10 Dog Friendly Activities in Charleston, SC
Embarking on a journey with your furry friend? Charleston, South Carolina, stands out as one of the most pet-friendly destinations you could choose! From unique seasonal experiences like doggie day at a local waterpark to historical carriage rides and festive holiday lights, Charleston offers a myriad of activities sure to delight both you and your beloved pet. With so many pet-friendly options, you'll find yourself planning return trips just to experience them all!
1. Visit the Farmers Market
Starting mid-April, all the way through the end of November, the farmers market is set up in Marion Square every Saturday from 8am to 2pm. Nestled in the heart of downtown Charleston, this bustling market is a popular activity for pet parents to experience with their fur babies and enjoy a morning of shopping for locally sourced produce, artwork, and other miscellaneous goods. And fear not, your furry friend will be in heaven too, with plenty of vendors offering delicious treats crafted just for them!
2. Cypress Gardens
Cypress Gardens gained fame as the picturesque setting for the iconic canoe scene in 'The Notebook,’ and it has quickly become one of my favorite spots to walk our dogs. If you’re willing to make the drive out to Moncks Corner, Cypress Gardens opens it gates to your four-legged friends November through February. With 4.5 miles of winding walking paths through Cypress Swamps, where the Cypress trees and their knees emerge from the water, and the Spanish moss dangles overhead, It’s sure to be one of the pretties, if not THE prettiest, walks you’ve ever taken with your pup. Pay per human at the entrance to the parking lot and your furry friends can tag along for free!
Just keep in mind that only the walking trails are pet friendly (indoor attractions, and Canoe rides are only for human visitors). Make sure to keep your pup leashed and clean up after them to leave the natural flora and fauna just as beautiful as you found it! Just be careful if you come across an alligator (those aren’t made of plaster).
3. The Beach (Sullivans, IOP, Folly)
The Charleston area has several beaches that will welcome your furry friends!
Folly Beach
According to The City of Folly Beach website, the only times dogs are NOT allowed on the beach are May 1st through September 30th specifically from 10:00am to 6:00pm. To be honest, I’m not sure your pup would enjoy themselves much during those peak times in the Carolina heat anyway. Any other time of year, Folly welcomes your furry friends with open arms, so long as they are on leash and cleaned up after!
Isle of Palms (IOP)
Isle of Palms is a pet friendly beach year round, with set off-leash times for those pups with great recall. According to the Isle of Palms city website off-leash times from April 1st to September 14th are from 5:00am to 9:00am, and from September 15th to March 31st from 4:00pm until 10:00am. Be sure to have a record of your dogs most up to date vaccinations and make sure they are current on their Rabies immunization before bringing them to the beach. IOP just asks that, if you choose to allow your dog off leash, you have their leash in hand and have them under control at all times.
Kiawah Island
Kiawah is a mostly gated community, with its only public beach access through Beachwalker Park. This beautiful area is well worth a visit, but just be mindful of their leash laws. Kiawah allows dogs to enjoy the beach with their humans, and allows dogs to be off leash at select times and in select areas. According to the Town of Kiawah Island website, dogs are allowed off leash “Between the eastern boundary of the Beach Club and the Ocean Course Clubhouse” from 7:00am to 7:00pm. Dogs are always prohibited from entering critical habitats, and electronic leashes are not allowed.
Please reference the Town of Kiawah Island’s website to familiarize yourself with the most up to date leash laws and off-leash zones permitted by the town of Kiawah Island : https://kiawahisland.org/leash_law.php
4. Bring Your Pup to the Waterpark
As the Waterpark season comes to a close in early fall, a few of the local waterparks have special days designated to bring your pup to wade in the wave pools before they drain them for the season. Tickets can be purchased per dog in advance or at the gate. To attend, all dogs need to be up to date on their vaccinations, with proof of immunizations, and older than 6 months old. Dogs that are in heat or younger than 6 months in age are not permitted. Owners are advised not to trim down their dogs nails, since walking on the waterparks concrete surface is bound to file them down.
Dogs may be allowed off leash while in the water, but need to be under the owners command and being watched by the owner at all times. Check Charleston County Parks website (https://ccprc.com/1182/Dog-Day-Afternoon ) to find out when their Dog Days are scheduled for this year for each of the three water parks. These special days are typically scheduled for early-mid September, keep an eye out so you don’t miss it!
