Last Updated on January 5, 2026 by PorchLightReading
Family travel guide to visiting Edisto Island, South Carolina. Enjoy the best swim beaches, explore driftwood beach, and other top things to do in the area.
Edisto Island, South Carolina, has quickly become one of our favorite places to enjoy on the weekends. I’m sure most articles tell you that, but for us it’s completely true!
Although the Charleston area has several other beaches people love to talk about, Folly beach, Island of the Palms, Sullivan’s, this one is quiet with oak trees lining the road and a small island feel you just can’t get enough of.
So if you’re looking for easy beach access, great restaurants, and places to walk along the marsh, this is the place for you.
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- Table of contents: Edisto Island, South Carolina + Top things to do
- Beaches you’ll want to explore
- Botany Bay and visiting driftwood beach
- Learning Center, Island Museum, and Serpentarium
- Historic church and the haunted tomb
- Sunrise and sunset boat charters
- Edisto farmers markets you don’t want to miss
- Beach stores and shopping
- Giant wall of candy and delicious ice cream
- Edisto walking trails you might like
Looking for more adventures like this in South Carolina? Try 13 places to explore in Charleston with kids! Including seasonal tips, parking, and bathrooms. Or explore Folly Beach Lighthouse with graffiti path and driftwood beach!
One of our families favorite pastimes is camping and exploring the area. That is when work and school schedules play nicely together. Our first experience on Edisto Island was while camping at the state park. Each morning we would make a cup of coffee and set off on an early morning walk with the kids and puppy (a.k.a. our old dog), in tow.
The salty breeze coming from the marsh as we made our way across the boardwalk had me wondering what else was tucked away? Turns out, a lot.
Edisto Island South Carolina + Top Things To Do
Since that first camping trip we’ve been back Edisto Island, South Carolina, several times and each time we make a point to find something new in the area. Something to see, a pier leading to the creek and marsh, a church graveyard with haunting story, flower picking at the farm stand, and a few more places you’ll want to check out on your own.
Edisto Island Beaches
The first things we’re going to talk about are the beaches, because let’s be honest, it’s really one of the top reasons we decided to visit. White sand beaches with the chance to see a couple of dolphins in the distance. Since Edisto is an island, beaches are not hard to come by, but some do offer a few more amenities than others.
*Note- No lifeguards on duty, swim at own risk.
Edisto Island State Park- I’m sure you’ve heard of Edisto Island State Park and the great beach area they have there. They also have a pretty decent size parking lot making it easy to unload your beach chairs and coolers before making your way to the ocean. From the parking lot you’ll find two beach access points with a mesh type ramp that makes it a bit easier to push wagons or strollers. The ramp only goes as far as the dunes and you’ll have to push a bit before getting on solid sand for easier travel.
- Easy parking with lot
- Bathrooms
- Showers
- Playground
- Picnic area with grills
- Gift store
- Admission to enter
- $8 adults, $4 ages 6-15, free for children 5 and younger.
- Free with South Carolina State Park Pass
- Free if camping at Edisto Island State Park
Public beach access- You can find free public beach access lining all the way down Palmetto Blvd. This beach access starts with number 1 and goes the entire length of the island, all the way down to public beach access number 37. Each access point offers a small parking area but some parking areas are designated for golf cart parking only. You can also park along the side of the road where permitted.
- Small parking area for each access point.
- Free
Both the state park and the public beach access are great options for enjoy the beaches along Edisto Island. If you happen to have a state park pass than I would recommend enjoying the beach there since they offer easy parking, bathrooms, and showers.
However, if you don’t have a state park pass the admission per person gets incredibly expensive if you have a car full of family over the age of 5. Finding public beach access is pretty easy depending of the time and season you visit. If you take it slow and pass the first several public access points, you might just get lucky with a free parking spot close to the water.
Botany Bay and Driftwood Beach
Botany Bay Heritage Preserve is by far our favorite place to explore as it offers a bit of adventure for everyone in the family. Coming down the dirt road you’ll enter the gate and sign in. Admission is free but they like to keep a count as to how many people are visiting (be sure to grab a map with historical markers). You’ll drive down a road that is lined with large Live Oak trees covered in Spanish moss and eventually you’ll roll down the windows and turn up the music. This is exactly the way you imagined South Carolina along the coast to be.
You have two choices when you get to the end of the road. You can turn right and explore driftwood beach (highly recommend) or you can turn left and take the self guided tour around the property (only recommend in a truck).
Driftwood beach- Turning right you’ll find the parking lot to driftwood beach. Here you’ll park and make the ¼ mile walk to an island that feels like it’s in another world. Once on the island you see why it gets it’s name. Driftwood is all around you, but not just little sticks you might find every once in a while. Oh no, giant dead oak trees scatter along the beach, a few still standing tall. Toppled trunks with bald branches bleached white have you detouring around these once mighty beasts.
