Lesser-known green spaces deserve some love, too

While the ever-popular Marion Square and Waterfront Park get a lot of attention already, there are several hidden gents tucked away in downtown neighborhoods, beside sea island bridges and more.

With the official first day of summer marked off on our calendars, the Charleston City Paper is spotlighting the multitude of parks, gardens and green spaces and showing a little extra love to those less frequented by summer crowds.

“Summer is a beautiful time to explore Charleston’s green spaces, particularly in the morning or early evening,” said Sarah Reynolds, spokeswoman for the Charleston County Parks and Recreation Commission. “We are so fortunate that many of our local parks border waterways, so you can enjoy breezes off the water, scenery along marsh boardwalks and activities such as fishing or kayaking.

“Plus, the parks are typically in full color this time of year, often with bright blue water and vivid green grass,” she added. “Summer can be a great time to spot local wildlife, such as seabirds, wading birds and even dolphins or alligators.”

This list is not exhaustive, and there are several other parks around the Holy City and beyond worth a visit. You can find more online at these websites: charlestonparksconservancy.org, ccprc.com and southcarolinaparks.com.

Corrine Jones Park

36 Marlow Drive, Downtown | Sunrise to sunset | Free
Formerly known as Hester Park, Corrine Jones Park is a neighborhood park in the heart of the Wagener Terrace neighborhood. Nestled along Hester Street, which runs north to south through the neighborhood, the park features picnic tables, benches, courts for basketball, tennis and pickleball and a soccer field. A large playground, added in 2011, was renovated in 2026. The Charleston Parks Conservancy also maintains a community garden, pollinator garden and other flora around the playground. The park hosts free music and events every spring and fall.

Theodora Park

86 Anson St., Downtown | 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. | Free
Theodora Park, commissioned by local philanthropist and public relations guru David Rawle and dedicated to his late mother, rests just behind the Gaillard Center in downtown Charleston. To those who have stumbled across the small green space, it has become a favorite place to stop and rest, read a book, have a quiet lunch and watch passersby. Every detail of the park benefited from Rawle’s design and support. Before its 2015 dedication, the space spent years as a fenced-in, neglected public space covered with dense magnolia trees. Rawle saw the space as an opportunity and hoped to transform it into a small urban oasis inspired by New York City pocket parks.

Melton Peter Demetre Park

640 Wampler Drive, James Island | 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. | Free
Melton Peter Demetre Park is the only city-owned waterfront park on James Island. It is home to spectacular views of the Holy City and its surrounding landscapes. Picturesque, panoramic views include the Battery, Patriots Point, the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge, Sullivan’s Island, Fort Johnson and more. Known to locals as Sunrise Park, the green space is a popular place for finding shark teeth and other shoreline fossils. The park, dedicated in 2007, features a 190-foot fishing pier, 40-foot floating dock, sandy waterfront beaches, a covered picnic area and a small hiking trail.

Stono River County Park

580 McLeod Mill Road, Johns Island | 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. | Free
Find a scenic, relaxing escape along the banks of the Stono River at the foot of the Limehouse Bridge. This 85-acre park features more than a mile of wooded trails and marsh boardwalks ideal for walking, running, cycling and exploring with sweeping Lowcountry river views throughout. The boardwalk leads visitors across the marsh to a small island with more trails and views of the Stono River and its surrounding wetlands.

Laurel Hill County Park

1400 S.C. Highway 41, Mount Pleasant | Sunrise to sunset | $1 admission
Nestled within a larger, 745-acre green space in Mount Pleasant, Laurel Hill County Park offers a peaceful place for visitors to explore nature on foot or by bike. Find several miles of unpaved trails winding through wooded areas, open meadows and a beautiful oak alley, creating a relaxing setting for exercise, relaxation and exploration. A small lake overlook provides an additional quiet spot to pause and reflect, while the park’s Compass Course invites visitors to test their navigation skills using a map and compass. Laurel Hill is a rustic nature park with no restrooms on site.

Pitt Street Bridge

972 Pitt St., Mount Pleasant | Sunrise to sunset | Free
Also known as the Cove Inlet Bridge and Cove Inlet Causeway, the Pitt Street Bridge was once the sole means of crossing the Charleston harbor from Mount Pleasant to the beach at Sullivan’s Island. It now stands as a coastal walkway for exercise, leisurely strolls and fishing. The bridge was built before the American Revolution — a plank causeway built on barrels to cross the inlet. A trolley bridge replaced the footbridge in 1898, and it was later replaced again by a vehicle bridge in 1927. The land bridge now offers green grass beneath palmetto trees, panoramic views of the harbor and a premier fishing spot perfect for blue crabs, flounder, bass and more.

Daniel Island Waterfront Park

1 River Landing Drive, Daniel Island | Sunrise to sunset | Free
Bordering the beautiful waterfront of the Wando River on Daniel Island, this park features a playground, hiking trails along the river and a fishing pier perfect for recreation and relaxation. Owned and operated by the city of Charleston, this Daniel Island park is a favorite of locals, who sit on the swings with views of the water, relax in the hammock garden or bring children to play in the water fountain and playground areas.

