10 Free Things To Do in Beaufort, SC

10 Free Things To Do in Beaufort, SC

Here’s a list of free things to do to help you navigate your way through beautiful Beaufort while keeping your wallet, and your budget in check. With so much history and being surrounded by water, there are plenty of options.

 

Enjoy Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park

Downtown Beaufort’s gem is it’s waterfront and Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park lets you enjoy it all. It’s pet friendly, always open and offers bench swings; you can enjoy  fishing, letting the kids work off all that energy at the playground, relaxing at a table; you can take advantage of the jogging/walking path, use a restrooms when y’all need to and then walk along the seawall doing some dolphin watching.

Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park offers a variety of things to enjoy during a lazy Beaufort afternoon.
Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park offers a variety of things to enjoy during a lazy Beaufort afternoon.

Walk or Bike the Spanish Moss Trail

You can get out to enjoy Beaufort and bike, run, walk, and even fish while wondering at a wide variety of animal, bird and plant species along the 5 mile long paved Spanish Moss Trail. A few phases of the Trail are open for residents and visitors’ enjoyment and when all phases are complete, the Spanish Moss Trail will connect the towns of Port Royal, Beaufort, Burton, and Grays Hill to the Whale Branch Pier.

The Spanish Moss Trail encourages healthy lifestyles by providing a paved, dedicated pedestrian and bike trail that connects neighborhoods, parks and businesses.
The Spanish Moss Trail encourages healthy lifestyles by providing a paved, dedicated pedestrian and bike trail that connects neighborhoods, parks and businesses.

Have a Picnic on the Bluff in Downtown

Grab a blanket, a few of your favorite picnic items and someone special and have a picnic under one of the sprawling live oak trees on the bluff along Bay street overlooking the Beaufort River. You’ll find peace, relative quiet and a breathtaking view. A nice breeze and the shade of the oaks finishes off this amazing activity.

A breathtaking view from the bluff along Bay Street in downtown Beaufort.

Take a Stroll Through Beaufort’s Point Neighborhood

Home to some of the most beautiful houses in the south, downtown’s Point neighborhood goes way back to Beaufort’s earliest days, and was actually the location of an old shipyard back in the early 1700s. You’ll find locally and nationally prominent homes including Tidalholm (the Edgar Fripp House), the B.B. Sams House and The Castle along your walk under beautiful live oak trees draped in rustic Spanish moss.

Home to some of the most beautiful houses in the south, downtown's Point neighborhood goes way back to Beaufort's earliest days.
Home to some of the most beautiful houses in the south, downtown’s Point neighborhood goes way back to Beaufort’s earliest days.

Take a Nature Tour Through Port Royal’s Cypress Wetlands

Visit the Cypress Wetlands in Port Royal to enjoy a gorgeous slice of coastal environment that features egrets, ducks, great blue herons and a variety of other migrating shorebirds along winding trails and boardwalks through beautiful foliage that includes willow and water oak trees.

See gators, turtles, birds and lots more at Port Royal's Cypress Wetlands area. Photo by Arastasia Rolain
See gators, turtles, birds and lots more at Port Royal’s Cypress Wetlands area. Photo by Arastasia Rolain

Tour the Parris Island Museum

The Marine Corps exhibits display artifacts spanning from the turn of the 19th century to the present day in side the Parris Island Museum. Open daily from 10am – 4:30pm. Explore the long, rich legacy of the Marine Corps, as well as the exciting history of the Port Royal region.  Admission is free.

Parris Island Museum
An amazing array of history and artifacts await you inside the Parris Island Museum.

Enjoy an Afternoon at the Port Royal Boardwalk and The Sands

There’s a local favorite spot along the water in Port Royal that’s been drawing folks from all over the Beaufort area for years. The Sands in Port Royal offers a long boardwalk with a four story tower to enjoy fishing or a nice walk, and you can pack a picnic and enjoy an afternoon of combing the beach and sifting through the looking for sharks’ teeth; it’s a hotbed for them down there.

The Sands in Port Royal offers a long boardwalk with a four story tower to enjoy fishing, a nice walk or a great workout. Photo by Arastasia Rolain
The Sands in Port Royal offers a long boardwalk with a four story tower to enjoy fishing, a nice walk or a great workout. Photo by Arastasia Rolain

Explore Downtown Beaufort’s Art Scene

Home to a thriving Art Scene, the city has been named #14 on the list ofTop 25 Small City Arts Destinations’ by American Style Magazine, and also a ‘Top 100 Art Town’, so there’s definitely lots to get excited about. Boasting some 20 Art Galleries in the downtown area most of which welcome walk-ins and browsers. you’re sure to fall in love with our wonderful Lowcountry-inspired art while watching a local artist at work.

The Thibault Ballery
You’re sure to fall in love with our wonderful Lowcountry-inspired art while watching a local artist at work.

Visit Land’s End Beach on St. Helena Island

This little swath of quiet, out of the way beach is a favorite among the locals. Located several miles off of the main highway on St. Helena Island adjacent to historic Fort Fremont you may (or may not) find Land’s End Beach. A great spot to swim, fish or gather in the Beaufort sun…it always brings plenty of peace.

Land's End beach offers a quiet out of the way spot to gather in some Beaufort sun.
Land’s End beach offers a quiet out of the way spot to gather in some Beaufort sun.

Marvel at Historic Fort Fremont

Located on St. Helena Island all the way at Land’s End, Fort Fremont is a Spanish American War fort built in 1899 then later abandoned in 1921. The fort is open to the public and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Historic Resources of St. Helena Island, lying right along the coast of Port Royal Sound, it’s picturesque shell remains for all to marvel at.

Fort Fremont is open to the public and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Historic Resources of St. Helena Island. Photo courtesy Phil Heim
Fort Fremont is open to the public and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Historic Resources of St. Helena Island. Photo courtesy Phil Heim