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Discovering Awendaw South Carolina: A Guide to Waterfront Living and Natural Beauty

Located beyond the sprawl of Mount Pleasant and surrounded by national forests and protected coastlines, Awendaw South Carolina takes pride in its rural setting and small-town character.


Awendaw South Carolina History & Overview


The town is situated along Highway 17 between Wando and McClellanville in a Lowcountry stretch of Charleston County. It was historically a fishing and crabbing town and keeps that heritage alive today.

 

Map of Awendaw area, SC, showing roads, parks, and landmarks like Sewee Shell Ring and Bulls Island Ferry. Water bodies and trails highlighted.
The boundaries of Awendaw in upper Charleston County

Awendaw was named by the Sewee indigenous tribe who were the first known occupants of the area. The name is thought to translate to “red clay." The Sewee left behind an oyster shell midden or mound that is a reminder of their largest settlement site, which is listed to the National Register for its importance. The shell rings are visible along a hiking trail and are believed to be an ancient trash deposit begun by pre-Columbian inhabitants that was probably in use for hundreds of years. The natives called their settlement Wappetaw, meaning “sweet water.” The present town was created in 1696 by settlers from Salem, Massachusetts, who fled south after the Salem Witch Trials. The Salem founders of the current town were “dissenters” who were not members of the Church of England (the state-backed religion in colonial South Carolina) and formed their own Independent Congregational Church by 1700 (no longer extant, though the graveyard survives). Wappetaw was renamed Awendaw officially after the American Revolution in 1783.

 

Historic map of 500 acres in South Carolina, dated 1760. Features handwritten notes, a scale of 20 chains per inch, and Pipewin Creek.
A plat from 1760 showing 500 acres on Tibwin Creek next to the “marsh of the seashore.”

Awendaw has a strong rural heritage. It was home to rice plantations alongside saltmarshes for most of the nineteenth century. Tibwin was created by the Collins and Matthews family in the colonial era and retains a later historic house that can be viewed via the South Tibwin Hiking Trail. Two Cedar was home to the Boyd, Swinton, and Whilden families. Walnut Grove was established by the Doar family and is now part of the National Forest. The Pepper Tract, now gated equestrian community, lies just south of Awendaw proper and was used as timber land after the Civil War. 

 

Old map showing detailed topography, rivers, and settlements labeled in cursive. Coastal regions and forests are marked, creating an antique feel.
The Awendaw area with names of the early planters, pictured on the Mills Atlas of Charleston District, 1825. 

Residents and visitors have always loved Awendaw for hiking, biking, boating, hunting, and swimming on the lakes, rivers, creeks, Bull’s Bay, and the adjacent open ocean. The combination of fresh, salt, and brackish water means a diverse bounty of fish, oysters, and shrimp that have been Lowcountry dietary staples for centuries. Locals are aware of tidal fluctuations and the water temperature during different times of the year, which impact what types of fish are in the waters. Summer is the best for ocean fishing, but since the Lowcountry is subtropical, there isn’t a true off season.

 

Calm lake with grassy banks under a clear blue sky. Brown and green vegetation line the shoreline, creating a serene, natural scene.
Salt marshes on the offshoots of Awendaw Creek, with berms that were part of the rice fields. 

The Francis Marion National Forest boasts 260,000 unspoiled acres in which there are plantation houses, trails, marshes, thick woods, and swamps (it is named for Revolutionary War hero Marion, the “Swamp Fox”, who terrorized the British with his guerilla tactics). The Awendaw Greenway has a three and half mile trail in the center of the town. The adjacent Sewee Visitor and Environmental Education Center highlights the areas Native American history and offers programs on the rich flora, fauna, and local ecology. 

Sun shining over a tranquil marshland with lush greenery and trees, reflecting softly on the water. A peaceful, serene scene.
Swamps and marshes in the Francis Marion at twilight.

 

Cape Romaine National Wildlife Refuge and Bulls Island include 66,000 acres of protected coastal landscape that can be accessed by kayak or by Bull’s Bay Ferry operated by the expert guides of Coastal Expeditions. Cape Romaine Lighthouse, built in 1853 to replace an earlier building, is the focal point on the coastline when approaching the preserve from the ocean. Lightkeepers lived on site and manned the Fresnel lens light until the 1930s, when Lighthouse Island, Cape Island, Raccoon Key, and the surrounding marsh became the Cape Romain Migratory Bird Refuge, which has grown to include adjacent Bulls Island. Stephen Bull claimed the island in 1670 as the English arrived in South Carolina and became its namesake. By 1925, it passed to U.S. Senator Gayer Dominick, who built the Dominick House on the island and used it as a winter retreat; he ultimately donated the land for conservation, and the house is now the center of the picnic area next to the ferry landing. Bulls Island has an expansive beach, a “boneyard” of driftwood, miles of hiking trails. There are alligators, dolphins, and sea turtle sites galore as well as 300 species of birds.

 

Driftwood on a sandy beach with palm trees in the background. A clear blue sky sets a calm, serene mood.
Boneyard Beach at low tide

Awendaw has so many outdoor amenities. The town hosts the Blue Crab Festival every August, which was started by the town’s first mayor, William H. Alston (serving from 1992 to 2009) and his wife Minnie. Awendaw Green “a hidden gem and safe haven for all original musicians”, is a “laid back venue in a laid-back town” that highlights local and regional performers. The live outdoor music venue hosts Barn Jams and various concerts on site and sponsors a Wednesday night music scene at Sewee Outpost. 

 

Crowds gather under tents at a Blue Crab Festival with flags waving against a cloudy sky. Pile of blue crabs on the right.
Blue crabs and festival goers from the town’s Instagram page

Most residents do their shopping in nearby Mount Pleasant, an easy commute down 17, but the Sewee Outpost in Awendaw has folks covered with quick convenience shopping, locally made snacks and groceries, fishing gear, bait, outdoor goods and gear including Carhartt and Columbia Sportswear, and gas. The Outpost also has an in-house kitchen that serves fresh biscuits and sandwiches, and a freezer with local meat and vegetables. 

 

Kayaks on a trailer outside Sewee Outpost. A person adjusts gear. Sunny day with trees and cars in the background.
Sewee Outpost, Awendaw’s favorite shop, from their Instagram page

Seeing the writing on the wall of greater Charleston growth, Awendaw incorporated in 1992 to be able to control their own destiny. They have an elected council government system, but do not have public water and sewerage for the roughly 1,100 residents who know that public systems will bring rampant development. Awendaw’s real estate is limited since it is a small town that wants to stay that way, but there are water lots and inland lots to build a dream home, as well as beautiful custom-build houses grouped near 17 and in Woodville community. Most of the houses currently on the market were built in the last ten years or so, in a traditional Lowcountry style.


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