McClellanville, South Carolina: One of the Cutest Small Towns near Charleston SC
Halfway between Charleston and Myrtle Beach is McClellanville, South Carolina, which I think is one of the cutest small towns near Charleston!
McClellanville is located about an hour from downtown Charleston and about an hour and 15 minutes from Myrtle Beach, and it is PERFECT for your next coastal South Carolina vacation.
It also makes for a logical stop on your trip from Myrtle Beach to Charleston SC.
At its heart, McClellanville is a tiny fishing and shrimping village of about 500 people, but the welcoming community, arts opportunity, and fantastic food will make you feel like family in no time at all.
Read on to discover what to see, where to eat, and what to do in McClellanville, South Carolina.
NOTE: Although we’ve recently moved away, my family and I lived in McClellanville for nearly 7 years, so all of the suggestions in this post come from my real-life experiences as a resident.
This post contains affiliates. If you purchase through the links, I will receive a commission at no charge to you.
Written 5/2022
The History of McClellanville, South Carolina
Originally, it was a place where local planters came to enjoy the cooler coastal breezes, and was named after the McClellan family, one of the first families to settle here.
Many of the McClellans still live in the area, so don’t be surprised if you come across a few on your visit!
More recently, it made headlines as the place where Hurricane Hugo hit land in 1989.
Hugo, at the time, was the most costly hurricane to hit the U.S., and it battered the South Carolina coastline.
We were living inland at the time, and I can remember crouching in the hallway of our house as this horrendous storm raged outside.
Seriously scary!
McClellanville took the brunt of Hurricane Hugo and eye of the storm passed over it, causing major flooding and extensive damage.
Over 70 of the town’s historic homes were partially or completely ruined in the storm surge and wind.
Looking down Pinckney Street in downtown McClellanville
Even though McClellanville took some hits back in 1989, the community has bounced back in a big way in the last twenty years.
When you’re driving along Highway 17 in South Carolina between Myrtle Beach and Charleston, you’ll see a few signs for the McClellanville turn-off.
Yet, beyond the one Circle K at the corner of Highway 17 and Pinckney Street, there’s nothing to indicate that those signs are worth the stop.
I promise: you should take a turn at that blinking light and spend a day in McClellanville!
Things to Do in Historic McClellanville Downtown
On your adventure through one of the best small towns in South Carolina, you’ll want to start in the village itself to get a feel for the area and the community.
The McClellanville downtown area isn’t big, so you’ll be able to explore it all on foot.
Park your car in the large free public lot behind the McClellanville Arts Council and let’s begin!
McClellanville Arts Council
One of the best things to do in McClellanville is right on Pinckney Street in the historic downtown area: the McClellanville Arts Council and Store.
If the store if open, you should definitely peek in to find a one-of-a-kind gift from local artisans. There’s pottery, jewelry, stained glass, books, paintings, and wind chimes.
My favorites are the beautiful bracelets and necklaces in the main jewelry case, and The Unpainted South, a book of poetry and photography by McClellanville resident William Baldwin and photographer Selden Hill.
The Arts Council also has a large room with rotating exhibits, which are always free to look through.
We were big supporters of the Arts Council while we were there, and my kids even walked in the fashion show for the We Are Water exhibition opening!
Students participating in a process art summer camp I taught
Dressed up as a mermaid and scuba diver for the We Are Water opening
Additionally, the Arts Council has a wide variety of classes for adults and kids, ranging from open studio time to pottery throwing to acrylic pouring tutorials to drama-themed summer camps.
All of them are well-priced and accessible to anyone with an interest in the arts.
A Stroll through Historic Downtown McClellanville
The St. James-Santee Chapel of Ease
Spend some time wandering around the downtown area.
You’ll be treated to a wide variety of architectural styles on the churches, storefronts, and homes on Pinckney, Morrison, Scotia, Dupre, Venning, and Baker Streets, which compose the main historic area.
Fans of the Netflix series Outer Banks might recognize a few settings as several of the episodes of the first season were filmed in and around McClellanville (and not in the actual Outer Banks as one might think).
The church tower that is featured in episode 9, “The Bell Tower” of the Outer Banks show is located in the Old Bethel AME church on Drayton Street in McClellanville.
While the church (below) isn’t used anymore for church services, it isn’t abandoned—a local AME church owns and keeps up with the grounds, so you should look from the road.
[It was vandalized after the show came out, which is really sad as the town is proud of its buildings!]
