Tag Archives: Walk Difficulty: Easy to Moderate

Western North Carolina (River Road, Hot Springs, NC)

The Carolina Butterfly Society Western NC Chapter will hold a butterfly walk on Saturday, March 29, 2025, hiking on River Road along the French Broad River outside of Hot Springs, NC. We will be looking for the Olympia Marble and other early butterflies. This area was hard hit by Hurricane Helene, so we’re not sure what we will find. We’ll caravan and get out of the cars to explore different sections on foot.

Meet at Broadwing Farm, 20 Berry Wills Road, Hot Springs, NC. Park in front of the “event venue” building that’s located at 165 Broadwing Farm Lane, Hot Springs, NC (GPS coordinates 35.9008, -82.8291). Use the following link, https://www.broadwingfarmcabins.com/the-farm/directions/ for additional information and specific directions from nearby cities.

Walking is easy to moderate. There’s a composting toilet available where we stop for lunch. Pete Dixon will lead. Either register on the CBS website (using the “Register” link above) or RSVP to Pete at the email address below if you plan to participate. Please bring water, lunch, binoculars, cameras and field guides. Sunscreen, bug spray, long pants and close-toed shoes are highly recommended.

NABA Butterfly Count (Congaree NP, Hopkins, SC)

On Saturday, September 20, 2025, the Midlands Chapter of CBS (Carolina Butterfly Society) will participate in a NABA (North American Butterfly Association) seasonal count at the 26,693-acre Congaree National Park near Columbia, South Carolina, to look for late-season butterflies. The park preserves the largest tract of old growth bottomland hardwood forest left in the United States. The lush trees growing in its floodplain forest are some of the tallest in the eastern United States, forming one of the highest temperate deciduous forest canopies remaining in the world. The Congaree River flows through the park. About 15,000 acres are designated as a wilderness area. Refer to the national park website link below for additional information and maps of the property.

Meet at the Harry Hampton Visitor Center, 100 National Park Rd, Hopkins, SC 29061 (GPS coordinates 33.8298, -80.8234) where we will divide into smaller groups. Some groups will have larger areas to explore than others. Some of the trails will have roots and/or may be overgrown. You do not have to be an expert to participate and may come for a whole or half day.

There are restrooms at the visitor center but no restaurants nearby. Either register on the CBS website (using the “Register” link above) or RSVP to Theresa Yednock at the email address below if you plan to participate. Please bring water, lunch, binoculars, cameras and field guides. Sunscreen, bug spray, long pants and close-toed shoes are highly recommended.

Peachtree Rock and Shealy’s Pond HPs (Brown Elfin – Lexington Co., SC)

DATE CHANGE – Originally Saturday, March 1, 2025

The Carolina Butterfly Society Midlands Chapter will hold a butterfly walk on Saturday, March 8, 2025, at the 460-acre Peachtree Rock Heritage Preserve and, if time permits, Shealy’s Pond Heritage Preserve. Our target species at Peachtree Rock is the Brown Elfin, but we will also be looking for other early-season butterflies as well.

Meet in the parking area next to Bethel United Methodist Church. The church address is 811 Peachtree Rock Road, Lexington, SC, and the GPS coordinates are 33.8334, -81.2012.

There are no facilities at this site, but gas stations and restaurants are nearby. Dave and Marty Kastner will lead. Either register on the CBS website (using the “Register” link above) or RSVP to Marty at the email address below if you plan to participate. Please bring water, lunch, binoculars, cameras and field guides. Sunscreen, bug spray, long pants and close-toed shoes are highly recommended.

CANCELLED – Post-Symposium Walk – Jordan Lake Tailrace and Deep River State Natural Area (Moncure, NC)

CANCELLED – Due to damage, flooding and road closures from hurricane Helene, the CBS Board has decided to cancel the October 5 symposium and this walk that was scheduled for Sunday, October 6.

This is a post-symposium butterfly walk but anyone is welcome whether they plan on attending the symposium or not.

We will meet at the Jordan Lake Tailrace. The address is 2060 Jordan Dam Road, Moncure, NC 27559 (or GPS coordinates 35.65231, -79.06748). We will walk around the fields and outflow area to look for butterflies. Going will be slow, with level to moderate terrain, some mowed field edges or walking through grassy fields. Be prepared for some exploring. Brian Bockhahn will lead.

Restrooms are available on the property. Please bring water, lunch, binoculars, cameras and field guides. Sunscreen, bug spray, a hat, long pants and close-toed shoes are highly recommended.

