Johns Island Parks and Preserves: Where to Walk in Fall 2026

How much of Johns Island's newly protected land can you walk on this weekend? Very little of it. On September 29, 2026, Lowcountry Land Trust and Sea Island Habitat for Humanity announced Humbert Woods, a 102-acre parcel on northern Johns Island. Ninety-seven acres of it will become a nature preserve. It's one of the largest undeveloped parcels left on that end of the island. Before it was protected, it was zoned for more than thirty homes. The trails that will let the public in are still being planned.

That's the usual pattern here now. The island keeps saving land quickly, and opening it much more slowly. The places you can actually walk this October are mostly the ones that were open before any of this started, plus the farms that keep the island's open fields in use.

Protected on Paper, Not Yet Open

Lowcountry Land Trust's own announcement lists the protected properties that Humbert Woods is meant to connect: Grayson Oaks, Main Road Park, Simmons Creek and the Angel Oak Preserve. It describes them as sites "set to become publicly accessible." As of this fall, none of them has a public opening date.

Leave out the Angel Oak Preserve, which expands on the tree park that's already open, and the other four sites still add up to 297 acres of protected woods, wetlands and fields with no public entry yet. Each site has its own plan. Main Road Park is set to split into 13 acres of active recreation and 27 acres of passive greenspace. Grayson Oaks is supposed to add walking trails and community events while staying in active farming. The Simmons Creek concept includes walking trails and a paddle-sports launch. In April 2026, Charleston County's Greenbelt awards added $89,300 for a 0.70-acre frontage parcel next to the Simmons Creek land. The county said that together they would form a future park with trails and creek access, but it didn't give a schedule.

Why Humbert Woods Matters for the Rest of the Map

Humbert Woods matters partly because of what it is: more than 97 acres of upland forest and freshwater wetland. It also matters because of where it is. The land trust picked it specifically as a link between the other protected parcels in the table. If those sites open, Humbert Woods is the piece that could let them work as a connected network rather than as separate preserves.

The parcel also has local history. Maps from 1927 show the nearby Humbert Wood Public Elementary School, where Mamie Elizabeth Garvin Fields taught early in her career. She was one of the first African American public school teachers hired in Charleston County.

The money came from several places: the land trust's Opportunity Fund, the Charleston County Greenbelt Program, the South Carolina Conservation Bank and the county's Affordable Housing Land Acquisition Fund. That mix fits the plan for the remaining five acres, which are set aside for affordable homes next to Sea Island Habitat's Sweetgrass Preserve neighborhood. Habitat says it's in the early stages of land planning and is working with the land trust on the public trails.

The Angel Oak Got Its Recognition Before Its Boardwalk

The island's best-known landmark shows the same gap. On June 11, 2026, the Angel Oak was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. According to Lowcountry Land Trust, it's the first tree in South Carolina to be individually listed.

The preserve planned around the tree is "fully designed and shovel-ready" after more than 13 years of community engagement, historical research, archaeology and ecological study. The total cost is $16.5 million. The land trust's stated goal is to raise $5 million before the end of 2026 so it can break ground and avoid construction cost inflation. No opening date has been announced.

Once it's built, a visit would work differently. Parking would move to a welcome center about a five-minute walk from the tree on an ADA-accessible trail, reached by a forested drive from Bohicket Road. The plan includes more than two miles of accessible trails and boardwalks, a nature play area and a healing trail planted with native medicinal plants. The current chain-link fence would be replaced by a wider perimeter that gives the branches more room. The land trust says it's working with the City of Charleston, Charleston County and Angel Oak Road residents to close that road to commercial traffic. It intends the preserve to be free and expects to keep current park hours.

For now, visits haven't changed. Angel Oak Park charges no admission. It sits at 3688 Angel Oak Road and has a free parking lot. A local visitor guide updated in September 2026 lists hours as Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m., closed on holidays. Those hours come from a third-party guide rather than the City, so check them before bringing out-of-town guests.

Where You Can Walk This Fall

With the new preserves still closed, this season's outdoor calendar runs through Johns Island County Park on Mullet Hall Road and the farms along River Road and Hamilton Road. Grayson Oaks is a farm too, which is a reminder that a lot of the island's open land is being protected as working land.

Two things are open now with no fixed date. Full Circle Farm's pumpkin patch at 3014 River Road opened October 1 and runs Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Sea Island Farmers Market at 2024 Academy Drive posted an October update listing more fall produce, local meat, eggs, mushrooms, honey, artists and a food truck new to the market. Good Fruit Farm at 3959 River Road is advertising early-fall flower U-pick. Every container option on its ticket page currently shows as sold out.

The dated events, in order:

1. Saturday, October 10. Johns Island County Park runs Intro to Archery from 10 a.m. to noon for $30, and Family Archery from 1 to 2:30 p.m. for $20.
2. Saturday, October 17, morning. Charleston Collegiate School's free Fall Festival at Kiawah River runs 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. with local makers, food and live music. The 5K and fun run require registration.
3. Saturday, October 17, afternoon. Charleston Area Therapeutic Riding holds its Pony Up Family Funfest from 3 to 6 p.m. at its farm at 2669 Hamilton Road, with a pony parade, food trucks and a concert.
4. Friday, October 30. Halloween at the Farm at Full Circle Farm runs 6:30 to 8 p.m. with a hayride, pumpkin decorating, stories and s'mores. Tickets are $20 per person, capped at $60 per family, and must be bought in advance.
5. Saturday, November 7. The Harvest Festival at Johns Island County Park, 2662 Mullet Hall Road, runs 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission is $10 and includes bluegrass, hayrides, food vendors and crafts.
6. November, date to come. The Post and Courier's oyster-roast roundup lists a Sweetgrass Garden fundraiser at 3121 Plow Ground Road. Details haven't been posted yet.

What the November Ballot Has to Do With the Woods

Funding is a big part of why the protected sites aren't open. Lowcountry Land Trust's CEO, Matt Williams, made that point in the Humbert Woods announcement. He said only eight percent of Johns Island is permanently protected and connected the island's conservation work to the Greenbelt funding on this year's ballot.

Charleston County voters will see two questions on November 3, 2026. Question 1 asks whether to impose a half-percent special sales and use tax for up to 25 years, or until $4.25 billion has been collected, whichever comes first. It allocates $2.702 billion to transportation projects, $858 million to public transit and $690 million to Greenbelt, with the Greenbelt share split evenly between urban and rural areas. Question 2 asks whether to approve up to $300 million in general obligation bonds, repaid from that tax. The county says the measure would continue the existing 2004 half-cent tax once that program's collections end, which is projected for 2027. The full ballot language is posted on the county's transportation referendum site for anyone who wants to read it before Election Day.

Whatever the result, the fall map stays the same. The open trails are at Mullet Hall Road and Angel Oak Road, the pumpkin patch is on River Road, and Humbert Woods, Grayson Oaks, Main Road Park, Simmons Creek and the Angel Oak Preserve's new grounds stay closed until their trails and funding are in place.

If you're weighing a Johns Island property next to one of these future preserves, or you'd like a clear read on what conserved land nearby means for your own plans, Gus Bright can walk you through it from the island's back roads to the closing table. Schedule a private consultation.

This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.