Your First Choice for Scratch and Dent Appliances in Folly Beach

It's only twelve miles south of Charleston's historic homes and manicured window boxes, but the salty little town of Folly Beach ditches the Holy City's refinement in favor of an easygoing, barefoot sensibility that feels a bit more California than Carolina. Known to locals as the Edge of America, Folly is everything a beach town should be. Surf shops line the main drag; cover-ups count as appropriate lunch attire; and nobody takes themselves too seriously (they drop a pair of LED-lit flip-flops to celebrate New Year's Eve). Here's where to stay, eat, relax, and play in South Carolina's super chill surf town.

Where to Stay

For a feels-like-home experience coupled with the charm and convenience of a boutique hotel (complimentary breakfast and happy hour daily, plus a free shuttle to the beach), book The Regatta Inn. Its best amenity of all, though, is the view: a spectacular vantage of Folly River and the surrounding marshland.

Every single room at Tides Folly Beach comes with an ocean view. Perched at the end of Center Street, the town's main thoroughfare, the hotel is steps from both the beach and an array of local shops and eateries.

For families looking to stretch out a bit more, there are a boatload of rentals to choose from: Opt for ocean-front properties that will sleep a crowd or cozy cottages with marsh and Folly River views. And for people who wouldn't dream of traveling without their four-legged companions, there are plenty of pet-friendly rentals too.

Where to Eat

You won't go hungry on this island. Fuel up for the day at Lost Dog Café, a local staple that serves coffee and all-day breakfast (so you can sleep in as long as you'd like). Don't miss their Lowcountry eggs Benedict, which they top with fried green tomatoes.

Fish tacos, Vietnamese-inspired lettuce wraps, and Cuban sandwiches all have a place on the colorful menu at Chico Feo, where the vibe is equally colorful. If you're in town for the wave-riding, be sure to check out their website's Surf Report, complete with a live video stream.

Don't let the easygoing atmosphere fool you: Rita's Seaside Grille is serious about its food...and its cocktails. Try one of the Signature Crushes, fruity sippers with flavored liquors that pack a punch.

End the night at Sand Dollar Social Club, a dive bar where you're invited to come as you are, so long as you're a member; membership costs $1, so bring your cash (you won't find a credit card machine here).

Though technically not on Folly (it's about two miles away), you'd be remiss to make a trip all this way without carving out time for a meal at family-owned Bowens Island Restaurant, a family-owned joint where the walls are graffitied and the oysters are locally harvested.

Where to Relax

The island's six miles of beachfront are its main attraction, and it'd be easy to while away a week with no plans beyond putting your toes in the sand. Spend a day shelling, sunning, surfing, or searching for shark teeth.

At the northern end of Folly Beach, the Morris Island Lighthouse provides a stunning backdrop from the shore. Get a closer look from the Lighthouse Inlet Heritage Preserve or via kayak. Several guided tours leave from Folly Beach to visit Morris Island for shelling, photography, and lighthouse history. The historic lighthouse is not open for viewing. How close you can get to the lighthouse depends on the tides.

Where to Play

Pack your fishing poles (or rent one) to test your fishing luck off the beloved Folly Beach Pier, which reopened in December 2022 after extensive renovations. If you're visiting in the summer, put on your dancing shoes—flip-flops count!—and head back to the Pier for one of the Moonlight Mixers, a music-filled family event held once monthly May through September.

For those looking to build an action-packed itinerary, there are plenty of activities that highlight the destination's natural beauty: Book a guided kayak tour with Charleston Outdoor Adventures, rent a stand-up paddleboard to explore the tidal creeks, or hop on a boat to discover uninhabited beachfront, where you can look for sharks' teeth and other fossils.

Stop by McKevlin's Surf Shop, South Carolina's oldest surfing outfitter, to peruse their selection of gear. You can also rent a surf or body board from the shop if you don't have one of your own; first-timers should consult their recommended list of surf instructors. Once you've got it down, catch some of the area's best waves at The Washout—or take a seat on the beach and see how the local pros do it.

FOLLY BEACH, S.C. (WCSC) - Some Folly Beach residents are noticing a new face to the island’s central business district.

With Snapper Jacks up for sale, St. James Gate turning into Coconut Joes and a new Revelry Brewing location opening this week, the makeup of Center Street is changing.

Toni Catoe, who’s resided on the island for more than 46 years, says throughout all this change, she has one ask for Center Street businesses.

“We would like to see more community involvement,” she says.

Community involvement is an element Folly Beach Mayor Tim Goodwin says is an essential component for the success of businesses on Folly.

“If you want to stay in business for a long time, you need to think about the people that live here. Because in the winter, most of those tourists aren’t here,” Goodwin says.

