One of the most popular attractions in the Lowcountry will soon have a much needed facelift.
Seabrook Island Town Council Member Dan Kortvelesy presented the plans of the new Angel Oak Preserve at a council meeting on Jan. 24. As a member of the Johns Island Task Force, Kortvelesy also spoke about the great work that the Lowcountry Land Trust has done to preserve the area around the Angel Oak for environmental conservation.
“One thing to keep in mind is that at one time there were 600 houses proposed for that area around Angel Oak,” Kortvelesy explained. “Through conservation efforts, the Lowcountry Land Trust and other initiatives, they were able to purchase the property and thus we have this project.”
In perhaps one of the most notable conservation achievements in the Lowcountry, acquiring the 44 acres around the tree and preventing development not only protects the tree and it’s intricate root system, but will also make viewing the tree more accessible to the public in the form of a park.
Now in the landscape design phase, the Lowcountry Land Trust will take parking as an important consideration to planning the park.
“One of the biggest complaints received over the years has been about the parking there,” Kortvelesy said. “It’s interesting to say the least. People park on the road, after it rains it is super muddy and it’s just generally unsafe.”
Although the new parking lot will be located further away from the tree, in order to protect its roots from wear and tear, it will be a scenic 5-minute walk that will also be ADA accessible.
Of course getting to the Angel Oak Preserve will also be different. Visitors will access the park off of Bohicket Road. They’ll drive in along a tree-lined stretch of road that will lead to the parking lot.
Along with a new and improved parking lot and entry road, the Angel Oak Preserve will also have a welcome center located right off the parking lot with a new and improved gift shop inside.
“They found out through a study that the roots of the Angel Oak spread out very far and they don’t want people trampling on the roots,” Kortvelesy added.
The Lowcountry Land Trust will also be adding a trail system around the park. They have estimated that the trails they are planning will cover about 2.3 miles – 1.6 miles of those will be ADA compliant. The surface of the trails are still under review, but some of it will be boardwalk.
Along the trails will be information boards, set low so as to not impede with the nature views, about the tree and the importance of conservation work.
And since the property is the site of a former plantation, there will be information throughout the park about the history of the property, including the history of three cabins they found that belonged to enslaved people. A plantation house was also discovered.
Kortvelesy said, “They will ensure that the structures are preserved as part of the history of this area and they will include that as a part of the park itself.”
Obviously keeping the tree safe is, and always has been, a huge priority, but especially as they plan the park. Currently, the Angel Oak is enclosed by a chain-link fence topped with barbed wire. A yellow chain encircles the tree to prevent close access. As the Lowcountry Land Trust plans the park preserve, they know that safety will be rule number one since the tree has been vandalized in the past, plus they average 1,000 visitors a day, which comes out to 400,000 annually.
Due to the increasing popularity of the Angel Oak, the Lowcountry Land Trust is considering timed-entry kiosks. If utilized, Angel Oak visitors would have to register for a time slot to visit the tree on busy days. This is to protect the root system and to allow security staff the means to handle the crowds. Right now, entry into the park is planned to be free.
The Preserve will not be available to rent out for events or weddings.
The architects are asking for public feedback on the plans, which can be accessed at angeloakpreserve.org. A link to the survey is available on that site.
The Land Trust hopes to complete its current phase of public feedback by the end of February but may extend that to get a more complete representation of responses. Construction could begin in late 2024 or in early 2025, depending on how long it takes to finalize the design and obtain permits.
Kortvelesy said, “One of the things that piqued my curiosity was that in the past we have allocated some Greenbelt funds to the Angel Oak project, so this is a direct measure of our efforts here. The Town of Seabrook helped to make this happen.”
The Angel Oak is considered to be the largest Live Oak Tree east of the Mississippi and is estimated to be 300 to 400 years old.
Since 1986, Lowcountry Land Trust has served as a partner and resource to South Carolina landowners to create a lasting, positive impact. They hold conservation easements on over 150,000 acres of land in 17 coastal counties.
For more information, visit lowcountrylandtrust.org.
