Escape Charleston Crowds At This Underrated Seaside Town With Unmatched Fresh Seafood

If you're planning a trip to South Carolina, you may be wondering where to go to get the most out of the Palmetto State. For many travelers, cities like Charleston and Myrtle Beach have a lot to offer, but they can also come across as touristy and crowded. Thankfully, the state has a lot of hidden gems, like Sullivan's Island, a great South Carolina escape outside of Charleston, or Hilton Head Island, a beach paradise near Savannah.

However, if you want to get a real taste of old South Carolina, including good old-fashioned Southern hospitality and seafood, you can't do much better than McClellanville. If you didn't know about McClellanville, you'd be forgiven for driving right past it on your way to Georgetown or Myrtle Beach. But just because the town isn't full of fancy resorts and tourist-heavy attractions doesn't mean it's not worth visiting. So, get a tall glass of sweet tea, sit back in a rocking chair, and let's see what makes McClellanville a pristine slice of South Carolina life.

As with most places in South Carolina, the story of McClellanville starts with French and English settlers in the late 1600s. Much of the territory was settled by French Huguenots (Protestants), and much of their culture and influence can still be felt in the area. If you choose to visit some of the old churches, it's as if you've stepped back in time to the pre-Civil War era.

The name McClellanville comes from one of the original landowners, a man named Archibald James McClellan. He and another landowner named Mr. Matthews sold two tracts of land that would become the foundation of the city as it exists today. Much of McClellanville's development happened in the mid-1800s, both before and after the Civil War. Many of the homes and buildings in the town are original, acting as a living memory of a bygone era.

Overall, McClellanville has a population of about 500, and almost everyone knows everyone else. So, when you visit, you'll stick out like a sore thumb, meaning most residents will know you're from out-of-town before you even speak. Although the town has been ravaged by hurricanes (like Hugo in 1989), it still retains much of its old-fashioned Southern charm.

If you're looking for world-class resorts, high-end restaurants, and exciting attractions, McClellanville will come up short. For that kind of vacation, you'll have to travel up the coast to Myrtle Beach (or Litchfield Beach, an uncrowded alternative). Instead, McClellanville offers a different kind of vacation: one away from the hustle and bustle of modern life.

With relatively little infrastructure and a small centralized population, McClellanville doesn't have a laundry list of hot spots or bucket list items. Instead, you come here to enjoy the scenery, the laid-back vibe, and the shrimp. Oh yeah, did we mention that McClellanville is a shrimping town? If you want to sample the best local shrimp, you should come in May during the Lowcountry Shrimp Festival. Outside of that, you can get some of the best seafood at spots like Carolina Seafood, Livingston's Bulls Bay Seafood, or TW Graham and Co (a local institution). Other places to eat include McClellanville Diner, Buckshots 2 Go, and the Bent Rod.

Once you're finished gorging yourself with fresh-caught shrimp, explore the natural areas surrounding McClellanville, such as the Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge or the Francis Marion National Forest. Alternatively, you can learn more about the regional history by visiting one of several plantations, including Tibwin, Hampton, or Hopsewee. Otherwise, sit back, relax, and watch the shrimp boats come in and out of the harbor.