Destinations › Day Trips From Charleston
12 day trips from Charleston, sorted nearest first: what to do at each from the town's or operator's own page, with straight-line miles we computed (the drive is longer). Closest: Colonial Dorchester State Historic Site.
- Trips12on this page
- Regions3Midlands, Lowcountry, Grand Strand
- Free2as the operator states
- CheckedOct 262026
The Short Answer
- Hampton Plantation State Historic Site grounds are free; house tours are guided only, Fri.-Tue. at noon and 2 p.m. source
- Hunting Island State Park has five miles of beach and the only publicly accessible lighthouse in South Carolina. source
- Reconstruction Era National Historical Park in Beaufort County requires no entrance pass. source
Every Trips on Our List
| Name | Where | What | When | Cost | Good to know | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colonial Dorchester State Historic Site | Summerville Lowcountry about 17 miles from Charleston (straight line) | Site of the colonial town of Dorchester with a tabby fort, the brick bell tower of St. George's Anglican Church and an active archaeology program. | Year-round per published daily hours; no separate 2026 season dates published | Not listed | Dogs: Pets are allowed in most outdoor areas on a leash not longer than six feet (state park rule). | source |
| Givhans Ferry State Park | Ridgeville Lowcountry about 27 miles from Charleston (straight line) | Edisto River park at the end of the 23-mile Edisto River Canoe and Kayak Trail from Colleton State Park, with a nature trail, picnic shelters and the River House welcome center. | Year-round per published daily hours; no separate 2026 season dates published 9 a.m. – 6 p.m., daily (extended to 9 p.m. during Daylight Savings Time) | $6 adults; $3.75 SC seniors (age 65 & older); child rate not captured | Dogs: Pets are allowed in most outdoor areas on a leash not longer than six feet (state park rule). | source |
| Edisto Beach State Park | Edisto Island Lowcountry about 30 miles from Charleston (straight line) | One of four oceanfront state parks, with hiking and biking trails and an environmental education center about Edisto Island and the ACE Basin. | Year-round per published daily hours; no separate 2026 season dates published 7 a.m. – 6 p.m. daily (extended to 8 p.m. during Daylight Savings Time) | $8/adult; $5 SC seniors; $4/ child age 6-15; Free for children 5 and younger. | Dogs: Pets are allowed in most outdoor areas on a leash not longer than six feet (state park rule). | source |
| Hampton Plantation State Historic Site | McClellanville Lowcountry about 34 miles from Charleston (straight line) | National Historic Landmark rice plantation with a mansion (12 rooms on the tour), two trails, the African American Cemetery and the Washington Oak; it interprets the lives of the enslaved and the planters. | Year-round per published daily hours; no separate 2026 season dates published 9 a.m.- 5 p.m., daily. Mansion: guided tours only, Fri. – Tue. noon and 2 p.m. | Grounds are free. House admission: $10/adult; $6/S.C. Senior; $5/youth age 6-15; Free for children 5 & younger. | Dogs: Pets are allowed in most outdoor areas on a leash not longer than six feet (state park rule). | source |
| Hunting Island State Park | Hunting Island Lowcountry about 44 miles from Charleston (straight line) | Five miles of beach, a saltwater lagoon, maritime forest, a nature center, a fishing pier and the Hunting Island lighthouse (built 1859, rebuilt 1875, 167 steps). | Year-round per published daily hours; no separate 2026 season dates published Park Hours: 6 a.m. – 6 p.m., daily (extended to 9 p.m. during Daylight Saving Time). Nature Center 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., daily. | $8/adult; $5/SC seniors; $4/ child age 6-15; Free for children 5 and younger | Dogs: Pets are not allowed in the cabin area, on the pier or inside the lighthouse complex; not permitted on the tip of North Beach past posted markers. | source |
| Beaufort | Beaufort Lowcountry about 51 miles from Charleston (straight line) | Town on Port Royal Island whose entire downtown is designated a historic district (per the Beaufort CVB); the CVB area map lists Penn Center, the Parris Island Museum and St. Helena Island. | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | source |
| Reconstruction Era National Historical Park | Beaufort Lowcountry about 51 miles from Charleston (straight line) | Park telling the story of the Reconstruction era (1861-1900) through people, places and events in Beaufort County, including sites on St. Helena Island. | Not listed | Free | Not listed | source |
