FAQs

Airport

Commercial Airports - The closest commercial airport is Charleston International (Charleston, SC) and is one hour away.  The next closest choice would be Savannah Municipal Airport (Savannah, GA) which is approximately two and a half hours away. 

 

Shuttle - Island Runner provides transportation to and from regional airports.  You can contact them at 843-271-0407.

 

Private or Non/Commercial Airports - The private airstrip at Edisto no longer permits public access.  The closest option would be Colleton Regional in Walterboro.

Dogs

Accomodations (Pet Friendly) - For properties that are pet friendly, you can contact the rental companies listed in the accomodations section of the website.  Each of these companies has some units that allow pets, and they can assist you with these options.

 

Kennels - There are no kennels on the island.  The closest to Edisto is Dixie Kennels in Hollywood (approx 20 miles - Hwy 162, 843-763-1100 – run by Corky).  The next closest option is Polly's Pet Grooming and Boarding in Walterboro (925 Rodeo Drive, 843-893-2080).  Finally, you might consider contacting the Charleston Chamber of Commerce (www.charleston.net) or look for options in their the yellow pages. 

 

Ordinances - The ordinances regarding dogs at Edisto Beach are as follows;  They must be on a leash on the sandy beach from May 1 through October 31.  Otherwise, dogs must be within verbal command of owner, on a leash, or in a secure area within the town limits.  For everyone’s convenience, the town just installed some new receptacles for pet waste in higher traffic areas.  (Special Note – the above laws pertain to the Town of Edisto Beach.  If you will be on State Park property, state law requires that dogs be on a leash year round.)

 

Veterinarian - The closest small animal veterinarian is on this side of Charleston (approximately 45 miles).  Their office is near the Home Depot and Lowes stores in the “West Ashley” area.  Here is their contact info:

Bees Ferry Animal Hospital

1975 Magwood Drive

Charleston 29414

843-769-6784

Fishing

License: In general terms, no license is needed when you fish, shrimp (with a cast net), or crab from the shore in salt water.   If you use a boat or fish further inland on South Carolina lakes and rivers, the regulations change.  If you need details on regulations, I would suggest reviewing them on the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources website (listed below):

 

(Special Note – During the Fall, Shrimping with bait and poles can only be done within the designated dates, and requires a license.  Contact DNR for further information on this.)

 

General Info:

 

ACE Basin (843-889-3084) Info:

 

http://www.fws.gov/acebasin/

http://www.scwf.org/articles/index.php?view=199

http://www.dnr.state.sc.us/marine/mrri/acechar/execsum.htm

 

Edisto Beach State Park's (843-869-2156, 2756) website:

 

http://www.southcarolinaparks.com

 

This link is for the Edisto Beach State Park's new Interpretive Center (843-869-4430) and may provide other details.

 

http://www.outdoorcentral.com/mc/pr/04/05/12d9a.asp

 

Public boat ramps on Edisto:

1) Edisto Marina, Big Bay Creek, 843-869-3504

2) Live Oak Landing, further up Big Bay Creek adjacent to State Park Interpretive Center, 843-869-4430.  Other Edisto Beach State Park numbers (843-869-2156, 843-869-2756)

3) Steamboat Landing, approximately 6 miles from beach on Steamboat Landing Rd off of Hwy 174,  (ramp on Steamboat Creek off of the North Edisto River)

4) Dahoo Landing (approximately 11 miles from beach on Hwy 174, beside McKinley Washington Bridge over intracoastal waterway)

The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources issues licenses, etc. and their website is:

 

http://www.dnr.state.sc.us/

 

Fishing Charters:

- Edisto Watersports & Tackle, 843-869-0663, edistowatersports.com, Captain Dillard Young (inshore and offshore charters), www.edistowatersports.com

- Ugly Ducklin Charters, 843-869-1580 or 843-908-2071(inshore charters), Captain Steve Fralin

- Edisto Offshore Adventures, 843-869-2933 (big game offshore charters), Captain Jim Bost, www.fishedisto.com

- Captain Jimmy Bell's Edisto Shrimp Boat Charters, Jimmy & Marty Bell, 8337 Fairview Nursery Rd, Yonges Island, SC 29449, 843-869-2726 or 843-607-5347

Finally, the Edisto Marina is a good source of information.  Their number is 843-869-3504.

Golf Carts

Rental - For golf cart rental, you can contact Island Bikes and Outfitters (140 Jungle Rd, 843-869-4444, www.islandbikesandoutfitters.com).

 

Rules for Operation - Whether you rent or use your own cart, please note the following laws that are in effect.  These were provided by the Edisto Police Department:

 

1) A South Carolina DOT Golf Cart Permit must be attached to the cart.  These are available through the DOT offices throughout the state.