Honorable Mention

Old Towne Creek County Park | 1400 Old Towne Road, West Ashley | Coming June 30.
Old Towne Creek County Park, though closed for just a few more days, will welcome visitors to its beautiful nature trails, boardwalks, marsh views, arboretum, playground and more. The park is already home to a variety of blooming ornamentals planted over the years by mother and daughter Emily Simmons Ravenel and Emily Ravenel Farrow The park’s grand opening is set for June 30.

Sandy beaches, blue water help beat summer heat

While spring is already in the rear-view mirror and summer temperatures and tourist numbers are steadily climbing, there’s still never a bad time to hit the beach. Brave the heat, fight the crowds and secure your spot — we can point you in the right direction.

Isle of Palms
The Isle of Palms, known to locals as IOP, is home to a long stretch of public beach as well as a popular resort and golf course. The “isle” proper is nestled between the Intracoastal Waterway — a 3,000-mile inland waterway that runs from Massachusetts to the southern tip of Florida before following the Gulf Coast to Texas — and the Atlantic Ocean. Book a “staycation” at the sea island’s resorts or take a relaxing day trip in the island town. IOP has everything you could need for a perfect summer break.

Sullivan’s Island
Sullivan’s Island, a two-and-a-half-mile long barrier island across a bridge from IOP, was settled in the 17th century by Captain Florence O’Sullivan while he was stationed as a lookout. The beach town has a strong military background and is the site of the first patriot naval victory during the Revolutionary War. History buffs will love the sights and stories waiting around every corner, while shoppers can find locally made goods by Charleston artisans from several boutiques and stores around the island.

Folly Beach
Lovingly referred to as “the edge of America,” Folly Beach is a 12-square-mile barrier island located just 11 miles from downtown Charleston. Six miles of beaches are surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean and Folly River, and outdoor recreation is a big draw for folks visiting the town. Head to the Washout for local surfing, including surf lessons offered by Isla Surf School, or stop to grab all of your beach supply needs from Bert’s Market on East Ashley Avenue. This small beach town is perfectly compact and easily explored on foot with the sounds of ocean waves still audible in the near distance.

Kiawah Beachwalker Park
A calmer antidote to bustling beach towns, Kiawah’s Beachwalker Park offers ocean and river views and is the only public access beach on Kiawah Island. Stop for local coffee and breakfast on your way in, and enjoy a relaxing morning at Beachwalker and the nearby Freshfields Village, offering shops, spas and restaurants.

Too hot outside? Plenty of air-conditioned options, too.

S.C. Aquarium
100 Aquarium Wharf, Downtown
9 a.m. to 5 p.m. | Admission costs vary
Enjoy beautiful waterfront views while staying cool inside. The S.C. Aquarium features dozens of exhibits and activities, including tanks home to hundreds of breathtaking fish from freshwater and saltwater environments. The new Jurassic Seas exhibit sends guests into the late Cretaceous Period to encounter life-size skeletal replicas, examine stunning fossils and learn more through interactive displays. This new experience will have everyone in the family from fossil fanatics to biology buffs playing paleontologist.

XscapeWorks
2430 Air Park Road, North Charleston
Hours vary | Ticket prices vary
Looking for a fun, thrilling and engaging time without needing to stand under the hot, hot sun? Whether you’re planning a night out with friends, a fun date, a family outing or a team-building event, this Charleston escape room offers the ultimate interactive game experience. XscapeWorks boasts the largest escape room in the state, with an immersive journey through four unique adventures transporting visitors through time and challenging their wits and skills. Step into an early 20th century gang hideout, a medieval castle guarded by a fearsome dragon, an Egyptian tomb cursed by the long-dead pharaoh and finally the not-so-distant future where a viral outbreak threatens to end civilization as you know it.

Charleston’s many museums
Various locations
Hours vary | Ticket prices vary
Charleston has no shortage of museums home to jaw-dropping manuscripts, billion-year-old fossils and historic sites and artifacts. As the oldest and largest city in the state, most of the city’s museums are often crowded by tourists. But locals already familiar with the area’s history and culture may enjoy some out-of-the-way stops like the Mace Brown Museum of Natural History or the Old Slave Mart Museum. Locals who haven’t been to the ever-popular Gibbes Museum of Art and Charleston Museum in a while, however, can still find something new and exciting, as exhibits rotate often, and experiences can change with every visit.

Carolina Ice Palace
7665 Northwoods Blvd., North Charleston
Hours vary | Admission prices vary
Forget room temperature, imagine a place where it’s always a cool 57 degrees. The Ice Palace in North Charleston offers ice skating lessons, public skating hours, hockey events and more, all at its indoor arena. Register your time online to speed up check-in once you arrive, so you can get laced up and on the ice even faster.