Beachwalker Park

I was looking up information on Beachwalker Park on Kiawah Island and the website said that in April it is only open on weekends from 10-6. Does this mean the concessions and restrooms are only open at this time? Can you still pay the $5.00 and walk the beach while they are ';closed';?

Beachwalker Park

Whenever there are no lifeguards on the beach at the park, the park is ';closed';. When the park is closed, the parking lot is gated and locked.

The park%26#39;s location on Kiawah is quite remote for ';daytrippers'; from the Charleston area. In the off-season, there are not enough weekday visitors for Charleston County to justify paying guards and attendants.

An alternative (more expensive) would be to plan lunch at The Sanctuary Hotel and get a day pass from the Kiawah Island security gate. From the hotel, you will have access to the entire ten-mile beach. There also is a lovely county park on Folly Beach, which is closer to Charleston and may have better hours for your purposes.

Beachwalker Park

Will you be staying on Kiawah or elsewhere? There are plenty of beaches around here that don%26#39;t charge, the parking is free or cheap, and you can walk for miles. Typically if you pay to park, you%26#39;re getting the added benefit of the use of restrooms and showers, as well as access to shops and concessions.

We are staying at the Shem Creek Inn April 2-4. People have said such nice things about Beachwalker, so we were going to try that. But if it isn%26#39;t going to be open, we will probably try Folly Beach. Thank you for saving us a lot of driving time on our short trip.

From Shem Creek you are about 5-6 minutes to Sullivan%26#39;s Island beaches, and 7-8 minutes from Isle of Palms beaches. Sullivan%26#39;s is completely free to park, but it%26#39;s very residential. IOP has a main ';shopping district'; that has meters but the rest of the island is free to park. Just follow the people with the beach chairs (or jobbing outfits, since you%26#39;re coming in April).

Yes, for Shem Creek, either Sullivan%26#39;s or IOP would be more convenient. If you do decide to drive out to Folly Beach, the County Park is very nice, and the beach at the park is quite natural and unspoiled. Also, on Folly, the town area around the picturesque pier has a different, more old-style beach town atmosphere. There are shops and restaurants on Folly, as well.