Charleston SC Outdoors & Nature - Things to Do Outdoors in Charleston

By Holly Fisher

McKevlin’s Surf Shop on Folly Beach rents hundreds

of surf boards each day during the busy summer

season. Some people take surfing lessons while

others just paddle around in the waves. Either way,

shop manager Brian Eichelman said interest in more

adventurous activities is growing.

“The amount of interest in (surfing) has grown in the

last five years,” he said. “It’s in the mainstream media

now. Even in the Midwest, they are featuring surfing

and now everyone wants to try it. The image is more

popular.”

Visitors coming to Charleston with outdoor activities

on their minds have come to the right place. The

Lowcountry has all the makings for an adventurous

vacation - water, nature and an unparalleled

ecosystem ripe for exploration.

Last year Outside magazine ranked Charleston No. 6

on its “Best Town Ever” list. Charleston also made it

on the magazine’s list of best towns for surfing (East

Coast) in 2010, noting “the Charleston area,

especially Folly Beach, is home to one of the East

Coast's most vibrant surf scenes.”

But surfing the Washout at Folly is just one of many

local adventures visitors are soaking up; others are

trying their hand at parasailing, fishing, running,

kayaking or one of the many adventure or nature tours.

Kathie Livingston, an ecologist and master naturalist,

owns Nature Adventures Outfitters, offering kayak and

canoe tours and instruction. With equipment for all

ages and experience levels, Livingston can take

families kayaking in Shem Creek for some quality

time with the dolphins that frequent the creek and the

manatees that visit during warm weather.

Also the president of the state’s Nature-Based

Tourism Association, Livingston said the area’s

wildlife and eco-tours are becoming very popular

thanks to spots like Capers Island, Bulls Island, Cape

Romain Natural Wildlife Refuge and Francis Marion

National Forest.

“There’s just a plethora of things,” she said.

Travel to the outskirts of Mount Pleasant to Awendaw

and take advantage of the miles of hiking trails as well

as the Sewee Visitor & Environmental Education

Center, which supports Cape Romain National

Wildlife Refuge and Francis Marion National Forest.

Cape Romain was established in 1932 as a migratory

bird refuge so it’s a good place to spot some of the

more than 200 bird species in this area.

“The cool thing about Charleston is it has the perfect

balance of cultural and natural history,” Livingston said.

That blend is just what keeps business booming at

Adventure Harbor Tours. Owner Howie Weil takes

boatloads of people on a more than two-hour tour of

Morris Island where they stop for a history lesson and

a chance to collect shark teeth.

Entering just his third season, Weil said he never

imagined how quickly business would grow, but eco-

tours are on the rise, he said. Plus, people love his

hands-on tours where they can look for shells, shark

teeth and see jelly fish up close.

“Morris Island, with nothing manmade built on it, is a

gift,” he said. “It’s the nicest beach around - you just

have to get there by boat. There is treasure all over the

beach.”

Resources

Here are a few of these resources for planning an

adventure in Charleston

Sewee Visitor & Environmental Education Center

5821 Highway 17 North

Awendaw, SC 29429

843-928-3368

www.fws.gov/seweecenter

S.C. Paddlesports Industry Association

paddlesouthcarolina.org

S.C. Nature-Based Tourism Association

www.scnatureadventures.com

Running the Bridge

Fitness is also a large part of

Charleston’s culture with 5K races

scheduled for every weekend in the

spring and early summer. One of the

world’s premiere 10K races is the

Cooper River Bridge Run that winds from

Mount Pleasant across the Arthur

Ravenel Jr. Bridge and ends in downtown

Charleston. This year’s Bridge Run sold

out more than three weeks before the

race when it hit the 43,000 cap. For a list

of other local races and adventure runs,

check out the Charleston Running Club’s

calendar at

www.charlestonrunningclub.com.

Fact

In 2006, residents and visitors spent a

combined $2.5 billion on wildlife

recreation in South Carolina, according

to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,

including $844 million of that for trip-

related expenditures. So, not only is

recreation fun for South Carolina, it’s an

important piece of the state’s economy.

Charleston SC Outdoors

Charleston is the perfect blend of nature and adventure