After 45 minutes or so, we’ll drive 3 miles, about 6 minutes away, to a relatively new section of Deep River State Natural Area. This area has not been visited much, so we really don’t know what to expect; most sightings will be new for the property. The trailhead is behind the Moncure Community Health Center. The address is 7228 Moncure Pittsboro Road, Moncure, NC 27559 (or GPS coordinates 35.63146, -79.09675). We will hike a series of old roads, first through a recently logged area, around an old home site and pond, then down into the rich floodplain and an old rock quarry along the Deep River. The terrain will not be level, and the trail is not maintained.

Please use the symposium registration form if you are attending the symposium and plan to participate. If you are NOT attending the symposium, you can register for this walk online at the CBS website or RSVP to Brian Bockhahn at the email address below.

Bio Way Farm & Tall Pines WMA (Ware Shoals & Cleveland, SC)

Saturday September 21, 2024 – Bio Way Farm

We will meet at Bio Way Farm at 9:00 AM and explore until around 3:00 PM. The address is 197 Bio Way, Ware Shoals, SC 29692 (or GPS coordinates 34.46988, -82.25832). The GPS coordinates for the driveway entrance on Bio Way are 34.47029, -82.25867.

We will walk the roads and trails of a 120-acre organic farm that is managed for ecological restoration and biodiversity. There is a mix of upland meadows and forest habitat as well as a 5-acre lake and riparian zones to explore. Walking difficulty level is easy to moderate. There is a restroom and drinking water at our meeting location. Gas and food are nearby. There is no cost.

Additional information about Bio Way Farm can be found at: https://www.biowayfarm.com

Sunday September 22, 2024 – Tall Pines WMA (Wildlife Management Area)

We will meet at the parking area at 10:00 AM and explore until around 3:00 PM. The address is 556-638 Moody Bridge Rd, Cleveland, SC 29635 (or GPS coordinates 35.06417, -82.56880).

Tall Pines WMA is a 1,757-acre SCDNR property. We will walk the gated roads which contain a mix of habitats. There is also a SC Native Plant Society owned site nearby which we will have the option to explore. Walking difficulty level should be easy to moderate but some recent reviews state that the trails are not well marked and, in some cases, overgrown and with trees down. There does not appear to be a restroom onsite. Gas and food are nearby. There is no cost.

Additional information about Tall Pines WMA can be found at: https://www2.dnr.sc.gov/managedlands/managedland/managedland/766 or https://www.dnr.sc.gov/news/2019/feb/feb15_tallpines.php

Target Species – Over 30 species have been identified at Bio Way Farm with many more possibilities to be discovered. Laurens County is an under sampled area of South Carolina so, while at Bio Way Farm, perhaps we can fill in some of the species “holes” on the range maps. Use the link below to access the Bio Way iNaturalist page to view past sightings. Possible butterflies at Tall Pines WMA in Greenville County are the Diana Fritillary and other Piedmont and Mountain species.

https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/bio-way-farm-ware-shoals-sc

It is recommended that you bring additional snacks, food, and beverages as during the walks we will be away from public facilities. Wearing sturdy walking or hiking shoes is recommended along with long sleeves and pants as we may go off trail in some locations to look for as many butterfly species as possible. It is also recommended you use a good bug spray, wear sunscreen, and carry water with you. Be sure to bring those other items you may need (camera, binoculars, field guides, etc.).

There are many accommodation options in the Greenville, SC area, which is located about midway between the 2 locations we will be exploring. For reference, Bio Way Farm in Laurens County is about 45 to 50 minutes to the south of central Greenville whereas Tall Pines WMA in Greenville County is about 40 to 45 minutes to the north of central Greenville.

Chris Sermons, who can be reached at the email address listed below, is the leader for these field trips. Please either contact Chris or register on the CBS website if you plan on attending.

NABA Count – Congaree National Park (Hopkins, SC)

On Saturday, July 20, 2024, the Midlands Chapter of CBS (Carolina Butterfly Society) will participate in a NABA (North American Butterfly Association) count at Congaree National Park near Columbia, South Carolina, to look for mid-season butterflies.

Meet at the Harry Hampton Visitor Center (GPS coordinates 33.82984, -80.82343) where we will divide into smaller groups. Some groups will have larger areas to explore than others. Some of the trails will have roots and/or may be overgrown. There are no restaurants nearby. You do not have to be an expert to participate and may come for a whole or half day. Please bring water, lunch, snacks, and if you have them, binoculars, a camera and field guide. Sunscreen, bug spray, long pants and close-toed shoes are highly recommended.

