Birders have flocked – yeah, we said it — to South Carolina’s Hammock Coast for years to enjoy our unique coastal area that’s home, throughout the year, to more than 300 species of birds. Southern Living noted that the area is the best birding site on the East Coast, and experts at Clemson University have said the region offers the best birding opportunities in South Carolina.
Our 2023, 2024 and 2025 festivals were great successes – bringing in birders from nearly 25 states and Canada! Our 2024 and 2025 festivals featured well-received keynote speeched by Dr. Patrick McMillan, a celebrated naturalist and author, and Dr. McMillan will be back for the 2026 festival!
When it comes to an overall birding experience, there’s nothing quite like the Hammock Coast with its miles of pristine beaches, marshes and rivers teeming with birds and waterfowl, as well as tens of thousands of acres of protected forests. That’s why we’ve teamed up with six of our premier birding locations to offer the Hammock Coast Birding Festival each February. Many past attendees were able to add extensively to their life list.
Special tours of Brookgreen Gardens, Hobcaw Barony, Huntington Beach State Park, the Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center, and the Black River Cypress Preserve are key parts of the festival! We’ve even added the Georgetown County Landfill to the tour locations, and, in 2025, it was one of most highly rate tours with attendees getting great views of Bald Eagles and other birds from the van tour.
The 2026 festival will once again, as we did in the first three years, feature a showing of Zach Steinhauser’s acclaimed Purple Martin documentary, “Purple Haze: A Conservation Film.”
Emmy Award-winner Dr. Patrick McMillan will be back as our keynote speaker, as well, in 2026!
We have some exciting photography and art events, too. Want to learn how to paint a cardinal on a feather? Here’s your chance!
Registration for the 2026 festival gives you the opportunity to go to as many tour locations, lectures and events as you can fit into your schedule. It also includes two evening dinners.
Cost and details coming soon! (For your planning purposes, last year’s festival was priced at $350 per person for the all-inclusive event, with an early-bird price of $299.99 per person.) Again, sign up to receive information about the 2026 festival, set for Feb. 4-8, 2026.