Travel Tips

Folly Beach is a fantastic getaway whether you enjoy surfing, fishing, or colorful locally owned establishments. Often called “The Edge of America” for its location on the Atlantic Ocean, this community is a premier beach destination in South Carolina. 

The city is a short drive south of Charleston, making it possible to have a quick day trip. Yet, when you consider all of the things to do in Folly Beach, you’ll want to give it several days to explore. With dog-friendly beaches, it’s a great option for your entire family’s vacation.

The best way to explore Folly Beach is to visit without a restrictive itinerary and start exploring.  It’s an electric community with a 1,000-foot pier that stretches out into the ocean and plenty of eco-friendly activities to enjoy. From annual festivals and events to artisan markets, there’s no limit to what you can experience here.

We recommend renting a golf cart so you can easily get around. Then, explore the following things to do in Folly Beach at your leisure. Talk to the locals, enjoy something to eat at one of the fabulous beach town restaurants, and then watch the sunset right from the sand.

For more specifics, these are our 8 best things to do while visiting Folly Beach.

1. Walk the Folly Beach Pier

• 101 E. Arctic Ave., Folly Beach, SC
• Best for sunset watching and fishing

The Folly Beach Pier underwent an upgrade and is now referred to as the Edwin S. Taylor Folly Beach Fishing Pier. However, it’s very much the same Lowcountry icon that it has always been to welcome those visiting the country for the first time. 

The extensive pier stretches out 1049 feet into the ocean, spanning 25 feet wide and 22 feet above sea level. The views are fantastic.

Rent a fishing road, find the gear you need at the Gangplank Gift & Tackle Shop, grab some ice cream, and head out to fish. A number of fish are possible to land, including spotted sea trout, king mackerel, and flounder. 

There’s a 7,500-square-foot diamond-shaped platform at the end of the pier where you can sit and watch the waves. Enjoy a bite to eat at Pier 101 Restaurant & Bar, or take a dip in the ocean before heading home for the day.

2. Dig into Nature at Folly River Park

• 1584 East Ashley Ave., Folly Beach, SC
• Perfect for greenspace and nature lovers

Folly River Park is right on Center Street, and it’s likely the first thing you’ll see as you approach the island. The citywide park is an excellent introduction to the Folly Beach lifestyle, and you can spend the entire day exploring the beaches and nature sanctuaries here.

Folly River Park offers a beautiful rain garden just to the left of the Karen Stringer Dock (that dock is perfect for fishing, too). You can fish and crab along the riverfront, dig your toes into the sand or splash in the water with your dog (they are allowed on the beach). It’s one of the reasons Folly Beach is considered one of the most pet-friendly beaches in South Carolina.

More laid back and with fewer visitors, this park doesn’t cost you anything to visit but puts you in the heart of a beautiful community. 

3. Take Pictures at the Morris Island Lighthouse

• 1750 E. Ashley Ave., Folly Beach, SC
• Best for history lovers and the perfect selfie

The Morris Island Lighthouse was built in 1872, taking four full years. Once in place, it became an icon on the shoreline, helping to guide those approaching the city into Charleston Harbor safely. At 161 feet, it is the tallest lighthouse in the state.

You’ll notice the tower leans a bit, as it has since an earthquake in 1886. Though the lighthouse once stood on the shoreline, it’s not in the water, and tours are not really possible. 

However, many paddle or kayak up to it and take impressive photos of themselves, the lighthouse, and the beautiful horizon.

4. Spend the Day at Folly Beach County Park

• 1100 W. Ashley Ave., Folly Beach, SC
• Best for easy-going beach lovers who want a quiet day

Folly Beach County Park is located between Folly River and the Atlantic Ocean, a public park known for its pelican rockery and preserve. Dogs are welcome, picnics are encouraged, and swimming is available seasonally with a lifeguard.

Rent a boogie board or beach chair and relax on the water. The beach has an accessible ramp and beach wheelchairs. It’s a short drive from Downtown Charleston, but once you sit and relax, you’ll feel like you’re far away. 

The natural beaches of the barrier islands, including this beachfront area, make it worth exploring.

5. Start Your Day at Lost Dog Café

• 106 W. Huron Ave., Folly Beach, SC
• Best for a cozy café vibe with simple food and good coffee

At Lost Dog Café, you’ll find all-day breakfast and some of the best coffee in the area. Many recommend the biscuits and gravy, made from scratch each day.

On the other hand, you may want to stop by after your surf lessons or other water sports for a filling meal that will refuel you. Located near the end of Folly Beach, it’s the ideal place to pick up something to go as well.

