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Events and things to do in South Carolina, with prices, dates and drive times checked at the source.

Coastal Road Trip

Itineraries › Coastal Road Trip

Coastal Road Trip: a 3-day plan with 11 stops, each with hours, costs and closed days copied from the operator's page. 0 list free entry and 2 are indoors. We give no drive times we cannot source; each day links a map route.

  • Days3plan, then adjust
  • Stops11each with a source
  • Free0as the operator states
  • Indoors2for a rainy slot

Trip Kit

Plan It With Your People

Pick a start date, then send the plan to your group chat, put every day in your calendar, or open each day as a route in Google Maps.

 
  1. Day 1 Grand Strand to GeorgetownMyrtle Beach Boardwalk and Promenade Huntington Beach State Park (Atalaya) Hobcaw Barony Discovery Center and tours Kaminski House Museum Rice MuseumRoute
  2. Day 2 The Francis Marion coastHampton Plantation State Historic Site Sewee Visitor and Environmental Education Center (Cape Romain NWR)Route
  3. Day 3 Sea islands to BeaufortEdisto Beach State Park Reconstruction Era National Historical Park (Beaufort visitor center) Spanish Moss Trail Hunting Island State Park (lighthouse)Route

Day 1 Grand Strand to Georgetown

The northern third of the coast, mostly along US 17.

  1. Myrtle Beach Boardwalk and Promenade

    City of Myrtle Beach: built in three sections (raised wooden boardwalk from 14th Avenue Pier to Plyler Park; entertainment section from Plyler Park to Eighth Avenue North; oceanfront promenade from Eighth Avenue North to First Avenue). Construction of the $6.5 million project finished in spring 2010; grand opening May 15, 2010. Initially the boardwalk stretched 1.2 miles. source

    Dogs
    Dogs and bicycles on the boardwalk only between 5:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. from May 1 through Labor Day; any time from the day after Labor Day through April 30 (city).

  2. Huntington Beach State Park (Atalaya)

    Beach, marsh and Atalaya, the former Huntington residence. Nature Center Marsh Boardwalk closed for construction per page notice. Temporary closures may occur on weekends/holidays because of limited parking; arrive outside 10 a.m.-2 p.m. source

    Hours
    Park 6 a.m.-6 p.m. daily (to 9 p.m. during Daylight Saving Time). Atalaya 9 a.m.-4 p.m. daily (to 5 p.m. during Daylight Saving Time); may close for events. Office 9 a.m.-5 p.m. (to 6 p.m. in DST).
    Cost
    Park: $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; children 5 and under free.
    Dogs
    Dog friendly year round; leash no longer than six feet; dogs allowed on the south end of the beach; prohibited in buildings including Atalaya.
    Where
    16148 Ocean Hwy, Murrells Inlet, SC 29576

  3. Hobcaw Barony Discovery Center and Tours

    Hobcaw Barony is a 16,000-acre privately owned research reserve; access to the land is only by guided tours and programs, all by reservation. Discover Hobcaw tour is two hours and stops at Bernard Baruch's c.1930 home. Discovery Center has over 1,800 square feet of exhibits. source

    Hours
    Discover Hobcaw Tour: Monday-Friday 9:30 am, 10:30 am, 1:30 pm, 2:30 pm. Explore Hobcaw Barony Tour: Saturday 10:00 am. Discovery Center hours not on text.
    Cost
    Discover Hobcaw Tour $30/person; Explore Hobcaw Barony Tour $40/person. Admission to the Discovery Center Museum and Gift Shop is free (donations appreciated). Parking is free.
    Time
    Discover Hobcaw Tour: two hours (page). Group page mentions a 3-hour Explore tour.
    Kids
    Children are welcome on regular tours; tours 'geared toward adults and older children'; programs with age limits state them.
    Dogs
    Household pets prohibited by the operator's insurance; service dogs allowed under the stated conditions.
    Where
    Entrance on US 17 between DeBordieu and the Georgetown bridges (street number not on text)

  4. Kaminski House Museum

    Indoors

    Museum offering guided house tours, gifts and programs on the Georgetown waterfront. source

