Folly Beach fishing pier

Every beach and island in Greater Charleston offers its own unique personality, and among these characters, Folly Beach is definitely the life of the party. Locals call it simply “Folly”, or “The Edge” (referring to Folly’s nickname “Edge of America”) and it’s widely recognized as home to the most laid back beach community on the East Coast. In days gone by, Folly was the playground for the rich and upwardly mobile, as the beach was famous for its boardwalks and Myrtle Beach styled amusement parks. And while tourism still plays a major role in the Folly Beach lifestyle, boardwalk has been replaced by the hotel Tides on beachfront and the amusement piers have been replaced by the Folly Beach Fishing Pier, one of the finest publicly managed fishing piers on the East Coast. In addition to the pier, Charleston County Parks and Recreation also manages The Folly Beach County Park at the southernmost tip of the island, which provides professionally trained life guards and a beautifully remote family friendly environment, making it  the top rated public beach in Greater Charleston.

Sunset over the beach at the Holiday Inn as viewed from the Fishing Pier (click to zoom)

Folly has a small but thriving downtown area centered on the short stretch of Folly Road where it lands onto the island and ends at the Holiday Inn Beachfront. On Folly you’ll find a host of great little restaurants, some truly beachy night spots, and several of Greater Charleston’s best surf and suit shops. At an especially narrow portion of the island near the northern tip is the stretch of beach known as The Washout, which is by far the most popular surfer beach in Greater Charleston. And just a few hundred yards up the beach, just off the northern tip is the world famous Morris Island Lighthouse, also known as “Charleston Light.”  The structure is one of the most compelling icons of the Greater Charleston landscape, as it stands as a metaphor of our historic war torn past – no longer lit or in action but still standing strong against the currents of time, the same currents that have washed away the shifting sands of an island that no longer exists – yet beautifully preserved for all to learn from and admire. This northern point of Folly Beach is an absolute Must See off the beaten path. You will have to get out of your car and walk through a few sand dunes, but the trip will be well worth it, especially since the Ravenel Bridge is also stunningly framed on the western Horizon and the Sullivan’s Island lighthouse that took over Morris Island’s duties can be seen flashing it’s light northward across the mouth of Charleston Harbor. And of course, there’s the Atlantic Ocean on the East, constantly depositing a treasure of sea shells on the lightly visited northern beach head.

The Morris Island Lighthouse is best seen from the north end of Folly Beach (click to zoom)

Like all the barrier islands of Greater Charleston, many of the beachfront homes on the island serve as beach rentals, but Folly is also a great bedroom community with the vast majority of homes belonging to year round residents. Folly Beach also has a very tight familial relationship with the James Islanders next door, as Folly Rd. is “main street” for both towns. Folly is also just 20 minutes from downtown when the traffic is light, so while it’s second only to Sullivan’s Island as an easy access beach for visitors staying in the historic district, it is by far the most visitor-friendly of all the beaches of Greater Charleston, both due to its unrivaled public amenities and for its excellent selection of restaurants and shops. Likewise, the marsh-island-hopping drive from the James Island Connector to Folly Road out to the Atlantic Ocean provides the most naturally scenic tour and most interesting and diverse set of views offered by any drive in Greater Charleston.

In 2007, The City of Folly Beach had an estimated population just over 2300.

Click here to see a full screen slideshow of the city of Folly Beach in our Gallery!