Be A Responsible Guest

We are delighted to welcome you to Charleston and hope you enjoy the area's breathtaking natural beauty. Protecting our coastal environment is a priority for our team, and we are committed to preserving the landscapes, beaches, and wildlife that make our community so special. During your stay, you can help make a positive impact by following a few simple, environmentally friendly practices. Together, we can protect our island and ensure it remains a beautiful destination for generations of visitors!

Always Respect the Island

• Please follow designated walkways and roads.
• Do not walk on the dunes.
• The dunes serve a vital purpose of protecting the island from the powerful ocean waves.
• By walking on them, you may weaken and erode the dunes, putting the inland at risk during storms.
• Do not remove plants, disturb wildlife, or feed the animals.
• Charleston serves as a resting point during the migration routes of several species of birds.
• If you see a flock of birds, do not approach them. They need to be left undisturbed so they can conserve energy to finish their migration. If they feel threatened, they are forced to use energy that is essential to their survival.
• Keep our island and its beaches clean and trash-free.
• Help preserve our island’s beauty by properly disposing of trash and recycling plastic and glass containers.
• Glass of any kind is banned on the beach and beach access paths to protect people and pets from sharp injuries.
• Other items prohibited on the beach include single-use plastic bags, plastic straws, styrofoam coolers/cups, balloons, and fireworks.

Conserve Water

Water is one of our most valuable natural resources, and conserving it helps protect our coastal community. During your stay, you can make a difference by being mindful of your water usage. Simple actions such as taking showers instead of baths, using a reusable water bottle, and reusing your towels whenever possible can significantly reduce water consumption while helping preserve our island's natural resources.

Lights Out For The Sea Turtles

Sea turtles are a treasured part of our coastal ecosystem, and protecting them is essential to their survival. If you encounter a nesting sea turtle or a marked sea turtle nest, please observe from a safe distance and never touch or disturb the turtle, nest, or hatchlings.

To help protect nesting turtles and newly hatched sea turtles, please turn off interior lights that shine onto the beach, as well as porch and balcony lights, after dark. Hatchlings emerge at night and instinctively navigate toward the moonlight reflected off the ocean. Artificial lighting can disorient them, causing them to crawl away from the water where they become vulnerable to dehydration, predators, and other hazards.

We also ask that, before leaving the beach, please fill in any holes you have dug and level sand structures. While digging in the sand is a fun beach activity, deep holes can become deadly traps for nesting sea turtles and their hatchlings. Sea turtles are unable to move backward, so if a nesting female or her hatchlings fall into a hole, they may become trapped and unable to free themselves. This can lead to exhaustion, injury, or even death. Filling in holes and smoothing the sand before you leave is a simple step that helps protect these remarkable animals while also making the beach safer for other visitors.

Learn more about our native Sea Turtles from the Island Turtle Team!

Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle

Help keep our beaches and waterways clean by recycling paper products, plastic bottles, aluminum cans, and glass whenever possible. Plastic waste can easily find its way into the ocean, where it poses a serious threat to sea turtles, seabirds, dolphins, and other marine wildlife. The Isle of Palms community has taken meaningful steps to address this issue by restricting many single-use plastic items. By choosing reusable products and properly disposing of or recycling your waste, you can help protect our coastal environment and preserve it for future generations.

Looking for another easy way to reduce your environmental impact? Isle of Palms offers two community composting stations located in Carmen R. Bunch Park (right down the street from our office, next to the Harris Teeter shopping center) and the Isle of Palms Marina. Composting food scraps helps reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills while creating nutrient-rich compost that benefits local gardens and green spaces. If you're preparing meals during your stay, consider saving fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, eggshells, and other compostable materials to drop off at the community composting station. Every small contribution helps reduce waste and supports a healthier, more sustainable coastal community.

Take A Walk (Or A Bike)

One of the best ways to experience the natural beauty of Isle of Palms and Sullivan's Island is by slowing down and exploring on foot or by bicycle. Whenever possible, consider walking or biking to the beach, local restaurants, shops, and parks. Not only does this reduce traffic and emissions, but it also allows you to take in the island's scenic views and relaxed coastal atmosphere.

To make your stay even more convenient, we have partnered with a local bicycle rental shop that offers both traditional and electric bikes. It's an easy, fun, and environmentally friendly way to explore everything the island has to offer.