5. Holiday Festival of Lights
The James Island Holiday Festival of Lights can be just as enjoyable for dogs as it is for their humans! Just pack up your pup safely in the back seat of your car, and roll through the impressive assortment of Christmas lights. Open from mid-November until January 1st, the Holiday Festival of Lights is fun for all ages! Christmas songs on the radio are totally optional, but of course encouraged. At the center of the light set up, you can visit the Christmas Village, where children can get their pictures taken with Santa, you can shop for ornaments, and even roast marshmallows by the fire. Dogs are welcome to join you for any of the outdoor activities!
Make sure to give yourself a little extra time to get there! This popular holiday attraction brings crowds that are sure to have you backed up in traffic anywhere from thirty minutes to two hours depending on the night. So make sure to pack yourself some snacks, or grab boiled peanuts from a street vendor on the way, and get your Christmas playlist ready for the ride! Check out the Charleston County Park website for this years ticket rates.
6. Grab a Bite to Eat
The Charleston area has so many pet friendly bars and restaurants, there is no shortage of places to bring your pup along. Most places that have any outdoor seating are happy to accommodate dogs, just call ahead to find out the dog policy for any specific place. A few of the most popular pet friendly spots are at Shem Creek, where Reds Icehouse and Saltwater Cowboys are happy to seat you with your furry friend in their outdoor seating. Some nights, Saltwater Cowboys will even pass out bandanas for your pup!
A couple of other spots that boast pet friendly accommodations include Locklear’s on Little Oak, Church & Union, Eli’s Table, Swig & Swine, Poogan’s Porch, Bay Street Biergarten, just to name the tip of the iceberg.
7. Em`bark’ on a Historic Carriage Ride
Are you a history buff? Charleston offers historic Horse-Drawn Carriage Rides along the cobblestone streets of Charleston’s historic district. And the best part? Your dog can sit right beside you the whole way! So long as your dog is well behaved, Charleston Carriage Works allows small dogs to ride with you for free on your lap, or larger dogs to ride with you with the purchase of a child’s ticket.
8. Coastal Expeditions Kayak & Canoe Rentals
If your dog’s not spooked by the water, kayaking Shem Creek alongside the dolphins might be and equally exciting experience for you AND your pup! Coastal Expeditions offers kayak and paddle board rentals in multiple locations, and allows you to bring your dog with you (only small dogs are allowed on paddle boards). They just ask you to call ahead so they can make sure to set aside a pet friendly boat for you! Doggie life jackets are not provided, and it is strongly encouraged you bring your own to keep your pup safe.
9. Charleston Tea Garden
Charleston Tea Garden is a large garden of hundreds of thousands of tea bushes that stretch for acres. The attraction is free for both you and your pup, and sure to be a favorite for tea-loving humans. Dogs are not allowed in the gift shop or on the trolly rides (tickets for the trolley ride can be purchased onsite).
10. Visit a Brewery
Charleston is known endearingly as a drinking town, and luckily for you, many of the local breweries allow you to sip beer flights while your best bud sits by your side! According to the Charleston City Paper, the Charleston area has 37 breweries, and many of which have outdoor seating where your dog can drink (water of course) right alongside you! Places like the Rusty Bull, Revelry, Tradesman Brewing Co., Palmetto Brewing Co., Holy City Brewing, and Edmunds Oast, all have outdoor seating to accomadate fur babies and their human companions.
If you’re looking to try a couple of breweries within walking distance, check out the Park Circle area in North Charleston! If you follow State road S-10-62 just off of Park Circle, there are a clump of breweries, bars and restaurants, on or just off this road, that are happy to let your doggo tag along with you in their outdoor seating. Then before you leave the area, hop over just about a mile down the road to Holy City Brewing, my personal favorite!
In Conclusion…
With its abundance of pet-friendly activities and welcoming atmosphere, Charleston is a paradise for both you and your pup. So pack your bags, leash up your furry friend, and get ready for an unforgettable adventure in this charming Southern city, and make every day in Charleston a pawsitive experience!