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Eco Adventures are Plentiful in Charleston

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Throw off the gray of winter and soak up the springtime sunshine. Charleston visitors have plenty of opportunities to enjoy the water, beaches, natural resources and parks. Here are a few of our suggestions for getting outdoors:

IMG_1864Wild on the water

Try your hand at kayaking, canoeing or standup paddle boarding. Plenty of adventure companies offer guided tours, lessons and rentals so you can explore areas like Shem Creek, blackwater swamps, the Edisto River and more.

Eco exploration

Nature and eco-tour companies take visitors on explorations of barrier islands and salt marshes on the outskirts of Charleston. Visitors can learn about the plants and animals that inhabit those areas while getting a chance to collect shells and shark’s teeth.

Nuts for nature

The Lowcounty is home to a varied ecosystem that provides habitat for a variety of marine life, birds and other animals. The Center for Birds of Prey provides educational and outreach programs on bird conservation issues. The center also operates an avian medical clinic for injured birds. Guided tours are available Thursday through Saturday and include flight demonstrations featuring hawks, falcons, owls and eagles. The center is located in Awendaw, north of Mount Pleasant. For information, call 843-971-7474.

The Sewee Visitor & Environmental Education Center in Awendaw is a wealth of eco opportunities. The center is home to two young red wolves and hosts a number of educational events. The center is the gateway to both Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge and Francis Marion National Forest. Cape Romain, established in 1932 as a migratory bird refuge, encompasses more than 66,000 acres in a 20-mile segment of the Atlantic coast.

The Francis Marion is a 258,000-acre national forest with a history that traces back 10,000 years. Native Americans harvested wildlife and plants there. Later, Europeans settled the area and cleared land for small farms and rice plantations. Following the Civil War, wide-scale lumbering cleared much of the forest land for timber products. President Franklin Roosevelt established the land as a national forest in 1936. Today, visitors can enjoy 120 miles of trails for canoeing, hiking, horseback riding and mountain biking. Recreational areas for camping, picnicking and boating are also available.

 

Charles Towne Landing
Charles Towne Landing

Charles Towne Landing State Historic Site is a nature retreat in the heart of the city. The park marks the site of the first permanent European settlement in South Carolina. Visitors can immerse themselves in 80 acres of English park gardens and 7 miles of nature trails (open to bikes) – with a good chance of spotting wood storks, alligators and coastal wading birds. The park is also home to an Animal Forest zoo with bison, puma, black bears, otters, birds, wild turkeys and more. For more information, call 843-852-4200.

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Charleston FAQ's

Choosing a hotel and where to stay in Charleston all depends on your budget and goals. Do you want to stay Downtown, at the beach or in the outer areas such as North Charleston where you have to drive to get everywhere? For more help on deciding: https://travelerofcharleston.com/articles/hotels/

Charleston has 3 main public beaches which are: Folly, Isle of Palms and Sullivans. Each beach has it’s own atmosphere. The most common beach that people visit is Folly Beach and then Isle of Palms followed by Sullivans Island. For more info on Charleston’s beaches visit: https://travelerofcharleston.com/guide-charlestons-beaches/

Charleston, SC is full of historical things to do. Everything from museums, to public sites and free landmark sites such as Rainbow Row and the Battery can be seen. For more info on Charleston’s top historical sites visit: https://travelerofcharleston.com/places-to-learn-about-charleston-sc-history/

There are many things that will keep the kids and family entertained and educated in Charleston. There are historic sites such as Fort Sumter, a Children’s Museum, Aquarium and the USS Yorktown…a WWII era aircraft carrier you can tour. For more info visit: https://travelerofcharleston.com/charleston-family-fun-activities/

There’s so many  things you could do in Charleston it can be overwhelming. We recommend that first time visitors, checkout the ultimate first-time visitor guide here: https://travelerofcharleston.com/charleston-first-time-visitors-guide/

Spring in Charleston, SC is an amazing time of year to visit. The flowers are blooming and the weather is mild and sunny. For more info, check-out our spring guide to Charleston here: https://travelerofcharleston.com/the-ultimate-guide-to-springtime-in-charleston/

Summer in Charleston is a great time to visit. There’s plenty of things to keep you busy and visiting the beach will probably….or should be on your short-list. Also water-based activities and tours are popular. Checkout this summer guide to Charleston for more info: 

Our 10 Favorite Summer Activities in Charleston

Fall is one of the best times to visit. The weather cools down a bit and the skies are typically blue and clear. In addition there are many great events, festivals and the large crowds of summer have gone back to school or work. For more info on visiting in the fall, checkout this article: https://travelerofcharleston.com/charleston-12-things-to-do-fall/

There are so many great things to do that it’s difficult to narrow the list down. This article does a great job with figuring out the must do things to do in Charleston

7 Can’t Miss Reasons to Visit Charleston, SC Now

The consensus is a minimum of 3-days is needed to settle in and experience Charleston. For instance, many people take 2 days exploring downtown and another day visiting sites outside of downtown such as the plantations, Angel Oak Tree or beaches. Checkout this page for a list of tours and attractions: 

Charleston’s Top Tours & Attractions | Things to do

Downtown Charleston was made for walking and for sure one of the best way to soak up and experience the history first-hand. This article goes over getting around Charleston with and without a car as well: 

Getting Around Charleston, SC

We’re of course partial to Charleston, but here’s the truth. There are many similarities however there are some differences in our opinion: 

  • Both cities are historic and beautiful. 
  • Both cities are extremely walkable. Savannah, with it’s park-like squares maybe more walkable than Charleston. 
  • Charleston has a more established and food scene with many more options. 
  • Charleston has better hotels and shopping.
  • Both cities have equally good tours.
  • Charleston has better beach options. Savannah has Tybee which is great, however it’s 1 beach vibe versus Charleston which has 3 beaches with different vibes. Checkout this Charleston beach guide article: https://travelerofcharleston.com/guide-charlestons-beaches/
  • In Savannah you can walk with alcoholic beverages on the street. This is not allowed in Charleston. This can be good or bad depending on your stance. 
  • Savannah is more affordable.
  • TourPass offers all-inclusive passes in both cities: https://tourpass.com

There are always great and world-class events happening in Charleston. For a calendar of events and things to do in Charleston, checkout our online calendar of events: https://travelerofcharleston.com/events/

Of course there are free money-saving coupons that you can use. Visit the coupons page for a bunch of ways to save: https://travelerofcharleston.com/coupon/

Charleston has some fantastic can’t miss tours such as Fort Sumter, carriage, ghost, harbor, historic and culinary tours. For a full list with more info visit: https://travelerofcharleston.com/attractions/

Checkout the Charleston Relocation Guide page which will guide you during your move: https://travelerofcharleston.com/charleston-sc-relocation-guide/

Additional Places to Explore

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