Island Hopping from Charleston: Cute Beach Towns to Visit

Itinerary

During our mom-daughter trip, we did an afternoon island hopping expedition by car. This was a great way to get a sampler of multiple islands to see where we might want to spend more time during our next visit.

Our driving tour includes a circular loop that brings you through the following points:

1. Mount Pleasant
2. Sullivan’s Island
3. Isle of Palms
4. Evening Dinner and Stroll at Shem Creek

If you’re looking for a day trip where you can spend more time in the water, you’ll want to check out my day trip to Folly Beach tips.

Patriots Point and USS Yorktown

Our first stop in Mount Pleasant was to visit Patriots Point, the home to the USS Yorktown which is a giant naval ship stationed in the harbor.

There is so much to see at the maritime museum you could easily spend an entire afternoon here. You can actually board the ship for a tour if you’d like.

Our plan was to do an overview of the whole area so we didn’t stop very long, we just took a drive-by peek and kept going.

Map It:

Patriots Point
40 Patriots Point Rd., Mt. Pleasant, SC

Shopping at Mount Pleasant

We visited all the bookstores in Charleston as a special side adventure during our mom-daughter trip so I had to stop in at The Village Bookseller in Mount Pleasant. It was one of my favorite bookstores of the whole trip!

I picked up a new-to-me historical fiction book set in Charleston to read that night.

Map It:

The Village Bookseller
761 Coleman Blvd., Mt. Pleasant, SC

If you want to do a little more shopping in Mt. Pleasant, you might be interested in stopping at these local boutiques:

1. Out of Hand: A cute local gift shop.
2. The Coastal Cupboard: A wide selection of kitchen and home goods.
3. Sweet Juleps: A local candy shop.
4. Hermosa Jewelry: They offer permanent jewelry if you’re interested.

Sullivan’s Island

Once we finished shopping in Mount Pleasant, it was just a quick 15 minute drive over to nearby Sullivan’s Island. This is a popular vacation destination for families that love to rent beach houses for the week.

There’s a cute little downtown area with shopping and restaurants and Sullivan’s Island is also home to Fort Moultrie, a national parks site on the water.

Fort Moultrie

We stopped to take a quick picture of Fort Moultrie but then saw the Visitor’s Center. We learned that Fort Moultrie is a companion fort to Fort Sumter and the pair of forts guard the Charleston harbor.

While there are many interesting points to be made about the 250 years of history in this area, a very simplified explanation is that Fort Moultrie was essential to the Revolutionary War and Fort Sumter was pivotal for the Civil War.

We ended up buying tickets and staying for the educational movie and a tour of the fort itself, you can read about our visit to Fort Moultrie here.

Map It:

Fort Moultrie
1214 Middle St. Sullivan’s Island, SC

Dining and Shopping in Sullivan’s Island

Once we finished visiting the fort, we were ready to move on with our island hopping adventure but if you want to spend more time in Sullivan’s Island, you may want to consider visiting:

1. The Obstinate Daughter: A James Beard award winning dining spot, reservations recommended.
2. Republic Ice Cream: This is supposed to be the best ice cream ever according to my BFF’s advice.
3. Poe’s Tavern: Edgar Allen Poe was stationed at Fort Moultrie just up the street!
4. The Co-Op: A popular frose and sandwich shop.
5. A Maker’s Post: A local garden and gifts shop.
6. Shop Abovo: For beachy merch and souvenirs.
7. Goldbug: A gifts, jewelry, and apparel store.

Isle of Palms

The final island on our afternoon island hopping tour was Isle of Palms, SC. It took about 15 minutes to drive from Fort Moultrie on the far end of Sullivan’s Island to the far end of the Isle of Palms.

Isle of Palms (also known as IOP) is another popular beach trip destination for families. This was our first time on IOP and we were struck by how true to its name the island is. The long road that crosses the island is lined on both sides by tall palm trees.

There is public beach access if you want to stop and actually go to the beach. Isle of Palms is easier to do this with than Sullivan’s Island, so it’s a great stop for the end of your afternoon.

You’ll pay for parking but then there is access to public restrooms and showers at the Isle of Palms County Park if you want to change before getting back into your car.

Once we reached the end of the island, we turned back around to head home to Charleston. At the end of Isle of Palms, I spotted a location of The Co-Op, a frose and ice cream shop I’d wanted to try. We pulled over for a refreshing iced treat before dinner.

Map It:

Isle of Palms County Park
1 14th Ave., Isle of Palms, SC

The Co-Op
1515 Palm Blvd., Isle of Palms, SC

Shem Creek

The final stop for our afternoon day trip from Charleston was the pretty Shem Creek area of Mt. Pleasant.

There are several waterfront bars and restaurants for you to grab a bite and watch the sun set over the water and a public park with a boardwalk that lines the water and trails into the grassy banks nearby.

This is nearby to the bridge back to Charleston and a perfect spot to end your island hopping circle with dinner and a stroll by the water.

You can get my best itinerary, parking tips, and site seeing suggestions for a fun evening by the water in my guide to Best Things to Do in Shem Creek.

Shem Creek Dining

We chose Sunsets Creekside Bar but Saltwater Cowboys was also highly recommended. You can read my review of Sunsets in my Charleston dining guide.

Map It:

Sunsets
97 Ronnie Boals Blvd., Mt. Pleasant, SC

Shem Creek Boardwalk

There is a boardwalk that runs along the water and through the Shem Creek Park with easy parking at the park entrance.

Sunsets and Saltwater Cowboys are both on the other side of the creek, so we felt a little safer paying to park in the Sunsets lot for dinner before realizing that the boardwalk leads to a pedestrian-friendly sidewalk for crossing over the highway bridge. You could easily park by the park entrance and walk.

Map It:

Shem Creek Park
Shrimp Boat Lane, Mt. Pleasant, SC

More Charleston Travel Tips

Best Things to Do in Shem Creek {Easy Sunset Itinerary}

Where to Eat in Charleston

Quick Day Trip to Folly Beach from Charleston

5 Romantic Getaway Spots in Charleston