Broxton Rocks

Why You Should Visit

Sculpted over centuries by the waters of Rocky Creek into a myriad of fissures and shallow ravines, Broxton Rocks is a haven of unique habitats for plants rarely found in the southern United States. There are more than 500 species of plants native here. The preserve protects a rugged sandstone outcrop that extends for approximately four miles in southeastern Georgia. The rock system is the largest single extrusion of the Altamaha Grit, a band of subsurface sandstone that underlies about 15,000 square miles of Georgia's Coastal Plain.

Location
Coffee County, near Broxton

Size
3,799 acres (1,528 acres protected by The Nature Conservancy)

Conditions
Stone crops

Visiting Broxton Rocks Preserve
Although The Nature Conservancy allows people to visit Broxton Rocks, arrangements must be made in advance. Due to the sensitivity of the sandstone community, guided visits to the preserve are encouraged.

The Conservancy works with the City of Douglas to coordinate regular guided group tours of Broxton Rocks Preserve. For information about the tours, please contact Patti Kirkland at (912) 384-4555 or email tourism@cityofdouglas.com.

Please note that public tours conducted by the City of Douglas are fully booked through the end of 2006. A schedule of tours for 2007 is currently being developed. Tour information will be posted to this website once it is available.

For additional information about visits to Broxton Rocks, please contact Michell Cable at (404) 253-7213 or email mcable@tnc.org.

What to See: Plants
Included among the 500-plus plants at Broxton Rocks is the grit portulaca, a Cuban species new to North America. The plant occurs at only five sites in three Georgia counties. Broxton Rocks contains the largest population, and the only protected one. Another rare plant is the silky creeping morning glory, which is endangered in Georgia. This plant only occurs at four sites in three counties in the state, and Broxton Rocks is again the only protected site. The state-threatened Georgia plume is also found here.

The damp, shaded crevices between the rocks provide perfect growing conditions for two rare ferns: the delicate filmy fern (which normally occurs in the southern Appalachians) and the rare shoestring fern (usually found in the tropics). The green-fly orchid, which normally grows on trees, adorns the rock walls.

What to See: Animals
The rocks provide nesting sites for turkey vultures and eastern woodrats. Woodrats have been called "compulsive collectors" because of the wide variety of plant materials and colorful bric-a-brac they store in the vicinity of their nests. The threatened indigo snake and state-threatened gopher tortoise also inhabit the area. Great horned owls, screech owls, and flying squirrels can also be observed at the rocks.

Why the Conservancy Selected This Site
Broxton Rocks has some of the finest examples of outcroppings of Altamaha Grit sandstone, which occur almost entirely within Georgia's boundaries. The preserve also has many unusual ferns and other rare plants that once were thought to be extinct.

What the Conservancy Has Done/Is Doing

In February 2002 (press release), The Nature Conservancy purchased an additional 756 acres, almost doubling the size of the preserve. Some of the rare and threatened plants found on this additional acreage include the Georgia plume, green-fly orchid and rare azaleas. Expansion of the preserve will provide additional habitat for the threatened indigo snake, gopher tortoise and Bachman's sparrow, thereby helping to ensure their viability.

Spectacular examples of sandstone outcrops and longleaf pine communities are also found here. The Nature Conservancy is working to restore the original longleaf pine-wiregrass community through prescribed fire and planting. This additional acreage will ease the reintroduction of prescribed fire by providing a buffer to nearby properties.