>> Another of the Outer Banks settings was in Hunting Island State Park near Beaufort, SC! <<
Solar System Walk
A few years ago, the McClellanville Arts Council partnered with the Town of McClellanville to create a solar system walk along Pinckney Street.
This walk is a perfect scale of the solar system, so that people can get a grasp on just how vast space is.
Start at the sign on the side of the McClellanville Arts Council (you can’t miss it).
This is the sun for the purposes of the solar system walk.
Facing the sign, you’ll want to turn to the left and walk up the sidewalk towards Lofton Court, further into the village.
Periodically, you’ll come across a small marker next to the sidewalk which explains the distance you’ve covered since you left the sun.
It’s fascinating to see how close together Mercury, Venus, and Earth are, while the gas giants seem impossibly far away!
McClellanville Town Playground
Near the end of Pinckney Street and the public landing is a fenced in playground that’s perfect for little visitors!
Kids will love the pirate ship feature with slides and multiple levels to play on. My kids couldn’t ever leave without several turns on the big whirlygig.
There’s also a picnic table under the oak trees if you’d like to relax here for a moment while exploring around town.
The Village Museum at McClellanville
Run by local Bud Hill, the Village Museum is packed with fun and fantastic things from around this area.
You can move from room to room exploring on your own, or have Bud give you the highlights from among his favorite pieces in the collection.
You’ll see a massive snake skin from a timber rattler that was found in a nearby field, antique toys, photos of the village pre-Hurricane Hugo, and more.
Mr. Bud is a wealth of knowledge about all things McClellanville, so ask lots of questions.
The museum is only open 10 AM-5 PM on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, so time your visit to the area to coincide.
There’s also a small museum store filled with books by local authors. Adults are $5, seniors are $4, and kids are free.
Best Outdoor Activities in McClellanville
Once you’ve fully fallen in love with downtown McClellanville, you’ll want to experience even more of this beautiful part of coastal South Carolina.
With options for every outdoor adventurer, there are some fantastic nature experiences waiting for you here.
Buck Hall Recreation Area
If you’re traveling from Myrtle Beach to Charleston in an RV, you should stop at the Buck Hall Recreation Area.
The camping area is clean and quiet with spots with full hook-ups and more primitive tent camping.
Go fishing at the on-site dock, or launch your canoe for a peaceful paddle on the Intracoastal Waterway.
There’s also hiking access via the Palmetto Trail trailhead (see notes below in Francis Marion National Forest section).
Hampton Plantation
South Carolina’s first poet laureate was Archibald Rutledge, and Hampton Plantation is his family’s home.
My kids and our friends at Hampton Plantation
He lived there until 1969, and the Rutledge family sold the property to the South Carolina State Parks System in 1971, two years before Archibald Rutledge’s death in 1973.
Today, visitors are invited to learn about the lives of the rural rice farmers and the enslaved people who worked the fields here for decades.
The guided ranger tours are particularly good: go on a winter weekday for a near-guarantee of a private tour of the house and grounds.
While the house is empty of furniture, it’s easy to imagine what this place looked like in the antebellum period and to feel how isolated the property was from everything.
>> Explore more of Hampton Plantation State Historic Site on my blog post here. <<
Francis Marion National Forest
Spanning over 250,000 acres, this National Forest has survived decades of natural disasters, even bouncing back after nearly a third of the trees and vegetation were wiped out after Hurricane Hugo in 1989.
The resilience of this area has only let to a more lush place to hike, bike, kayak, and hunt.
For those looking to experience a day on a black water swamp, I recommend renting a kayak and putting in at the Wambaw Creek Landing, where the Wambaw Canoe Trail begins.
[More info on how to get to the landing here.]
The landing is only about 20 minutes from downtown McClellanville, and kayaks and tours can be rented from Nature Outfitters.
The Palmetto Trail, a hiking trail that cuts all the way across South Carolina, begins at the Buck Hall Recreation Area in McClellanville.
If you want to do a small section of the Palmetto Trail while you’re in town, I recommend the Awendaw Passage, which is flat and easy to access.
Plus, it provides beautiful views of the marsh and maritime forest. Park at Buck Hall Recreation Area ($5/day) and follow signs to the trailhead.
>> Get even more suggestions on what to do in McClellanville, Awendaw and beyond in my Discover Charleston digital visitors guide! <<
Can’t-Miss McClellanville Events
While everyday is a good day to visit McClellanville, SC, there are some extra special events held throughout the year that are worth seeing, too.
