South Carolina beaches are fabulous. They offer the perfect sand to build a castle, ample space to spread out so you can have a slice of heaven to yourself, and excellent access to boardwalks and piers. If you’re looking for the best shelling beaches in South Carolina, a few stand out.
Bring along a bucket to start collecting seashells and shark teeth, too. Low tide is the best time to access the largest seashells as they wash in through high tide. However, there’s never a bad time to check it out.
You can do the best shelling and beachcombing on any of these 8 beaches listed below.
1. Hunting Island State Park
- Location: Hunting Island
- Best for: Unique shells and whole shells
Hunting Island State Park is about an hour from Hilton Head, making it perfect for an early-morning drive. The best shelling happens early in the day, on either full or new moons. Expect to spend a few hours beach combing here, and you’ll need to be picky about which shells you take home with so many to choose from overall.
You’ll likely find whole or close-to-fully intact shells at this beach, making it one of the best options. Expect to find vi-valve shells here, including angel wings and clam shells, though sand dollars and sea glass are also rather common findings.
2. Kiawah Island
- Location: Kiawah Island
- Best for: Naturalist-supported seashell hunting
Any of the beaches on Kiawah Island are worth exploring for seashells. If you’re visiting the golf resort, one of the naturalists on duty will take you to this barrier island to explore for shells. It’s not truly open to the public otherwise.
The sandy beach hides them well, though, so bring a tool to do some digging. You’ll find pen shells, coquina, olive shells, and angel wings pretty readily here. Shark teeth regularly wash up on shore, too. If you’re lucky, you may find some sea urchins and starfish along the way.
3. Litchfield Beach
- Location: Pawleys Island
- Best for: Undeveloped beach hunting
With numerous undeveloped areas, Pawleys Island is an excellent choice for those looking for seashells that beachgoers haven’t crushed yet. Check out Litchfield Beach, one of the best beaches for various types of shells. The island’s north end is the perfect destination, right near the inlet. You can also find some great results at the north end of Huntington Beach State Park. It’s much harder to find anything along the South End.
Coral, shark teeth, and driftwood are also likely to be available for the taking. It’s quite the organic, natural experience here. Expect to find banded tulip shells, lettered olives, and jingle shells here. If you have the flexibility, visit after a storm.
4. Edisto Beach State Park
- Location: Edisto Beach
- Best for: Whelk shells and shark teeth
Edisto Beach State Park is a stunning location, but walking along the water line is sure to turn up some impressive shells. Whelk shells are some of the most common, but you’ll find others, including olives and cockles. It’s harder to find intact shells here on the surface, but some digging will pry them out of the sand.
There is a parking fee ($5 at this time). If you’re visiting the area and looking for a first-time beachgoing experience for shelling, Edisto Beach State Park is an easy choice due to its easy access and abundance of shells.
5. Myrtle Beach
- Location: Myrtle Beach
- Best for: First-timers and kids
Myrtle Beach is family-friendly, and the area’s region of the Grand Strand, in particular, is excellent for starting your sea shelling hunting passion. Already mentioned, Huntington Beach State Park is, in particular, ideal because the water is softer, allowing the shells to remain intact longer. The drawback here is the crowds during the hot summer months. That’s why sea shelling during the colder months is perfect.
Another great alternative in Myrtle Beach is Myrtle Beach State Park, which is also conveniently located closer to the city center.
The best bet is to visit before the crowds hit the beaches in the morning. It’s not uncommon to find whelks, lettered olives, and scallops here. Head a few miles up the beach to North Myrtle Beach to find lots of sand dollars.
6. Folly Beach
- Location: Folly Beach, SC
- Best for: Lots of variety in sea shelling
Shell hunting at Folly Beach is a must-try experience if you’re new to the process. It’s not uncommon to find pen shells, whelks, angel wings, and coquina here. It’s also possible to locate augers, cockles, and slipper shells during low tide. Starfish and other fossils are an exciting find for many of the locals, too.
Keep in mind that there are 700 species that live in the coastal waters of South Carolina, and many of them, like sea urchins and keyhole urchins, lend you their beautiful shells. While there are plenty of great things to do in Folly Beach, hunting for pristine seashells is one of the best.
7. Isle of Palm Beach
- Location: Isle of Palm, SC
- Best for: White sand beaches
Isle of Palm Beach is a noted kayaking, fishing, and swimming destination. You’ll likely find people building impressive sandcastles, too. If you’re after seashells, you’ll find pristine beaches, often called white-sand beaches.
Isle of Palm is one of the quietest beaches in South Carolina, giving you less competition to comb for your treasure.
Expect to find shallow pools of water left behind during low tide. That’s where you’ll find the largest collection of stunning shells, including whelks, conch shells, olives, and sand dollars. A long beach walk could also turn up some slipper shells, augers, and pen shells.
8. Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge
- Location: Bulls Island, SC
- Best for: Pristine, natural, and nearly untouched beaches
This 22-mile-long stretch of beaches along the South Carolina coast is rich in wildlife and stunningly beautiful. It is one of the most untouched areas of the barrier islands, with ponds and forests to explore. You’ll need to stay on the designated trials here, but it’s not uncommon to find shells along the way. You also need to leave the area as untouched as possible. You can collect up to one small bag of unoccupied shells (you cannot take live shells home here).
When you find sea shells, expect them to be intact or close to them. Whelk, lettered olive, and sand dollars are some of the most common options here. Don’t overlook digging in the beach wrack on Bulls Island as well. The organic material, like kelp and seagrass, is often strewn along the beaches here.
Explore the Fun of Shelling at the Best Beaches in the Area
Looking to make your shelling adventure even better? Be sure to book a great stay with Hotala to ensure you have a cozy place to come back and recharge after a day spent walking along the shore.
Whether you choose Myrtle Beach to Isle of Palm, you and your loved ones are in for a treat!