Daufuskie Island

From Old Town Bluffton Inn

By Car	22 Minutes
By Walk	Not Walkable

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Details

Address	41 Boat House Street, Bluffton, SC 29910, United States
Phone	+1 843-686-6996
Website	https://www.outsidepb.com/
Hours	Private 4-hour excursion, departure times vary

Photo by @0utsidebrands

Five miles of sea island with no bridge, no traffic lights, and dirt roads under a canopy of live oaks. You get there by boat; you get around by golf cart, and the Gullah community that has held on here since emancipation is the reason to come. You can be on the water by mid-morning, either on a guided trip with our partner Outside Brands or by water taxi from the Calhoun Street dock, an easy walk from the Inn.

Daufuskie sits between Hilton Head and Savannah, and the thing that has protected it is the water. No bridge was ever built, so there is no through traffic, no strip development, and no reason for anyone to be on the island who did not mean to come. What you find instead is sand roads running off between the oaks, weathered cottages with doors painted haint blue to turn away spirits, tabby ruins from the plantation era, and the descendants of Iberian horses the Spanish left behind, the Carolina Marsh Tackies. The whole island is a National Register historic district, listed for its Gullah and Civil War history. That history is the heart of it. After the war, freed families stayed and built a self-sufficient community here on fishing, farming, and oyster shucking, and because the island was so hard to reach they held onto West African language and tradition long after the mainland lost it. When the Savannah River pollution closed the oyster beds in the 1950s the work went, and most people went with it. By the time a young Pat Conroy arrived in 1969 to teach at the two-room Mary Fields School, there were fewer than a hundred people left. He wrote The Water Is Wide about that year.

Photo by @0utsidebrands

A day here works best if you let it be slow. Rent a golf cart, which everyone does, because the island is roughly five miles long and the roads are sand. Then go and find things. The old Mary Fields School still stands and now houses a coffee shop and an indigo textile studio, which is a fair summary of how Daufuskie has kept going. There is the First Union African Baptist Church, the Cooper River Cemetery, and the Bloody Point Lighthouse at the island’s southern tip, now a small history museum with a winery next door. There are working artists all over the island, at the Iron Fish gallery and elsewhere, and there is rum being distilled and a crab shack at Freeport Marina, where most day trips end up. The beaches are wide, quiet, and often empty. Two practical things worth knowing before you plan anything. Getting there is the whole logistical question and it needs booking in advance, not sorting out on the morning. And bring bug spray between May and September, because the gnats and mosquitoes on a still day are not a joke.

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Old Town Bluffton Inn

Amenities

High Speed Wifi
L'Occitane en Provence
Hair Dryers
Steamer/Iron Combo
Bath Robes and Slippers*
In-Room Safe
55in Standard TV
Alarm Clock with Outlets
White Noise Machine

*Upon Request

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Photo by @0utsidebrands

Why Visit

Our Inn-sider answer for the day guests remember longest. This is the one trip from Bluffton that feels like genuinely leaving, and it is easier to organize from here than most people expect.

A National Register historic district covering the whole island, with Gullah heritage that survived because the water kept the mainland at arm’s length, and it is still a living community rather than a restored set
The two-room Mary Fields School where Pat Conroy taught in 1969 and which he wrote into The Water Is Wide, still standing, now a coffee shop and an indigo studio
No bridge, almost no cars, and sand roads under live oaks, so the pace changes the moment you step off the boat, and everyone gets around by golf cart
Empty beaches, a lighthouse museum at Bloody Point, working artist studios, a distillery, and a crab shack, all on one island you can cover in a day
Boats leave from the public dock at the end of Calhoun Street, an eleven-minute walk from your room, so this is a day trip you can start on foot
The private Daufuskie Island Excursion with our partner Outside Palmetto Bluff runs as a four-hour trip from Wilson Landing, with a golf cart tour and introductions to island residents and artisans, which takes the planning off you entirely

Message from the Harrisons

Daufuskie is one of the most unique places around here. Even though you’re right between Bluffton, Hilton Head and Savannah, it feels like you’ve gone somewhere completely different. It’s quiet, serene and has this great old-school island feel to it.

