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Charleston, South Carolina is well known for it’s history and great food, but it also has some of the nicest beaches in the Nation. The Charleston area offers miles of pristine beaches, smooth sand, and great year-round weather. While there are no beaches in the City of Charleston, the Charleston peninsula is surrounded by barrier islands, and there are multiple beaches nearby, as close as about 15-20 minutes from Downtown Charleston.
Here are the 5 best beaches near Charleston, SC:
Kiawah Beachwalker Park
Kiawah Island is a beautiful resort style community, with about 11 miles of beaches, 5 amazing golf courses, including the ocean course, where Phil Mickelson recently won the 2021 PGA Championship, and is located about 45 minutes away from downtown Charleston. Most of the beach accesses are located behind the gate at Kiawah, and are not open to the public, but there is a public beach access site on the west end of the island, prior to the gate. This area is called Kiawah Beachwalker County Park, and this an amazing beach to visit, and a great place to bring the family!
Kiawah BeachWalker Park offers a picnic area with grills along the Kiawah River, outdoor showers, a snack bar, restrooms, and beach chair and umbrella rentals. Kiawah is a great location to go on a walk, bike ride, or watch for dolphins! If you walk about one and a half miles to the West once end of the Park, there is a good location to watch for dolphins feeding during low tide.
If you plan on going to Kiawah Beachwalker Park, keep in mind that parking at is limited, and costs anywhere from around $5 to $20 per day for a standard vehicle, depending on the time of year. Parking is free for Charleston County Gold Pass members, and I will provide a link with more information regarding the gold pass, if you’re interested in purchasing one. Be sure to go to the park early during the peak season so that you can get a parking spot.
Dogs are allowed at Kiawah Island all day and year-round, but are required to be on a leash. There are certain times that dogs can be off-leash during the winter months, and I will link to the Rules for Kiawah. There are also a couple of “critical habitat” areas where dogs are not allowed.
Kiawah is not the closest beach to Charleston on this list, but in my opinion, it is worth the drive. There are not many restaurants, Bars, or grocery stores near the County park, and none within a reasonable walking distance. Freshfields Village is not far from Beachwalker Park, and is about two and a half miles away, and has some restaurants and a Harris Teeter grocery store, among other things. Kiawah is a great beach to go to if you’re looking for an area with less tourist than some of the other beaches near Charleston.
On the other side of Freshfields Village is Seabrook Island, another resort style golf community that neighbors Kiawah Island, and also has a very nice beach, but it is gated and not open to the public, so Seabrook is not one of my top 5 beaches. Seabrook does allow short term vacation rentals, so if you’re looking for a place to purchase a home, or a place to rent a vacation home on the beach, Seabrook Island may be a good area for you.
Seabrook Island offers about 3 and a half miles of beaches, 2 unique golf courses, a marina, great restaurants, and an equistrian center that offers horseback riding along the beach.
Kiawah Island- Homes for Sale
Folly Beach
Folly Beach is one of the closest beaches to Downtown Charleston, and has about 6 miles of beaches, and is a great place to visit if you’re looking for a fun little beach town with a lot of things to do! Folly Beach is bordered by James Island, and is about 11 miles away from historic Charleston.
Folly Beach has many surf shops, souvenir shops, bars and restaurants, all within walking distance to the Beach. Folly Beach also has the Folly Beach Pier, which is great for fishing, but is currently being reconstructed, with an estimated completion date in the Spring of 2023. If you’re looking for a little more privacy on Folly Beach, and would like to get away from the larger crowds, there are many public beach access sites along the island.
Folly Beach also has the Folly Beach County Park located on the Southwest end of the island, with restrooms, outdoor showers, a picnic area, snack bar, and beach chair and umbrella rentals. Parking at the county park is similar to Kiawah Beachwalker Park, and will cost anywhere from $5 to $20 depending on the time of year, or is free for gold pass members.
On the northeastern side of Folly Beach, you can visit the Lighthouse Inlet Heritage Preserve, and view the Morris Island Lighthouse, which was built in 1876. The Morris Island Lighthouse was originally built on land, but due to erosion, now stands several hundred feet offshore, and is a must-see if you’re in the Charleston area.
If you’re looking to vacation on Folly Beach, you can stay at the Tides Hotel right on the beach, or a vacation rental in Folly Beach. If you’re interested in purchasing a property on Folly Beach, there are Single Family homes available and condo units in the area. There is also a marina if you’re interested in purchasing a boat slip.
Folly Beach has stricter dog rules than Kiawah, and dogs are not allowed on the beach from 10 am-6pm from May 1st to September 30th. Dogs must be on a leash during the times that they are allowed on the Beach.
Folly Beach is a great location to visit if your looking for a place to go fishing, crabbing, swimming, surfing, a place to have a drink near the beach, have a meal at a rooftop restaurant, or a place to bring the family!
