Isle of Palms Beach

Lovely way to spend a day. Clean restrooms, parking ($$ but with in-out privileges, so net positive), changing cabanas, outdoor showers, shaded picnic tables, volleyball court. Some shells for collecting. Water was nice and warm, no dangerous critters to be seen. Watch and listen to the reports, though, nature is always unpredictable.

Very spacious! Although there were a good bit of people around it was still so quiet and peaceful. I enjoyed my walk and time there. The town itself is beautiful!!

Beautiful beach! We go early and never have issues finding parking. It doesn’t get too busy until mid day (during the week). We’ve gone 3 times in a week!

Super nice clean beach with smooth and, sun bathing and kids having fun! Also I saw Jesus there.

Visited on long weekend. The best beach i have seen and now its my favourite beach to visit

Great clean beach with reasonable parking ($25 for the day). Just be mindful to head out on time before the gate closes! Rinse off stations were clean and well maintained. The beach itself was gorgeous and also very clean. While it was crowded (as expected for a nice summer day), I never felt like anyone was breathing down my neck.

IOP is one of our favorite SC beaches. Easy public beach access or you can drive along the island and find other public access with more limited parking.

The weekend in peak season is fully packed.. quite difficult to find parking.. there was almost 15-20 min waiting to park in county Parking which is the best place to park if you are looking for facilities like washroom, shower, changing rooms, picnic tables, kids playground, Beach volleyball courts,even you can grill

Nice sunny day another 90 degrees. Light bree,e to cool you off. The water feels cool. There are some nice waves if you like to jump them or ride them. Most people are considerate. A few arrived after us and insisted we move because they wanted a direct walk to the water. We told them we didn't mind if they moved their stuff. There is nothing like a summer day on the beach.

Beautiful beach with lots of public beach access points! At the county park, you have access to bathrooms, which is nice. There is also a small playground for the kids. I recommend visiting the beach at different access points, they are all so unique and offer different views/beach based on the tides that day.

Isle of Palms Beach is a good choice for a beach near Charleston. It's clean, there are plentiful parking options, family-friendly, and there are bathroom/changing facilities, which I appreciate. The pier is pretty, the water is nice, and the beach isn't super long, so it's not a crazy long trek to the ocean. My beach day was slightly dampened by a severe road rage incident leaving the island. Just be careful when trying to merge onto the main road from the municipal lot near Acme, as some folks, or at least one early-20s country bro, can be aggressive for no reason.

Nice beach, kinda flat and compact but does the trick. Water has tendency to be murky so be mindful of sea life. The rip tides are a force of nature as well so brush up on your knowledge of what to do in the event the tides start pulling. Before getting a county park membership to utilize the parking, I would find free spots down the road when you take a left off the bridge. They revamped it over the years to make it more accessible for beach access.

Perfect day at the beach The water was warm and had a nice breeze that day. They have street parking and it's not free until after 8pm so make sure you paid for enough time! They have some nice options to eat at around that's walking distance.

If this is the most chill, less touristy beach in the area I'm not sure I want to see what the others are like! That's not to say this was bad. But it was definitely 4-5 rows of beach chairs and umbrellas deep all the way up and down the beach in mid-June. So if unobstructed views of the ocean are on your wishlist you're gonna either want to come REAL early or stay REAL late. But for just chillin in the sunshine and bopping into the ocean every now and again it was just great. Tide the two days we were there wasn't too strong which made swimming and playing around in the water perfect. There's a really huge sandbar and you're able to walk pretty far out into the ocean without even getting chest deep, but don't let that give you a false sense of security, some of the larger waves further in can definitely knock you on your butt. I currently have a shoulder injury and had to stay a little closer to the shore because it was a little choppy for me back there. The water is super clean, tho. And the beach is gorgeous, The sand is so clean and well maintained and the ocean breeze will keep you cool on even the hottest of days. And searching for seashells is always a delight. There's a great public restroom and several restaurants within steps of the beach, plus an outdoor area for rinsing off and refilling water bottles. It's also one of the few that are dog friendly, which our pups appreciated. There's a very easy walk from a public parking lot and tons of shops up and down the street if you want to browse, stop in somewhere to cool off, or rent any gear like body boards and such. I do feel obligated to share this tho, just before we packed up before leaving on our last day I was looking out into the horizon watching the pelicans nosedive down to catch fish. And at one point, I saw a fin, every so briefly. It was further back, so no one on the beach was in danger, but considering I saw it so far out I imagine it's more than a dolphin. I eventually talked myself into thinking I was just imagining things but when I looked it up later I found a news article reporting a shark attack on that beach just 3 weeks earlier. I still wouldn't let that keep me from returning but definitely be vigilant if you wade out further.