- ¼ mile walk to driftwood beach
- Only accessible during low tide
- No swimming
- No dogs allowed
- No removing of shells or driftwood
Self guided driving tour- Turning left away from driftwood beach, will bring you to the start of this one way self guided driving tour. Be sure to grab a map at the front gate and follow along with each marker. Learn the history of the area including how this once private property became a place for all of us to enjoy. This driving tour will take you past old ruins, ponds, a manmade lake, and twist through the woods and along the marsh. It takes about 20 minutes to enjoy this tour and even though you might be tempted to take your minivan, it gets pretty rough towards the end and you really should NOT.
- Grab a map at the front kiosk for the self guided driving tour with historical markers.
- Approximately 20 minutes to drive around the grounds.
- Truck or vehicle with 4 wheel drive is best.
Exploring this area can take a few hours if you take your time. They also have walking trails that lead to other buildings for those who want to explore on foot. For any type of walking that isn’t to the beach, I highly recommend a strong bug spray as some of these paths will have you running for the car just to get away from the swarm of mosquitos chasing after you.
Learning Center, Island Museum, and Serpentarium
Edisto Environmental Learning Center- Tucked away in the woods you’ll find the Edisto Envoronmental Learning Center. Here you can explore nature trails that loop through the woods and along the creek. Inside the learning center is a gift shop and a small museum with a fun section that both kids an adults will love! Take your time learning reading the informational signs that give you a better understanding of the wildlife that lives just outside the glass doors. Don’t forget to take a photo on the boat they have inside the building!
- Nature trails
- Museum
- Gift shop
- Admission per person
- Free with South Carolina State Park Pass
- Free if camping at the state park.
Edisto Island Museum- Dive deeper into the history of Edisto Island, South Carolina, and learn about the Gullah GeeChee culture. The Edisto Island Museum was founded in 1986 by a locals who wanted to preserve the history of the area and help educate those who pass through. Here you’ll follow the timeline told through historical artifacts, along with visiting their beautiful gift shop that supports local artists and craftsmen.
- Local museum dedicated to preserving the history of the area
- Gift shop featuring local artists
- Admission
- $8 adults, $5 military + seniors + children ages 10-17, Free ages 9 and under
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Edisto Island Serpentarium- Snakes, snakes, and alligators. The thought of willingly going to a place with creatures that only appear in my nightmares, is crazy. But the Edisto Island Serpentarium is different. Instead of instilling fear, this place educates. Learn about snakes from around the world from well educated staff members, at one of several programs they offer throughout the day. Including questions and answers and live feedings. Here you’ll leave with a new application for these scary animals and why they are so important to our ecosystem.
- Educational exhibit including snakes, alligators, turtles, lizards, and daily programs.
- Gift shop
- Did you know you can shop the gift shop without paying admission?
- Admission to enter
- Adults $21.95, children ages 4-12 $16.95, children 3 and under are free.
- Military discounts available along with 911 and other discount days, including teacher Tuesdays!
- Adults $21.95, children ages 4-12 $16.95, children 3 and under are free.
The Presbyterian Church on Edisto Island and The Haunted Tomb
The Presbyterian Church on Edisto Island, South Carolina, is one of the oldest churches in the area. The building itself was constructed in 1830, and later renovated in the early 2000’s, but the congregation was gathering to worship long before that.
In 1852 a young women named Julia Legare came to Edisto Island to visit her family. During her visit she became ill and even though doctors were called, there was nothing that could be done for her. She was then pronounced dead and buried in the family mausoleum behind the Presbyterian Church.
Several years later another family member passed away and the door to the mausoleum was opened for burial. That’s when they discovered the bones of Julia, laying by the tomb door, in the dress she wore for her funeral. Julia Legare was buried alive at the age of 22. It is believed that she had fell into a deep coma and even the doctors couldn’t detect her heartbeat.
After the burial of the family member they closed the heavy, stone door to the tomb once more. But just a short while later they discovered the door open. Again, they closed the stone door and again the door would open. The story goes that no matter how many times the door is closed, even using heavy machinery, the door will somehow open.
Today you can respectfully visit the church graveyard and directly behind the church, nestled under the tress, you’ll find the open mausoleum of the Legare family.
Family Boat Charters
Take the family out on the ocean with an experienced captain. You can find several private charters that offer different tours and times that fit your needs. Enjoy a fishing charter or a sunset/sunrise cruise out on the water for an experience you won’t soon forget.
