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Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge, SC
(Bull Island) |
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| Character: |
Protected tidal sea kayak trip |
| Scenery: |
Tidal marsh, unusually densely forested barrier island |
| Distance from Downtown Asheville: |
Five hours to put-in (275 miles) |
| Length: |
6-12+ mile round trip; day trip, overnight or
multi-day options if combined with camping on Capers
Island |
| Season: |
All year (Spring and Fall best weather/bug
combination) |
| Other sections: |
Cape's Point Loop, Capers Island,
Lighthouse Loop, Murphy's Island |
| Put-in: |
Moore's Landing. Can only be used two hours
before and after high tide without dragging boat through thick mud.
Predicted tides for: Moore's
Landing, Sewee Bay. |
| Take-out: |
Same as put-in for round trip; see the text
below for a suggested 11 mile point-to-point trip |
| Directions from Asheville (to take-out): |
Take I-26 South approximately 250 miles to Exit 212B-C
(I-526 to Savannah / Mt Pleasant). Take I-526 12 miles to the
Exit for US 17 North (to Georgetown). Turn left onto US 17 /
US 701 (Georgetown Highway) and drive North to Sewee Road (about 11
miles). Turn right onto Sewee Road, then right again
approximately 3.2 miles later onto Bull Island Road. The
landing is at the end of Bull Island Road. Click here to view
a map showing the route from I-526 to the Sewee
and Bull Island Roads (you'll have to do a re-centering click or
two to follow the route). |
| Shuttle: |
To run the shuttle for the Bull Island to Capers
Island to Isle of Palms Marina point-to-point trip, re-trace steps
to US 17 / US 701 (Georgetown Highway). Turn left onto US 17 /
US 701 and drive South to SC 517 (Isle of Palms Connector, about 9.5
miles). Turn left onto SC 517. Once on Isle of Palms (about
four miles), turn left onto Palm Boulevard (SC 703) and drive
to about two miles to 41st Avenue. Turn left onto 41st Avenue
(you'll actually have no choice). The Isle of Palms Marina is
on your right at the end of the 41st Avenue.
Click here to view a map showing the route from Moore's Landing
to the Isle
of Palms Marina (you'll have to do a re-centering click or two
to follow the route). Click here to view a map showing the
route from Isle of Palms Marina back to I-26. |
| Other access points: |
Isle of Palms Marina ($5 per car per day parking fee;
pay at the Marina office; see Capers
Island) |
| Camping: |
Capers
Island is the only place near
Bull Island on which camping is allowed (camping isn't allowed
anywhere in the Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge). The
best camping is on the ocean-side of Capers Island. It is by permit
only; call the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources at (843) 762-5042 or 762-5062 to obtain a permit. |
| Gradient: |
NA |
| Guides |
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Online: |
SC
DNR's Capers Island Heritage Preserve; GORP's
Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge |
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Print: |
Coastal
Expeditions Maps (well yes, technically a map, but includes
put-ins and take-outs, camping areas, etc. . . in other words, much
of what you'd be looking for in a guidebook); James Bannon and
Morrison Giffen's Sea
Kayaking the Carolinas |
| Maps: |
TopoZone
Moore's Landing to Bull Island (and Capers Island / Isle of Palms)
USGS 7.5 Quads: Fort Moultrie, SC 1:24,000 Capers Inlet, SC 1:24,000
Sewee Bay, SC 1:24,000 Bull Island, SC 1:24,000 |
| Photos: |
Tours Gallery |
| Other: |
Predicted Tides (easiest to paddle in slack water or
going with the tide. Slack water occurs ___ hours before to
___ hours after a high / low tide):
Old
Capers Landing, Santee Pass, Capers Island
Moore's
Landing, Sewee Bay
Tides are predicted for eight locations between the Isle of Palms
Marina and Moore's Landing; the predictions are generally
within 20 minutes of each other. For additional predictions,
visit Harbortides.com,
SC, Winyah Bay.
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Bull Island is the most popular destination within the twenty-two
mile long Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge. What makes it
distinctive is its forest, which includes live oaks, pines,
palmettos, and magnolias. Like the other islands in the
Refuge, it teams with wildlife, the most striking of which are the
alligators in its ponds. Bull Island is served by a ferry from
Moore's Landing and features 16 miles of dirt roads, picnic tables
and pit toilets (but no food pr water, so bring your own).
Despite the amenities, it is easy to find solitude by hiking away
from the ferry landing at Summerhouse Creek.
An easy day trip can be had by paddling through the marsh to the
ferry landing, exploring the island on foot, and then paddling back
to Moore's Landing (many routes possible). This results in a
paddle of approximately six miles. Do keep in mind that the
put-in / take-out at Moore's Landing can only be used two hours
before and after high tide without dragging boat through thick mud.
Here's a link to check the tides at Moore's
Landing.
A point-to-point trip that includes a paddle by both Bull and Capers
Island can be arranged by taking out at the Isle of Palms
Marina. The Moore's Landing to Isle of Palms trip is
approximately 11 miles long and can be broken up with an overnight
stay on Capers Island. Capers Island is the only place near
Bull Island on which camping is allowed (camping isn't allowed
anywhere in the Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge). Camping
is by permit only; call SCDNR at (843) 762-5042 or 762-5062 to
obtain a permit. Options for multi-day trips include
circumnavigating Bull and Capers Islands and exploring Sewee and
Bull Bays.
There are no amenities or stores on Capers Island; if you
decide to camp, be sure to bring enough food and water
(approximately one gallon per person per day). Keep an eye on
the tide; paddling out to the island when the tide is coming
in or back from the island when the tide is going out can be a real
struggle. Keep an eye out too for other watercraft;
parts of the paddle are on the heavily traveled Intercoastal
Waterway.
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