Pressure Washing in Folly Beach, SC

And it offers lots of amenities for sun seekers too.

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Any time spent at the beach is sure to put you in a vacation state of mind. And while there are many important things to consider when planning a trip, blue waters and white sand beaches always earn bonus points. The good news is that if you're heading to South Carolina with family or friends this summer, the beaches are all truly magnificent so there's no wrong decision.

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The Bluest Water In South Carolina

Coligny Beach on Hilton Head Island is where you should head for the bluest waters. Hilton Head is famous for its beaches, so it’s no surprise that the waters here are extra beautiful. While a good amount of Hilton Head is home to high-end resorts with private beach access, Coligny Beach is open free to the public, which makes it one of the most popular places on the island. Read on to learn more about this spectacular spot.

What Makes Coligny Beach’s Water So Blue?

The sand on Hilton Head Island is bright white, blissfully soft, and very fine, and the water is shallow, especially at low tide. Both of these qualities can make the water appear sparkling blue. When the ocean is relatively calm and shallow, there is also less plankton, sand, particles, and other materials constantly churning in the waves, which gives the water a clearer appearance.

There’s a scientific reason as well, of course. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, this phenomenon occurs when light passes through water and absorbs colors in the red part of the light spectrum, leaving colors on the blue end of the color spectrum.

How To See Coligny Beach’s Water

Coligny Beach, the most popular public beach on Hilton Head Island, is a local favorite for more than its aquamarine waters. It’s easy to access, thanks to a beautifully designed park that includes a pathway and boardwalk that leads you straight onto the sand.

The Coligny Beach Park also has lots of amenities too: gazebos with swings, a fountain with synchronized jets, seating areas (including rocking chairs), beach matting for wheelchair access, outdoor showers, and a free parking area. The Breeze, which is Hilton Head's free public trolley, makes stops as well. (Just be sure to check the seasonal schedule.) It’s truly a beach that everyone can appreciate—for the magical color of the ocean, and more.

Beaches, one of South Carolina’s major economic drivers, are on the frontline in the battle against Mother Nature. When beaches erode, so do our last line of defenses against the ocean. At the heart of maintaining these vital defenses is the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Charleston District.

South Carolina currently has three active Coastal Storm Risk Management (CSRM) projects—commonly referred to as federal beach projects—located at Folly Beach, the Grand Strand, and Pawleys Island, with a fourth project at Edisto Beach in the design phase. As a federal beach (CSRM) project, it is the Charleston District’s responsibility to reduce the risk to life and infrastructure behind the dunes. In practice, this means renourishing beaches that have eroded to the point where they can no longer provide all of their intended benefits.

Renourishments can be periodic or emergency repair. Periodic renourishments occur at set intervals determined in the original design, with costs shared by the project sponsor. Emergency renourishments are triggered by significant storm erosion and a federal disaster declaration. These are fully funded by the federal government, with no cost to the sponsor.

The importance of the state’s beaches and their health is often a topic of discussion in coastal communities, reinforcing the need for close coordination and planning. A key venue for such discussions is the South Carolina Beach Advocates meeting, held in January of this year on Isle of Palms.

The Beach Advocates meeting brings together local, state and federal officials to discuss threats to the state’s beaches and develop future protection plans.

“A lot of the ways we analyze our projects and whether they’re worth the federal investment is by looking at how we are protecting infrastructure,” said Jeff Livasy, chief of civil works for the Charleston District, at the 2025 Beach Advocates meeting. “Our beaches, while a great place to recreate, protect our infrastructure and have a significant economic impact. If a storm devastates an area, dollars are lost, and tourists don’t come.”

One of South Carolina’s most popular waterfront locations, Folly Beach, suffers significant erosion from both tides and storms.

Folly became a federal beach project in 1993. Since then, six renourishments have placed a total of 8.7 million cubic yards of sand on the beach—enough to cover approximately 4,080 football fields one foot deep.

In March 2024, the Charleston District initiated the latest renourishment of Folly Beach to address damage caused by Hurricane Ian. The project served three purposes – to renourish Folly Beach for coastal storm damage reduction, dredge the Folly River federal navigation channel and place material on Bird Key to help reduce erosion on the critical bird habitat.

