Fripp Island Vacation

Fripp Island resort is a private, 3,000-acre, first-class, oceanfront community, located on the South Carolina coast near historic Beaufort and a short distance from Charleston, Savannah, and Hilton Head. Enjoy the beautiful South Carolina coast on more than 3 ½ miles of pristine beach.

The entire island comprises a Bird and Game Sanctuary. Wildlife and bird populations include alligators, deer, raccoons, egrets, heron, and osprey. The only road onto the island passes by a gate that is staffed 24-hours a day. Beach walking & sunbathing, swimming, biking, kayaking, boating, fishing (deep-sea) and many other family activities are at your fingertips.

 History

Fripp Island is named for swashbuckling Captain Johannes Fripp. King Charles of England rewarded Fripp with this island in the 1700s for his defense of the English settlement of Beaufort from marauding French and Spanish. Legend has it that many pirates plied these waters and that Captain Fripp himself buried treasure here.

Location

Fripp Island is located just 19 miles east of Beaufort. South Carolina. Beaufort is midway between Savannah and Charleston, across the Port Royal Sound from Hilton Head Island. A private bridge to access the island was built in 1963.

 Beach

The Fripp Island coastline offers you 3 1/2 miles of beach facing the Atlantic ocean.

 

 Sounds Like

Unlike Beaufort, North Carolina (which is pronounced BO-fort), South Carolina's Beaufort is pronounced BYOO-fort.

 

 Climate

Fripp Island residents can enjoy a pleasant semi-tropical environment all year round. The summer months bring a 88 degree high average temperature. Swimmers will be happy to hear the Atlantic Ocean reaches a balmy 80 degrees in summer. Winter high temperatures are approximately 60 degrees on Fripp.

About Beaufort

Walk past the many historic homes where famous movies have been filmed, such as "The Prince of Tides", "The Great Santini", "The Big Chill", "Forces of Nature" movie stars have walked the streets of Beaufort!

Fine dining can be found here in places like "The Beaufort Inn", "The Bank", "Ollies By The Bay" and so many more! Plenty of Bistros and "The Coffee Haus" is a must, grab a "Frappacino" and sit on the swing bench overlooking "The Beaufort River" and just enjoy.

Museums are a beginning for an educational and interesting look at the history of the area. Beaufort's entire downtown is designated a national historical district.

Beaufort History

First discovered by the Spanish in 1514 and chartered by the British in 1711, Beaufort is the second-oldest town in South Carolina. Experiencing great prosperity in the eighteenth century as indigo and rice plantations thrived, Sea Island Cotton also brought incredible prosperity to the area prior to the Civil War.

Today, an entire tapestry of Southern history is woven into Beaufort’s landscape and is wistfully reflected in its tabby ruins, historic forts, elegant homes and majestic plantations. As horse-drawn carriages leisurely wind through the streets in the historic district – one of only three National Historic Landmark Districts in South Carolina – time seems to stand still in this peaceful community.

Beaufort’s eighteenth and early nineteenth century homes are one of its most beloved treasures, set like jewels along the marsh.

The Beaufort style of architecture is unique to the area and typically features a raised first floor, double porches, high ceilings, a southern orientation and a T-shaped floor plan that helps to provide for cross breezes.

Hunting Island State Park
Hunting Island State Park is one of the most popular state parks and beach areas in South Carolina. The pristine sandy beach, natural setting and warm Atlantic Ocean make a perfect getaway. The park offers camping, an historic lighthouse, fishing pier and nature trails.
843.838.2011
Monday - Friday 9 am-5 pm; Saturday & Sunday 11 am-5 pm

Parris Island Museum
A museum at the U.S. Marine Corps Recruit Depot traces military history and island settlements from the 1500s.
843.228.2951
Marine Corps Recruit Depot
No admission fee
Closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Day and Easter.

John Mark Verdier House
Built circa 1805 for a wealthy merchant-planter, beautifully restored by the Historic Beaufort Foundation.
843.379.6335
801 Bay St.
Mon -Sat, 10 am-5:30 pm

The Beaufort Museum
Housed in the 1795 Beaufort Arsenal. Exhibits tell the story of cotton, rice and indigo creating plantation life, then the wars which changed the character of the area along with that of the country.
843.379.3331
713 Craven St.
Mon-Sat, 10:30 am-4 pm

Penn Center, York W. Bailey Museum
Campus of the first African American school when freed slaves were educated after the Civil War, designated as a national historical landmark. Rare artifacts and an overview of Reconstruction.
St. Helena Island
843.838.2432

Old Sheldon Church Ruins
U.S. 21
Remains of Prince William's Parish Church, 1745-55
Burned by the British during the Revolutionary War
Reconstructed in 1825 and burned by Sherman's troops in 1865

Cole-Heyward House, circa 1840
Museum typical of the West Indies style home, particually restored and managed by the Bluffton Historical Preservation Society. Seven additional homes are in Bluffton's national historic district.
Bluffton
843.757.6293

Hilton Head, Charleston, Savannah
These tourist meccas are easy drives - between one and two hours. If schedules permit, you might take in one of the events these cities host.