Conservation // 1 min Read

Preserving River Road

Written by Palmetto Bluff

Sitting on the eastern edge of Palmetto Bluff adjacent to the May River and Cooper River lies 130 acres of protected maritime wilderness. Known as River Road Preserve, this massive plot of land was given an additional 122 acres in 2007 as a conservation easement that will be shielded in perpetuity from development.

What is a conservation easement?

The primary goal of a conservation easement is environmental protection. Therefore, a conservation easement is a legal restriction of development and usage of a given property to conserve natural resources. In the case of the River Road Preserve, the purpose is for natural resource protection and to provide a unique series of wilderness trails.

A magical place located beneath the shelter of century-old live oaks, the River Road Preserve includes some of the best maritime forests at the Bluff. It’s also home to several species of plants and wildlife…

  • Habitats: islands, maritime forests, mixed pine hardwoods, pine flat woods, evergreen wetlands, and hardwood bottoms
  • Plants and Trees: sprawling live oak, southern magnolias, eastern red cedar, and cabbage palmettos
  • Wildlife: white-tailed deer, eastern wild turkey, opossums, raccoons, mink, coyotes, grey fox, and bobcat (bonus: when the tide is up you can see fiddler crabs and redfish)
  • Birds: wood storks, great egrets, snowy egrets, great blue herons, tricolored herons, summer tanagers, and painted bunting

The next time you’re out exploring the Bluff, be sure to take some time and explore the River Road Trail, which incorporates parts of two old plantations, Pettigrew and Moreland.

Club Life
The Latest Issue of the bluff Magazine: Uncovering More Stories of Life at Palmetto Bluff

With the excitement and activity of summer on the horizon, this edition of the bluff magazine captures the moments and memories that define life at Palmetto Bluff. From the magic of watching dolphins strand feed along the local waterways to secret dining exper...

Mar 2026

Club Life
Palmetto Bluff Club: Experiences That Go Above And Beyond

Becoming a Palmetto Bluff Club Member means each day offers something new to explore, learn, and create. A thoughtfully curated annual calendar ensures residents enjoy experiences that extend well beyond traditional club programming. Each April, the RBC Her...

Mar 2026
Palmetto Bluff Real Estate

Real Estate
Inside 42 Flicker Street: An Inland Waterway Trail Home in Moreland at Palmetto Bluff

42 Flicker Street: $5,250,000 Palmetto Bluff Real Estate on the Moreland Inland Waterway Trail   42 Flicker Street claims one of Moreland's most coveted positions; set along the inland waterway, with a covered dock and water trail views that extend all the wa...

Mar 2026
Palmetto Bluff Golf

Club Life
Three Courses, Three Experiences: Golf at Palmetto Bluff

At Palmetto Bluff, no two rounds of golf are the same. The tides, the wind, and the light shifting across the marsh all play their part. Three courses, each crafted by a legendary architect—each offering golfers a distinctly different story to experience. E...

Mar 2026
Palmetto Bluff Conservancy

Conservation
What the Palmetto Bluff Conservancy Does—and Why It Matters

How the Palmetto Bluff Conservancy Protects 20,000 Acres of Lowcountry Land Every Day Set at the confluence of the May, Cooper, and New Rivers in South Carolina’s Lowcountry, Palmetto Bluff spans 20,000 acres of some of the most ecologically rich land on the ...

Mar 2026

Food & Wine
Blueberry Bundt Cake with Lemon and Thyme: A Recipe from Palmetto Bluff’s Director of Food & Beverage Operations Rhy Waddington

Photographs by Lindsey Shorter Ingredients 2 ½ cups butter Zest of 2 lemons 3 cups thyme sugar ½ cup salt 2 tbsp baking powder 3 cups cake flour 2 ½ tbsp vanilla extract 12 eggs 1 ¾ cups lemon juice 2 cups blueberries Thyme Sugar 2 cups ...

Mar 2026

Conservation
The Power of Prescribed Burning at the Bluff

The Palmetto Bluff Conservancy plays an active role in caring for the land and wildlife that make Palmetto Bluff so special, and you might be surprised to learn that fire is one of their most powerful land management tools.  During the winter and early spri...

Mar 2026
Palmetto Bluff Real Estate

Real Estate
The Numbers Behind the Bluff: A Look at Palmetto Bluff Real Estate in 2025

Palmetto Bluff Real Estate Market 2025: Home Values, Sales Trends, & What’s Ahead  There’s a certain kind of community where the market data tells more than a financial story—it tells a human one. Palmetto Bluff is exactly that kind of place. The people w...

Mar 2026
Palmetto Bluff Real Estate

Real Estate
A River Road Retreat: Inside 11 Skeet Road at Palmetto Bluff

Palmetto Bluff Real Estate: A $4,195,000 Four-Bedroom with Screened Porch, Private Courtyard, and Carriage House Some homes are beautiful. Others are beautifully considered. At 11 Skeet Road, the difference is felt the moment you arrive—in the Savannah brick ...

Mar 2026
Anson point golf course

Sporting Life
Anson Point Golf Course is Now Open at Palmetto Bluff

Anson Point: A Coore & Crenshaw Masterpiece Across 500 Acres of Lowcountry  After years of anticipation and careful stewardship, Anson Point golf course is officially open at Palmetto Bluff. This isn’t just another addition to the Lowcountry’s golf landsc...

Mar 2026

CURIOUS ABOUT LIFE AT THE BLUFF?

Sign up for our newsletter

LIVE
Community Villages
Experience
Palmetto Bluff Club
On The Water
The Arts Initiative
Events
Conserve
About Us