Biking on Bulls Island, Awendaw, SC

 

• Date Biked:  November 16, 2021  
• Posted Mileage: lots of 1-3 mile roads and trails
• Total miles Tracked: 15 miles
• Type of Trail: sandy trails
• Conveniences:  Storm shelter, picnic tables
• Best Features:   Gators!  Shells! Boneyard! Birds!
• Worst Features: Only accessed by ferry. No water fountain on island. 
• Wildlife spotted:  Gators.  Dolphins. Too many birds to list. 
• Vegetation: maritime forest
• Associated Website:   https://www.coastalexpeditions.com/bulls-island/
• Primary Author:  James

Bulls Island is a wildlife preserve less than an hour's drive north of Charleston or roughly two hours from Myrtle Beach. It can only be reached by ferry on a morning or afternoon slot. No one lives on the island, making it a haven for abundant wildlife. The beaches are covered in shells, and the remnants of an eroded maritime forest leave gnarled, sun-bleached trees rising from the waves at high tide.  

It is possible to kayak over. We've done this before, but it's 5 miles in each direction, and changing tides leave you with a limited window of time to explore the island. If you take the ferry over in the morning and return in the afternoon, you'll have about six hours to wander around. If you just want to walk the beach and maybe look at a few interior ponds, hiking the island will let you see a fair amount. But, if you really want to maximize the distance you can cover, you should bring a sturdy mountain or hybrid bike. 

Yes, this is how close to an alligator you are!

The roads are mostly flat but still challenging due to loose sand. Your hard work will be rewarded, however, as you can see every major habitat on the island in a single day.

Our chosen route took us up the first road to the northern dikes. At the remains of an old fort, you can turn off onto a dike and ride that over to an observation tower, then press on to the boneyard beach. Expect to see alligators, from baby's floating in ditches to giants basking in the middle of the roads. Most of the gators are pretty skittish. Fortunately, if even one in ten sticks around to eye you warily, you'll have plenty of chances for some good photos.

And don't forget the birds! Spoonbills, wood storks, and multiple species of herons and egrets. Make sure you bring a camera with a zoom lens! 

Some of the most haunting photos you'll take will be when you reach the boneyard. Bikes aren't allowed on the beach, alas, but even a short walk up and down the beach is going to bring you to the skeletal trees, and, probably, to an abundance of shells. Cheryl has been there before when the beaches were practically empty of shells. It's a wild habitat. It's never the same beach twice. 

When we came off the beach, we rode the Lighthouse Road that runs the full length of the island. Most of the road is bikeable, and a dense canopy will provide plenty of shade. This road doesn't give you many glimpses of the biggest ponds, but we did find young gators hanging out in a ditch. On the way back, you can take the side road around Summerhouse Pond. This was the densest gathering of birds we spotted on the trip. 

The ferry doesn't charge extra to take your bikes over, but you must request it when you make your reservation.  

November is an excellent month to visit. You won't get baked by heat or sucked dry by mosquitos, and many of the birds only visit during cooler months. Go during a weekday, and once you leave the dock you'll feel like you're all alone on the island. Bring more water than you think you'll need and you'll have a great experience, as long as you don't accidently ride over a gator.