7 Things That Change in Charleston Once the Tourists Head Home

The parking fee at Isle of Palms County Park drops from $25 on summer weekends to $5 this month.

For South Carolinians who live nearby, a lot of other changes work in your favor, too.

Here’s what changes in Charleston once the tourists head home.

1. Hotel Occupancy

January is traditionally one of the lightest months of the year for visitors in Charleston.

In January 2025, hotel occupancy across Charleston County was down 7 percent, partly because of severe weather.

March and April are the opposite.

A 2024 hospitality report puts Charleston’s peak season there, with hotel occupancy of 75% to 81%.

If your dates are flexible, the quieter months are worth pricing first.

2. Isle of Palms County Park Parking and Hours

Charleston County Parks charges $25 for a standard vehicle at Isle of Palms County Park on summer weekends and holidays.

In November and December, you’ll pay $5, and the same applies in January and February.

October costs $10.

The hours change too.

The park opens at 10 a.m. and closes at sunset in November and December, compared with 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. from May to Labor Day, so you start later and finish earlier.

The gate closes to incoming traffic 30 minutes before the park closes.

The snack cart and beach rentals open April 1.

For rentals outside April 1 to Sept. 1, call ahead.

The park is closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

3. Fort Sumter Boat Schedule

Fort Sumter, in Charleston Harbor, is only accessible by the concession-operated tour boat.

The fort doesn’t charge an entrance fee, but you need a boat ticket.

From Feb. 27 to Nov. 30, the posted schedule lists three departures a day from Liberty Square in downtown Charleston.

Boats leave Liberty Square twice a day from Dec. 1 to 24, and again from Jan. 2 to Feb. 26.

Patriots Point departures drop from two a day to one in those same stretches.

The visitor center at Liberty Square is open daily from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The boat schedule is subject to change, so check it before you pick a day with family in town.

4. Beach Dog Hours

Dog hours loosen at three beaches in the Charleston area once summer ends.

Folly Beach, in Charleston County, bans dogs from the beach from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day from May 1 to Sept. 30.

From Oct. 1 until the ban returns May 1, you can bring a leashed dog to the beach at noon.

Isle of Palms, another Charleston County beach town, allows off-leash dogs from 5 a.m. to 9 a.m. from April 1 to Sept. 14.

From Sept. 15 to March 31, the window runs from 4 p.m. to 10 a.m., which is 18 hours a day instead of four.

Mornings run an hour later, until 10 a.m. instead of 9 a.m.

Sleep in.

Dogs are welcome on the beach at all times there, but they must be leashed outside those hours.

At Isle of Palms County Park, dogs must always stay leashed.

Sullivan’s Island, near the entrance to Charleston Harbor, runs its winter dog hours from Oct. 1 to April 30.

From 5 a.m. to noon, a dog can be off leash on the beach.

In summer, that window ends at 10 a.m.

That’s two more hours.

From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in summer, the town bars dogs from the beach altogether.

5. Lifeguard Dates at Folly Beach County Park

At Folly Beach County Park, lifeguards work weekends only starting May 9, then daily from Memorial Day to Aug. 9.

From Aug. 15 to Sept. 27, they're back to weekends, plus Labor Day.

If you swim after Sept. 27, the park's page lists no lifeguard dates.

The snack bar opens April 1, and its hours may vary.

Unlike Isle of Palms County Park, it has one set of hours all year, 8 a.m. to sunset.

Parking there follows the same calendar as Isle of Palms County Park, from $5 in November and December to $25 on summer weekends and holidays.

6. Farmers Market Seasons

From April through November, Charleston's Farmers Market at Marion Square runs Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

December hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, so you can shop either day.

Lowcountry Local First lists Holiday Market dates at Marion Square on Dec. 5-6, 12-13 and 19.

The Sundays on that list are Dec. 6 and 13.

The Mount Pleasant Farmers Market, by contrast, runs Tuesdays through Sept. 29, and North Charleston's market runs Thursdays through Oct. 29.

A few area markets run year-round, including the Holy City Farmers Market on Sundays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

7. James Island County Park Hours

James Island County Park stays open until 8 p.m. from May to August.

In November and December, it closes at 5 p.m., three hours earlier.

The gate shuts to incoming traffic 30 minutes before closing, so you need to arrive by 4:30 p.m.

The Spray Play Fountain runs from March 29 to Sept. 28, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., except Wednesdays, when it opens at noon.