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DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20261024T103000
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UID:3737-1792837800-1792859400@www.scnaturalists.org
SUMMARY:Waties Island
DESCRIPTION:Waties IslandLittle River Neck Rd.\, North Myrtle Beach\, SChttps://maps.app.goo.gl/hqKPPtHggriVAE3u7 (end of paved road)GPS Coordinates: 33.854102\, -78.595793 (woods parking area)Please see note at bottom about meetup location(s) and logistics at this gated site.Saturday\, October 24\, 2026 | 10:30am – 4:30pm\n\nOn October 24th\, SCAN will head to the upper coast: Waties Island\, a 2.5-mile-long undeveloped barrier island right at the North Carolina border. For the last forty years it has been owned by Coastal Carolina University (southern 1/3) and private landholders (northern 2/3) and has escaped development completely (there is a concession that offers horseback rides on the island but no permanent buildings except for an old wooden bath house near the beach access). There is currently no public access by land (though one can kayak across from Cherry Grove). We have arranged through Coastal Carolina University for SCAN to have access for this trip. Waties has extensive salt marshes\, maritime forest and dune habitats\, 2.5 miles of ocean beach\, and two inlets: Hog Inlet at the west end\, across from Cherry Grove (the northernmost bit of the commercially developed Grand Strand)\, and Little River Inlet at the east end\, with stone jetties and Little River dividing North and South Carolina (though not quite: there is a bit of Bird Island on the far side of the inlet that belongs to South Carolina). In season\, Waties gets a few Loggerhead Turtle nests. There are shell mounds from previous indigenous residents and relatively intact coastal habitats.\n\nA highlight in October is bird migration\, with daytime migrants like ospreys\, falcons\, swallows and sea ducks passing over or passing by\, especially when winds are favorable\, and migrant landbirds and shorebirds present and feeding in the woods\, marsh\, and beaches. There are just a few coverboards in the dunes\, which you’re welcome to flip (coachwhips like the dune habitat). Eric Ungberg\, botanist at SCDNR\, wanted to be there to meet us but has other commitments that day. Eric says “I didn’t find much in the way of rare species on my one visit\, but there was a fair amount of Tridens chapmanii in places along the main road and some clearings in the maritime hardwoods. That species is probably more so uncommon than particularly rare though\, as I’ve found it in a multitude of places since I started. Obviously\, Amaranthus pumilus was at one time seen along the beach (I think circa 2009) and that would be the main thing to keep an eye out for\, though plants of that species tend to be pretty haggard by late October.” Tridens chapmanii\, commonly known as Chapman’s purpletop or Chapman’s redtop\, is a native perennial warm-season bunchgrass. Amaranthus pumilus\, commonly known as seabeach amaranth\, is a rare\, federally threatened annual herb native to Atlantic barrier island beaches.\n\nLOGISTICS\, PARKING AND DIRECTIONS:MEETING SITE(S). The google maps link above takes you to the end of the pavement on Little River Neck Road. Chris Hill will meet the group there at 10:30 and lead you to the woods parking lot at the coordinates given\, the “real” meeting/parking area. Early birds can of course proceed to the meeting spot on your own\, but a fair portion of students that try to get there on their own get lost on the network of woods roads\, so if you go on your own\, follow these directions carefully: from the end of the paved road\, continue onto the dirt road and immediately bear right and then immediately take a second hard right into what looks like a driveway at the gatekeepers house. That dirt driveway will curve past a barn\, turn into a dirt road through some woods\, and at the first intersection (about 0.3 miles from where you left pavement) turn right\, and you’ll see a grassy area to park in on your left. You’ll know you’re in the right place because if you continued down the hill instead of parking you’d pass through a gate (don’t drive through that gate!). Feel free to explore the mainland woods that you just drove through\, or the causeway down the hill through the gate (walking through the gate is fine\, or around it if it’s closed) toward the island proper.\n\nWALKING TO THE ISLAND AFTER THE MEETUP/GROUP PHOTO: The island proper has very limited parking (only about 3 vehicles can comfortably park at the beach) so we’ll park at the clearing in the woods on the mainland as described in the previous paragraph\, and from there\, it’s an easy walk on a dirt causeway and road:Across the causeway\, then bear right through a second gate to the beach (~0.9 miles from the cars to the beach)Once you hit the beach if you like beach walking it’s 0.5 miles west to Hog Inlet or 2.0 miles east to the Little River Inlet and the jetties and extensive east end dune field. So\, on foot a round trip of 2.8 miles will sample all the habitats down to Hog Inlet and back\, and of course you can soodle around freely in all of them and explore as far as you want\, including on the mainland.\n\nRETURNING TO THE CARS: For most people\, they can walk back to the parking area from the beach in 20- 30 minutes but of course if you walked all the way to the jetties you’ll have to allow time to walk back. Your cars will be parked outside all the gates\, so you can’t get locked in.\n\nVAN SHUTTLE AVAILABLE: For those with limited mobility or who would rather skip a mile of walking and get to the island quicker\, I propose to run a (van) shuttle to the island after we assemble in the morning\, and to keep the van available to tote people back to cars as well. Make arrangements with Chris Hill when we meet in the morning for return rides later in the day.\n\nAMENITIES: Restrooms will not be available on the island. Most of you will pass by the Circle K at the corner of Highway 90 and Sea Mountain Highway on the way in and that makes a good last pit stop.\n\nPOST-MEETING MEALSome nearby options include these two (as reviewed by a friend who is local):\n\nBabaka’s Pizzeria https://maps.app.goo.gl/6TK9FW5c6AbLVCqs6“Slices and gyros; bar and good seating options. Haven’t eaten here in a while\, but it used to be good.”\n\nMurphy’s Bar and Grill https://maps.app.goo.gl/BWPRnSYM1Ykk3QHY9“Surprisingly good bar food and oceanfront. Rough around the edges dive bar with lots of bikers.”\n\nGuest Trip Leader: Chris HillEastern Regional Director: Caroline Eastman\n\n        
URL:https://www.scnaturalists.org/event/waties-island/
CATEGORIES:Field Trip
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