| Santee State Park | Santee Midlands about 54 miles from Charleston (straight line) | Lake Marion park with trails, boat ramps, self-serve kayak rentals and pontoon boat tours of the flooded cypress forest. | Year-round per published daily hours; no separate 2026 season dates published 6 a.m. – dark, daily, year-round | $3 adults; $1.50 SC seniors; $1 children age 6-15; age 5 & younger free | Dogs: Pets are allowed in most outdoor areas on a leash not longer than six feet (state park rule). | source |
| Georgetown and the Hammock Coast | Georgetown Grand Strand about 55 miles from Charleston (straight line) | Georgetown County seat; the county tourism site (Hammock Coast) covers beaches, golf, fishing and birdwatching between Charleston and Myrtle Beach. | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | source |
| Huntington Beach State Park | Murrells Inlet Grand Strand about 73 miles from Charleston (straight line) | Beach park with 3 miles of beach, surf fishing, bird-watching (300+ species recorded), a freshwater lake with alligators, and Atalaya, the Huntingtons' Moorish-style winter home (a National Historic Landmark). | Year-round per published daily hours; no separate 2026 season dates published 6 a.m. – 6 p.m., daily (extended to 9 p.m. during Daylight Saving Time). Atalaya 9 a.m.-4 p.m., daily (to 5 p.m. during DST). | $8/adult; $5/ S.C. Senior; $4/youth age 6-15; Free for children 5 and younger. Atalaya admission: $2/person ages 6 and up. | Dogs: Pets are allowed in most outdoor areas on a leash not longer than six feet (state park rule). | source |
| Congaree National Park | Hopkins Midlands about 90 miles from Charleston (straight line) | National park protecting the largest intact expanse of old growth bottomland hardwood forest remaining in the southeastern United States; hiking trails and paddling on Cedar Creek. | Not listed | Free | Not listed | source |
| Francis Marion National Forest | (Francis Marion Ranger District) Lowcountry | National forest with developed campgrounds, designated primitive sites, and hiking, biking, horse riding, fishing and water activities; dispersed camping needs a free permit on this district. | Not listed | Not listed | Not listed | source |
No rows match.
Distances are straight-line miles between Census town centre points, computed by us; road miles are longer. Hours, dates and prices are copied from each operator’s own page on the date shown; check before you go.
FAQ
Can you climb the Hunting Island lighthouse?
The park lists it as the only publicly accessible lighthouse in South Carolina, with 167 steps to the top. Pets are not allowed inside the lighthouse complex. source
Is there a fee at Hampton Plantation?
Grounds are free. House admission is $10/adult; $6/S.C. Senior; $5/youth age 6-15; free for children 5 and younger. source
What We Could Not Confirm
Not confirmed: we looked for these on official pages and did not find them. Check with the town or operator before you rely on them.
- Distances and drive times intentionally left out (computed by the site).
- County fields are filled from the published street address town (park DIRECTIONS / NPS mailing address); the pages do not name the county – verify if a county is displayed.
- Lat/lon left null: the official pages read do not publish coordinates in text.
- Hunting Island: park advisory says the bridge to Little Hunting Island/Boneyard Beach is temporarily closed for high tides; check before going.
- Beaufort CVB page states Hunting Island is 'South Carolina's most-visited state park' and cites a TripAdvisor ranking; not used (TripAdvisor is not a source).
- Colonial Dorchester hours/admission not captured.
- Georgetown city attractions (Harborwalk, museums) not read on an official city page.
- Savannah, GA not included; could be added from visitsavannah.com.
Sources
- https://southcarolinaparks.com/hampton
- https://southcarolinaparks.com/hunting-island
- https://www.nps.gov/reer/planyourvisit/fees.htm
- Beaufort
- Reconstruction Era National Historical Park
- Edisto Beach State Park
- Givhans Ferry State Park
- Colonial Dorchester State Historic Site
- Francis Marion National Forest
- Georgetown and the Hammock Coast
- Huntington Beach State Park
- Santee State Park
- Congaree National Park
Read on October 26, 2026. How we check: editorial standards; spot a mistake? Tell us.
Cite this page: It's South Carolina, “Day Trips From Charleston, SC”, itssouthcarolina.com/destinations/day-trips-from-charleston/ (updated ). By the It's South Carolina editorial team. Free to quote with attribution and a link to this page; data and tables are licensed CC BY 4.0.