A NOTE TO OUR READERS:
"Backroads Guide to Carolina Lowcountry" is from the October 2005 issue of Southern Living. Because prices, dates, and other specifics are subject to change, please check all information to make sure it's still current before making your travel plans.

Sand lanes, underneath majestic live oaks wearing green sleeves of resurrection ferns and cuffs of Spanish moss, form passageways to the past.

While the land area of the ACE Basin is small enough for a weekend trip, the natural beauty of this great, green place in the South Carolina Lowcountry will make you want to linger longer. Walking trails, canoe trips, nature tours, and more await.

Stop First in Walterboro
If you're driving along I-95, your first glimpse of the ACE Basin comes in the middle of this small city that lies on the area's northern edge. Walking trails of the Great Swamp Sanctuary meander alongside Ireland Creek. It's a great place for birding. Call (843) 549-9595, or visit www.walterboro.org.

Beside the Sea at Edisto Island
From U.S. 17, turn south on State 174, cruise slowly through the small town of Adams Run, and then follow the road about 25 miles to ocean's edge. Edisto Beach State Park features 4 miles of nature trails and programs. Loggerhead turtles nest on the island's sandy beaches. Edisto Beach Golf Club is open to the public at Fairfield Ocean Ridge Resort. You can shop, dine, and sunbathe. For general information, call the Edisto Chamber of Commerce, at 1-888-333-2781, or visit www.edistochamber.com.

Ernest F. Hollings ACE Basin National Wildlife Refuge, Donnelley and Bear Island Wildlife Management Areas
You'll find the best views of these Lowcountry gems deep in their hearts. At all three, walking trails take you deep into forests, fields, and tidal marsh.

At the refuge's visitors center (off State 346), you can tour its headquarters, Grove House, built about 1828. It's one of three antebellum houses remaining in the area and was once the seat of a rice plantation. Cooler days in late fall, winter, and spring are the best times to walk the trails of the refuge and wildlife management areas. Bring binoculars (and insect repellant) for great birding in those seasons. For more information call the refuge at (843) 889-3084, or see www.acebasin.fws.gov.