6. & End It at Tacos at Chico Feo

• 122 E. Ashley Ave., Folly Beach, SC
• Best for fresh food with an ocean view

For the best tacos and sandwiches, visit Chico Feo. It’s a fun outdoor café right by the water and in the heart of the best surf in the area. You’ll find it’s the ideal place to refuel before you head back out to the water.

You can also visit during the afternoon and evening for live music. There’s always a diverse menu with options like mahi tacos to Wu-Tang, their “infamous” ramen. Check their website for local events available throughout the year.

These are just two example of our favorite places to eat in Folly Beach. If you plan to stay longer, check out the full list!

7. Test Your Balance on a Stand Up Paddle Board

• All over the island
• Best for water adventure seekers

Stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) is a popular outdoor recreational activity that challenges your physical fitness and also puts you in the heart of a diverse ecosystem. You can paddleboard in some of the calmer creeks here, where you may spot dolphins or take an eco-tour with one of the charters.

If you’re really looking for a good workout, try one of the paddleboard shops that offers yoga on the water on your board. It’s challenging but perfect for an early morning workout. Don’t worry – many of these locations offer lessons.

8. Get a History Lesson at Fort Sumter

• 340 Concord Street, Charleston, SC
• Best for history lovers

The first battle of Fort Sumter took place on April 12, 1861, and it would forever change the country’s history. You can tour the fort, whether you want to take a 30-minute guided tour or just a self-guided tour of the grounds.

Fort Sumter is a part of the National Parks Service and may be no better depiction of what the American Civil War was like. Located right in the middle of Charleston Harbor, it’s possible to take a ferry ride over to it. Then, take a closer at the history of the area at the Fort Sumter Visitors Center at Liberty Square. It’s home to numerous exhibits at no cost to you.

Don’t Miss the Fun at Folly Beach

Whether you’re hoping for a beach vacation that’s well-rounded on the East Coast or a true surf shops type of town, Folly Beach has so much to offer. Book your hotel and get ready to check out all the area has to offer by visiting today. These things to do in Folly Beach will give you the best first-time experience.

South Carolina boasts 187 miles of contiguous coastline and over 2876 miles of tidal shoreline. Playing on the boardwalk in Myrtle Beach or sailing off the coast of Hilton Head are popular pastimes. Many walk her pristine beaches searching for seashells, sandollars, or a few minutes of solitude. 

But the Palmetto state is famous for another beachy treasure – shark teeth.

Over 40 shark species swim in the Atlantic off the coast of South Carolina. A large area from Charleston to North Myrtle Beach is home to four different hammerhead shark species. This isn’t to scare or deter you from swimming in the shores – it’s to show you another fun beach activity you and your family can enjoy while here.

I loved making necklaces from my shark teeth found as a kid and now, I keep them all in a jar in my bedroom as a unique decoration.

Low tide is the best time to hunt. Shark teeth often lurk in shell beds and where the waves break. Tides are especially important to shark teeth hunters as the water continuously replenishes the fossil supply.

So, if timed just right and with a bit of patience, the perfect shark tooth find is just around the corner. In fact, South Carolina has some of the best beaches to find shark teeth along the Atlantic coast.

These are our 9 best beaches for finding shark teeth in South Carolina.

1. Folly Beach

Folly Beach is a popular stretch to hunt for shark teeth and seashells. This beloved tourist spot also rivals Venice Beach, Florida, as a top destination for shark tooth hunters.

Last year, Garden and Sun named it one of the best places in the south to find shark teeth.

Adventurers are best to start their search at low tide. However, it is usually quality over quantity. Locals advise searching the sands directly south of the pier. However, others recommend concentrating sifting efforts between the 2nd and 5th streets, east of the pier. Whatever side hunters choose, the winter months are often the most successful.

2. Central Myrtle Beach

If Myrtle Beach is a part of your weekend getaway, save an hour to go beachcombing for shark teeth. Keep to the avenues between 50th North and 10th South. 

Although the beach here can get really active, the tides help keep this area supplied with small to medium-sized specimens for a shark teeth collection. South Carolina sand is soft, so sifting through the grains earns the best results.

3. Murrells Inlet

Murrells Inlet sits south of Myrtle Beach. As a long-standing fishing village, it has earned the moniker of seafood capital of South Carolina.

The area is fertile ground for fossil hunting, a combination of tidal pools, inlets, and marshes. One of the best places in South Carolina to seek shark teeth and sand dollars is the nearby Huntington Beach State Park.

In the Lowcountry, alligators are sometimes spotted in the marshy terrain or on the beaches around Murrells Inlet. Hunters should always keep a weathered eye while digging for toothy-gold.