By October 2024, the renourishment was complete, with 1.7 million cubic yards of sand placed — the equivalent of 170,000 dump trucks. Contractors worked through the summer and into the fall, persevering through multiple storms, including a hurricane.

“We had two tropical events occur during and after the renourishment, Tropical Storm Debby and Hurricane Helene,” said Wes Wilson, project manager for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Charleston District. “Although the storms caused minimal damage to the beach, we demonstrated the importance of the renourishment. Without that sand in place, we would have had much more significant impacts.”

In Fall 2024, the City of Folly Beach and the Charleston District solidified their partnership for another 50 years by signing a new agreement tied to the completion of the next beach renourishment project. This updated design plan features taller dunes, an extended beach footprint and a new engineering template that accounts for the increasing intensity of future storms.

The state’s largest federal beach project is the 26-mile-long Grand Strand, encompassing Surfside Beach/Garden City, Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach. In December 2024, the Charleston District awarded a contract to Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company to place two million cubic yards of material — the equivalent of 200,000 dump trucks — along the Grand Strand. The renourishment is fully funded by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and will cost $72 million.

Contractors are finalizing their work plan and expect to begin pumping sand in the spring. Once work begins, the 26-mile-long renourishment will take approximately 17 months to complete.

South Carolina’s third federal beach project, Pawleys Island, is undergoing an emergency renourishment following significant erosion caused by Hurricane Ian. The project sponsor is working to obtain real estate easements before moving forward with the renourishment.

A fourth federal beach project on Edisto Beach is currently in the design stages. The project includes the construction of a 15-foot-wide dune extending from the southern end of the state park southward for over 16,000 feet past the southern point of the island. The dune will be fronted by a berm of varying widths. The project also includes lengthening select groins along the beach front.

The project sponsor is currently working to secure all necessary easements to begin construction while the design is finalized. Once constructed, Edisto will become the state’s fourth federal beach project.

South Carolina’s beaches are on the frontlines of the battle against Mother Nature, and renourishment projects are one of our best defenses. By continuing these efforts, we’re not only protecting the coastline but also securing the future of our communities and economy. As storms keep testing our shores, these ongoing projects will ensure that our beaches stay strong and ready for whatever comes next.

FOLLY BEACH, S.C. (WCSC) - Leaders on Folly Beach are reviewing recommendations meant to help better preserve the city’s marshes amid rising sea levels.

The city is hosting a review of its five-year update to its marsh management plan Tuesday night. Experts studied the land and changes they recorded before making their recommendations.

Click here to learn more about Folly Beach’s marsh management plan.

Elko Coastal Consulting President Nicole Elko and her team worked to map all 7 miles of Folly Beach’s winding marsh shorelines to track changes over time.

“It does take us probably a month of solid working to get along the entire shoreline,” Elko said.

They use real-time kinematic GPS.

“It’s kind of like your navigation in your car, where it knows exactly where you are. We’re collecting information at different points along the marsh front and then mapping that,” Elko said.

Elko said the marsh front has evolved considerably since the last plan was published, and they’ve had several findings.

“Climate Change, increased flooding that we’ve seen along the marsh front,” Elko said.

They surveyed the marsh front to determine where the critical line exists. After that, the city implemented a 15-foot setback from that critical line, meaning nothing can be built within 15 feet of the marsh. New marsh-front recommendations include considering restoration options like living shorelines and thin layer placement.

“If you can imagine it as beach nourishment but within the marsh where we are broadcasting just a little bit of mud or sediment along areas of the marsh that might be sinking to kind of help them keep up with sea level rise,” Elko said.

Elko said the majority of marsh front property along Folly is privately owned.

“It’s difficult for the city to kind of manage the marsh front when they have to rely on a public-private partnership,” Elko said.

While Leonard Spann does not live along Folly’s shoreline, he works there every day. He believes the city should continue to prioritize preserving the natural beauty of the area.

“There’s good wildlife, nature out here,” Spann said. “I feel like they should focus on that.”