2) Driver must have valid driver's license

3) Cart can be operated on a secondary street within two miles of your residence during daylight hours.  You may go straight across a primary Highway (Ex. Hwy 174/Palmetto Blvd., etc.) from a secondary highway or street, but cannot travel on the primary highway.

4) Carts are subject to the same parking laws as a regular motor vehicle

5) Golf carts may not travel on bike paths/lanes

 

The police issue tickets (not warnings) for violations of these laws.

 

If there are any questions about these ordinances or temporary permits, the Chamber does not have any details beyond those listed above.  For additional clarification, please contact the Town Hall at 843-869-2505.

Gym or Exercise Facility

There are no public gyms or workout facilities on the island.   If you should be staying with Wyndham Resorts, they do have an exercise facility but their policies restrict the use to either owners or guests.  The closest gyms to Edisto would be in Charleston, and the Charleston Chamber (www.charlestonchamber.net) could assist you with information on this.

Internet / Wi Fi

The Edisto Bookstore has both line and Wi Fi connection capabilities.  You can reach them at 843-869-1885 and www.theedistobookstore.com.  They are located in a small shopping center beside the United States Post Office (approaching the beach, they will be on the right side of Highway 174 - approximately 1.5 miles from the beach).

Metal Detecting

Metal detecting is permitted on the public sandy portion of the beach, but do not expand the search area to any of the dunes.  Our beaches are fragile and erosion has been a problem in some areas.  Walking, disturbing sea oats, or digging in the dunes is prohibited.  If your search should be near the State Park property we understand metal detecting is not permitted but you should confirm these policies with them.  All of the plantations and historical sites are on private property and thus no metal detecting can be done without the owners’ permission.  There is one business (Addam's Artifacts and Relic Hunting Adventures, 843-889-6073) that has access to some private property for these purposes.  You may want to contact them for further details.

Plantations

All of the plantations are privately owned, occupied, and for privacy reasons their locations are not commonly made public.  In addition, the homes are some distance off the highway on private roads and are not visible from the road.  The only time they are open to the public is during the home tour each Fall.  The Home Tour is always the second weekend in October, and the homes that are on the tour vary from year to year.  For details on this, you can contact The Edisto Island Historic Preservation Society (www.edistomuseum.org, 843-869-1954) since they manage the tour.  The tour sells out each year, so if you are interested you need to order tickets early.

 

Throughout the year, there are several companies whose tours include access to some of the grounds.  If this if of interest, you can contact them as follows; Tours of Edisto, 843-869-1984 or Island Tours & Tings, 843-869-1110/843-271-0407.

Tennis

There are no public courts on the island.  The only tennis courts on Edisto are inside Wyndham Resorts.  These are for the exclusive use of their guests or owners, and their policy does not permit outside guests.  The next closest courts would be about one hour away in Charleston.  Although we do not have any details on these courts, the Charleston Chamber (www.charlestonchamber.net) can likely help you.   Any school courts would be in Charleston as well, and thus you could contact the Charleston County School System (843-937-6300) for that info.

 

Tide Charts

For tide information you can, a) pick up free tide charts at Edisto (they are available at many stores or realty companies), or b) you can print out custom charts via the web as follows:

 

 1) Go to:    http://www.saltwatertides.com/dynamic.dir/scarolinasites.html

 

 2) Select the area you want the tide chart for (locations for North Edisto River,Edisto beach, South Edisto River, etc.)

 

3) Select the month and day to start and how many days you want.  Press the “get tides” button and the tide data will be displayed and can be printed.

Turtles

Our pristine island is widely know as a choice nesting ground for Loggerhead Turtles.  The Edisto Beach Loggerhead Turtle Project assists the turtles with public education, patrols, protecting, identifying, and monitoring of nests,  and gathering data.  The turtle volunteers invite guests to join them on their patrols.  Walking on the beach is permitted at night, and use of a normal intensity flashlight is fine.  The major concerns regarding turtles involves larger porch, security, or street lights.  Smaller lights that illuminate your immediate pathway should not be a problem.  We always suggest that visitors choose lights that are not too bright, and use them sparingly.  Their contact info is listed below.

http://members.seaturtle.org/edistoisland/

Marilyn Devers  - 843-869-0525 or Jamie Gaabo 843-869-0806

The State Park also hosts programs on turtles.  Their contact info is listed below:

http://www.southcarolinaparks.com

Interpretive Center 843-869-4430

State Park 843-869-2756 or 2156

Water Temperature

The following website lists ocean water temperatures:

 

http://www.nodc.noaa.gov/dsdt/cwtg/satl.html

 

Once on the site, select Atlantic Coast - South, and then Charleston (the closest measurement station to Edisto).  Data for different months is listed.

 

 

  Edisto Chamber of Commerce
P.O. Box 206
Edisto Island, SC 29438 		843-869-3867
888-333-2781
eichamber@aol.com