The Stable View Ecotourism Project is focused on working with nature is such a way that visitors can watch, learn and enjoy, without disturbing the environment.
At Stable View we have gone out of our way to identify and implement best Environmental practices.
Yes, we look after our footing, build welcoming accommodations and carefully maintain our trail system, but in addition we try to use some of the best and most modern environmental practices so that visitors can see how an Equine Event facility can also offer a peaceful environment where they can watch, touch, communicate and enjoy some of the most interesting aspects of South Carolina’s Ecosystem.
Aiken, South Carolina is of itself a little gem.
It’s cosmopolitan lifestyle is there far all to see. This is not the place to sing it’s praises – that’s much better done elsewhere.
What we can offer at Stable View is an opportunity for visitors to see, in close proximity, not just a working horse farm but a property that rests on the fall line between The Coastal Plain and the Piedmont. The diversity created by this fall line means that on the west side of the property can be found deciduous trees and Little Horse Creek which flows into Horse Creek and ultimately into the Savannah.
On the East side of the property is the Coastal Palin. Here the habitat is completely different with Cactus, Long Leaf Pines and sand and more sand!
With parts of Stable View having views at an elevation of 500’ – very high relative the the rest of Aiken County – there are beautiful sunsets year round.
One of the best ways to get ones bearings is via the third floor of our LEED Gold Certified Pavilion.
This building designed with the intention of having a very low environmental footprint has many firsts and was described by the consulting engineer as follows:
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As a part of the development of Stable View one of our areas of focus has been water run off.
One of the most unpleasant areas on the property was a bog that collected water from around one half of the original 160 acres that we purchased. This area was infested with snakes and was not very welcoming.
This area is now a pond that is rich in wild life and, depending on the time of year supports herons, cormorants, turtles and many types of fish.
On the other side of the old property we constructed a retention basin. All of the water run off from the Pavilion and surrounding areas flows into this pond.
We are in the process or organizing an audit of Stable View’s Flora and Forna – prior to starting some controlled burns we would like to have some idea of what we might be burning.
Our Red Cockaded Woodpecker Project (RCW) is moving along. With fifteen cavities in three separate and discreet areas, RCW activity has been confirmed at two of our sites. This is a remarkable, and not a little lucky achievement in such a short period of time.
In addition to our RCW project, we now have active programs supporting Quail, Bluebirds, Screech Owls, Killdeers, Purple Marlins, Wood Ducks and Kestrels. These are all birds we are actively encouraging to fledge at Stable View.
Our best estimate is that we have close to fifteen miles of trails. These are kept in good condition and can be used for Horse Riding and for exploration.
We don’t allow hunting on the property.
Once we realized that one of the Long Leaf Pines that we had cut down was over 150 years old we made sure that this never happened again.
As we learn our way into the Long Leaf Pine ecosystem we are realizing what special trees these are.
While Eco Tourism is not about sun sets or views, Stable View has an abundance of both. We now realize that we have purchased a very special property and that with the additional eight hundred and fifty acres we purchased a few years ago we have made a very fine investment for the future.
