Sullivan’s Island Beach

Crowded beach access parking was horrible you had to fight for a spot felt like I was intruding in the neighborhood to get to the beach. Could really use some parking lots strategically placed throughout the island

Great beach, very clean.
Finding a parking spot can be a pain, plus there are no showers/​changing rooms on the beaches. How to get in the car after all that sand and sun… go figure!

If I’m going to have a beach day in Charleston, you can either find me at Sullivan’s Island or Isle of Palms. I love going to Sullivan’s if I’m going to grab lunch or dinner on the Island during my beach day. There are lot’s of choices, the more popular of which are Poe’s Tavern, Obstinate Daughter, and Home team BBQ. You can park almost anywhere on the Island, just being mindful of the specific no parking areas which have obvious signs, and just walk around anywhere. The island has a little park that the kids can play on. I love to walk the island, which isn’t very long, to get a phenomenal sunset view of the bridge and the Sullivan’s Island lighthouse. All of the beaches in Charleston are alcohol free for those law abiding citizens. Grab your beach towel and a koozie to go have some fun in the sun!

Beautiful beach with plenty of room to spread out, go on a walk, or let your dog run free. the sand is not as soft compared to most beaches I’m used to but still very pleasant to walk along the waters edge to the end of the island where you’ll get a great view of the Charleston Bridge. parking is a little tricky, as the area near the beach is very residential which is quaint but just makes parking difficult. also, no public bathrooms or changing house. most of the places to eat are a few blocks from the beach road…

This beach is the nicest one I have seen since Hawaii. Peaceful, family oriented, residential, clean. Can’t wait to come back and rent a beach house. Lots of good restaurants. Feels old fashioned and tucked away.

I really like this beach. Granted it was a little windy and cold today but I can imagine this place being a hotspot during the summer times. Great place to walk along the beach and take your dog.

Great beach! Nice and clean, not crowded and great signage. There are plenty of signs around so you can learn some history. The beach is in a residential area so not a lot of parking. We came in the off season so we didn’t have a problem.

Beautiful all seasons! Lovely stretch of beach and community. We were there in the off season so we could walk, look, stop, enjoy at leisure. The houses on water are spectacular.

The beach is clean and well kept. You never see any trash laying around in the mornings or evenings. The locals seem to take good care of the surrounding area. This is a popular beach, so if you’re looking to get local parking, you need to get here fairly early. The beach fills up fast. It’s a public beach, so no drinking or making fires.
There aren’t huge waves for surfing, but it’s plenty fun to get in during high tide and get crushed by waves.

Absolutely beautiful beach! The surrounding area is gorgeous too! We loved the boardwalks over the dunes to get to the beach. Beach area was clean. Beautiful part of charleston, SC!

Solid beach. Very long. The typical SC beach where you need to be mindful of the tide. Beach will be incredibly wide and solid at low tide yet narrow and soft at high tide.
Easy access by multiple point across the island. Parking is free along the side streets, though you may need to park a few blocks away during busy weekend times.

Nice beach but some dog owners leave the dog’s poop in the bag or sometimes not in the bag. Get there early to get street parking.

I have always loved the beach. Growing up in Queens (NY) there was Rockaway (could get there by taking two buses), then, Jones (when we got our driver’s licenses) and, after moving to Maryland, I enjoyed frequent summer vacays and many, many long weekends at Rehoboth (DE) and Ocean City (Eastern Shore of MD). Looking back, it never seemed to bother me that it took it us hours in bumper to bumper traffic just to get to my beloved Atlantic Ocean. That’s the way it was, it was our way of life.
Well, that’s all changed … I’m lazy and spoiled. While certainly it would be nice if I lived on Sullivan’s Island, I don’t … but, in 3 miles and 7 minutes (if I make the light at Ben Sawyer and Rifle Range) I’m just steps from the water. It’s no secret that the parking situation is rather dicey. As a small residential community, there’s no public parking and there’s many restrictions; however, I go early so I rarely have a problem finding a great spot. At that point, I’m just steps from the access ramp that goes right down to the sand. Once my parking spot is secured, I often walk up to Middle Street to get a lite bite from Café Medley. Everything there is delicious, but it’s usually just coffee and a bagel or a yummy chocolate chip cookie for me.
Sometimes, I bring my Teddy, as he loves to play in the water and meet new doggie friends. (All dogs visiting the Island must have a permit, should be wearing the Town issued collar and must be off the beach by 10:00 AM.) Sometimes, I walk, either to get in some exercise, or look for shells … but, mostly, I just chill, take a dip in the water and apply sunscreen. On a rare occasion, it gets somewhat crowded, but it’s always tame. If’s your looking for activity, this is not the beach for you.
If you’re thinking about spending a day on this beach keep in mind that as a ‘private’ beach (remember, there’s no public parking), there are no lifeguards and there are no porto-​potties, bathroom or shower facilities.

