Caw Caw Interpretive Center - Ravenel, SC - Park Features Birding, Canoeing, and Interpretive Trails

Caw Caw Interpretive Center is located off of Highway 17 South at 5200 Savannah Highway in Ravenal, South Carolina. Once a part of rice plantations, Caw Caw was home to enslaved Africans. These Africans applied agricultural skills and technology to the land around them in order to create an area of rice fields out of the cypress swamps.

Caw Caw is open from 9:00am to 5:00pm Wednesday through Sunday. Caw Caw is closed on Monday and Tuesday. Admission is free for children 2 years of age and under. For all others, admission is $1 or 1 Greenbax per person. With reservations, group rates are available Monday through Sunday for Environmental Educator or Interpreter-led groups. Self-led educational group rates are also available Wednesday through Sunday with reservations. Interested parties can call 843-889-8898 for additional information about group rates.

From October through April, self-guided canoeing is available on weekends from 10:00am to 4:00pm. There is a $10 fee per canoe. Reservations are not necessary for canoes, but participants 15 years of age and under are required to have a chaperone. Gold Pass members also receive the quarterly Leisure Line newsletter and the quarterly Parks & Program Guide. In addition, members receive a VIP Coupon Booklet that features discounts that are related to the park. Standard Gold Pass Membership is $75, and the rate for Charleston County residents is $55. Gold Pass Membership for seniors (60+) is $60. Seniors who are also residents of Charleston County pay only $40 for membership. A $95 Community Bus Pass Rate is offered for groups that are interested in Gold Passes.

Caw Caw offers Gold Pass Membership. Gold Passes allow members unlimited visits on an annual basis to Caw Caw and 7 other county parks without having to pay admission. Gold Passes are valid for up to 15 people per vehicle. Gold Pass members enjoy other benefits as well, such as free admission to select events and festivals.

Individual Passes are also available. Individual Passes allow individuals to drive or walk at Caw Caw and 3 other parks. Caw Caw does not allow dogs or bikes. The other 3 parks do allow bikes and animals. The Individual Pass is available for $25, and Charleston County residents are eligible for the discounted rate of $15.

Caw Caw is home to roughly 250 species of birds and offers birding trips and early morning bird walks. Bird walks take place on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 8:30am to noon. There is a $5 fee per person for bird walks. Participants can observe bald eagles, snowy egrets, great blue herons, wood storks, and prothonotary warblers.

Caw Caw offers visitors the opportunity to view a slide presentation about the park's plants, animals, and natural history. The park is home to the F. Lamar Wiley Learning Center, which features a wetlab, a classroom, and a picnic area. In addition, there are over 6 miles of trails that allow visitors to walk through 9 different habitats. The trails have 1,435 feet of elevated boardwalks throughout the wetlands, and there are interpretive exhibits, programs, and displays.

Due to a 20th century tea farm, there are thousands of naturalized tea plants in the park. In addition to the variety of plant life found at Caw Caw, the park is also home to otters, turkeys, songbirds, deer, alligators, and birds of prey.

Several programs and activities are planned throughout the year at Caw Caw Interpretive Center. Inquiries about any upcoming program can be made by calling 843-889-8898.