Elko said in South Carolina, the beaches have been measured and monitored for about 50 years, but marshes have been a bit overlooked until recently. Experts are now working to educate people about the need for more focus on marshes because that’s where a lot of flooding comes in.

Copyright 2025 WCSC. All rights reserved.

Southern Living has selected the eight most beautiful places on the South Carolina coast — one is a city, another a state park, still another an inlet and the rest are beaches.

The state has 187 miles of coastline (if you count outer coast, offshore islands, sounds, bays, rivers, and creeks to head of tidewater, or to point where tidal waters narrow to width of 100 feet, it’s 2,876 miles, the 11th longest in U.S.)

Southern Living selected places from north coast Myrtle Beach to Hilton Head in the south. They were not ranked.

Here are the places selected:

Southern Living said Hilton Head regularly has been a reader favorite in its yearly poll of South’s Best.

The website hiltonhead.org says 40,000 people live year-round on the island yet much of it remains as it was when William Hilton’s ship landed there in 1663. It has been home to Native Americans, English, Spanish, French colonists, pirates, African-Americans and Union soldiers during the Civil Way.

Hilton Head’s development as a resort can be traced back to 1956 when Charles Fraser, whose family owned most of the Island, created a plan for Sea Pines Plantation.

It was incorporated as a town in 1983.

“Hilton Head Island will give you just the right balance of small-town warmth and world-class sophistication,” Southern Living said, adding that bike trails, golf at one of the island’s 23 public courses, or dining “has all the makings of a magical getaway.”

Folks call this place “The Edge of America.” It’s the closest beach to historic Charleston. About 2,400 people live there full time.

“The history of Folly Beach Island is a story of pirates, shipwrecks, soldiers, and dancing (on the pier),” the city says on its website. “It is a story of the hardships and hurricanes that have shaped a thriving beachside community.”

Southern Living calls it “a quaint and colorful destination known for its laid-back beach town vibes.”

“This list wouldn’t be complete without the shining star of the Grand Strand,” Southern Living said. “With 60 miles of coastline to enjoy, Myrtle Beach is as versatile as it is beautiful.”

The magazine called it a “do-it-all destination.”

The Grand Strand is made up of 14 communities from the North Carolina state line to Pawleys Island with a combined population of 398,000. The area has some 2,000 restaurants, about 425 hotels, 80 golf courses, 35 miniature golf courses, Visit Myrtle Beach says.

“Most vacationers won’t think of Murrells Inlet when they think of South Carolina, but as the seafood capital of the state, this neighborhood is worth adding to your itinerary,” Southern Living said.

The magazine called it a prime destination for fishing, water sports, and sunset viewing, especially along The MarshWalk, a half-mile boardwalk along its saltwater estuary.

Once a small shipping area for rice, indigo, turpentine, cotton, and peanuts to Great Britain and the northern colonies, Murrells Inlet is the site of Brookgreen Gardens, once the home of Hispanic scholar and philanthropist Archer Huntington and his wife, Anna Hyatt Huntington, a world-famous sculptor.

The 9,000-acre Brookgreen Gardens is now managed by a private foundation and open to the public. It has nearly 1,500 sculptures, a botanical garden and a zoo.

Last year, Travel + Leisure listed Murrells Inlet as one of six charming SC towns.

“Known for its gorgeous sand dunes, diverse wildlife, and perfectly preserved maritime forest, Kiawah Island is a nature lover’s dream,” Southern Living said.

It’s a 10 mile-long barrier island that began being developed as a resort in the 1970s.

About 2,000 people live on the island year-round with the population growing to as many as 10,000 in the summer.

“You can book a stay at a world-class resort or tee off at one of the five championship golf courses,” Southern Living said. “However you choose to spend your getaway, Kiawah Island is an excellent place to unwind, unplug, and reconnect with nature.”

This is South Carolina’s most popular state park with more than a million visitors a year, SC Parks and Recreation said.

It includes 5 miles of beaches, thousands of acres of marsh and maritime forest, a saltwater lagoon and ocean inlet. Also, it features the historic Hunting Island lighthouse, which is now closed for repairs.

Hunting Island State Park has 100 campsites.

