Memorial Waterfront Park and its 1,250-foot pier, Palmetto Islands County Park ($2), Laurel Hill's trails, three town dog parks and the boat landings.

Last checked Oct. 16, 2026. Facts come from the Town of Mount Pleasant’s facilities directory, its Leash Up MTP page and Charleston County Parks’ listings for each county park, linked below.

Mount Pleasant’s parks are run by two agencies. The Town of Mount Pleasant Recreation Department runs the waterfront park, neighborhood parks, ball fields and community centers. Charleston County Parks runs the pier, Palmetto Islands and Laurel Hill county parks and the public boat landings. The fees below are the county’s.

Who to call

  • Town Recreation Department: 843-884-8517, recreation@tompsc.com
  • Mount Pleasant Pier: 843-762-9946
  • Palmetto Islands County Park: 843-406-6950
  • Charleston County Parks main line: 843-795-4386

The big ones

Park Address Hours Cost
Memorial Waterfront Park 99 Harry Hallman Blvd. 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. No fee listed
Mount Pleasant Pier 71 Harry Hallman Jr. Blvd. 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (Oct. to Dec.) Fishing $7; $4 reduced
Palmetto Islands County Park 444 Needlerush Parkway 8 a.m. to sunset (Sept. to Dec.) $2; under 3 free
Laurel Hill County Park 1251 Park West Blvd. (county listing) Sunrise to sunset $1; under 3 free
Park West Recreation Complex 1251 Park West Blvd. Varies by facility Pool and programs vary

Memorial Waterfront Park and the pier

The town calls Memorial Waterfront Park “the crown jewel of Mount Pleasant.” It sits at the base of the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge, with lawns for picnics, a nautical playground modeled on the bridge and the harbor’s boats, and an off-leash dog park, according to the town’s park listing.

The Mount Pleasant Pier, run by the county, stretches 1,250 feet into Charleston Harbor on pilings from the old Silas N. Pearman Bridge. It has rocking chairs and swings, an 8,100-square-foot covered pavilion and the River Watch Cafe and gift shop.

  • Hours: 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. from October to March; 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. from April to September. The cafe is open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. in October and 8 a.m. to sunset in November.
  • Fishing: $7 a day for adults; $4 for children 12 and under, seniors 60 and older and active or retired military with ID. Rod rental is $15 a day plus a $25 deposit.
  • Rules: the pier takes cards only, with a cash-to-card kiosk. No pets. Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

Palmetto Islands County Park

Palmetto Islands County Park, at 444 Needlerush Parkway, covers 943 acres of meadow, maritime forest and tidal marsh. Paved trails and boardwalks link the Big Toy playground, a tidal creek fishing dock, the 50-foot Nature Island observation tower, picnic sites and the summer-only Splash Island Waterpark.

  • Hours: 8 a.m. to sunset from September to December; the gate closes to incoming cars 30 minutes before closing.
  • Admission: $2 per person; free for Gold Pass members and children 2 and under.
  • Dog park: off-leash, with separate areas for large and small dogs. It is closed until 9 a.m. every Tuesday for maintenance.
  • Bikes and kayaks: bike rentals from 10 a.m., $5 an hour or $15 a day. Personal kayaks may launch onto Horlbeck Creek from the kayak dock, but not onto the pond. Fishing the tidal creeks needs a state saltwater fishing license.
  • Heads-up: the playground structure for ages 5 to 12 closes for resurfacing Oct. 26-30; the rest of the playground stays open.

Laurel Hill County Park

Laurel Hill County Park is a 745-acre rustic nature park with several miles of unpaved trails through woods, meadows and an oak allee, plus a lake overlook. It is open sunrise to sunset; admission is $1, free for Gold Pass members and children 2 and under. There are no restrooms and no accessible parking, so bring water.

Town parks and recreation centers

From the town’s facilities directory:

  • Park West Recreation Complex, 1251 Park West Blvd.: pool, gym, two lighted tennis courts, ball fields, an outdoor track, a lake pavilion and walking trails. Pool: 843-856-2536.
  • Otis M. Pickett Bridge, 990 Pitt St.: the old Pitt Street Bridge in the Old Village, now a passive park.
  • Shem Creek Park, Shrimp Boat Lane: accessible boardwalk with fishing, parking and restrooms.
  • R.L. Jones Center, 391 Egypt Road: the town’s recreation center and pool, 843-884-2528. The free skate park behind it is open dawn to dusk; helmets and pads are required.
  • Mount Pleasant Tennis Complex, 889 Whipple Road, 843-856-2162.
  • James B. Edwards Passive Park, 320 Royall Ave., and Kearns Park on Etiwan Pointe Drive.
  • Community centers at Remley’s Point (363 Sixth St.), Green Hill Park (707 York St.) and Miriam Brown (118 Royall Ave.), each with a playground and lighted basketball court.

Dogs

Dogs must be on a leash everywhere in town, including parks, sidewalks and shopping centers, and dogs and cats over six months old must wear a rabies tag, the town’s Leash Up MTP page says. The off-leash exceptions:

  • Memorial Waterfront Park Dog Park
  • Marsh View Trail Dog Park
  • Carolina Park Recreation Complex
  • Palmetto Islands County Park Dog Park (run by the county; admission applies)

Boat landings

The county runs free public landings at Shem Creek (515 Mill St.) and Remley’s Point (80 Fifth Ave., on the Wando River), both with courtesy docks and accessible parking.

Coming next

  • Gary Santos Park on Rifle Range Road is under construction: a two-court gym, lighted fields, tennis and pickleball courts, pavilions, a playground and trails on a 106-acre site, of which about 39 acres are being developed, the town says.
  • The Mount Pleasant Way is the town’s planned network of multi-use paths linking parks, schools and neighborhoods; the master plan is done and segments are built as funding allows, according to the project page.

What this means for you

  • The pier’s fees are for fishing; Memorial Waterfront Park lists no fee.
  • Bring $2 a person and cards for Palmetto Islands; check the Tuesday dog park hours.
  • Keep dogs leashed outside the four off-leash areas.

Related guides: things to do this month, farmers markets and getting around Mount Pleasant.

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to fish on the Mount Pleasant Pier?

$7 a day for adults and $4 for children 12 and under, seniors 60 and older and military with ID. The pier is cashless and open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. from October to December.

Is there a dog park in Mount Pleasant?

Yes. The town has off-leash areas at Memorial Waterfront Park, the Marsh View Trail and Carolina Park Recreation Complex, and Palmetto Islands County Park has a county-run dog park with areas for large and small dogs.

How much is admission to Palmetto Islands County Park?

$2 per person, free for Gold Pass members and children 2 and under. The park, at 444 Needlerush Parkway, is open 8 a.m. to sunset from September to December.

Do dogs have to be on a leash in Mount Pleasant parks?

Yes. Town ordinance requires dogs to be leashed in every public area of Mount Pleasant except the designated off-leash areas.