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. Follow Fork Shoals Road to 1 of the 4 parking areas at Park trailheads: •Henderson Avenue Trailhead: After 0.2 miles turn left onto Henderson Avenue and follow it until it ends (~ 0.6 miles); the entrance to the Park parking lot is on the right. •601 Fork Shoals Road Trailhead: After 0.5 miles turn left into the Park parking lot at the junction of Fork Shoals Rd. and White Horse Rd. The Conestee Foundation office is at this trailhead. •701 Fork Shoals Road Trailhead: After 0.9 miles turn left at the entrance to the Belmont Fire Department building at 701 Fork Shoals Rd. and follow the signs to the trailhead parking. •Spanco Drive Trailhead: After 1 mile turn left on to Conestee Rd and take it for approx. 1 mile. Turn left on to Spanco Drive (just after a gas station on the right and just before the road crosses the Reedy River). Follow Spanco Drive (one way street) to the trailhead parking lot at the curve in the road. Note that the parking lots on Henderson Avenue and at 601 Henderson Avenue are gated. Members of the Belmont Fire Department open the gates at 8 a.m. If they are closed, park on the side of the road and enter on foot. The Park gates are closed at dusk. The parking lots at the Fire Department and on Spanco Drive are permanently open. There are public restrooms at the Belmont Fire Department trailhead. There are no other facilities in the park. In the opinion of this reviewer the best trailhead for birding is the Spanco Drive trailhead.
[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 162 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, and Fox) have been seen, particularly along the wetland edges. To date (October 2009) 31 warbler species have been reported 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. Both Gray and Red Foxes, White-tailed Deer, Beaver, River Otter 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 3 miles of well-marked natural trails and over two miles of paved trails (the latter suitable for handicapped access0 and boardwalks through varied habitat. All the trails can be birded comfortably in a half-day visit. Trail maps are available at all trailheads except Spanco Drive.
The Greenville County Bird Club conducts a morning bird-walk on the 3rd Saturday of every month, starting from the parking lot on Spanco Drive at 8 a.m. 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).