Vince Harrison

Best Time To Visit

Boats run year-round, so this is a trip you can take in any season, though the crossing and the island both feel quite different across the calendar. Spring is the sweet spot, with mild days, everything green, and the bugs not yet properly awake. Summer is hot and humid, and the island is at its busiest, but the beaches are the reward, and an early boat gets you the morning before the heat lands. Fall is our own pick, when the humidity lifts, the water settles, and the crossing is at its most beautiful. Winter thins everything right out, and while some services run reduced schedules and a few island businesses close for the season, a clear cold day on an empty Daufuskie beach is hard to beat. Schedules vary by operator and by season, so check with your ferry or water taxi directly, or ask us at the front desk, and we will help you sort it.

Getting There

This is the part that needs planning. The simplest option is the private Daufuskie Island Excursion with our partner Outside Palmetto Bluff, a four-hour guided trip from Wilson Landing, about 22 minutes by car. To go on your own, May River Excursions runs a water taxi from the public dock at the end of Calhoun Street, which is walkable from us, and reservations are required. From Hilton Head, ferries and water taxis run from Harbour Town and Shelter Cove.

Good to Know

Almost everything on the island runs on limited or seasonal hours, and it is not the place to improvise lunch, so check ahead. Cash is worth carrying. There is no hospital and no pharmacy, so take what you need with you, because there is no shop to run to.

Getting Around

Book a golf cart at the same time you book the boat. Most operators arrange it so the cart is waiting at the dock, and turning up without one on a five-mile island of sand roads makes for a long day on foot. If you would rather bring a bicycle, check with your operator first, as policies and fees vary.

Weather

Best from October through May. June through September is hot, humid, and buggy, especially inland away from the breeze. Take repellent, sun cover, and water. Crossings can be cancelled in rough weather, so build a little slack into the day.

Don't Miss

Mary Fields School, First Union African Baptist Church, the Bloody Point Lighthouse museum, and whichever artist studios are open on the day. Then the beach, then Freeport Marina for something to eat before the boat back.

A Day Off the Mainland

Breakfast

8:00 AM

Breakfast is on at the Inn. If you are going out on the water taxi from the town dock, it is eleven minutes on foot to the end of Calhoun Street, past the Church of the Cross, and the car stays where it is.

The Crossing

9:00 AM

Between twenty minutes and an hour, depending on the boat, down the May River and across the sound. Dolphins are common rather than lucky. Sit outside if the weather allows.

On the Island

10:00 AM

If you booked a golf cart with the boat, it should be ready for you. Explore the five-mile island along the sand roads without a fixed plan. Key spots include the Mary Fields School, First Union African Baptist Church, the Cooper River Cemetery, and the Bloody Point Lighthouse museum. Take your time with the history in the morning, while it is still cool.

Lunch at Freeport

12:00 PM

The crab shack by the marina is where most of the island's day-trippers end up, and deservedly. Sit outside and take your time.

Studios and the Beach

2:30 PM

The artists' studios, the distillery, and the indigo dyers are all worth an hour. Then find a stretch of sand and do nothing at all until the boat departs.

Back Across the Water

4:30 PM

Catch the boat back while it is still light. Our complimentary wine is poured until 7 PM, and with more than twenty restaurants within walking distance, dinner is the easiest decision of the day.

FAQ

Daufuskie Island is reachable only by boat, since no bridge connects it to the mainland. Old Town Bluffton Inn guests can take the private Daufuskie Island Excursion with our partner, Outside Palmetto Bluff, departing from Wilson Landing. Water taxis also run from the Calhoun Street dock in Old Town Bluffton, and ferries from Hilton Head.

Visit our excursions page and select Book Now, which takes you to Outside Palmetto Bluff’s booking page. The excursion is a private four-hour trip for up to six people, and guests should arrive 15 minutes before departure.

The excursion includes the boat crossing, a golf cart tour of the island’s historic sites, and visits with local residents and artisans. An iced cooler with bottled water is provided.

Daufuskie Island has very few cars, and most visitors get around by golf cart on sand roads under the live oaks. The island is about five miles long, so a golf cart or guided tour is the easiest way to see it.

Daufuskie Island is known for its Gullah heritage, preserved by generations of island families after the Civil War. It is also home to the Mary Fields School, where Pat Conroy taught and which inspired his book The Water Is Wide.

October through May is the most comfortable time to visit. June through September is hot, humid, and buggy, so bring insect repellent, sun cover, and water.