    Hours
    Museum Monday-Saturday 10:00am-4:30pm; tours Monday-Saturday at 11:00am, 1:00pm, 3:00pm
    Cost
    Adult $12; Senior $10; Child (6-17) $6; under 5 free; members free
    Time
    Tours typically last about 45-60 minutes (operator)
    Kids
    Child ticket (6-17) $6; under 5 free
    Where
    1003 Front Street, Georgetown, SC 29440

  5. Rice Museum

    Indoors

    Georgetown museum with a gift shop, Prevost Gallery for regional artists, and classes. source

    Hours
    Tuesday – Saturday 10:30am – 4:30pm
    Cost
    Admission not on page

Day 2 The Francis Marion Coast

Hampton Plantation and Cape Romain sit off US 17 north of Charleston; Charleston itself has its own itinerary.

  1. Hampton Plantation State Historic Site

    Remnants of a colonial-era rice plantation, now an interpretive site on rice cultivation and slavery from the colonial period through the end of the Civil War; also tells the story of the freed people who made their homes there. National Historic Landmark. Home of poet laureate Archibald Rutledge until 1969. Park roads are unpaved and sandy at times; Piney Woods Nature Trail closed until further notice. source

    Hours
    Mansion: guided tours only, Fri.-Tue. noon and 2 p.m.
    Cost
    Grounds are free. House admission: $10/adult; $6/S.C. senior; $5/youth 6-15; free for children 5 & younger.
    Dogs
    Pets allowed in most outdoor areas on a leash no longer than six feet.
    Where
    1950 Rutledge Rd, McClellanville, SC 29458

  2. Sewee Visitor and Environmental Education Center (Cape Romain NWR)

    U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Center has exhibits, red wolves and a one-mile Nebo Trail. Cape Romain's islands and estuaries are reached only by boat (concession Coastal Expeditions runs scheduled trips to Bulls Island). source

    Hours
    Center open Wednesday through Saturday 9 am-5 pm 'as staff are available'; call (843) 928-3368 the day of the visit. Refuge headquarters Monday-Friday 8 am-4 pm. Refuge open sunrise to sunset.
    Kids
    Animal Olympics course outside the Center (FWS)
    Dogs
    Pets are not allowed on refuge islands or on the Garris Landing pier.
    Closed
    Center not open Sunday-Tuesday per stated hours
    Where
    5821 Highway 17, Awendaw, SC

Day 3 Sea Islands to Beaufort

The southern coast is slower, with islands off the highway.

  1. Edisto Beach State Park

    Over 4 miles of ADA accessible trails, Environmental Learning Center with fossils and live animals including an alligator (park page). source

    Hours
    7 a.m.-6 p.m. daily (to 8 p.m. during Daylight Savings Time); office M-F 9am-5pm
    Cost
    $8/adult; $5 SC seniors; $4/child 6-15; free for children 5 and younger
    Dogs
    Not in cabins/cabin area; leash no longer than six feet elsewhere outdoors.
    Where
    8377 State Cabin Rd, Edisto Island, SC 29438

  2. Reconstruction Era National Historical Park (Beaufort Visitor Center)

    NPS: park headquarters and visitor center in the Old Beaufort Firehouse. Park grounds open sunrise to sunset every day; visitor center hours vary by location. Beaufort County's Fort Frederick Heritage Preserve (601 Old Fort Road, Port Royal) is open daily sunrise to sunset. source

    Hours
    Grounds sunrise to sunset daily; visitor center hours not readable on page
    Cost
    No park admission fees to the visitor center, Brick Baptist Church, or Darrah Hall; some activities at the independently operated Penn Center may charge.
    Where
    706 Craven Street, Beaufort, SC

  3. Spanish Moss Trail

    Friends of the Spanish Moss Trail: since 2013 nearly 10 miles of the trail have been developed and are open, connecting the City of Beaufort and the Town of Port Royal. It follows the former Magnolia Line Railroad, established in 1870. source