Great parking, beautiful calm beach and was clean too. The waves were a little intense but fun, sand was smooth and once your done u can wash off in the wash area/shower. Very nice beach would definitely recommend!

I used to live on Daniel Island, and I ventured, on the beach of Isle of Palm now and then. This beach by the locals, I knew is called the Elitist beach, or the (hoity toity) Haha! I found the homes beautiful, too tightly packed together, and way too many levels!!! Never experienced paid parking, until Isle of Palm. The daily rate is $10 Monday through Friday and $15 Saturday, Sunday and Holidays. After 4:00 p.m., visitors may pay an hourly rate of $2.00. Being a West Coast girl, I thought nature was free!!! Wrong But I could say I touched both coasts! I did find beautiful shells, and enjoyed the sand, sea and shore. Not as attractive as other beaches, I have been to, but nature can grab you and take you for Adventures, and this beach did. I tried to go on off times, but East coast beaches, parks, I found loads of people, which was unusual but understandable! Being a loner, it can be too much but I ignore it now. Haha

I like Isle of Palms! It's my second favorite beach in the area with Sullivan's Island topping my personal list. I like that IoP is not overtaken with tourist traps and is not overly commercialized. It's nice to walk out to the sandbar. Do obey the rules, which are well posted. I was happy there were restroom facilities and places to wash the sand off your feet and flip flops. This is a nice beach!

It was a nice cool day and my friend and I decided to spend the weekend at Wild Dunes resort and spent one of our weekends at the beach. It was busy at all. There was no sun and it was a little chilly which is why we all decided to rock our Bubus. The theme for the day was brunch/Praise on the beach. When I tell you it was so beautiful I mean it was beautiful. Let's talk about the million dollar houses over looking the beach....sigh. One day it will be mine. Don't believe me. See for yourself....Ciao Yelpers!!!!

VERY crowded. Packed in tight. $25 to park. Would recommend a different beach unless you like listening to your neighbors conversation and not getting a cool breeze from the water because all the people are obstructing it. Sand was full of broken down shells. Not soft and nice.

Although packed, it wasn't too hard finding a spot. I paid for parking (6 hours) via text and received a receipt. After a few hours on the beach I returned to my car to find a citation. The number on the signs out there was called but the person couldn't speak good English and therefore stating he couldn't help. I had to dispute/appeal online and send an email with proof. It was aggravating because there's some kind of delay from the time you pay to the time they decide to scan and check for payment. I sat there in my car literally emailing the email address provided on the website all of my documentation which included my bank statement showing the charge had gone through along with my receipt email after my payment went through. It wasn't until the following Monday or Tuesday when someone reached out and stated I was clear. I told them they ruined a perfectly good moment with unnecessary stress.

Decent beach on the East coast. Didn't walk the whole length of the beach but the parts that we did walk didn't have much. It was mostly apartments or hotels. Not many restaurants or shops. With that said, these properties offered private access to the beach, which limited the amount of public access available. Didn't find any free parking, everything we saw was metered parking.

Didn't visit the beach just went for the day and a walk through the main strip! Beautiful nautical colored beach homes. Plenty of access to the beach. It wasn't overcrowded and I visited over the week of 4th of July! Would like to go back and have a stroll on the beach.

