Bears Bluff
Plan Your Visit
If you are in the Charleston area and wish get away from the hustle and bustle of the city, take a leisurely drive down the oak lined road that leads to Bears Bluff National Fish Hatchery. The 31 acres offers a self-guided walking trail that highlights the South Carolina Lowcountry ecosystem. While we do not offer a dedicated outreach specialist, tours are possible based on staff availability. Come visit us for some quality time outdoors.
Activities
Visitors can immerse themselves in the great outdoors and experience what the Lowcountry has to offer.
- Take a walk on the self-guided trail.
- Learn about the environment from informational signs and kiosks.
- Check out the variety of birds and wildlife found in the Lowcountry, such as alligators or painted buntings.
- Have a picnic under the shade of an old oak tree.
Trails
The Bears Bluff Loop Trail is a 0.7-mile easy loop open year-round. The trail begins near the kiosks at the entrance and guides visitors past a freshwater pond boardwalk, a cinderblock laboratory, pollinator gardens, and a boardwalk over the salt marsh. Trail maps can be obtained from an easy access box located near the laboratory's entrance door.
Activities
Featured Species
Get Involved
Whether you want to further conservation, learn more about nature or share your love of the outdoors, you’ve come to the right place. National fish hatcheries provide many opportunities for you to help your community and fish and wildlife by doing what you love.
Bears Bluff National Fish Hatchery accepts volunteers and interns to help with projects and daily operations. Our volunteers are individuals who want to give back to their communities, parents who want to be good stewards of the land and set examples for their children, retirees willing to share their wealth of knowledge, concerned citizens of all ages who want to learn more about conservation, and passionate people who enjoy the outdoors and want to spread the word about America's greatest natural treasures.
Bears Bluff National Fish Hatchery also offers internship opportunities through programs such as Youth Conservation Corps and the Student Conservation Association.
Services
Conservation research, habitat improvement and aquaculture are some of the many management strategies used by Bears Bluff NFH biologist to help replenish populations. Our programs focus on fishery conservation efforts with Atlantic sturgeon, American shad, red drum, and imperiled freshwater mussels, as well as habitat improvement projects related to both saltmarsh and freshwater ecosystems. Since 2000, the hatchery has provided over 5 million fish to support recreational and commercial fishing, improved more than 2 miles of fish and aquatic habitat, and removed over 1000 pounds of non-native fish species in the southeast region.
Bears Bluff NFH’s work with the endangered Atlantic sturgeon has resulted in improving wild populations and an increase in the public’s awareness of the species. If you see an Atlantic sturgeon in a zoo or aquarium display, it was most likely supplied by Bears Bluff NFH.
Due to our coastal location, Bears Bluff NFH has prioritized flexibility within the Station’s objectives in order to address new and critical conservation needs of a diverse group of organisms. As a result, we are capable of producing marine fish (red drum), freshwater/anadromous fish (American shad and Atlantic sturgeon), terrestrial amphibians (gopher frogs), freshwater mussels and even some species of plants.
We also have the ability to address conservation-related research needs. We can develop and refine culture techniques for aquatic organisms, or address specific questions that advance our understanding of a species. For example, Bears Bluff NFH has developed spawning techniques for Atlantic sturgeon that produce reliable spawns annually from captive fish, and we are the only facility in the country that does this.
About
Bears Bluff National Fish Hatchery works to conserve, restore, and enhance fish and other aquatic resources through science-based approaches. Originally established in 1946 as Bears Bluff Laboratories, a non-profit marine research station, the property was transferred to the Fish and Wildlife Service in 1981. The hatchery focuses on restoring declining fish populations, such as Atlantic sturgeon and American shad, while also improving habitats and preventing invasive species infestations. Today, it remains a vital site for aquaculture research and the propagation of diverse freshwater and marine species.