Summerville, SC Outdoor Activities

Cocaptains Chip Deaton and Scott Connelly anchored their individual childhood experiences on the water to their passion for aquatic surfaces when they founded Charleston Water Taxi. Here, the duo helms two types of vessels to whisk passengers around Charleston's pristine waterways, navigating through their harbor route. Aboard the intimate boats, riders glimpse some of the city's most eye-plucking sights, such as the Civil War–era Castle Pinckney and the newly constructed Cooper River Bridge—a popular haunt for dolphins who frolic about or shout at humans to speak dolphin when they’re on the sea.

With their fleet of Robinson R22 utility helicopters, the aviators at Charleston Helicopters take joy in breaking the laws of gravity. They whisk passengers high above Charleston for flight lessons and photo tours, and while passing over the harbor, guests can snap shots of the Battery, Shem Creek, and various forts. Viewers may also zoom over the Charleston skyline to admire buildings soaked in red-and-orange sunsets and the flickering lights of surrounding towns. Many of Charleston Helicopters's tours invite guests to toast airborne triumphs upon landing with champagne, instilling an extra sense of victory without having to drag race passing geese.

Olde Towne Carriage Company’s licensed, knowledgeable tour guides have been escorting wide-eyed voyagers along Charleston’s winding 250-year-old streets in horse-drawn carriages for more than 30 years. These carriages are towed by a herd of majestic horses—including doe-eyed beauties Chief, Jake, and Big John—who clip-clop down cobblestone streets as guides impart facts about Charleston's rich history. The changing seasons bring with them themed ghost tours, holiday sleigh rides, a Valentine’s Day ride, and 15-round matches between tour guides in honor of Boxing Day. The carriage company also rents out its old-timey carriages and drivers to help ensure memorable corporate events, special events, and weddings.

For more than 20 years, the aquatic athletes at Trophy Lakes have set national and world records all the while maintaining a 100-acre water-sports and disc-golf complex that has been admired by WaterSki magazine. Disc golfers launch frisbees from 35 concrete tee pads, sinking their discs into 18 baskets. Along the way, water holes and a host of tee-and-pin locations challenge players' throwing skills. Alternatively, two private lakes boast three watersports cables, as well as a slalom course and ski jump. Knowledgeable staff members rent ropes, gloves, skis, wakeboards, and MasterCraft Boats from their well-stocked pro shop. Additionally, Trophy Lakes hosts disc-golf competitions, wakeboard festivals, water-ski tournaments, and lake-drinking contests each year.

Eric Lavender is one of very few men in the world who can show up for work each day in a pirate costume and expect to keep his job. The licensed guide and professional storyteller, who has been featured on networks such as the Travel Channel and SCETV, also has an unconventional coworker—Captain Bob, a chatty blue and gold macaw who perches on his arm. Sometimes aided by other guides in pirate and colonial garb, he introduces visitors to lesser-known aspects of Charleston's more than 300-year history on walking tours to National Historic Landmark buildings.

During his signature pirate tour, Eric divulges stories of buccaneer revelry and crimes, such as Blackbeard's harbor blockade, or unveils local spooky legends and pieces of Gullah lore on his ghost and pirate tour. Eric also leads custom walking tours and teaches children about pirate lore and city history through his educational programs. And, on pub tours, guides show visitors to some of the city's historic taverns, where they reveal which colonial musicians got their start at open-mic nights.

To get to Black’s Camp, visitors follow a long, winding country road bordered by towering pines. At the end, this idyllic retreat sprawls out across the shores of the Santee Cooper lakes, surrounded by 170,000 acres of wilderness. Though its location is isolated, the camp furnishes hunters, fishers, and nature aficionados with ample amenities.

Hunting and fishing guides lead expeditions into Francis Marion National Forest and across 200,000 acres of water, and charter captains take leisurely voyages to Charleston Harbor. A waterfront restaurant hosts a seafood buffet on Friday and Saturday nights. At day’s end, guests can retreat to lodging at campsites or the camp’s waterfront cabins and motel to rest up or pen love letters to Mother Nature.