Woodlands and wetlands, a park on the Cooper River, and memorial sites connected to the history of the naval base: North Charleston brings together a range of themes for a stay. Add Park Circle, with its central park, and Firefly Distillery, which offers tours and tastings. When planning, you can decide whether nature, history or local offerings should be your focus.

Parks Between Nature and the Waterfront

Wannamaker County Park covers more than 1,015 acres of woodlands and wetlands. Two miles of paved trails offer opportunities for walking, biking and skating. This means the same park offers both natural scenery and specific activities on paved trails. This combination is useful when planning if you want to take both natural areas and exercise into account.

Riverfront Park on the banks of the Cooper River offers a different focus. The park is located on land that was originally part of the Charleston Naval Base. The park officially opened to the public in 2005. Its waterfront setting and the history of the site make it a distinct destination alongside the woodlands and wetlands of Wannamaker County Park.

Memorial Sites and the Hunley

At Riverfront Park, the Greater Charleston Naval Base Memorial honors the history of the naval base and the thousands of men and women who served their country there. The memorial gives the site’s historical background a concrete connection to the people who served there. The Eternal Father of the Sea Chapel is also located near Riverfront Park. It once served as a spiritual refuge for service members and their families.

Another historical topic is the Hunley, the world’s first submarine built for combat operations. When visiting the Hunley, you can view artifacts found during the excavation of the crew compartment on board. This brings both the submarine’s historical context and recovered items from inside it into focus. The Hunley adds a distinct perspective on the maritime past to the sites connected with the history of the Naval Base.

Park Circle and Firefly Distillery

Park Circle is a walkable community built around a landscaped central park. The redesigned inner area includes a pavilion for a farmers market. This gives it a different character from the expansive woodlands and wetlands of Wannamaker County Park or the historical focus of Riverfront Park: here, the emphasis is on a planned town center with a central park.

For those interested in spirits, Firefly Distillery offers tours and tastings. It produces more than 23 spirits, including moonshine, vodka and bourbon; the selection may change. Tour times may also vary, so it is a good idea to check the current schedule before visiting.

Plan Your Stay Around Your Interests

If you’re looking for a vacation rental in North Charleston, first decide which themes you’d like to include in your stay. For nature and activities on paved trails, Wannamaker County Park is a clear focus. Those interested in the history of the Naval Base can visit the memorial at Riverfront Park and the nearby chapel; the Hunley offers a separate historical focus. Park Circle and Firefly Distillery offer different highlights with their central park and tours and tastings, respectively. These distinctions can help you prioritize your interests and find a vacation rental for your trip to North Charleston.

Explore more destinations: Edisto, Mount Pleasant, Kiawah Island, Ladson, Seabrook Island, Sullivan's Island, Isle Of Palms, Charleston.

Return to the main travel overview: Charleston.