Folly Island – Folly Beach, South Carolina

Folly Island is home to the City of Folly Beach. It is located in Charleston County, about 15 miles south of downtown Charleston, via Folly Road through James Island. Along with Sullivan’s Island, it’s the closest beach to historic Charleston.

Folly was once called Coffin Island, but these days it’s full of life. On weekends you’ll find Center Street crowded with revelers who gather to talk and drink. There is a shag club, a pool hall, an excellent brew pup, an ice cream parlor, and plenty of restaurants with outdoor seating. Despite its lively nature and an abundant supply of tourists, Folly is a world away from South Carolina’s more commercialized beaches like Myrtle Beach and Hilton Head. It’s still a great place to grab a beer, shake off your shoes, and enjoy the sunset with friends.

Folly is located between the Atlantic Ocean, pictured above, and Folly River, pictured below. The shot above was taken by photographer Kevin Travis, who tells this great story:

“Shot this image on a cold December morning right after Christmas. It was about 40 degrees on the beach at 5:30 am. I used a flashlight to illuminate the old live oaks tree stumps on the beach. Morris Island Lighthouse is in the background. The lighthouse is always the focal point of so many pictures, and rightfully so because of the rich history of this beautiful structure. I wanted to show a different perspective of the beach with the lighthouse playing second fiddle so to speak.”

Other great spots on Folly are its fishing pier and its collection of shrimp trawlers. If you have an image of Folly you’d like to add to the South Carolina Picture Project, please send it here!