First time visiting SC beaches and I think I’ve been spoiled by the gulf shores that this beach fell short of my expectations. The sand is not soft and water is not clear like Florida beaches. The sand is very hard and dense and water is a bit murky, however water is warm. Park near 22^nd station where a walkway leads straight to the beach.

Nice beach in the Mt Pleasant/​Charleston area that’s not super touristy and therefore not too crowded. There’s ample parking along the street, but make sure you read the signs, don’t block anyone’s driveway and make sure all 4 wheels are off the pavement. There’s a cute historic lighthouse near the beach and there a few nice houses that line the beach as well. The beach is dog friendly for the most part, but there are periods of time when they are allowed (I think during high tourist season). There’s a few restaurants close by here too if you want to grab a bite.

Sullivan’s is a beautiful beach as well as a beautiful area all together. As others have mentioned, I wish there was restrooms or a place to grab a drink right by the sand, but that makes it a bit different from the other spots around. If you go in the off season, it’s quite serene and you feel a bit secluded, but you can forget about that once the warm weather hits. This beach gets packed and good luck looking for parking. When you do, make sure all 4 wheels are off the pavement or you’re asking for a ticket.

Nice and clean beach. Easy access to the beach. From the beach you can easily spot the Folly Beach lighthouse, the Ravanel bridge, Isle of Palms, and Charleston downtown. Not a lot if parking available, tough.

Sullivan’s Island Beach is a great spot for a beach stop, especially with kids and four-​legged friends.
The beach snakes along for a few miles of shoreline, and there’s both the ocean and plenty of outlet pools to play in.
I particularly like to gawk at the lovely — and occasionally ludicrous — beachside homes.
Dogs are okay off-​leash until noon, and in fact most of the morning beach-​goers are taking their pooch for a stroll.
The Mt. Pleasant heat can be a bit much for me to consider hanging out here in the summer. The mild winters, though, make this an ideal destination for a pleasant walk.

Solitude. Serenity. Dogs.
Sullivan’s was a lovely escape from the more popular beach areas outside Charleston. It seemed more like the private playground of the beautiful colonial-​style vacation homes masking its every entrance, but somehow we found a portal.
Got there early and passed out in the hot sun for a good hour and a half just before the tide crept up to my towel. While there were dogs a plenty and many a dog walker, it was somehow completely peaceful and I was allowed to sunbathe without any bother.

This where you want to come to avoid the tourists.
Isle of Palms is nice to go to if you want to have restaurants and tourists near you with paid parking accessibility.
Sullivan’s Island is where the locals migrate. It is not touristy, it is quiet, and parking is more neighborhood parking than designated parking. This is also where you bring a picnic basket to enjoy on the beach.
I love it here because it honestly feels like a virgin beach. It’s not overrun with kids or loudness. Don’t get me wrong — kids are great, but it is a breath of fresh air that I can lay there, get my tan on while listening to the ocean versus screaming or crying. Bottom line is that Sullivan’s Island is perfect for solitude.
The ocean here isn’t blue. It is indeed brown. Welcome to the Atlantic! The beaches are white, firm sand perfect for biking on the beach or jogging for you health nuts who want to react Kate Upton from the movie The Other Woman. *ques slow motion run with boobies bouncing up and down on the beach*.
I highly encourage you to come in the morning. There are so many shells to be collected after the tide recedes. Being an avid shell collector myself; I didn’t come across anything amazing, but there are a lot of small unique ones.
Sullivan, you have stole my heart. IOP has a run for it’s money.