Conestee Nature Preserve

Conestee Nature Preserve in Conestee, South Carolina, spans 400 acres along three miles of the Reedy River and has become one of the region’s richest wildlife habitats, especially for birds. Opened in 2006, it blends forests and extensive wetlands with 13 miles of trails, including paved paths and wetland boardwalks. Its landscape emerged from a heavily damaged industrial site: Lake Conestee, created around 1892 by damming the river at Conestee Mill, was later filled with toxic sediment and classified as a Superfund site. Beginning in 2000, restoration transformed the area into a wildlife refuge of major ecological significance, despite ongoing concerns about the dam’s condition.

Greenville, South Carolina · United States