Folly Beach- Homes for Sale
Sullivan’s Island
With about 2 and a half miles of beaches, Sullivan’s Island is the smallest beach on this list, but the beaches along this island are great. Sullivan’s Island is home of the historic Fort Moultrie, a preserved maritime forest, the Sullivan’s Island lighthouse, and some amazing restaurants, including Poes Tavern, which was given the name because Edgar Allen Poe once lived on Sullivan’s Island. Sullivan’s Island does not have any hotels, and has the most expensive real estate in the area.
Sullivan’s Island has multiple public beach access sites along the island, and my favorite spot to access the beach is near Fort Moultrie. Sullivan’s Island has a long history of defending the Charleston area from invaders, and played a pivotal role in the Revolutionary War.
In Fact, South Carolina got it’s nickname as the Palmetto State from the battle against the British at Fort Moultrie. When the British Navy attacked during the Revolutionary War, the fort was constructed out of Palmetto logs, and these logs were able absorb much of the cannon ball blasts from the British fleet, and Americans repelled the attack at this location. You can get a great view of Charleston Harbor, the Arthur Ravenel Bridge, and Fort Sumter from this location on Sullivan’s Island.
If you would like to bring your dog to the beach on Sullivan’s Island, you will need to purchase a dog license, which will cost around $50 per year. From May 1st to September 30th, dogs are not allowed on the beach from 10am to 6pm, so Sullivan’s Island may not be the best beach for your to visit with your dog if you do not live in this area.
Sullivan’s Island Homes for Sale
Isle of Palms
Just across the bridge from Sullivan’s Island is Isle of Palms, which is another great beach town to visit near Charleston! Isle of Palms also has multiple public beach access sites, about 6 miles of beaches, a County Park, and a resort style gated and golf community at Wild Dunes. Isle of Palms has a great little downtown area with restaurants, bars, and live music at the WindJammer.
If you would like to play a game of volleyball in the sand, you can go to the Isle of Palms County Park or to the Windjammer. The County Park also has outdoor showers, snacks, beach chair and umbrella rentals, and restrooms. Similar to the other County Parks on this list, you will need to pay anywhere from $5 to $20 for the day to park at this location, but there are other parking options available nearby if the County Park is full.
Like Folly Beach, Isle of Palms is another great beach if you like to have a lot to do within a short walking distance from the beach. The drive to Isle of Palms from Charleston is about 20-25 minutes, but Mount Pleasant and Sullivan’s Island are also very close to Isle of Palms, so there’s a lot to do nearby.
Isle of Palms has a variety of real estate for sale, including beachfront property, condos, fractional ownership homes, boat slips for sale at the marina, and homes with a golf course view.
Dogs are allowed on the beach anytime year-round if they are on a leash, and there also are certain times that they are allowed off-leash, so this is a great location to bring your dog, with less restrictions than some of the other beaches on this list.
Isle of Palms- Homes for Sale
Edisto Beach
Edisto Beach is the furthest beach away from Charleston on this list, and is about a 1 hour drive from the Downtown Charleston area.
Edisto Beach is a great little beachtown with about 4.5 miles of beaches, and is a perfect place to visit if you’re looking for an area with less tourist than most of the other beaches on this list. Another great thing about Edisto Beach is that it has a State Park located on the Beach, and you can bring an RV and go camping right next to the beach at Edisto.
Edisto Beach also has much more affordable real estate for sale than the beaches near Charleston. Edisto Has Beachfront Homes, homes for sale on a golf course, condos, fractional ownership homes, and a marina.
Edisto Beach is also pet friendly, and dogs are allowed anytime and year-round at Edisto Beach while they are on-leash, and there are certain times during the winter months that dogs are allowed off-leash.
If you’re planning on visiting Edisto Beach, I also recommend visiting the Botany Bay Plantation Heritage Preserve that is nearby, where you can visit historic plantations, and a very unique beach covered with drift wood and seashells. You are not allowed to take seashells from the beach in this area, which is why you will see so many when you visit. Make sure to verify that this area is open when you would like to visit, as it is also a Wildlife Management area, and is sometimes closed for hunting.
Edisto Beach-Homes for Sale
Conclusion
Alright, those were my top 5 beaches near Charleston, and now I’m going to give you my 2 favorite beaches on this list.
My 2nd favorite beach in the Charleston area is Sullivan’s Island. As I mentioned earlier, my favorite beach location on Sullivan’s Island is near Fort Moultrie. This area has a unique combination of history, and a beach with a great view of Charleston Harbor. This area is also away from most of the tourist in the area.
My #1 favorite beach to go to near Charleston is Kiawah Beachwalker Park. I love this park, you can go to the park, and walk for miles and have a little more privacy than some of the other beaches. I also see dolphins at this location regularly. Kiawah is a beautiful beach in the Charleston area, and is a must-see if you’re in the area.
What did you think of my list of best beaches near Charleston? Please leave a comment below telling me what your favorite beach is in the area, and why it’s your favorite beach. Thanks for reading!