How 126 Acres Became Forever Protected

Adding Pieces to the Puzzle

Landscape-scale conservation is a story told in slow motion. It often takes decades to build one parcel at a time, like assembling a puzzle. A single piece may seem insignificant on its own, but as the pieces come together, the picture becomes clear.

Sky Ranche

The recent conservation of 126 acres is one such story. It builds on dozens of earlier transactions that now define the Upstate landscape: Table Rock Mountain State Park (all in Pickens County), adjoining Greenville County's Caesars Head State Park, and Asbury Hills Camp. Asbury Hills is the largest Christian camp in the Upstate and the second-largest property under conservation easement in Greenville County, surpassed only by the North Saluda Watershed owned by Greenville Water.

The story of Asbury Hills: How conservation at scale happens.

Founded in 1961 on 565 acres, the camp was created as a place "set apart" for Christian birth, growth, and renewal, blending faith formation with outdoor experience. Over time, additional properties were acquired to support summer camps, retreats, families, and church groups. Today, the property boasts a 2,000-acre footprint.

But growth alone does not guarantee permanence. Like several camps across the Upstate, Asbury Hills could have closed and been sold. That risk was removed in 2007, when the entire property was placed under a perpetual conservation easement, held by The Nature Conservancy, ensuring the land will remain protected forever.

When a critical neighboring parcel–126 acres known as Sky Ranche–came on the market for development in late 2025, another conservation partner stepped forward. Naturaland Trust, using borrowed funds and a $500,000 grant from the Greenville County Historic and Natural Resources Trust, acquired the property. Nestled among state parks and bordered on two sides by Asbury Hills, the land will be stewarded by Naturaland Trust and opened to the public at no cost.

Why It Matters

Protecting Greenville County's natural character requires an all-hands, all-tools approach. Sky Ranche and its surrounding landscape show how long-term vision, multiple partners, and timely action can fit the final pieces into place.