Cathedral Bay Heritage Preserve

Cathedral Bay Heritage Preserve, also known as Chitty Bay or Chitty Pond is located near the junction of SC Highway 64 and US Highway 301 in Bamberg County.

The 58-acre Cathedral Bay is an excellent example of the Carolina Bay phenomenon found throughout the Atlantic Coastal Plain. The vast majority of these features are found within North Carolina and South Carolina. Along with their unusual shape, bays have several other features in common. The long axes of all Carolina Bays parallel one another acting as basins that collect rainwater runoff holding it above the normal water table. Carolina Bays are wetlands that vary in size, ranging from less than an acre to several hundred acres and often support abundant wildlife.

Cathedral Bay is also a striking example of a pond cypress pond. Pond cypress is the dominant and generally the only tree species occurring in these bays. Pond cypress ponds are relatively deep, holding three to four feet of water when they are full. The bay interior offers a stately remote atmosphere. Myrtle-leaf holly is common in the shrub layer with wax myrtle and button-bush being less common. During dry periods at Cathedral Bay, grasses and sedges are common.

Access to Cathedral Bay is by wading or canoes. No motorboats or hunting allowed. Open for public use from one hour before sunrise to one hour after sunset.