  4. Hunting Island State Park (Lighthouse)

    Park page: lighthouse built 1859, rebuilt 1875; the only publicly accessible lighthouse in South Carolina; 167 steps to the top with views of the barrier island, Atlantic Ocean and marshlands. Page notice: bridge to Little Hunting Island/Boneyard Beach temporarily closed due to high tides; Nature Center closes Dec 2, 2026 at 1pm. source

    Hours
    Park 6 a.m.-6 p.m. daily (to 9 p.m. during Daylight Saving Time); Nature Center 9 a.m.-4 p.m. daily; Lighthouse Store 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sa-Su. Lighthouse 'open to the public as of Tuesday, May 26, at 11 a.m.' (daily lighthouse hours not stated).
    Cost
    Park: $8/adult; $5/SC seniors; $4/child 6-15; free for children 5 and younger
    Dogs
    Pets not allowed in the cabin area, on the pier or inside the lighthouse complex; dogs not permitted on the tip of North Beach past posted markers; leash no longer than six feet elsewhere.
    Where
    2555 Sea Island Pkwy, Hunting Island, SC 29920

FAQ

How many days do I need?

This plan is built for 3 days. Stops are listed in a sensible order, not a promise that every one fits.

Are the hours current?

Hours and prices are copied from each operator’s page on October 26, 2026 and change by season. Use the source link before you go.

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.

  • McLeod Plantation Historic Site (ccprc.com): official page URL not found (several 404s); hours, tour price, tour length not read, stop omitted.
  • Battle of Camden date (August 1780): not stated on any official page; The Liberty Trail pages are run by American Battlefield Trust / SC Battleground Trust partners (nonprofits), not the operator; historiccamden.org (the operator) hours and ticket subpages were not readable, so Camden hours and prices are marked as per Liberty Trail and should be re-checked. Walnut Grove (Liberty Trail page) day-by-day hours and price labels were stripped in the fetch.
  • Magnolia Plantation general hours and ticket prices: hours/prices sit on a ticketing site; not read. Fort Sumter standard ferry price: not shown on fortsumtertours.com fetch (only combo prices).
  • Reconstruction Era NHP visitor center hours (Beaufort, Penn Center, Camp Saxton): hours table did not render. an unofficial summary mentioned Tue-Sat 9-5 but this was not read on the page.
  • Lower Whitewater Falls access in SC (Foothills Trail, Bad Creek): Discover South Carolina article mentions a 4.8-mile round trip to the overlook but not a fee or hours; USFS overlook and $3 fee are on the NC side. Whitewater Falls: the NC Upper Falls overlook is in North Carolina, not SC.
  • Hobcaw Barony Discovery Center opening hours and street address: not on text. Rice Museum admission price and address: not on page. Kaminski House closed days (Sunday inferred only from hours list).
  • Myrtle Beach Boardwalk current total length: city page says it 'initially' stretched 1.2 miles; later extension length not read on a page. SkyWheel hours and ride length: not on page. Murrells Inlet MarshWalk: no hours/length from an official page. Cherry Grove Pier street address: not read.
  • Myrtle Beach: dog/bicycle seasonal rule read from the city's Beach Conditions page (current text, May 1-Labor Day). A Sept 2, (2025) city news item confirms off-season rule; no 2026 change was seen.

Sources

  1. Myrtle Beach Boardwalk and Promenade
  2. Huntington Beach State Park (Atalaya)
  3. Hobcaw Barony Discovery Center and tours
  4. Kaminski House Museum
  5. Rice Museum
  6. Hampton Plantation State Historic Site
  7. Sewee Visitor and Environmental Education Center (Cape Romain NWR)
  8. Edisto Beach State Park
  9. Reconstruction Era National Historical Park (Beaufort visitor center)
  10. Spanish Moss Trail
  11. Hunting Island State Park (Lighthouse)

Read on October 26, 2026. How we check: editorial standards; spot a mistake? Tell us.

Cite this page: It's South Carolina, “Coastal Road Trip”, itssouthcarolina.com/itineraries/south-carolina-coastal-road-trip/ (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.