Folly BeachCharleston, SC

Visibility is an estimate — wind, rain, tide & water alerts.

Getting in

Shore access, walk in off the sand

Best conditions

Surfing is barred within 200 feet of the pier at all times, and from May 15 to September 15 it is also barred from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. across the central swimming zone, 2nd Street East to 3rd Street West, so the stretch by the pier surfs best outside that season, or beyond its daytime hours within it.

Getting through the gate

The pier opens at 6 a.m. from April through October and closes at 10 p.m., with shorter sun-tied hours the rest of the year; it closes four days a year, for Thanksgiving and the Christmas and New Year holidays. Only anglers pay: $7 for adults and $4 for children 12 and under, seniors and active military, with rod rental at $15 a day plus a deposit. Fishing stops at sunset.

Parking

Paid parking runs 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day of the year: $3 an hour on East Arctic Avenue by the pier, and a flat $15 on weekdays or $25 on weekends from March through September in the small city lots on the same street. Every car must sit parallel with all four tires off the pavement.

On site

restrooms, lifeguard on duty, parking lot, gear rentals nearby

Watch for

Rip currents are common here per the city, and the National Weather Service notes they form more often near low tide and around structures like piers, County lifeguards watch only the central stretch, 2nd Street East to 3rd Street West, from May through Labor Day; outside that zone or season the water is unguarded, Alcohol and open fires are banned on the beach at all times, City ordinance keeps artificial light off the sand from 10 p.m. to dawn, May 1 through October 31, for nesting sea turtles

Checked 2026-08-24. Sources: City of Folly Beach: parking and maps, Park Folly Beach: parking rates and hours, Park Folly Beach: parking locations, City of Folly Beach: rules and regulations, City of Folly Beach: public restroom locations, Charleston County Parks: Folly Beach Pier, National Weather Service Charleston: rip current awareness.