Sea Kayak Carolina Online Guide
Online Kayaking Guide for Charleston, SC
Current Reports:
• Lake Moultrie and Pinopolis Locks
• Wando River and Cat Island
• Garris Landing to Bull Island
• Oak Island Marsh Tour
• Sol Legare to Sandy Point via the Mighty Stono River (below)
• Deveaux Bank
• Capers & Deewees Island
Don't miss Sea Kayak Carolina’s Resources page for information on tides, weather and other critical information to help you plan your kayak trips in Charleston and other coastal areas in South Carolina.
A Sea Kayak Trip to Sandy Point along the Stono River!
Sol Legare along the Stono River to Sandy Point
Sol Legare Island is richly steeped in historical significance as the Civil War was fought in 1776 and citizens depended upon the Stono River for transport of goods to Charleston. One such incident occurred in March, 1776 when a ship, carrying flour was captured at Sandy Point. 
There is ample parking at the landing. Kayakers typically stage their boats and gear on the grassy areas near the boat ramp, and park in the designated areas.
If the tide is not too far out, the gravel/mud beaches on either side of the ramp can be used to launch. Paddlers who want to avoid getting their feet wet sometimes launch from the floating dock.
We launch at from the Battery Island Landing on the mighty Stono River.
Approximately 2 nautical miles after we launch, we arrive at the junction of the Stono River and Kiawah River. Red daymarker #2 (R”2) is near the east bank of the Stono River just off Snake Island.
Following the ebb tide out, we travel the Stono River around Snake Island on our left and towards Bird Key. Due to bird nesting activity, Bird Key is closed to public use from March 15 thru October 15. The area may be viewed from boats during these months and is accessible to the public below the high water tidal line from October 16 thru March 14. Dogs are never allowed on Bird Key. Bird Key is regulated to preserve the bird sanctuary and dunes of this delicate habitat of brown pelican, least tern, royal tern, black skimmer, gull-billed tern, sandwich tern, common tern, laughing gull, Wilson's plover, American oystercatcher, willet, great egret, snowy egret, tri-colored heron and ibis.
It is not uncommon to see the playful Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins around us in the water as we approach Sandy Point on Kiawah Island, our destination. We relax and beachcomb below the high tide line, to the harmonic pulse of the ocean and it’s wildlife before the tide changes and we travel back to our launch area on the flood tide.
Sandy Point is a popular destination for recreational boaters. Be prepared to share the beach with often raucous boaters during weekends in the summer. Kayakers can avoid the crowds by paddling past them and landing less than a mile further down the beach on the ocean-side of Sandy Point; if skill of the group and the conditions allow.
Hazards:
• Stono is paddled for part the trip and it can get choppy due to wind. Make sure to check your local forecast prior to launching.
•Fire ants, oyster shells and broken glass. (Barefeet and flip-flops are foolish!) Watch for recreational boat and trailer traffic.
•As with many ramps in coastal South Carolina, this ramp can be quite slippery. On local kayaker describes the ramps at low tide as being slick as “eel-poo”! Yikes! Keep toward the center of the ramps. Paddlers who step off the side of the ramp often find themselves at the hospital for a tetanus shot and stitches to close the gaping wound inflicted by the razor sharp oysters
• Kayakers share the landing with recreational boaters; and commercial crabbers, fishermen and oystermen. Normally incident free during daylight hours, Battery Island Landing is best vacated before nightfall, as it may become dangerous after dark.
Directions: To get to the start of this kayak trip, head down Folly Road (Route 171) towards Folly Beach. Stop into Sea Kayak Carolina on the way! Continue south on Folly Road and turn right onto Sol Legare Road immediately after the Piggly Wiggly supermarket on the right.
RELATED LINKS —
›› Google Map with highlighted markers for this trip.
›› MeetUp Photo Gallery from 2009 Sandy Point paddle
›› More information on Bird Key
›› Civil War Official History on the Stono River
›› More Area History: Civil War Official Records on the Stono River
›› SKC Weather Forecast links