5 Best Sights in Edisto Island, Charleston

This 1,255-acre park includes a 1½-mile-long beachfront with some of the area's best shelling, marshland, and tidal rivers as well as a lush maritime forest with 7 miles of trails running through it. Trails are hard-packed shell sand, suitable for bikes (4 miles are ADA accessible). The park's Environmental Learning Center features animal exhibits and a touch tank, and a small ranger station has fishing poles to lend and firewood for sale. Pets on leashes are allowed. This is an excellent jumping-off point for exploring the natural history of Edisto Island and the surrounding ACE Basin. Amenities: none. Best for: sunrise, walking, sunset.

Edisto's south edge has 4 miles of public beach. At its western end, the beach faces St. Helena Sound and has smaller waves. There is beach access at each intersection along Palmetto Boulevard and free public parking along the road. The beach itself has narrowed due to storm erosion, so you'll have more room to spread out if you time your visit at low tide. These clean coastal waters teem with both fish and shellfish, and it's common to see people throwing cast nets for shrimp. It's a great beach for beachcombing. Alcohol is allowed as long as it is not in glass containers. Amenities: none. Best for: solitude; sunset; swimming.

This fabled attraction, run by a pair of brothers, features an indoor atrium of snakes from around the world, plus a meandering outdoor garden with sprawling habitats for snakes, turtles, and alligators. Educational programs and alligator feedings enrich the experience, and kids love the gift shop.

As you drive toward Edisto Beach on SC Highway 174, look out for a roadside shack emblazoned with "Marsh Hen Mill & Market." Drop in to purchase homegrown, housemade stone-ground cornmeal and grits. These same grits are served in many a fine Charleston restaurant, including mill owner Greg Johnsman's own King Street breakfast joint, Millers All Day. A 1945 grits separator presides over one side of the store; ask for a demo if you'd like to see it in action. Don't leave without some fresh produce from the family farm and homemade cornmeal donuts. Crafts by area artists, cookbooks, and other gifts round out the offerings.