And an element Coconut Joe’s General Manager, Chirs Galloway, says they plan to invest in.

“If you tie yourself into the community, the community will do well for you,” Galloway says.

It’s not only community involvement Goodwin says is essential to Center Street’s success.

He says with the cost of business going up, businesses that fare the best tend to have some sort of corporate backing.

“I’ve heard as much as $20,000 for rent. If you have to pay that much for rent and you haven’t bought the water, the alcohol, the lights,” Goodwin says.

He says Center Street has always been changing and evolving.

“When people come to me and say, ‘I want Folly Beach to be like it was.’ I look at them and say, ‘What do you remember Folly Beach being?’” he says.

Moving forward, he wants to maintain a strong central business district on Center Street, while balancing the needs of residents and tourists.

Most importantly, he says he wants to maintain a close-knit community.

“It’s a wonderful community, people look out for each other, neighbors step in to help each other without even being asked,” Catoe says.

Copyright 2023 WCSC. All rights reserved.

Have you visited Folly Beach, SC? No matter what kind of beach trip you are looking for, you can find it on the barrier islands of Charleston, South Carolina. Folly Beach is your best bet for the perfect mix of relaxing beaches and spots to dine. Folly Island is 18 square miles of sand and sun and offers a beach town vibe just 20 minutes from the tourist attractions of Charleston.

This article includes:Public Beach Access on Folly IslandFolly Island Places to Eat

Take A Trip To Visit More Beaches That Are Located Not Far From The Upstate!

Folly Island On The Coast Of South Carolina

The beaches of the Low Country offer something for everyone when it comes to a beach trip. For a quiet, non-commercialized beach experience, Kiawah Island’s Beach Walker Park is my go-to option. However, if a tourist-heavy, commercialized expertise is what you seek, Isle Of Palms fits the bill.

If a sandy spot somewhere in the middle of both is what you want, then the beaches of Folly Island are perfect. They are family-friendly, quiet, and some access points have restrooms and showers for beachgoers to use. The downtown area of Folly Island offers a funky beach town vibe that’s solidified its place in the history of the SC coast.

Here’s a Great Map of Folly Island To Show The Kids

Where to Stay Near Folly Beach, SC

This Stay 22 Map contains affiliate links that will help you find the perfect place to stay near Folly Beach!

Accessing The Beach On Folly Island

With six miles of shoreline, there’s no shortage of sand to spread out on when visiting Folly Beach. Finding beach access isn’t difficult, but depending on your family’s needs, one access might be more suitable than another.

Located on the southern tip of Folly Island, the county park offers families all of the amenities they might need including showers, restrooms, a seasonal concession stand, seasonal lifeguards, and chair rentals.

The parking fees range from $5-$20, depending on the season, and are $20 on weekends and summer holidays. Park gates are open from 8 am to sunset.

The Folly Beach Ocean Park is located at the end of West Arctic Avenue. It offers beachgoers restroom and shower facilities that are free and open to the public (currently only open during the summer.)

At the end of nearly every block on the island there is a beach access pathway. Some spots include parking if space permits, otherwise you can park streetside.

The further you drive away from the pier, the less the metered parking costs. By quite a bit. If you aren’t trying to be right next to the pier and center street, drive a few miles north to find cheaper meter rates. The parking meter fees can be paid through a kiosk, or with the PARK Folly Beach app.

The centerpiece of Folly Island is the Folly Beach Pier. The pier was recently renovated. Amenities at Folly Beach Pier include the gift shop, restrooms, showers, changing rooms, and wheelchair beach access.

The Pier 101 Restaurant is open Wednesday through Monday, and offers seafood, sandwiches, and more!

Swimming is permitted on the beach that flanks the sides of the pier, however, the undertow can become dangerous near the pier causing unsafe conditions. Also, people throw baited hooks off of that pier looking to catch “a big un”. I don’t know about you, but I would prefer not to be swimming near where people are reeling in jaws.

The parking fees range from $5-$20, depending on the season, and are $20 on weekends and summer holidays. Pier hours vary by season, so be sure to check the park’s site before venturing out.

Places To Eat On Folly Island

There are plenty of spots to choose from when it comes to meals on Folly Island. These are just a few of our favorites when we head out to spend the day on Folly Beach.

Taco BoyAmeri-mex style food with a kid’s menu, and a full bar. Great spot for nachos and margs after a day on the beach.

The Lost Dog Cafe

The perfect spot for breakfast or brunch, The Lost Dog has sandwiches, burgers, breakfast (all day), and more.

Saint James Gate Proper Irish Pub & Three Monkey’s Ice CreamThe menu here has a little bit of everything, including tacos. It’s kid & dog-friendly! Plus they have some delicious dessert options.

