Edisto Island's first known inhabitants were the Edisto Indians, followed by Spanish explorers in the 1500s and English settlers in the 1600s. That early heritage is on display at Edisto Beach State Park (southcarolinaparks.com), where an ancient Native American mound, Spanish Mount, sits on the shores of Scott's Creek. The mound, mostly made of oyster shells and estimated to date back to 2000 B.C, can be accessed via an interpretive trail. Another historic site in the park marks where Alexander Bache, great-grandson of Benjamin Franklin, established a baseline during the inaugural survey of the U.S. coastline from Maine to the Gulf of Mexico in the 1840s. Two of Bache's original markers still exist. The park, built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, also has several original buildings still in use.
The prime amenity at Edisto Beach State Park is, of course, the 1.5 miles of palmetto-lined beachfront along the Atlantic, where you can swim, sunbathe, surf fish, hunt for seashells or simply stroll and soak in the coastal scenery. The 1,255-acre park has a boat ramp and dock on Big Bay Creek, offering anglers the chance to drop their lines in the surrounding saltwater marshes for species such as flounder, spot tail and whiting. Additional amenities include picnic areas and shelters, a gift shop, Wi-Fi lounge and several trails that wind through maritime oak and palmetto forests, providing hikers with occasional glimpses of wildlife such as osprey, white-tailed deer, raccoons and perhaps an alligator or bobcat. The park's Environmental Learning Center includes interpretive programs and displays on coastal conservation.
For overnight guests, Edisto Beach State Park has two campgrounds and seven furnished cabins with views of Scott Creek. The park's Live Oak Campground has mostly shaded sites in a coastal forest, and the Beach Campground has oceanfront sites. The park has a combined 111 campsites with electric and water hookups for tents, trailers and RVs up to 40 feet, plus several rustic tent sites. Other campground amenities include centralized bathhouses and an RV dump station. Cabins include central heat and air, kitchens with cookware, screened porches, televisions and all linens. Five one-bedroom cabins each sleep four, and two three-bedroom cabins sleep six. Reservations can be made up to 11 months in advance at southcarolinaparks.com. Pets are not allowed in the cabins or in cabin areas but are permitted in the park if on a leash of 6 feet or less.
During your trip, you might want to visit two other Edisto Island attractions, both within a 5-mile drive of Edisto Beach State Park. At Bay Creek Park (townofedistobeach.com), you can stroll a waterfront boardwalk, fish or crab from a dock and visit a heritage center with displays on the area's shrimp industry. The Edisto Island Serpentarium (edistoserpentarium.com) has a collection of alligators, turtles, snakes, lizards and other reptiles in an indoor solarium and outdoor gardens and ponds that are designed to mimic the animals' natural habitats. If Edisto Beach State Park's campground or cabins are full, the island has a number of other lodging options, including beach houses, townhouses and villas, many with water views.
