Edisto Beach is a quiet, family beach town with no high-rises, no chain restaurants and no boardwalk, and that is the point. The best things to do here are outdoors: long walks on an uncrowded beach, hunting for shark teeth at low tide, paddling the tidal creeks, watching dolphins and riding bikes under the live oaks. Here is how to spend your days on Edisto, with links to our detailed guides.
Updated November 2026
Quick picks
- A full beach day: Edisto Beach State Park, with oceanfront camping, trails and a quieter stretch of sand
- The most photographed beach: Botany Bay, with its “boneyard” of driftwood trees
- With kids: shark tooth hunting, crabbing and movies in the park
- On the water: kayaking the creeks, a sunset boat ride and dolphins strand feeding on the mud banks
- Getting around: golf carts and bikes and the Edisto Beach bike trail
- A rainy day: the Edisto Island Museum and our rainy-day ideas
Beaches and Edisto Beach State Park
The town’s beach runs for miles along Palmetto Boulevard, with public beach access paths between the houses and plenty of room to spread out even in summer. At the north end, Edisto Beach State Park adds oceanfront and marsh-side campsites, cabins, hiking and biking trails through maritime forest, and an environmental learning center that is a good stop with kids. Check the tide chart before you go: low tide means a wide, hard-packed beach for walking and biking, while high tide can leave only a narrow strip of sand.
Botany Bay
A short drive from town, Botany Bay is a state-managed wildlife area with a driving loop past old plantation sites and marsh, and a wild beach of bleached, fallen trees often called the boneyard beach. It is one of the most striking places on the South Carolina coast, especially at sunrise. Everything on the beach stays there: taking shells or anything else from Botany Bay is not allowed. The preserve closes on some days for managed hunts, so check its schedule before you go. Read more in what’s really magical about Botany Bay.
Edisto is one of the best places in South Carolina to find fossilized shark teeth. Look for small, shiny black triangles in the line of shell hash at the water’s edge, especially around low tide and after a storm. Our guide covers how to find shark teeth, and what else washes up on Edisto’s shore, from sand dollars to whelk egg cases. Leave live shells and creatures on the beach.
On the water: boating, kayaking, fishing and crabbing
Behind the beach, Big Bay Creek and a maze of tidal creeks lead into the ACE Basin, one of the largest undeveloped estuaries on the East Coast. It is a beautiful place to paddle a kayak or paddleboard, take a guided boat ride at sunset, or watch for dolphins, ospreys and wading birds. Plan around the tides, since many creeks get shallow at low water.
- Fishing: surf fishing from the beach, plus creek and inshore fishing for redfish, trout and flounder. Anglers 16 and older need a South Carolina saltwater fishing license. See recreational fishing on Edisto Beach.
- Crabbing: a chicken neck on a string and a net is all it takes. See our tips on crabbing.
- Boating: why Edisto is a boat owner’s paradise, and four reasons to get out on a boat.
Wildlife: dolphins, sea turtles and birds
Edisto’s dolphins are known for strand feeding, herding fish onto the mud banks of the creeks and briefly sliding ashore to catch them. From May through October, loggerhead sea turtles nest on the beach, so fill in holes, take down tents at night and keep beachfront lights off after dark. Read six things to know about nesting loggerheads and the Edisto Beach rules. Birders will find herons, egrets, ospreys and shorebirds along the marsh and at the state park.
Biking and golf carts
Edisto Beach is small, flat and shady, which makes it one of the easiest beach towns to explore by bike. Ride the Edisto Beach bike trail, or rent a bike or golf cart for the week; our guide to golf cart and bike rentals covers the town’s golf cart rules.
History and culture
Edisto Island has centuries of history in its old churches, plantations and Gullah culture. Start at the Edisto Island Museum, see our guide to Edisto Beach churches, and read more in our Edisto history stories.
With kids, teens and on rainy days
Younger kids love crabbing, shark tooth hunting and the summer events at Bay Creek Park. Older kids can find plenty to do in Edisto for teens. When the weather turns, try our rainy-day ideas, and check the Edisto Beach weather before you plan the day.
Day trips
Charleston is about an hour’s drive away, close enough for a day of history, shopping and dining. See our list of Charleston attractions to see while vacationing on Edisto.
Things to do on Edisto: FAQ
When is the best time to find shark teeth on Edisto?
Around low tide, when more of the shell line is exposed, and after storms or strong winds that churn up the beach. Walk slowly along the water’s edge and look for small, shiny black triangles.
Can you take shells from Botany Bay?
No. Everything on the beach at Botany Bay, including shells, must stay there. You can collect shells and shark teeth on the town beach, but leave anything alive where you found it.
Do I need a fishing license on Edisto?
Anglers 16 and older need a South Carolina saltwater fishing license to fish in salt water, including from the beach. You can buy one online from the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.
What is there to do on Edisto at night?
Edisto is quiet after dark. Watch the sunset over the marsh, walk the beach with a red-light flashlight during turtle season, catch a summer movie or event at Bay Creek Park, or have dinner at one of the Edisto Beach restaurants.
Planning your trip? See Edisto Beach vacation rentals, where to eat, upcoming events and the tide chart.