Is the Church of the Cross free to visit?

Yes. There is no admission charge to tour the interior or walk the grounds. They only ask that you call ahead if you want to go inside.

Do you need a reservation to tour the Church of the Cross?

No reservation, but call 843-757-2661 first. Docent tours run Monday through Thursday, 11 AM to 2 PM, and those hours are suspended for funerals and special services.

How far is the Church of the Cross from Old Town Bluffton Inn?

About an eleven-minute walk, straight down Calhoun Street to the water. Parking is limited, so leave the car at the Inn.

Can you go inside the Church of the Cross?

Yes, during docent hours, Monday through Thursday, from 11 to 2. The unpainted heart pine interior is the real reason to visit. Outside those hours, the grounds and riverside graveyard stay open.

When are services at the Church of the Cross?

Saturdays at 5:28 PM and Sundays at 8 and 10 AM, with Morning Prayer on Thursdays at 9. Services are for worship, not tours, so come on a weekday between 11 and 2 for the full history.

What is Holy Honey, and where can you buy it?

The church sells honey during docent hours and at the parish offices on Buckwalter Parkway. Until 1991, bees lived in the north wall, and workers evicted 48 colonies when they installed a new copper roof. The parish sells the honey to support the church.

Shark Tooth Island

From Old Town Bluffton Inn

By Car	22 Minutes
By Walk	Not Walkable

Get Directions

Details

Address	41 Boat House Street, Bluffton, SC 29910, United States
Phone	+1 843-686-6996
Website	https://www.outsidepb.com/
Hours	Departure times vary daily with low tide

Photo by @0utsidebrands

An island that is mostly underwater, made of everything the Army Corps has dredged off the bottom of the Savannah River since the 1800s. Which means the beach is paved with fossils, and you get about two hours at the bottom of the tide to fill your pockets. Megalodon teeth turn up. Not every trip, but often enough.

This is not a natural island, and that is exactly why it works. For well over a century, the Savannah River has been dredged to keep the shipping channel deep enough for the ships going up to the port, and the material pulled off the riverbed has to go somewhere. It gets piled onto spoil islands. That riverbed is ancient seafloor, so what comes up with the sand is fossil, and what washes out of the banks at every tide is a fresh scatter of it across the shore. People find fossilized teeth from bull, lemon, sand tiger, and tiger sharks by the handful. Bigger finds come too, and less often: whale and dolphin bone, stingray plates, pieces of mammoth and mastodon, and now and then a fragment of megalodon. Mixed in with all of it is the other history, because Savannah has been a port for three hundred years, so clay pipe stems, pottery shards, and ballast cobbles turn up alongside things that are millions of years old. Georgia made the fossilized shark tooth its state fossil in 1976, which tells you how much of this coast is built on the same idea.

Photo by @0utsidebrands

Now, the honest part, because this trip has real conditions attached. The shoreline is only exposed at low tide, so departure times change daily, and there is usually only one window. You go when the water says so, not when it suits your calendar. Getting ashore means climbing off the bow of the boat into ankle- to knee-deep water, and what you land on is black river mud that is slick in places. Wear water shoes or boots you do not mind ruining. There is nothing on the island at all, not even shade, so carry your own water, snacks, and sun cover, and take everything back out with you. It is a proper outing rather than a stroll, so it suits people who are steady on their feet. And do not attempt this independently in a kayak. The currents run hard, the tide comes back fast, and the wake off a loaded container ship is no joke. Go with a captain. The excursion is a private four-hour trip for up to six, leaving from Wilson Landing, and we will happily work out the tide with you at the front desk.

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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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Why Visit

Our Inn-sider answer for couples, friends traveling together, and anyone who has ever picked something up off a beach and wondered how old it was. You will come home with fossils in your pocket, which very few places can promise.

Fossilized shark teeth in real quantity rather than as a lucky find, thanks to more than a century of dredge material coming off an ancient seafloor
The genuine chance of something remarkable, including megalodon fragments, mammoth and mastodon pieces, whale bone, and stingray plates
Port-city history in the same handful of gravel, with clay pipe stems, pottery, and old ballast stones washing out alongside the fossils
You keep what you find, which turns a boat trip into the story you will be telling at dinner for the rest of your stay
A private trip for up to six with a captain who knows the island and the tide, rather than a scheduled group boat, so it works just as well for two as it does for a small group of friends
Based here, the logistics are somebody else's problem. Short drive to the landing, back at the Inn with the rest of the day still yours, and dinner on foot with muddy shoes left outside the door

Message from the Harrisons

One of my bucket list items is finding a Megalodon tooth. I am happy to tag along with any of our guests who decide they want to give it a try. There is nothing like a quiet day on the water anywhere here in the Lowcountry. Turn off your phone, sit back, and enjoy the breeze. Pro Tip: If you don't find a Megalodon tooth, May River Excursions may have one laying around for purchase.

