Visitor's Guide to Edisto Island

If You Are Looking For A Quiet, Uncrowded Beach Look No Further Than Edisto Beach, SC

Are you thinking about taking a family vacation to Edisto Beach, South Carolina? Luckily, we have put together a guide to everything you need to know to plan the perfect vacation. Local mom Julie has tips on lodging, fun, food, and more!

In a sea of beach destinations full of traffic and tourists, Edisto Island in South Carolina is a hidden treasure. With minimal commercial development, you can enjoy the many local restaurants, shops, and miles of palmetto-lined beach, without the traffic and crowding that many South Carolina beaches are famous for. Located in Colleton County, it is about a 3-hour and 45-minute drive from Greenville to this family-friendly destination.

Where to Stay on Edisto Island

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A little about Edisto Island

With both of us working full-time and only having 2 weeks of vacation per year, my husband and I wanted to get the most out of our vacation. We did a lot of research and considered many of the popular destinations in this area, but eventually settled on Edisto for many reasons.

We wanted something that would not be crowded with tourists.

Traffic is minimal in this area.

The accommodations nearby fit our budget.

There were plenty of options for entertainment within a reasonable distance from our cabin.

Edisto Island is famous for having a clean beach and for having an unusually high number of fossils and seashells to collect.

There are many houses to rent at varying price points at Edisto Island, but our favorite places to stay are the cabins/villas at Edisto Beach State Park. Located on the salt marsh at Scott Creek, the cabins are about 1½ miles from the ocean and are historic Civilian Conservation Corps locations. Available are five one-bedroom cabins/villas (can accommodate four people) and two three-bedroom cabins (can accommodate six people). These are modern cabins, so you can expect all of the comforts of home, such as air conditioning and heat, queen beds, linens and towels, dishes, appliances, television with satellite, a screened-in porch, Wi-Fi, and a grill with a picnic table outside. Guests of the cabins have access to a private dock for fishing or just relaxing by the water. Also available at the park about a mile away from the cabin sites are 111 RV sites with electricity and water access and five tent sites. Discounts may be offered in the slow season, generally in the fall and winter.

What to do on Edisto Island

Although Edisto Island is not highly commercialized, there is still plenty for a family to do to keep busy and entertained. Here are just a few of the activities that many families enjoy:

Visit the Edisto Beach State Park Nature Trails. These trails are for biking or hiking and will take you deep into the forest and along the marshland for an unforgettable day trip. Visit a 4,000-year-old Native American shell mound and experience the marshes and wetlands up close.

Search for seashells and fossils on the beach (Edisto Beach is famous for this).

Visit the Edisto Island Serpentarium for displays which include feeding of snakes and alligators.

Go on a guided kayak tour where you may get a glimpse of dolphins up close!

Explore the Edisto Island Museum to learn more about the island and its history.

Find events at the Edisto Beach State Park Environmental Learning Center. Their calendar changes regularly, so make sure to check it out before you go.

Eat at one of the unique, local restaurants such as McConkey’s Jungle Shack, The Waterfront Restaurant, and SeaCow Eatery, just to name a few. Enterprise Pavilion is a waterfront bar, restaurant, and gift shop, and is a great place to check out, as well.

Play golf at the Plantation Course at Edisto.

Take a day trip to Charleston, South Carolina, which is only about an hour’s drive away from Edisto Beach!

See our Kidding Around Greenville Guide to Charleston for more fun things to do in the area.