Small towns and tiny towns are at the very heart of South Carolina. Having grown up in a small town, many of us can speak to the very special benefits of a close knit community with old-fashioned values. We have more than a few of these towns in South Carolina; the kind where most people know your name; the kind where, if a dog gets lost someone always brings it back home when they find it. Following are 10 tiny towns/communities we’ve highlighted in the past and a few things that make each special.
- Cope
Flickr/Sara Dean It’s very likely that you’ve never hear of Cope, SC. But a visit to Cope is sure to bring back nostalgic feelings of an era when all of our towns (save a relatively few) were tiny. A walk, or a drive, through this tiny town is a beautiful step back in time. See more at this link.
- Smyrna
Facebook/Smyrna Volunteer Fire Department Blink and you may miss South Carolina’s tiniest town: Smyrna (population: 45). Find out what life inside the smallest town in the entire state is like… and then start wondering if you can move there! Learn more in this previous article.
- Frogmore
Facebook/The Gullah Grub Restaurant Not an official town (but it should be), Frogmore is a community in St. Helena Island where the famous Lowcountry Frogmore Stew was invented. Check out this fun-loving tiny community and make plans to get a taste of their local cuisine soon. Learn more in this previous article.
- Elloree
Google Maps [streetview] This tiny town of 680 residents somehow managed to revitalize their downtown 20 years ago and turned it into a charming and walkable venue with brick-lined streets. Before you head out to explore Elloree, be sure to call ahead to the owner of the state’s only teapot museum and make arrangements for a personal tour. More information is available in this previous article.
- Peak
Flickr/Glenna Barlow Peak, SC has a past that’ll come close to breaking your heart, but its present will restore the cracks. In spite of its size and the fact that it’s home to a mere 65 residents, Peak has a lot to offer, including a trestle crossing the Broad River that is part of the Palmetto Trail’s Peak to Prosperity Passage. Learn more in this previous article.
- Awendaw
Google Maps/Rebecca Turner Normally a ‘drive-through’ town for most (simply because it is located on busy coastal Highway 17) the tiny town of Awendaw has much to offer — and a backstory no one would ever have guessed. Learn more in this previous article.
- Santee
Google Maps/Joan Perry You’re guaranteed to leave with a full and satisfied belly when you pay a visit to Santee. We recently named this the one tiny town in South Carolina with the most scrummdiddlyumptious restaurants. Santee has a few other nice surprises too, including access to one of the most beautiful lakes in the state. Learn more in this previous article.
- McClellanville
Facebook/McClellanville, SC ( Facebook page owned by realtor Daniel Bates of MCVL) This tiny little town is one of the best kept secrets in South Carolina… and it was nearly wiped off the map in 1989. Find out what makes McClellanville so very special in this previous article.
- Landrum
TripAdvisor/Norma W Landrum isn’t technically a “tiny” town, but the tiny town atmosphere still exists here. Perhaps it’s all of the antique stores. Drop in and check it out. Learn more in this previous article.
- Rockville
Flickr/Becky Home of the Rockville Regatta and oh-so much more, the historic Rockville community isn’t exactly set up to receive hoards of visitors by way of land. It’s one of the reasons why the annual Regatta is so popular… It’s a way for this tiny town to host a lot of people by way of water! See this previous article for tips on the best ways to visit if you plan to check it out on foot.
How many of these charming little spots have you already visited in the Palmetto State? What other tiny towns should be on the list, and why…
Flickr/Sara Dean
It’s very likely that you’ve never hear of Cope, SC. But a visit to Cope is sure to bring back nostalgic feelings of an era when all of our towns (save a relatively few) were tiny. A walk, or a drive, through this tiny town is a beautiful step back in time. See more at this link.
Facebook/Smyrna Volunteer Fire Department
Blink and you may miss South Carolina’s tiniest town: Smyrna (population: 45). Find out what life inside the smallest town in the entire state is like… and then start wondering if you can move there! Learn more in this previous article.
Facebook/The Gullah Grub Restaurant
Not an official town (but it should be), Frogmore is a community in St. Helena Island where the famous Lowcountry Frogmore Stew was invented. Check out this fun-loving tiny community and make plans to get a taste of their local cuisine soon. Learn more in this previous article.
Google Maps [streetview]
This tiny town of 680 residents somehow managed to revitalize their downtown 20 years ago and turned it into a charming and walkable venue with brick-lined streets. Before you head out to explore Elloree, be sure to call ahead to the owner of the state’s only teapot museum and make arrangements for a personal tour. More information is available in this previous article.
Flickr/Glenna Barlow
Peak, SC has a past that’ll come close to breaking your heart, but its present will restore the cracks. In spite of its size and the fact that it’s home to a mere 65 residents, Peak has a lot to offer, including a trestle crossing the Broad River that is part of the Palmetto Trail’s Peak to Prosperity Passage. Learn more in this previous article.
Google Maps/Rebecca Turner
Normally a ‘drive-through’ town for most (simply because it is located on busy coastal Highway 17) the tiny town of Awendaw has much to offer — and a backstory no one would ever have guessed. Learn more in this previous article.
Google Maps/Joan Perry
You’re guaranteed to leave with a full and satisfied belly when you pay a visit to Santee. We recently named this the one tiny town in South Carolina with the most scrummdiddlyumptious restaurants. Santee has a few other nice surprises too, including access to one of the most beautiful lakes in the state. Learn more in this previous article.
Facebook/McClellanville, SC ( Facebook page owned by realtor Daniel Bates of MCVL)
This tiny little town is one of the best kept secrets in South Carolina… and it was nearly wiped off the map in 1989. Find out what makes McClellanville so very special in this previous article.
TripAdvisor/Norma W
Landrum isn’t technically a “tiny” town, but the tiny town atmosphere still exists here. Perhaps it’s all of the antique stores. Drop in and check it out. Learn more in this previous article.
Flickr/Becky
Home of the Rockville Regatta and oh-so much more, the historic Rockville community isn’t exactly set up to receive hoards of visitors by way of land. It’s one of the reasons why the annual Regatta is so popular… It’s a way for this tiny town to host a lot of people by way of water! See this previous article for tips on the best ways to visit if you plan to check it out on foot.
Speaking of “tiny,” This Tiny Place In South Carolina Is Home To The Best Crepes In The State.
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