west on I-26 towards Columbia.
2. Get off on exit 145 B and follow Hwy 601 North.
3. Drive 7.8 miles on Hwy 601 into St. Matthews.
4. Turn left onto Hwy 6, (at the Hardees).
5. Drive 0.6 miles on Hwy 6 to Herlong Ave.
6. Turn right onto Herlong Ave.
7. Follow Herlong Ave, (becomes Old Belleville Rd), 6.4 miles.
8. Turn right onto Sikes Pond Rd. It is a dirt rd.
9. Drive 0.2 mile and turn right onto Dolin Hill Ln.
10. Follow Dolin Hill Ln to the gate where the road dead ends, (about 1.5 miles).

Dinner:
Town and Country Restaurant – intersection of SC 6 and US 601 across from Hardee’s in St Matthews