Bonus- Have you heard about monkey island? Also known as Morgan Island, this seven square mile island is home to a colony of rehsus monkeys. How did they get here? When did they get here? Why are they here? The story is a bit disturbing, so I’ll let you research that on your own or you can ask Captain Dave with Captain On Call Charters.
Warning- You can NOT go on this island as the monkeys have a disease and are for public health research.
Farmers Markets In The Area
King’s Farm Market- Your trip isn’t complete without a visit to King’s Farm Market. It has everything you want in a fresh produce stand and everything else will pile in your handheld cart as well. Jams, jellies, hot sauces, salsas, pies, dinner casseroles, desserts, T-shirts and of course farm fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables.
If you’re camping or staying in an Air B&B, this is the perfect place to get dinner. It’s fresh, homemade, and packed full of goodness. Plus you can feel good about shopping local and supporting a business that’s been family run for seven generations.
- Family owned
- Fresh produce, fruit, homemade casseroles, desserts, gifts.
- Seasonal flower picking
- Parking on site
Marsh Hen Mill- Grits, rice, cornmeal and more! Marsh Hen Mill is a little different than King’s Farm and is the perfect place to stop for local grits and more! Their loyal customers love singing praises for MHM and many of those who find them while on vacation, will shop their store online just to get back to that great taste. Let’s not forget they offer full recipes and cooking directions on their website MarshHenMill.com.
- Family owned
- Mill offering grits, rice, cornmeal and more!
- Jams, salsas, dressings, jewelry and gifts
- Parking on site, be sure to look for the ostrich!
Bonus- Be sure to check out the Bay Creek Park Market every Wednesday during the warmer months from 9am-3pm. Here you’ll find local artists and handmade crafts that are unique and well crafted.
Beach Stores and Shopping
There are only a handful of beach stores and boutique shopping on the island, but that makes them even more special. Inside the beach stores you’ll find buckets for sandcastles, umbrellas, bodyboards, sunscreen, hats and everything else beach related. While the boutique stores offer high end clothing, unique gifts, and beach home decor.
- Beach stores
- Edisto Privillon Beach Store
- Smuggles Attic
- Edisto Surf Shop
- Boutique stores and shopping
- SETCo South Edisto Trading Company
- Sabal and Oak
- My Native Dreams
- Little Otter Outfitters
- Shore ‘Nuff
- Edisto Island Bookstore
- With These Hands Gallery
Island Bikes and Outfitters- Looking to explore further? Stop by Island bikes and outfitters to rent paddle boards, bikes, golf carts, and more!
Giant Wall of Candy and Ice Cream Shops
Smugglers Attic/Sugartime Ice Cream- Smugglers Attic is making this list twice because it is both a great place to find beach gear AND a sweet treat! No vacation is complete without finding some salt water taffy or other goodies and this store has it all. Walking in the first thing you notice are the barrels full off candy and a giant wall of Jelly Beans in every flavor imaginable! Get your sugar rush on and maybe find something to bring back for family, if it lasts that long.
3 Gulls Creamery- Speaking of sugar rush, you wouldn’t believe the menu at 3 Gulls Creamery! These ladies have style and offer the most creative stuffed shakes I have ever seen! Brownie batter, shark attack, peanut butter with Reese’s candy and more! I highly recommend checking out their full menu to see for yourself just how amazing these delicious creations are.
Restaurants- You really can’t go wrong with the great restaurants they have in the area. From seafood, Mexican, deli style, pizza shops and more! Here are a few favorites to get you started, but I encourage you to get out and explore!
- McConkey’s Jungle Shack
- Tortuga’s Mexican Grill
- The Waterfront Restaurant
- The Seacow Eatery
- Whaley’s Restaurant and Bar
- Crust Station – Pizza
Walking Trails You Might Like
If you’re spending a little bit of time here, then you might want to find a nice place to walk with the family. You can find several small trails at Edisto Island State Park near the Live Oaks Campground. A few more loops are around the Edisto Environmental Learning Center, and a couple more at Botany Bay Heritage Preserve. One of our favorite walking trails is the Scott Creek Trail that has a boardwalk over the marsh. Another area we really like is walking to the dock from the Environmental Learning Center.
Our camping weekend started with celebrating our oldest daughter’s birthday on the beach with pizza and chicken wings from Crust Station, while we enjoyed the pelicans flying overhead. The sun was setting and after a crazy month in June (you don’t even want to know), we were finally able to get out and vacation at one of our favorite places that is just an hour from our home.
Edisto Island is a little slower than some beach towns but with Charleston only an hour away, it’s a great place to put your feet in the sand and enjoy the breeze. So pack a picnic, a book, sunscreen, and beach outfit and enjoy the ENTIRE day exploring Edisto Island, South Carolina.
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