Kayaking Shem CreekMount Pleasant, South Carolina

When we planned our trip to Charleston, it was solely based around a kayaking excursion to Shem Creek. 

I asked instagram: "where is the best place to kayak? near or far!" & one of my college classmates, who lives in the Charleston area, responded with "Shem Creek!"

It was the utmost BEST part of our trip. So I wanted to share it with you all <3

This is where I usually type: Black is research done prior to the trip; pink is what we learned from our trip

But this is going to all be black bc we really went in blind. We didn't read a blog or guide to visit. Just booked it and went with it!!

We booked our kayak excursion through Coastal Expeditions. They have various locations, but we did Shem Creek. 

Contact: 843-884-7684 info@coastalexpeditions.com

Coastal Expeditions offers a variety of activities beyond kayaking, allowing visitors to explore the South Carolina Lowcountry's natural beauty and wildlife. 

Here are some of the activities they provide:

• Stand-Up Paddleboarding (SUP)
• Boat Tours 
• Dolphin and Wildlife Watching
• Nature and Wildlife Tours
• Birding
• Fishing
• Fossil Hunting
• Island Exploration
• Multi-Day Expeditions
• Paddle and Hike Combos
• Kids Programs

We booked the "Charleston Kayak Expedition: Shem Creek (3-hr)" for Sept 8th at 9am.

2 other people were supposed to be in our group, but cancelled, so we had our tour guide, Abbi, to ourself! She was beyond incredible. 

Activity level: Participants will kayak on a guided Shem Creek kayak tour that has ben timed with the tides for an enjoyable trip.

What's included: 

• Gear: Sea kayak, paddle, PFD, etc
• Paddle and safety instructions
• Kayak Guide

What to Bring:

• Sunscreen
• Hat
• Sunglasses
• Drinking water

We loaded into our kayaks, went over the safety rules, and we were on our way! Matt and I have singles at home, but went for a tandem for the guide. I liked it bc it let me take pics while he steered ;)

While Shem Creek is actually a creek, it sure doesn't look like it. 

We followed the water along passing marshes and going under a bridge or 2, until we came into a marina area with lots of boats.

We learned about shrimp boats, that LOVE to attract birds, dolphins, pelicans, and all sorts of wild life that eat the scraps that are tossed overboard. 

After we got out a little further, the body of water opened up a bit into the ocean. 

We got up a bit closer to the remnants of a shipwreck, where a sea turtle likes to hangout. 

We made our way down to Pitt Street Bridge. Matt and I had walked this earlier, but exploring from the water was completely different.

from our walk

from the water

We "docked" our kayaks, and got out to explore a bit.

Abby showed us what to look for to find shark teeth. Once she found one and showed it to us, we got lucky and found some of our own too!

Took some more time to cool off, explore, and find a horseshoe crab. 

When we headed back, Abbi showed us what hurricane destruction looks like, as piers and docks were ripped out of the water or left in heaps. We paddled under some still remaining. 

We spotted some egrets, but also! and much more hyped...Some roseate spoonbills! Abbi caught a video of one taking off, with its beautiful pink wings. 

This was right around when we spotted a mama dolphin and her baby in the shallow water. We followed them back to the marina, as they followed a shrimp boat in. & apparently. We just missed a manatee!

Have you ever watched the show "Outer Banks" ?? With cutie Chase Stokes. <3

A lotttt of the filming is done locally, with some water scenes in Shem Creek. Abbi pointed out some of these, such as The Wreck: Kiara’s family’s seafood restaurant. 
Heyward’s Seafood: Pope’s family business, a local seafood company. 
Pogue’s Dock: A central meeting spot for the Pogues, located along the creek.

Overall, we saw a whole lot more than we thought we would. Totally worth the trip to explore this amazing place.

Abbi was incredible, bc the entire time we were on our adventure, she was just overflowing with knowledge about the area, the plants and animals and the entire ecosystem. She was laid back but also vibrant as it was very clear this is a passion of hers. Couldn't recommend Abbi or Coastal Expeditions more. 

After we wrapped up, we were allowed to stay parked at Coastal Expeditions (free to park) and walked down to eat at Shem Creek, the area we just kayaked through. Shem Creek is famous for its waterside dining establishments, where you'll find a variety of restaurants and bars along the creek, many of which serve fresh seafood. Dining on the outdoor decks with creek views is a popular choice.

Stay tuned for our blog post encompassing our entire trip to Charleston!

Half a Day in Little Wild Horse Canyon

Little Wild Horse Canyon

(1/2 a day)

This was our 5th stop of our Mighty 5 Roadtrip. While not a National Park, it was not a park to miss!  It was our first ever slot canyon!

Little Wild Horse Canyon is right down the road from Goblin Valley, so if you wanted to, you could make a full day by combining both of these 1/2 day adventures. However, we utilized the other half of the day after Little Wild Horse, to make the 1 hr 40 min drive to Torrey, so we could get an early start at Capital Reef the following morning.

We got up early, so we could get a head start. Gorgeous sunrise on the drive in.

I LOVE an early start, because we were the ONLY people there for the hike out, and passed maybe 3 groups on the 2nd half of the trail coming back. I always love when the trail isn't crowded, but it's nice in a slot canyon so you don't have to pause, and squish to the side to let ppl pass.

Little Wild Horse Canyon has "tight passageways, curving, scalloped walls, and short sections of easy rock scrambling.

Getting there: Enter “Little Wild Horse Canyon and Bell Canyon Trailhead” into Google Maps for directions. There are bathrooms before you hike, but the one was NASTY. Not as well maintained as other parks.

Parking: lot can only hold about 20 cars. We were the first ones there, arriving shortly after sunrise.

There are warnings posted: do not enter a slot canyon if there is risk of rain. They are known for flash-flooding and can be very dangerous.

Thank you to Earth Trekkers for helping us plan our trip. Their blogs are amazing and have so much helpful info. Highly rec!

The full loop (combining Little Wild Horse Canyon with Bell Canyon) is 8 miles and takes 3-6 hrs. We shortened it, by hiking Little Wild Horse Canyon out-and-back. I'm not a fan of out and back trails, but we read that Little Wild Horse is more exciting than Bell Canyon. It allowed us to see the cool views, but still have the rest of the day to travel, grocery shop, laundry, get dinner, etc. 

From the trailhead we walked up the wash until we hit the fork. Canyon Bell is on the L, so we took Little Wild Horse on the R. 

About 2.5 miles into Little Wild Horse, the canyon begins to open up. We came to a small dry fall (maybe 6 feet tall?) that we had to climb up onto to continue the route. You will need a boost to get up it. Thankfully someone placed a rock at the bottom, almost like a stepping stool. After this, the hike lacks the "wow factor." So we yelled into the canyon a bit playing with our echo, and then turned around and headed back. You can always start with Little Wild Horse, hike to this point, and THEN decide to come back the way you came as we did, or keep going and return via Bell Canyon. 

Can you spot Matt's outline?

This slot canyon is a natural beauty, as we often stopped to admire the various carvings in the rock. These are some of my fav shots of the canyon walls.

 

Next up: Capitol Reef National Park (coming soon)