Beautiful clean beach Parking was easy in a Saturday Came around 2 pm and left around 6pm No alcohol or smoking is allowed on the beach so don't try to sneak containers of beer or liquor on the beach. Also this is a family style beach. Thong bikinis showing butt checks are prohibited. A lot of surfers in the water was fun to watch. Bring your music sunscreen beach towel umbrella and chair and something cool to drink and a snack and enjoy the sounds of the water. We had soooo much fun! Definitely coming back. Also I prefer this beach over Folley beach. This one is much nicer. If you are looking to party and looking for younger crowd then go to Folley beach instead.

Steer clear of this place, they use a private company that gets like 24% of revenue from parking tickets they issue. They cut off the nose..etc.. I'll never go backm

It was quite foggy when I happened down this way, but I have nothing against fog for the most part. It's not like the weather is too cold around here. What was notable about this barrier island and its beaches was how user-friendly the area was. Being perhaps a bit farther from the center of the city and not quite as scenic as some of the better state and national parks, it is less crowded. More importantly, the main street is lined with free parking, and there is an actual pedestrian sidewalk, and the road itself is clear of both of these things. The rec center building was closed for the holidays, but restrooms were still open, along with various other recreational facilities. There were plenty of paths where I could walk to the beach without going through someone's yard, and I was greeted by some sort of hawk on the way. Once on the beach, there were many shells, and perhaps due to the fog as well as the grassy dunes, there was really very little evidence that I was on a settled island. It was a nice relaxing beach. I wouldn't recommend it over some of the impressive boneyard beaches and natural parks, but it is definitely a place that most people would wish they could spend more time at.

I love IOP. While it gets really crowded in the summer, this beach is awesome year round. The sand is nice, it is well taken care of, and there's amenities like a bathroom and restaurants near the pier. We are able to surf and kite surf here year round. The windy days are great and frequent, though the waves have been a bit few and far between. It's lovely to just go for a walk or lay in the sun on days where action sports are not an option. Parking can be tricky if you don't know where to go, especially during the summer, or on weekends, or on holidays. Don't mess with the parking restrictions-- you can expect heavy tickets for parking with your tires on the pavement (or within four feet of the pavement in some places), or for parking in residential or golf cart only areas. They do patrol for both parking violations, alcohol violations, and dog-off-leash violations. Follow the guidelines (or be sneaky about what you're up to) and you're guaranteed to have a good time.

This was a beautiful beach. The water was nice, the waves were fantastic for kids who just wanted to play on boogie boards, and the view was very calming. It was easy to find parking, and was a short walk from the lot to the beach itself.

Read a good review so decided to check out this beach. Got a parking spot on the street right by the entrance to access. But definitely saw people who had to park pretty far and lug their chairs. Parking was free which is a plus! Also, you can reserve and this man came down to beach with umbrellas and chairs which I've never seen so love this bougie-ness!

Great beach, parking can be major problem. Be prepared to be annoyed if a sunny day when many are thinking like you, "let's go to the beach."

Isle of Palms Beach was a nice, but crowded beach. When we were there, there was a pretty large thunderstorm front sitting just off the coast. But, we were able to walk on the beach for about an hour before it finally came onshore. The beach itself was nice, but it was really crowded. I give this beach an 8/10 rating for the beach itself, but a 5/10 for the crowds. Overall, I give it a 7/10.

We had a phenom week here. The beach is great, not crowded at all with shops and eateries just a block away. We had one day with bigger waves which scared our toddler but the rest of the trip the water was way gentler. Water is refreshing and no reports of sharks or jelly fish. Would definitely recommend to all!

Beautiful white sands beach. Nice park with changing rooms and washing facilities. Does get crowded.

Awesome beach! Clean and friendly!! Enjoyed playing in the pools at low tide! Water is just right! Love the healing energy!! Easy access and lots of parking!

Heard about this spot from a friend so we took a day trip. It was 25 minutes from downtown Charleston so not bad. You pay by the car and then walk right on the beach after parking. The beach was nice. They had showers and a changing area too. We had a great time.

Little one loves the beach so weekend getaway just us friendly ppl nice clean areas to walk eat play. We definitely enjoyed ourselves this was her second time visiting although she called it myrtle beach when she told her uncle where she was at‍‍‍‍ no ma'am.

