Kiawah Island, SC at a glance
- County
- Charleston County, South Carolina
- From downtown Charleston
- About 25 miles southwest
- Access
- Both islands gated; renters get passes through their rental
- Public beach on Kiawah
- Beachwalker Park, west end, outside the gate
- Ocean Course
- 1991 Ryder Cup; PGA Championship 2012 and 2021
Getting There
Kiawah Island and Seabrook Island sit side by side about 25 miles southwest of downtown Charleston, reached across Johns Island. Both are private, gated communities: you need a pass to drive past the gate, and renters get one through their rental (Seabrook issues gate passes per vehicle, usually for a fee, so ask your host how many are included). Freshfields Village, the shopping and dining centre where the roads to the two islands split, is outside both gates. For the city, see the Charleston guide.
Kiawah Island
Kiawah has about 10 miles of beach, wide and hard-packed enough at low tide to ride a bike from one end to the other, and about 30 miles of paved paths through the island's maritime forest, lagoons and marsh. It is a golf island first: the Kiawah Island Golf Resort runs five courses, and the best known is the Ocean Course, designed by Pete and Alice Dye and opened for the 1991 Ryder Cup. It later hosted the 2007 Senior PGA Championship and the PGA Championship in 2012 and 2021. The others are Turtle Point (Jack Nicklaus), Osprey Point (Tom Fazio), Cougar Point (originally Gary Player) and Oak Point, off-island on Johns Island.
The island's only public beach access is Beachwalker Park, a Charleston County park at the west end. It is reached just before the main gate, so day visitors can use it without a pass, but its lot is small and fills early on summer weekends.
Seabrook Island
Seabrook is smaller and quieter, a private residential community developed from 1970, with the Seabrook Island Club at its centre (golf, tennis, pools, an equestrian centre and a beach club). Club facilities generally need an amenity card, which some rentals include and others sell by the day or week; check what yours includes before you book.
Captain Sam's Inlet and the Dolphins
The inlet between the two islands, Captain Sam's Inlet, is one of the few places where you can watch bottlenose dolphins strand-feed from the shore: they work together to push fish onto the mud and sand banks, then slide up after them. It happens most often in the couple of hours either side of low tide. The dolphins are federally protected; stay well back, never feed or approach them, and don't swim in the inlet, where the tidal current is strong.
Beach Rules (as of October 2026)
- No glass on either beach, and no overnight storage of beach gear.
- Kiawah dogs: from March 16 to October 31 dogs must be leashed at all times outside the designated dog-use area; from November 1 to March 15 they may be off leash from 7 am to 7 pm. Dogs are banned year-round from critical wildlife habitat.
- Seabrook dogs follow colour-coded zones: some areas ban pets entirely, some require a leash at all times, and in the rest leashes are required from 10 am to 5 pm between April 1 and September 30.
- Turtle lighting: on Kiawah, outdoor lights visible from the beach should be off from 9 pm to dawn, May through October.
- No fireworks on either island, and on Seabrook there is no beach parking on the roads or in villa lots.
The official pages are the Town of Kiawah Island (kiawahisland.org) and the Town of Seabrook Island (townofseabrookisland.org).
Find your base in Kiawah Island, SC — browse stays indexed by CielStay.
Search stays on CielStay →Frequently asked questions
Is Kiawah Island open to the public?
Kiawah Island is a private, gated community; you need a renter's, owner's or guest pass, or a golf or dining reservation, to drive past the gate. The public can use Beachwalker Park, a Charleston County park at the island's west end, which is reached before the gate.
How far is Kiawah Island from Charleston?
Kiawah Island is about 25 miles southwest of downtown Charleston, reached across Johns Island. Seabrook Island is next door, on the far side of Captain Sam's Inlet.
What tournaments has the Kiawah Ocean Course hosted?
The Ocean Course, designed by Pete and Alice Dye, hosted the 1991 Ryder Cup, the 2007 Senior PGA Championship and the PGA Championship in 2012 and 2021.
Do Seabrook Island rentals include amenities?
It depends on the rental. Seabrook Island Club facilities such as the pools, fitness centre and dining generally need an amenity card; some rentals include cards and others charge for them. Gate passes are issued per vehicle and usually carry a fee, so check both with your host before booking.
Where can you see strand-feeding dolphins?
At Captain Sam's Inlet, between Kiawah and Seabrook Islands, bottlenose dolphins push fish onto the banks and slide up after them, most often in the hours around low tide. The dolphins are federally protected, so watch from a distance and never feed or approach them.
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Nearby landmarks & attractions
Key destinations and attractions in the Kiawah Island, SC area.
The Ocean Course, Kiawah Island ↗ Maps
Pete Dye course that hosted the 1991 Ryder Cup and the 2012 and 2021 PGA Championships.
Kiawah Beachwalker Park ↗ Maps
Charleston County park at Kiawah's west end; the island's only public beach access.
Captain Sam's Inlet ↗ Maps
Inlet between Kiawah and Seabrook where dolphins strand-feed around low tide.
This guide was assembled from the local knowledge of hosts with properties throughout Kiawah Island, SC, as indexed by CielStay. The descriptions of restaurants, trails, swimming holes, and local tips reflect what hosts share with guests in their listings — not the observations of a travel journalist or guest reviewer. Photos are sourced from host listing images and are credited to their respective listings. Information about permits and trail conditions may change; always verify with official sources before your trip.