Refer to the national park website link below for additional information and maps of the property. Please RSVP to Theresa Yednoc at the email address below if you can help with this important count.

NABA Count – Congaree National Park (Hopkins, SC)

On Saturday, September 14, 2024, the Midlands Chapter of CBS (Carolina Butterfly Society) will participate in a NABA (North American Butterfly Association) seasonal count at Congaree National Park near Columbia, South Carolina, to look for mid to late-season butterflies.

Refer to the national park website link below for additional information and maps of the property. Please RSVP to Theresa Yednoc at the email address below if you can help with this important count.

CANCELLED – Western North Carolina – Duskywings, Elfins, Hairstreaks

Due to the forecast for rainy weather all weekend, this trip has been CANCELLED.

This full CBS 2-day field trip will be held in western North Carolina where we will visit two different locations. Our target species will be Duskywings, Elfins, Hairstreaks, Cobweb Skipper and, if we’re lucky, possibly a “late” Olympia Marble. Pete Dixon will be our leader on both days.

The first day will be spent hiking on River Road and Polecat Hollow along the French Broad River outside of Hot Springs, NC. The meeting location is Broadwing Farm, 20 Berry Wills Road, Hot Springs, NC at 10:00 am. Park in front of the “event venue” building that’s located at 165 Broadwing Farm Lane, Hot Springs, NC (GPS coordinates 35.9008, -82.8291). Use the following link https://www.broadwingfarmcabins.com/the-farm/directions/ for additional information and specific directions from nearby cities. Hiking level is easy and there are restrooms a short distance away.

The second day will be spent visiting sites in the Sandy Mush Game Lands which has a diversity of early successional and managed grassland habitats and creek bottoms. The meeting location is the parking lot on Bear Creek Road near Marshall, NC at 10:00 am. There is no specific street address, but the parking lot entrance (GPS coordinates 35.7271, -82.7010) is located about 150 feet southwest of 2717 Bear Creek Road, Marshall, NC. The following Google Maps link https://maps.app.goo.gl/crkdKUBGcAwrNuXe9/ can also be used to view the parking lot location. Hiking trails are easy but there are some hills. Restrooms are not available.

For places to stay overnight, there are several rental cabins and B&Bs in the county and nearby. Mars Hill has a Comfort Inn, and there is a Fairfield Inn in Weaverville (Buncombe County). For something unusual, the old jail in Marshall is now a boutique hotel. Hot Springs has many short-term rental properties. Mars Hill, Marshall, Hot Springs, and Weaverville each have a variety of restaurants and brewery taprooms. Weaverville is about 40 minutes from Broadwing Farm; Marshall is about 25 minutes; Mars Hill is about 35 minutes. Hot Springs is about 5 minutes away. Obviously, there are many hotels and restaurants in Asheville, which would be another 10 to 30 minutes, depending on what area of Asheville you are in. If you want to try Hot Springs, check with Mary Helen Adamson for lodging at 828-206-7010 or visit the website at https://hotspringsnc.org/.

As indicated above, Pete Dixon, who can be reached at the email address listed below, is the leader for these field trips.

Kalmia Gardens and Cheraw State Park – Hessel’s Hairstreak and Elfins (Hartsville, SC)

START TIME CHANGED TO 11:00 am

We will begin the day at Kalmia Gardens. The address on their website is listed as 1624 West Carolina Avenue, Hartsville, SC 29550, but that is the mailing address for the building in the center of the gardens. We will meet in the parking lot; the entrance to the parking lot on West Carolina Avenue is located at GPS coordinates 34.36548, -80.11746. At Kalmia we will be looking for the stand of Atlantic White Cedar which is the host plant for Hessel’s Hairstreak.

After spending some time in and around the gardens, we will drive approximately 30 minutes to Cheraw State Park. Our target species at Cheraw are all the elfins and, again, Hessel’s Hairstreak.

Marty and Dave Kastner will lead this walk. Please RSVP to Marty at the email address below if you plan to participate. Please bring water, lunch, binoculars, cameras and field guides. Sunscreen, bug spray, long pants and close-toed shoes are highly recommended.

NABA Count – Congaree National Park (Hopkins, SC)

On Saturday, September 16, 2023, the Midlands Chapter of CBS (Carolina Butterfly Society) will participate in a NABA (North American Butterfly Association) count at Congaree National Park near Columbia, South Carolina, to look for mid to late-season butterflies.

Refer to the national park website link below for additional information and maps of the property. Please RSVP to Theresa Yednoc at the email address below if you can help with this important count.