I absolutely love this beach! There's little shops/boardwalk and accessible parking! I usually like to come to watch the sunrise and it's very quiet and calm! Around this time frame it seems to be the peak where a lot of people come to the beach since there is beautiful weather in Charleston. If you're visiting Charleston/need something to do, I highly recommend taking a day to the beach!

We were in town visiting friends and this was the beach they suggested because it is more of a family beach than a party beach. There is no smoking/vaping (YES) and no alcohol allowed. Parking is ABSOLUTELY CRAZY!!! Save yourself the headache and go ahead and pay the $15 and use the county lot near the beach entrance. Even that was packed and they were squeezing in as many people as they could. The poor parking guy that helped us into our spot said he'd been yelled at all day... be patient, it's not their fault. It was a beautiful Saturday so of course everyone wanted to be there. The beach is clean, the water was perfect and it was a fantastic day! There are lifeguards and we watched them do several live training exercises which was really cool. I would definitely visit this beach again; however, I would splurge on a house right on the beach to avoid the parking hassle and getting sand all over the car. There are showers to spray off with but you never really get rid of the sand

This is a nice park for families wanting a day at the beach, but also some nice amenities. Entrance to the park is $10 per car. This is a good place to go because during the summer months they have lifeguards, there are restrooms and showers and you can buy snacks. The bad side of Isle of Palme county park is how crowded it gets. Go early because it usually fills up within an hour. The park opens at 10 am. My daughter and I go early, have breakfast on the island and then take Palm Boulevard to the entrance. All of the tourists come off Of the connector and form a huge line on JC Long Boulevard. By coming the other direction, you avoid the line and get into the park much quicker.

We stayed at the boardwalk and while the room was nice and employees friendly, the prices were outrageousand food poor and expensive. They even wanted $50 a day to rent an umbrella and 2 chairs which i feel should be free when paying a resort fee.

Two years later and the Isle of Palms is our "home beach". We absolutely love the place and are thrilled to have moved here not even knowing how awesome this place is in its totality. I can understand why the tourist business is booming and I don't mind the extra traffic as it is minor league compared to the Beltway of our nations capitol. God bless South Carolina! We love you!

My family and I love this beach! It is so beautiful and very much geared towards the family atmosphere. Definitely give it a try if you have never been there. It is beautiful!

One of the most beautiful beaches on the East Coast!! My boyfriend and I spent the day here. This is so easily accessible from Charleston. The sand and water was perfect. There is also so much to do around here, so many restaurants and stores. This is a great family friendly beach. They are doing a great job at enforcing COVID guidelines here as well!! We had an absolute blast and will definitely be returning!!

Beautiful beach in an exclusive area with lots of amazing dining near by. Lots of parking on the road as long as you're 4 ft from the pavement.

A very clean and fun beach. I even saw the public services is going around changing the trashes and so forth. It's easily accessible on our multiple changing stations in Sand wash Stations which is fabulous

One of my favorite beaches, clean , well maintained, playground is good to play on . showers, change cabins are great!

I absolutely love this beach! I came here on a weekend trip to the Charleston area and I would definitely return. Although there are plenty of beaches in the area we chose this one because they are super pet friendly! A lot of the other beaches had restrictions on the hours that dogs were allowed. The only restrictions here were that pets had to remain on leash between certain hours. This rule is to be expected, and is lenient enough for me to easily follow lol. The area from the beach entrance to the water is not a long stretch of sand, but the beach is long in width and there is plenty of room for everyone. There's only a small portion of the beach that is monitored by lifeguards, however swimming is still allowed in the unmonitored parts. This is also a good beach for children, even far out it doesn't get super deep. The sand is soft and the water is lovely. If you're looking for a nice clean beach make your way on over!

It's alright but there are no facilities or showers. Waves are stronger than some locations but might not be enough for surfing. Can get very windy.

