An Easy Drive: Pawleys Island and Hammock Coast, South Carolina

Enjoy the peace and quiet of the Hammock Coast in South Carolina.

Pack your bags and let’s head to South Carolina. Garden City, Murrells Inlet, Litchfield, Pawleys Island and Georgetown – comprise the Hammock Coast and the area’s attractions are as diverse as the locales that comprise it. From the beach houses and boardwalk-type Main Street in Garden City to the Marshwalk in Murrells Inlet and Front Street in Georgetown, the area is built around the water, the eco-tourism it provides, and the area’s rich history.

Brookgreen Gardens, Hobcaw Barony and Hopsewee Plantation, among many other stops, offer historic and heritage tourism that is as good as any in South Carolina.

Perfect timing as it’s beach season and this five unique communities along the stunning Hammock Coast have a full slate of events, eco-tourism activities, and some of America’s best beaches awaiting vacationers as the summer beach season arrives.

Located between Myrtle Beach and Charleston, the Hammock Coast provides the beautiful coastline, rich history and outstanding cuisine its sister destinations are known for in a far more relaxed environment.

As mentioned, five communities – Garden City, Murrells Inlet, Litchfield, Pawleys Island and Georgetown – comprise the pristine coastal area between Myrtle Beach and Charleston, allowing visitors to experience South Carolina’s Hammock Coast like never before.

Highlights of the summer schedule along the Hammock Coast include the area’s always festive July 4 celebration, which includes the Murrells Inlet Boat Parade, a traditional land-based parade in Pawleys Island, and and in historic Georgetown, a riverfront patriotic concert on the Kaminski House lawn and fireworks over the harbor.

For vacationers that want to enjoy nature’s gifts, the Hammock Coast is an ideal destination. From deep sea fishing and kayaking along the Black River to crabbing on a dock and stand-up paddle boarding, outdoor activities are abundant. There is also golf and just the chance to relax and find yourself, before returning to our rushed lives.

Hobcaw Barony is a 17,500-acre natural preserve and wildlife refuge that includes a 13,500-square foot mansion that has hosted Franklin D. Roosevelt and Sir Winston Churchill. The property also includes the grounds and stables of Bellefield Plantation, a ride through the only existing slave street left on the Waccamaw Neck, and a stroll along a salt marsh boardwalk.

Brookgreen Gardens was named one of the Top 10 Public Gardens in the U.S. by Trip Advisor and it complements stunning natural beauty with one of the nation’s most extensive outdoor sculpture gardens. Built on land that was once home to four colonial rice plantations, Brookgreen features more than 550 pieces of America’s finest 19th and 20th century sculptures set amidst 2,000 species of plants.

The area’s beaches are superb, highlighted by the wide, sandy coastline in Pawleys Island, which was named one of the top 10 beaches in the U.S. and Caribbean by Coastal Living.

For more information on the Hammock Coast, go here.