Preserve Preserve Directions From Aiken, drive south on US78 for 12 miles to Windsor. Watch for the Aiken State Park sign on the right. Drive about 5 miles to the intersection with Oak Ridge Club Road. Turn right and drive approximately 1 mile to the preserve, which is on both sides of the road.
Highlights Be still.
Open the doors to all your senses and you'll discover a brand new world of wonder and delight at Aiken Gopher Tortoise Heritage Preserve, near Aiken. The preserve is the northernmost known location of the large, terrestrial tortoises, which have stumpy, elephantine hind feet. . Longleaf ecosystems as a whole once covered about 90 million acres in the southeastern United States. Today, only about 3 million acres remain. The sandy soil supports longleaf pine, turkey and blackjack oaks, as well as wildflowers and wildlife.