Lake Conestee Nature Park
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[edit] Directions
Take Exit 46 off I-85 signed to Augusta Rd./SC 291 South; follow SC 291 South for 1.1 miles and then turn left at a light on to Old Augusta Rd.; after 0.4 miles turn left (gas station on corner) on to Fork Shoals Rd. and then after a further 0.2 miles left again on to Henderson Avenue; follow Henderson Avenue until it ends (~ 0.6 miles); the entrance to the Park parking lot is on the right. Note that normally the parking lot gates are opened by the local Fire Department at 8 a.m. If they are closed park on the side of the road and enter on foot.
[edit] Birds to look for
The Greenville County Bird Club is in the process of establishing a comprehensive bird list for the Park. Since November 2006 the club has reported 140 species. The list is updated and published monthly on the Greenville County Bird Club website on the Projects / Lake Conestee Nature Park page.
The lake and river are good places for several resident waterfowl species as well as for wintering ducks and migrating shorebirds (Yellowlegs, Least, Solitary and Spotted Sandpipers, Wilson’s Snipe). American Bitterns have been observed frequently between January and May. In the winter several sparrow species (including Field, Swamp, White-throated, Song) have been seen, particularly along the wetland edges. To date (September 2007) 27 warbler species have been observed in the Park. The Park, being part of the Reedy River valley is a good place for observing the occasional rarity (for the Upstate region of SC) such as Anhinga. Red Foxes, White-tailed Deer, Beaver and 3 species of turtles are among the fauna in the Park.
[edit] Description
Lake Conestee was established in the early 1800s through damming of the Reedy River. It is now approximately 90% silted in. The Lake Conestee Nature Park, managed by the Conestee Foundation, is a 300 acre property comprised of the former lakebed and contains wetlands, sloughs, bottomland forests, and 1.5 miles of the Reedy River, and provides a natural wonderland of wildlife habitat. The water level in a large section of marsh has been significantly raised by an active beaver dam.
The Park has over 2 miles of well-marked natural trails and boardwalks through varied habitat. The trails are a combination of interconnected loops, each loop indicated with a different color on the trees. There is also a paved trail suitable for handicapped access. All the trails can be birded comfortably in a half-day visit.
The Greenville County Bird Club conducts a morning bird-walk on the 3rd Saturday of every month, starting from the parking lot at the trailhead at the end of Henderson Avenue at 8 a.m. April through September, and at 9 a.m. October through March. All GCBC trips are open to members and non-members.
[edit] Links
For more information about the park including an overview site map with surface streets, visit Upstate Forever's website at www.conesteepark.com (scroll down the page for site map).