4. Pawleys Island

Shark toothin’, as aficionados from the south sometimes refer to the hobby, is common on the beaches of Pawleys Island, an elongated barrier island protecting the inner marshes along Wayaha Bay and River from Long Bay. 

Visitors tend to walk the island’s southern beaches. But locals know that the best finds are closer to the islet on the western side of the island. It may take time, but teeth found on Pawleys Island are usually larger and well worth the extra effort.

5. Morris Island

Directly off Folly Beach is an 840-acre-beachcombers-mecca known as Shark Tooth Island. The isolated Morris Island can be reached by kayak, canoe, small boat, or through an experienced tour operator such as Charleston Fossil Adventures.

Uninhabited, the area is within Charleston Harbor and is considered a dental treasure chest of megalodon (and other) shark species. Paleontologists estimate the ginormous shark dominated the Earth’s oceans during the Miocene Era, from 23 million to just over 2 million years ago. Fossilized shark teeth are often dated approximately two to three million years old and range in size from three to seven inches long.

Megalodons are iconic along the barrier islands. Their large fossilized teeth are also found in North Carolina on Holden Beach. In Georgia, the megalodon tooth has been named the “state fossil.”

This beach is also considered one of the state’s quietest beaches, making it a great place for a long walk with few interruptions (other than your fossil finds).

6. Crab Bank

The beaches around the 22-acre Crab Bank Seabird Sanctuary are known to be a good place to collect shark teeth, especially at low tide. The protected area is in Charleston Harbor, just inside the mouth of Shem Creek.

Shark tooth hunters can access the area by kayak or foot and are welcome just below the high tide mark. But the sanctuary is closed from March through October to protect nesting waterbirds. The preserve is open to the public during the fall and winter months, from October through the beginning of March. 

Crab Bank is one of the few places shark tooth fanatics can not bring their family pup, as dogs are considered a danger to the bird population.

7. Drum Island

A small island in Charleston Harbor, north of the Ravinel Bridge, Drum Island is beautiful. Covered with foliage and wildlife, it is also a good place to find small contemporary shark teeth and fossilized medium-sized shark teeth from Carcharodon Angustidens. 

Some say it can be reached by kayak through Town Creek (about two miles), but the best and easiest way to the island is to charter a boat for a day trip.

8. Edisto Beach

The South Carolina town of Edisto Beach has 37 beaches and is well known as one of the best beaches for shark tooth expeditions. The South Edisto Inlet shoreline is a good place to begin a search. as it has a concentration of teeth from the Edisto Beach Deposit. This glacial sediment sits just offshore of Edisto Island and is dated to the Pleistocene.

Edisto Beach shark teeth are small but blanket the beach, especially near shale piles and intertwined with the driftwood. As a South Carolina state park, there is a small charge to access Edisto Beach.

9. Cherry Grove

Cherry Grove Beach is located in North Myrtle Beach, near the North Carolina border. It is a particular favorite for happy hunting of shark teeth as it is a quieter area with fewer people dredging up the sands. 

Locals always start near the Cherry Grove Pier for the most successful expeditions, as this is often called shark tooth territory.

If you’re traveling with a large group and are looking for a comfortable place to stay in North Myrtle Beach, these vacation rentals are just what you’re looking for.

Identifying a Shark Tooth

A real shark tooth can be identified by its triangular shape and glossy black or dark brown color. A key identifier is the row of small ridges along the tooth edges. The average shark tooth size is between 0.5 and 2 inches. The highly prized megalodon tooth ranges in size from 3.5 to 7 inches.

A Well-equipped Shark Tooth Hunting Toolkit

From Virginia to Florida’s sun-bleached shores, hobbyists know that few simple things are needed to ensure a well-equipped shark tooth-hunting toolkit. 

Whether planned or spontaneous, each expedition should include: 

• A small container to collect specimens
• A small sand scoop
• An inexpensive strainer to sift through the sand and shale. 

Most well-equipped kits also contain coral-safe sunscreen and a small towel. An all-purpose first aid kit may come in handy for emergencies, as the teeth can be sharp.

Beachcombing for Shark Teeth in South Carolina

Collecting shark teeth on South Carolina beaches is legal. However, a hobby license is needed to dig in embankments, below tide lines, or scuba dive for shark teeth fossils. This inexpensive license is also required for anyone looking to collect megalodon teeth.

Sharks are long-lived, growing and replacing thousands of teeth. This perpetually renewing resource encourages shark tooth hunters who haunt South Carolina shorelines searching for the ultimate fossilized sea treasures.