Four Holes Swamp begins as a swamp-stream system in Calhoun County, South Carolina, separated by a low divide from the Congaree River Valley. After winding a serpentine 62 miles through the low country of four counties, the black swamp water joins the Edisto River to complete its journey to the Atlantic Ocean. Thus four Holes Swamp is different from the usual riverbottom swamp. It is in fact a swamp-stream system fed largely by springs and runoff from surrounding higher areas. No major unbroken channel occupies the floodplain, yet swamp water moves slowly and relentlessly seaward through a network of waterways.
Looking at a topographical map, one might conclude that Four Holes Swamp occupies a basin created by some ancient river. Geologists, however, believe that this low depression probably marks the remnant of a pre-Pleistocene estuary, its shape carved by tides and wind at a time when the Atlantic Ocean covered much of the present coastal plain.
How did the swamp receive the name Four Holes? Was it derived from four fishing lakes used by the Yamasee Indians? Some people believe the name comes from four "holes" through the swamp forming seasonally dry passageways used by early pioneers. But the exact origin of the name remains a mystery.
During the Revolutionary War, American forces under the command of General Nathanael Green and Francis Marion, the Swamp Fox, are said to have camped in the swamp. Moving stealthily through "woods and swamps seldom trod by man," they made guerrillalike strikes against British forces garrisoned in the area.
Francis Beidler, who acquired this part of the Four Holes Swamp in the 1890s, was unconventional for a lumberman of his time. He allowed much of his timber to stand while taxes, interest, hurricanes, and insects took their toll. Following his death in 1924, his family continued to preserve large holdings within Four Holes Swamp. Recently, with the liquidation of the estate, the prospect of sale of the property drew the attention of local conservationists and led to action by the National Audubon Society and The Nature Conservancy.
Funds totaling $1.5 million were raised by the two organizations to acquire 3,415 acres as a sanctuary. National Audubon Society chapters in six southeastern states, with the aid of members and friends throughout the country, raised the funds to build a visitors' boardwalk within the new sanctuary. Gifts by Francis Beidler II and the Francis Beidler Charitable Trust made possible the construction of the entrance road, parking area, and visitors' center building.
The National Audubon Society is responsible for managing Francis Beidler Forest. All uses of the area, for public visitation, education, and research, must conform to the primary purpose for which the sanctuary was acquired: preservation of the ecosystem and of the native plant and animal life in perpetuity.
To avoid disturbing the pristine swamp itself, the society purchased 50 adjoining acres from a neighboring farmer, Tom Mims, as the site for access road, parking area, and building. Even here, all facilities were planned to soften the impact on vegetation, minimize grading and water runoff, and prevent any pollutants from entering the swamp ecosystem. Parking spaces have been slipped inconspicuously between the trees. There are no large clearings.
The visitors' center is the gateway to the sanctuary. The building is designed to be barrier free to handicapped persons. The building is raised on poles. This allows free passage of water under the building and into the soil. Because no roots were cut when making the foundation, trees close to the center have remained unharmed. The structure also is capable of withstanding the hurricane winds that periodically scourge the area.
The 6,500-foot boardwalk begins at the visitors' center and traverses a small portion of the majestic tupelo-cypress swamp. As you enter this natural cathedral of buttressed trees, remember that it is an area for quiet, solitude, and tranquillity. In the words of Audubon President Elvis J. Stahr, the swamp is "uncluttered, spacious, and serene to the point of austerity."
Native wildlife abounds throughout the year, yet often evades observation by casual visitors. As in all Audubon sanctuaries, those in quest of captive animals on display will not find them, nor is the attempt made to package and sell wildlife scenes. The wilderness sets its own terms for your visit.