The Pineapple HutIf you spend any time on Folly Island, you are bound to see people walking down the street with a pineapple in their hands. This food truck is where it came from, filled with Dole Whip, or one of their weekly special flavors of soft-serve style ice cream. (March through November).

If you want to extend your trip, head over to Mount Pleasant for a bunch of free things to do while you’re there!

FOLLY BEACH, S.C. (WCIV) — The Folly Beach coastline is finally getting some much-needed relief after taking a beating from Mother Nature in 2023.

Hurricanes, tropical storms and king tides all took their toll on the popular public beaches.

Friday, the Army Corps of Engineers announced they will soon begin the much-anticipated beach renourishment project.

"You could go sit on with a slow tide, come back when it's high tide, you won't see that beach today," said Folly Beach Mayor Tim Goodwin.

Erosion is a never-ending problem on Folly Beach, which is why this project is so big.

Read more: "Folly Beach dodges severe damage, gears up for $18M renourishment project."

"We're looking to place about 1.2 million cubic yards of sand on the beach, and that's equivalent to about 120,000 dump trucks at a cost of around $18 million," said Wes Wilson, project manager with the Army Corps of Engineers, Charleston District.

"The contractor, depending on how much sand they need to place in each section, typically is in a 500-foot section between two and five days. So areas of the beach that are more eroded they typically spend more time in it," said Goodwin.

With the Army Corps of Engineers picking up the check, Folly Beach leaders can save their money.

"That leaves our beach reserve, but money intact, and we add to that every year. So, every year, we make sure that we have a reserve of money for the day when we have to pay our 15% or 10%," said Goodwin.

Read more: "Coastal damage assessment after heavy storms: Folly Beach experience mixed impact."

That reserve fund is often needed for smaller projects. Many times it's not just the big storms that are the issue.

"The hurricane that comes in and hangs offshore for a day or two and just beats and beats the beach and erodes it. Or Northeasterns that come in and hang around for a day or two that do the same thing, causing a lot of erosion. So this, this money we save this time is in the pot for repairing the beach of neck-to-neck storms or the storms after that," said Goodwin.

"Beach renourishment is a short-term inconvenience for a long-term benefit. And as we do add sand onto the beach, it provides that sense of security for the island for that next big storm," adds Wilson.

For a popular coastline that's suffered some of its worst damage since 2016, it's a welcome fix to get the beach back to normal.

"By building it back up, building the dunes up, extending the beach out, it gives us more area for people to come to enjoy the beach," said Goodwin.

The Army Corps must finish the Bird Cay project on Folly by March 15th. Soon after, they will begin work on the Folly beaches at large. That work will run from March until August.

FOLLY BEACH – Hurricane Hugo brought one of the best-known art canvases to Folly Road — the Folly Boat. People would paint their anniversaries, create artwork and write other memories on the boat until it washed away during Hurricane Irma. Around the same time, the concrete path at the Lighthouse Inlet Heritage Preserve started to gain popularity in a much larger canvas.

Charleston County Parks bought the Lighthouse Inlet Heritage Preserve from the U.S. Coast Guard in 1989, the same year as Hugo. In 2009, the property was honored as a preserve. Remnants of a concrete road and a few structures were left from the former Loran station that leads to a boneyard beach and views of Morris Island Lighthouse.

The site was occupied by Union troops during the Civil War, including those who fought at the Battle of Fort Wagner on July 18, 1863. The unsuccessful assault by the 54th Massachusetts regiment of African American soldiers was made famous in the movie "Glory," which also came out in 1989. Though "Glory" wasn't filmed here, the hit Netflix show "Outer Banks" filmed at this 80-acre preserve.

The Folly Boat was returned years after its disappearance (though in a different spot), but the Lighthouse Inlet became a place to paint and express creativity. The county park attempted to clean up the path various times, but immediately after it was covered again in paint.

Parks spokeswoman Sarah Reynolds said they just don't have the resources to be out there and enforce the graffiti ban. They do, however, respond and paint over explicit or negative messages.

Graffitiing the path remains illegal, but artists still go out and paint it constantly. The Folly community leans both ways on the matter. Some are in favor of leaving the graffiti path as is and others think it takes away from the natural beauty.

Local mural artist Riivo Kruuk said, "It's an integral part of the art world in Charleston." Kruuk painted the mural on Mount Pleasant's hotdog restaurant Skoogies after asking the owner if he could do it for free. He moved here in 2020 from South Florida and noticed a difference in street art from Charleston and there. When he came across the Lighthouse Inlet, he said, there was hope.

Kruuk said he doesn't like it when people trash the preserve or paint on trees. He thinks it should be like the graffiti wall in Goose Creek, which allows artists to express themselves for their community.