Checked out this beach yesterday with my big sis after our jog/run in Mnt. Pleasant. Coming from California and growing up in southern California, we're accustomed to beautiful beaches so i was pleasantly surprised to find this beach peaceful and calm. The hotels, the sand, the beach front resorts reminded me a little of Newport Beach and Corona Del Mar. There wasn't too many people there at the beach yesterday and the weather was a bit overcast and gloomy but my sister and I were glad we still checked it out.

My favorite beach in South Carolina out of the 4 I visited!!! Omg the views were to die for and the water was warm and clear! I fell in love with the SC beach scene by accident. When I landed I didn't really have any meetings until later that evening and my hotel wasn't going to be ready until 3 pm for check-in so I went to the Tanger Outlets bought some swimming trunks and drove straight to the beach. The first beach was foley and after speaking to locals and my fellow yelpers I chose three other beaches within a 20 mile radius. The isle was the cleanest beach and beach town of them all. I didn't find a lot of restaurants, but there were a few chain options and overpriced food that was not worth the price.

Perfect beach trip about four hours from Atlanta. There is plenty of parking along the strip of road that runs alongside the beach. Once you park you can cross the street and there are plenty of entrances that lead you back to the beach. Parking is free and there is no lifeguards on duty at this beach. It is not over crowded and the sand is soft. The water was so refreshing. Definitely recommend.

I have visited IOP for years as I am from the area. The new parking system has made it so that I will not return. They changed over and when I tried to pay, their machine was not working. I waited for another person to try to pay as well with the same results. Without anyone available to pay in person, we decided to go for a short walk and to have lunch. We returned less than 2 hours later to find a ticket issued 10 minutes after we initially parked the vehicle on the windshield. Since it took almost that much time to repeatedly try to pay, they had to have seen us trying to do so but waited until we were out of sight of our vehicle to ticket us. I appealed the ticket since their machine was not working and it was denied due to them placing all blame on the person who parked stating that, "Upon review of your appeal request and the supporting documentation provided by the enforcement ambassador, it has been determined that your vehicle is in violation of City of Isle of Palms Ord. No. 2021-04, § 1, 4-16-2021; stating that no vehicle shall park in any parking space where payment is required, unless the proper payment has been deposited so that the occupancy of the space does not exceed the time indicated on the pay station receipt. The citation issued is valid and your appeal is being denied" It is definitely the least desireable beach in the area so I definitely would not spend my time at a beach where parking fines and fees are more important than the money we spent in the local shops and restaurants. Will not return!

After visiting Folly Beach and having to pay to park, it was refreshing to go to Isle of Palms and not have to worry about that. The beach was beautiful and clean. We parked north of the main little eating and shopping area on a residential street where there was a public beach access boardwalk. I think if we come back to the area we would like to stay around there. It was quiet and peaceful.

Isle of Palms beach is about 20-25 minutes from Charleston. It's a nice beach (alas, no white sand to be had in Charleston) that may draw less crowds than Folly. The farther you go from the pier, the more space you will have to yourself. The waters here are warm in the summer and waves are generally small when the weather's good. The beach also allows dogs.

This was a beautiful beach. It's very convenient that there are so many public access points along the main road. Depending on when you go and how much rain the area has had, some of the access points can flood and make access from those points either difficult or very muddy/yucky. I did find the sand to be a little sharper than other beaches in the area. Obviously it's a beach and you have to expect rocks and shells, but a softer beach is just my personal preference. Much busier beach than Kiawah Island! I did appreciate that each public access point had trash cans...the beach area was very clean!

Favorite beach to visit in SC! We will sometimes take day trips here. Very well kept and clean.

Been coming here ever since I was little & we absolutely love it. We always book houses nearby so everything is walking distance or a very short drive. The beach is dog friendly and the locals are always nice. Fort Moultrie is just down the road and plenty of stores for island goodies and souvenirs. Also plenty of places if you don't feel like cooking and just want takeout or even spending a sunset at a rooftop bar overlooking the ocean.

The beach is beautiful! Clean beach with no trash. Saw a couple sharks, crabs, and dolphins. Fun place for families. Love the beach bars!