“Make your trip memorable with a horseback ride along the beach or a paddleboarding session along the salt marsh,” Southern Living said.

It’s also where the Vietnam War scenes were filmed for “Forrest Gump.”

Hunting Island was also ranked second on a Tripadvisor survey of SC best parks.

”As one of the oldest seaside resorts on the East Coast, Pawleys Island is rich with historical charm and timeless beauty,” Southern Living said.

Readers of USA Today ranked it as the best beach in South Carolina.

Known as “arrogantly shabby,” the 4 mile-long island remains largely peaceful and undeveloped despite new homes being built and replaced in the aftermath of Hurricane Hugo. Some homes date to the 1700s.

It’s located on South Carolina’s Hammock Coast and in many places is just one house wide. Few commercial businesses exist on the island itself.

About 100 people live there full time.

“Less than 3 miles up the road, Litchfield Beach compliments the old-world charm of Pawleys Island with modern comforts,” Southern Living said. “Here you find tennis, golf, and uninterrupted peace and quiet.”

With a year-round population of 8,370, the unincorporated Litchfield was established in 1978 and, besides the beach, includes golf courses, dining, shopping and the 26-mile-long Waccamaw Neck Bikeway.

High praise from Southern Living about South Carolina’s third oldest city: “This slice of Southern heaven is something out of a storybook.”

Towering oak trees, 200-year-old-homes, and gorgeous historic properties, the magazine said.

The historic district beside the Sampit River includes shops, the Harborwalk and restaurants. The population is about 9,000.

The area also has Hopsewee Plantation, a former plantation dating to 1740; and Hobcaw Barony, owned by the Belle W. Baruch Foundation, a 16,000-acre environmental science research and educational reserve .

The Gullah Museum, the South Carolina Maritime Museum, the Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center and the Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge are also located near Georgetown.

“Thanks to stunning sunsets and scenic river views, a stroll along this boardwalk will have you feeling like the main character in your very own fairytale,” Southern Living said.

FOLLY BEACH, S.C. (WCBD) – Officials are expected to present the Folly Beach safety action plan to city council Tuesday, after a year in the making.

The city has been working with consultants at Kimley-Horn since June 2024, to address growing safety concerns on the island. The transportation and traffic safety action plan highlights four main goals – encourage safer speeds, maintain the city’s culture, improve communication and coordination, and serve a diverse population.

“This is the first time we’ve had a comprehensive plan that shows the areas we need to target on the entire island – to make the island safer,” Jenna Stephens, zoning administrator of Folly Beach, said.

The engineers analyzed data from 2017-2023 and found the city averages around 85 crashes per year. According to the study, a majority of the crashes included pedestrians and bicyclists. Though most of them were non-fatal, the city plans to address this issue.

Folly Beach held two public input meetings open to residents and people who visit the island regularly. Around 250 people participated, with many saying they felt uncomfortable traveling around by foot or on a bike. Transportation advocacy groups like the Berkeley-Charleston-Dorchester Council of Governments (BCDCOG) and Charleston Moves also attended.

In a support letter sent to the city, Katie Zimmerman, executive director of Charleston Moves, said the organization supports the plan and two resolutions to adopt it.

“Charleston Moves has appreciated the opportunities to participate in both the development of the City’s Safety Action Plan, as well as the stakeholder meetings and data collection for the Arctic Avenue Plan,” Zimmerman wrote. “Our region is one of the deadliest in the nation for vulnerable road users, with disproportionate impacts to senior citizens and Black communities. We support your efforts towards a safe and healthy city with a goal of eliminating fatalities and severe injuries from traffic collisions.”

City council will vote to approve the safety action plan and to amend a contract to scope out the Arctic Avenue project. The next steps will include applying for the federal “Safe Streets For All” grant.

“The problems is funding – this plan allows us to qualify for some federal grants and that is the plan right now. To use the safety action plan to apply for the ‘Safe Streets For All’ grant and to help fund some of our Arctic Avenue infrastructure proposals,” said Stephens.

City council will meet at 7 p.m. on June 10. They are expected to vote on two resolutions involving the safety action plan.