Here are the best festivals and events in McClellanville for 2022!
Lowcountry Shrimp Festival
The biggest event in McClellanville for the entire year is the Lowcountry Shrimp Festival! Local artisans and community leaders work for months to prepare.
The result is a weekend long festival filled with live music, an arts fair, demonstrations, the Blessing of the Fleet (below), and more.
This year, the Lowcountry Shrimp Festival will be held Saturday, May 7, 2022.
All of the events are held at the Town of McClellanville Public Boat Landing at 405 Pinckney Street.
Park wherever you can on the side of Pinckney Street, while being careful of mailboxes and driveways. Come early for a good spot because it will get busy!
Our daughter making a careful selection at the crepes stand at the Lowcountry Shrimp Festival
Meander around the main arts and crafts area where you’ll be able to buy at everything from local maps to festival shirts to local honey and produce.
The Awendaw-McClellanville Fire Department brings one of their firetrucks for kids to climb in and chat with the firefighters.
There is a big lawn filled with jump castles, blow-up slides and more for the kids at the festival.
When you get hungry, head to one of the food kiosks or trucks to get fresh lemonade, fried and boiled shrimp, and more.
Blessing of the Fleet
This event is held once a year in early May, and it’s the same weekend as the Shrimp Festival (above).
As this is a working fishing village, the community has long incorporated a blessing of the shrimp boats as they set out for their summer harvests.
Watch from the banks of Jeremy Creek as local fishermen, their family, and friends crowd on to the boats and troll along the creek for their opening day blessing.
Land and Sea Market
A bustling Saturday morning at the Land and Sea Market in McClellanville | source
With the abundance of produce, seafood, dairy, and meat products being grown right in McClellanville, having a farmer’s market only seems natural.
Local Addie Bates realized that this area needed consistent access to those foods, so she created the weekly Land and Sea Market to fill that gap.
Since 2016, local farmers, cottage industry bakers, and artisans have set up booths under the oaks each Saturday 9 AM-noon between April and December.
You’ll be able to buy locally produced milk, beef, chicken, and eggs, as well as in-season fruits and veggies.
There’s at least one or two booths of freshly baked cookies and cakes.
Occasionally, one of the local churches or the McClellanville Arts Council will set up a table for kids to do a free craft.
The market is at the corner of Highway 17 and Pinckney Street (1369 Pinckney Street) with free parking on the lot behind the booths.
See what’s coming this weekend on the Land and Sea Facebook page.
Best McClellanville SC Restaurants
PIN ME!
After you get your fill of looking around McClellanville, head back to Pinckney Street to decide where to eat.
McClellanville, being one of the last active fishing villages in South Carolina, has many seafood options around town, so you won’t be disappointed with any of these options.
T.W. Graham’s
T.W. Graham’s at 810 Pinckney Street in the historic downtown area is a solid choice.
You’ll quickly notice that everyone else there seemed to know each other, which seems impossibly quaint and awesome.
There’s always a market fresh seafood option that rotates throughout the year, with some standards like the fried fish platter.
Definitely get a basket of hushpuppies, a glass of sweet tea, and a slice of Pawley’s Island Pie for dessert!
Buckshot’s
Back out on Highway 17, you’ll find Buckshot’s, which is known for its heaping plates of soul food.
Dive into some fresh crab or fish, fried chicken, mac and cheese, collards, or peas for Charleston style food at its best.
If you’re feeling extra hungry, opt for the buffet!
The Bent Rod
Just a few yards down Highway 17 from Buckshot’s is a small wooden building housing one of our favorite restaurants in McClellanville: The Bent Rod.
The decor leans heavily towards the simplistic, but the food more than makes up for its rustic appearance.
In addition to menu standards like the fried chicken sandwich and shrimp basket, The Bent Rod also serves up a rotating daily special.
We loved Taco Tuesday!
McClellanville Diner
Also located on Highway 17, this bright yellow building has been a staple of the community for decades.
It’s known for its amazing desserts and delicious breakfast items.
Our family favorites are the cinnamon french toast for breakfast and the Jeremy Creek Club for lunch.
Plan your time as there’s nearly always a wait, and the restaurant is only open between 8 AM and 2 PM daily.
On Fridays, the diner reopens for dinner from 5-8 PM.
I hope I’ve convinced you to make a stop at one of the cutest towns in South Carolina! If you visit McClellanville on your South Carolina travels, let me know.
>> If you need more day trips from Charleston ideas, check out this post. <<
