What can do on the coast in November? Get thoughts of frigid weather, snow, and ice out of your mind. The South Carolina coast offers an abundance of outdoor activities during the fall, when the throngs of sea island visitors are gone ’til next summer.
Stroll the Beach
While it’s not when we traditionally consider stretching out in the sand or splashing in the waves, many locals consider November the best month for beach time. With wide beaches and fewer visitors, pick a spot and soak up the rays. It may be a little cold for a long swim, but it’s just right walking on the beach.
Golf. Golf. And More Golf
With Kiawah Island’s five courses and the Harbor and Links courses at Wild Dunes Resort, golfers can get their game on. These beautiful courses provide plenty of challenge, combating the ocean breezes on some holes and marshes and dunes on others.
Go Ride a Bike
Explore Kiawah or Seabrook islands on two wheels with Alligator Bike Rentals. They’ve been renting bicycles since 1986 and like to keep things simple. A delivery truck will bring the bike rentals right to the door of your Kiawah or Seabrook vacation property. In addition, they rent locks, sandbar pouches and baskets - everything you need.
Hit the Courts
Kiawah Island Resort, Wild Dunes Resort and Seabrook Island all offer premier tennis facilities with courts for rent, lessons and pro shops. On Isle of Palms, the city’s tennis and pickle ball courts are available on a first come, first serve (get it?) basis.
Explore the Wild
Take a Barrier Island Eco-Tour aboard a pontoon boat to see the natural beauty of the area. See dolphins in the wild and learn about the various ecosystems that make up the Carolina coast.
Go Fishing
Book a trip with a local charter company like Barrier Island Fishing Charters. They offer family fun fishing trips, inshore fishing on the tidal creeks and salt marshes for redfish, sea trout, flounder and more. Or grab a pole and net and head to one of the local piers or jetties for fishing, crabbing and throwing a cast net. Book a property with a private dock, like our four-bedroom 911 Palm Boulevard on Shem Creek.
Watch for Birds
Autumn makes a perfect time to go birding on the coast with the fall migration bringing a variety of species. Take a pair of binoculars and a guidebook to see how many birds you can identify, including oystercatchers, plovers, pelicans, Canada geese, great blue herons and the snowy egret. The Night Heron Park Nature Center on Kiawah Island offers a Birding for Beginners class from 8:30 to 10 a.m. every Sunday, Wednesday, and Friday through November. The cost is $20 for the hour-and-a-half class. Call the Nature Center for required reservations at 843-768-6001.
The marshes, creeks, ocean, and sandy shores are waiting.