Folly Beach Pier & Where to Stay

A trip seaside before the start of the school season was just what our family needed to wind down the summer. Considering how shark-heavy the southern coast has been this summer, we decided to try a new beach in a new state for a different flavor of coastline than our traditional Gulf of Mexico haven.

We pulled into Folly Beach, South Carolina for three days of salty air beach swimming, sundrenched visits to local landmarks, and tasty coastal cuisine. A bonus to this location – the whole town is incredibly dog-friendly; many restaurants have portions of their menus catering to your pup’s tastebuds! It’s also a close proximity town, so walking to and from your lodging to shops, restaurants, the pier, and the beach is easy breezy.

Our stay at Tides Folly Beach (also dog-friendly) gave us direct access to the Folly Beach Pier, which is referred to as the “end of the US”. The pier offers sturdy chairs and benches for relaxing while people (and dog) watching or just get lost in the rhythmic waves breaking on the shoreline. One night we spent at least an hour watching the adorable dogs on the beach chase their balls into the surf. The beach was unique to us in that there was a noticeable difference between high tide and low tide and how much actual beach was available to beachgoers (during the day it is expansive). We even rescued a wayward tidepool starfish and put it back in the water (after watching a lifeguard do the same).