Make Your Beach Visit a Breeze: Important Beach Park Tips from Charleston County Parks

(CHARLESTON COUNTY) – With spring break upon us and summer just around the corner, many locals and tourists will soon flock to the Lowcountry’s beaches. Charleston County Parks encourages all beachgoers to familiarize themselves with important information and best practices to ensure the most enjoyable and safe time at our local beach parks.

The Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission (CCPRC) operates Folly Beach County Park, Isle of Palms County Park, and Kiawah Beachwalker Park. From spring break through September, the beaches are quieter on weekdays, with weekends, holidays and Fridays seeing large crowds. 

CCPRC encourages beachgoers to take note of the following tips and important information:

Park Capacity

While approaching the islands, CCPRC encourages drivers look for digital highway signs denoting beach park capacity. The capacity of the parking lot for CCPRC’s beach parks will be updated in real time by staff, so guests know before they reach the park if parking is full.

Kiawah Island

Kiawah Beachwalker Park has 150 parking spots and usually fills to capacity by 10:30 a.m. during the summer. The Town of Kiawah enforces a traffic ordinance that prohibits vehicles from idling or parking outside the entrance to Kiawah Beachwalker Park. If the park is full upon arrival, staff can add guests to a virtual line. Timely updates and text notifications alert customers as they move to the front of the queue. Parking for buses, RVs, and/or campers is never guaranteed, even on weekdays.

Isle of Palms

Isle of Palms County Park has 445 parking spots and usually fills to capacity by 10:30 a.m. on weekends and holidays, with spots becoming available again more consistently in the late afternoon. When the parking lot is full, police will allow up to about 20 vehicles to wait in line for spaces to open. Once the turn lane outside the park is full, police direct vehicles to keep moving to other parking areas not operated by CCPRC. Be aware of City of Isle of Palms parking ordinances. And note that there are only two lanes of traffic leaving Isle of Palms and Sullivan’s Island. On a crowded day, if weather or another event creates a reason for everyone to try leaving the islands at once, traffic will back up, and it could take up to two hours for the park to empty.

Folly Beach

Folly Beach County Park has 225 parking spots and usually fills to capacity by 10:30 a.m. on weekends and holidays, with spots becoming available again more consistently in the late afternoon. When the parking lot is full, look for City of Folly Beach parking lots on West Ashley Ave. to prevent blocking roads and driveways. Review City of Folly Beach parking ordinances in order to avoid being towed or ticketed.

Pets on the Beach

Pets must always remain leashed within the parks, and each municipality has their own ordinances pertaining to dogs on the beach:

City of Folly Beach, City of Isle of Palms, Town of Kiawah Island

Alcohol & Smoking

·         Possession or consumption of alcohol is not allowed at any of the beach parks.

·         Smoking, vaping and tobacco use are prohibited at CCPRC facilities, programs and events.

·         Additional beach park rules and information can be read on the parks’ webpages: https://ccprc.com/3222/Beach-Parks

Safety tips

·         Swim near a lifeguard when possible and obey their commands

·         Watch children at all times

·         Learn to identify a rip current and how to break free from one by swimming parallel to the shore (more info from USLA)

·         Seek shelter when lightning is in the area

Other Resources

Keep up to date on the latest beach traffic reports by downloading the Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Council of Government’s Beach Reach app, available for Apple and Android. Also consider taking CARTA’s Beach Reach Shuttle to Isle of Palms County Park.

For more information on Charleston County Parks beach parks and safety, call 843-795-4386 or visit CharlestonCountyParks.com (direct link to the beach park page: https://ccprc.com/3222/Beach-Parks).

The mission of CCPRC is to improve the quality of life in Charleston County by offering a diverse system of park facilities, programs and services. The large park system features over 11,000 acres of property and includes six regional parks, three beach parks, four seasonally-lifeguarded beach areas, three dog parks, two landmark fishing piers, three waterparks, 19 boat landings, a skate park, a historic plantation site, a climbing wall, a challenge course, an interpretive center, an equestrian center, cottages, a campground, a marina, as well as wedding, meeting and event facilities. CCPRC also offers a wide variety of recreational services – festivals, camps, classes, programs, and much more. For more information on CCPRC, call 843-795-4386, or visit www.charlestoncountyparks.com.