Cypress Wetlands is a connected series of five ponds and low-lying areas in the town of Port Royal, SC. These wetlands help filter stormwater before it enters the Beaufort River and Port Royal Sound.
Port Royal is one of the Sea Islands – a chain of tidal and barrier islands along South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida.
Cypress Wetlands
Cypress Wetlands is home to a variety of trees and wildlife. Bald cypress, red maple, sweet gum, and tupelo trees grow among shrubs like buttonbush, cabbage palm, elderberry, wax myrtle, and willow.
An easy 0.5-mile loop of elevated boardwalks and paved paths circles the ponds. It has access points on multiple roads; however, I recommend starting at the wooden amphitheater off Paris Avenue.
The main and biggest pond is off this road. It is home to a rookery for several Lowcountry-wading birds. Over 200 bird species have been seen in the Port Royal area.
An overlook and duck blind are available off Richmond Avenue. Information signs about local wildlife dot the trail.
Art and sculptures are available around the loop. My favorite is a pair of oversized watermen’s boots painted with wildlife by a local artist. These boots are part of the Watermen’s Wave Lowcountry Boot Trail.
Our Visit
We visited in January and were excited by the number of species we found! From the amphitheater, we saw common gallinules (moorhens), little blue herons, snowy egrets, tricolored herons, and white ibises.
We started the loop counter-clockwise (to the right). One of the first sightings from the elevated boardwalk was an alligator! Alligators help protect bird eggs and hatchlings by hunting feral cats, opossums, otters, raccoons, and other predators.
This alligator was barely visible above the water line near an island at first. Then, as we watched, the alligator began a slow climb out of the water to sun against the bank.
Farther down the boardwalk, hooded mergansers swam in the center of the pond. An anhinga landed on a small island nearby and tiny ruby-crowned kinglets bopped between branches.
Next, we strolled between two groups. On our right, common gallinules, little blue herons, snowy egrets, tricolored herons, and yellow-bellied sliders explored shrubs and marsh grass.
To the left, a second alligator patrolled in the water while a third propped its head on an island’s edge to nap. In the rookery of trees, dozens of black-crowned night herons perched.
At a back pond near 16th Street, a great blue heron stood calmly on a log next to the boardwalk. The heron was so relaxed that multiple people stopped to take photos, and it never even twitched. Its pale plumage popped against the green backdrop of the pond. One of my best encounters with a great blue heron in years! Also at this pond, a gray catbird caught my eye deep in a shrub.
Cypress Wetlands is the perfect spot for families and those new to wildlife viewing – it is easy to access, and wildlife habitats are close to the loop.