Charleston County Parks



Splash Island in Mount Pleasant, photo by Candice Bizzell

by Zaneta Kennedy 

Summertime in the Lowcountry means longer days and hotter, more humid weather. Many people choose to go out of town for vacation, but if you’re staying in the Lowcountry, there are plenty of low-cost things to do. One low cost option is a day trip to one of the Charleston County Parks.

The parks include James Island County Park, Folly Beach County Park, Isle of Palms County Park, Palmetto Islands County Park in Mount Pleasant, Kiawah Beachwalker Park in Kiawah Island, and Wannamaker County Park in North Charleston. General Admission to the parks is one dollar per person.

Each of the parks has a walking trail that is open to the public at no additional cost. The parks also have multiple shelters that may be reserved in advance for picnics. The reservation price varies from shelter to shelter. There are a range of events at each park, including a family friendly movie night at the North Charleston Wannamaker Park at no additional cost. The next movie nights will take place on Saturday, July 20^th and Saturday, August 10^th at twilight (around 8 pm).

There are also waterparks at the James Island, Mount Pleasant Palmetto Islands, and North Charleston Wannamaker parks. General Admission is an additional $7.99 per person for North Charleston’s Whirlin’ Waters park, $11.99 for James Island’s Splash Zone, and $19.99 for Mount Pleasant’s Splash Island. There are also special discounts available, including a Military Discount on Mondays and a two-for-one admission price on Tuesdays.

Also available at the parks are nature and history slideshows, bird walks, and more. There is also a fishing pier at Folly Beach.

For more information about any of the parks, visit the Charleston County Parks’ official website or Facebook Page.