What to in the Beautiful Town of Bluffton, South Carolina

Discover the Charm of Bluffton

Bluffton sits between Hilton Head Island and Savannah, up on 45-foot bluffs that look down on the May River. Back in 1825, rich plantation owners built summer homes here to escape the heat.

What started as a tiny one-square-mile village has grown into one of the best places to visit in South Carolina. Here are some of the things you should add to your Bluffton itinerary.

Paddle the May River

Jump in a kayak at Calhoun Street public dock and float down the clear May River, where bottlenose dolphins chase mullet and spot between the oyster beds. The water stays mirror-calm until about 10 AM, making it perfect for beginners to explore the sandbars and salt marshes.

For more adventure, paddle three miles to Bull Creek’s hidden waterways, where wood storks and tri-colored herons build nests in spring. The river’s mix of fresh and salt water creates a perfect home for Eastern oysters and blue crabs, which you can spot through the clear shallows when the tide is low.

Historic District Architecture

Walk through Bluffton’s one-square-mile historic district, where eight buildings survived General Sherman’s burning of the town in 1863. The Church of the Cross, built in 1857, stands 90 feet tall with its striking brown cypress walls and cross-shaped design.

The Heyward House from 1841, built with local pine and cypress, shows how people lived back then, including its original slave quarters. Look for the special ‘Bluffton Style’ in all the old houses – 12-foot-wide porches that wrap around the building and foundations raised six feet high to catch cool river breezes.

Fossil Hunting at the Oyster Factory

Hunt for ancient treasures along the riverbank when the tide is low. People have found 3-inch megalodon shark teeth here that are 23 million years old. The river has given up over 400 different fossils, from mammoth teeth to whale bones. Bring a small shovel and a sieve with 1/4-inch holes to search through the shell-packed sand.

Church of the Cross Photography

Morning fog rolls off the May River and turns this 163-year-old church into a magical sight, especially between 7 and 8 AM when sunlight streams through the Spanish moss. The cemetery next door holds headstones from the 1830s that tell stories of Bluffton’s first European settlers through their carved inscriptions.

May River Sandbar Experience

When the tide goes out for six hours, a natural beach emerges right in the middle of the river. This sandbar stretches for a quarter mile and grows to 800 feet wide, making a perfect swimming spot where the water stays a comfortable 75 degrees through October.

While you swim or hunt for lightning whelk shells and sand dollars, you’ll see local shrimp boats bringing in their morning catch. Make sure to wear tough water shoes to protect your feet from the razor-sharp oyster shells that line the sandbar’s edges.

Heyward House Exploration

Step into this beautifully preserved house from 1841, where 80% of the original building still stands. Tour guides share stories about daily life in old Bluffton, from cooking methods in the summer kitchen to detailed histories of the enslaved people who lived in the quarters.

Walk across the original heart pine floors, hand-planed by enslaved craftsmen, in the 850-square-foot main house. Old photographs and documents fill the museum’s collection, while the gardens showcase traditional Lowcountry plants like native azaleas and confederate jasmine.

May River Fishing

Cast your line for red drum and spotted sea trout where the incoming tide pushes baitfish against ancient oyster beds. The best fishing happens during the first three hours of rising tide, especially around Huger Cove where the water runs deep.

Try early morning or evening to catch flounder, which can grow bigger than 20 inches in these nutrient-rich waters. Most fish bite between April and November, and local anglers know exactly which spots to target as the seasons change.

Hidden Park Discovery

Find peace in Bluffton’s small waterfront parks, where centuries-old live oaks create natural canopies. DuBois Park features a massive 300-year-old oak with branches reaching 85 feet wide, while Wright Family Park offers clear views of the May River’s gentle curves.

These quiet gardens grow native sweetgrass and yaupon holly, attracting painted buntings and summer tanagers. Signs along the paths tell fascinating stories about local history and explain how plants and animals work together in the delicate Lowcountry ecosystem.

Ghost Tour Experience

Take a lantern-lit evening walk through old Bluffton to learn about spooky happenings that people have reported since the 1890s. The tour visits the Seven Sisters Oak trees, ancient live oaks where locals say spirits gather.

You’ll also hear stories passed down through generations about the town’s most famous ghostly residents, including the mysterious rocking chairs at Carson Cottage that move on their own.

Lowcountry Oyster Roasts

Join a beloved tradition between September and April, when clusters of fresh May River oysters steam over oak wood fires. These oysters come from beds that have supplied the town for over a century, and they have a special salty-sweet taste that makes them famous throughout the Southeast.

New River Trail Birding

Watch for more than 200 kinds of birds along four miles of trails where forest meets marsh. Patient bird watchers might spot endangered wood storks hunting in shallow pools or bright painted buntings adding splashes of color to the trees during their April-to-September breeding season.