A BUTLER CONSERVATION PROJECT

Welcome to the Black River Cypress Preserve

The Black River Cypress Preserve (BRCP) was created to inspire, activate, and educate citizens about the extraordinary blackwater swamps and native pinelands of the South Carolina Coastal Plain.

Black River Cypress Preserve

A 1,000-Acre Ecological Sanctuary

Founded in 2015, the Preserve features fifteen miles of interpretive walking and biking trails. In addition to a 3.2-mile kayak route down the main stem of the river, BRCP has also developed over seven miles of paddling trails into the cypress swamp, both on our Swampside Tract and across the river on property owned by The Nature Conservancy.

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Plan Your Visit

Black River Cypress Preserve welcomes visitor groups of six or more participants by appointment only and offers a range of recreational and educational experiences, including hiking, biking, and kayaking. Special kayak and bike programming is available for student and youth groups through the Butler Conservation Outdoor Education Program (BCOEP).

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Kayaking the Black River at sunrise
Kayaking the Black River

The Black River

Discover More Than 15 Miles of South Carolina Blackwater River

South Carolina’s Black River is one of the state’s most exotic and least known destinations. Rich in history and ecology, the Black River rises in the swamps and bogs of Sumter and Lee Counties and flows through Clarendon and Williamsburg Counties until it reaches the Great Pee Dee River in Georgetown County. Over the past quarter of a century, more than 25,000 acres of the watershed and 75 miles of river frontage have been permanently protected.

About the black river