Vince Harrison

Best Time To Visit

Trips run year-round, and the truthful answer is that the tide matters far more than the season. Every low tide reshuffles the shore, so there is no bad month, only a right time of day that changes daily. That said, the seasons do shape the experience. Spring and fall are the most comfortable, with mild air, firmer footing, and no shortage of daylight low tides. Summer means heat and no shade anywhere on the island, so a morning window is much kinder than an afternoon one, and everyone needs a hat and more water than they think. Winter is quiet, and the finds are just as good, though the river wind bites and you will want layers and dry socks waiting in the car. Whenever you come, book early and stay flexible, because the tide sets the time and not the other way around. Current schedules are on our excursions page, or let us sort it for you.

Reservations

A private four-hour trip for up to six people, departing from Wilson Landing, with check-in fifteen minutes before departure. Departure times are set by low tide and change daily, sometimes at short notice, so book ahead and keep the rest of the day flexible. Confirm your time the day before.

What to Bring

Water shoes or mud boots you do not mind wrecking, and a change of footwear for the car. Water and snacks, because there is nothing on the island. A hat and sun cover, since there is no shade anywhere. A bag or container for finds. Small sifters and hand tools help, and some operators provide a few to share.

Getting There

By boat only, from Wilson Landing at Palmetto Bluff. Getting ashore means stepping off the bow into shallow water and onto soft mud, so everyone in the group needs to be reasonably mobile. Please do not try to reach the island on your own in a kayak or small boat. The currents, the tidal range, and the wake from container ships make it genuinely dangerous.

Insider Tip

Look for the small black triangles first. Most of the teeth are small and dark, and once you have found the first one, your eye adjusts, and the rest start to appear. Beyond shark teeth, keep an eye out for stingray plates, fossil bone, shell, and the occasional piece of something much larger. Historic pottery, clay pipe fragments, and ballast stones come from the port era rather than the fossil record.

Good to Know

Keep an eye on the water, since the tide turns quickly, and watch your footing on the slippery mud. Take all your litter home. It is worth remembering that the island exists because of a working shipping channel, so large vessels pass close, and their wake reaches the shore.

A Day on the Water

Check the Tide

Night Before

Check your departure time, get water shoes out, and leave a towel and dry socks in the car. Not sure how to read a tide chart? Stop by the front desk and we will look it up with you.

Breakfast

Before Departure

Breakfast is on at the Inn, then the short drive to Wilson Landing. Arrive fifteen minutes early. The boat leaves on the tide, not on goodwill.

Fossil Hunting

On the Water

The run toward the Savannah River is half the pleasure, through salt marsh and creeks with dolphins about and ospreys overhead. Ask the captain what has been turning up lately. Once ashore, get your eye in on the small black teeth first, and the rest follows. Spread out, go slowly, and check the shell beds and the darker patches. Everyone finds something.

Old Town

Afternoon

Shower, sort your finds on the balcony, and put the car away for the day. When you are ready, wander down Calhoun, or take the shorter loop to Wright Family Park and Oyster Factory Park, and look at the working river from the bank for a change.

Wine at the Inn

4:30 PM

Our complimentary, guest-exclusive wine bar is open from 3 to 7 pm, so settle into a chair in the parlor or on the balcony while Camo does his rounds.

Evening in Old Town

6:30 PM

More than twenty restaurants are within walking distance of your room, so no one has to drive after a day on the water.

FAQ

Shark Tooth Island is a spoil island in the Savannah River, reachable only by boat. Our private Shark Tooth Island excursion departs from Wilson Landing at Palmetto Bluff, about a 22-minute drive from the Inn. It is one of the most memorable things to do in Bluffton and pairs well with an afternoon back in Old Town.

No. The island is not walkable, and we strongly advise against kayaking or taking a small boat there on your own. The currents run hard, the tide rises quickly, and container ship wakes reach the shore. A guided charter with a captain who knows the tides is the safe way to go. See our excursions page for details.

Fossilized shark teeth are the main find, most of them small and black. Stingray plates, fossil bone, and occasionally megalodon fragments or mammoth and mastodon pieces also turn up, along with clay pipe stems and pottery from Savannah's port history. You keep everything you find, so bring a bag for your collection.

Low tide matters more than the season, since the fossil-rich shoreline is only exposed around low tide. Departure times change daily, so check the NOAA tide predictions or ask at our front desk. Spring and fall are the most comfortable, while summer trips are best in the morning.

This private four-hour charter is for up to six guests and is operated by Outside Palmetto Bluff. Book ahead, since departures follow the tide and can change at short notice. You can also find it with our other May River excursions, and our front desk is happy to help you plan around the tide.

The Old Town Bluffton Inn puts you a short drive from Wilson Landing and steps from the Old Town Bluffton Historic District. After a morning on the water, enjoy our complimentary wine bar and walk to dinner at more than twenty nearby restaurants. Browse our rooms, explore group stays and buyouts if you are bringing people with you, and book your stay.