In 1680 English settlers arrived at a beautiful stretch of land bounded by Charleston Harbor, Shem Creek and Cove Inlet. One of five large estates on the land was named Mount Pleasant, perhaps in recognition of the ancient dune (now under Highway 17) towering 20 feet above the surrounding Low Country, or perhaps for one of the area’s Native American middens - accumulated heaps of shells, pottery shards and other tribal castoffs. Eventually the small communities merged under that name.

Until the first Cooper River bridge opened in 1929, Mt. Pleasant was accessible primarily by ferries. In 2005, the majestic Arthur Ravenel Bridge opened with the longest cable stay span on the continent, bringing a constant stream of cars, pedestrians and cyclists across the harbor.

Today the city of Mt. Pleasant remains a treasure to behold, tucked amidst neighboring Charleston’s modern sprawl. Along Pitt Street massive live oaks spread moss-laden limbs over narrow streets. The historic charm hides the underlying battle between the descendants of the early settlers and modern day developers. Locals wish to remember and preserve the area while developers dream up ways to profit from the ambiance. Low Country residents have a history of fighting for their beliefs, keeping time-honored traditions intact.

As visitors walk the streets of Old Town and the docks of Shem Creek, they connect with the essence of what drew settlers here. The marsh spreads out from Shem Creek - or simply “the creek” as locals affectionately call it - opening glistening green and gold arms out to Charleston Harbor.

The deep creek beckons traveling boaters in to explore the Old Town’s natural beauty and architectural nooks and crannies. Pelicans and gulls perch on shrimp boats and pilings, inviting visitors to pause and enjoy the view. As the sun sets, rays of golden light reach through thunderheads above, bounce off the surface of the water and flash silvery radiance that lights up the marsh grass.

In the colonial era the area was known as Shipyard Plantation for its deep water and ample timber supply. Today commercial and pleasure boats of all sizes and shapes still line the docks on each side of the creek. This community has supplied much of the shrimp to the Charleston area for more than three decades.

Navigating Mount Pleasant

The numerous markers in Charleston Harbor can easily confuse non-locals, particularly if you don’t have a current chart showing the new number system established in 2001. But everything is straight forward once you leave the main channel beyond flashing beacon No. 130 and enter the Mt. Pleasant Channel cutting to the northwest with its easily followed unlit markers leading into the creek. Don’t stray outside the marks or you’ll quickly find shoals.

While the entrance cut can have soundings as low as 5 feet at mean low water, once you are inside the banks of Shem Creek depths are 8 feet and better. The lower stretch of the creek includes views of grand homes overlooking the north shore before coming into the quaint commercial portion.

Visiting vessels can sometimes tie up to the docks along Shem Creek, their passengers encouraged to dine in the restaurants along the quay. Rafting may be necessary. The no-wake zone throughout the creek makes it easy to pause for a meal of freshly caught local seafood at restaurants. If you find a dock, look for a sign with contact information or walk into the adjoining business to make arrangements.

If you can clear the 12-foot clearance under the Coleman Boulevard bridge, the creek quickly takes on a backwater feel with children throwing cast nets off of docks and bulrushes lining the muddy shores strewn with oysters.

On the south shore you’ll find Shem Creek Marina (843) 576-2499 specializing in long-term dry stack storage for smaller powerboats. While no transient slips are available, there are a few drystack slips still available for purchase if you become enamored with the location.

Beyond the marina the creek bends, splits and narrows, providing fun exploration for a dinghy ride, paddlers or small boat fishermen.

For longer stays, cruise back out the mouth of the creek and head east along the Charleston Harbor Channel to Patriots Point marina along the eastern banks of the Cooper River. Officially known as the Charleston Harbor Resort and Marina, it is among the largest marinas in the Carolinas with 459 slips. Entrance approach depths of 15 feet and dockside depths of 10-plus feet make it suitable for almost any visiting boat. A floating breakwater protects the floating docks from the otherwise open fetch of the wide harbor. Call (843)856-9996.

Getting Oriented Ashore

If a night ashore is in store, you’ll find nautical themed guest rooms decorated in bright yellows and blues, comfy bedding and spectacular views of the harbor in the Charleston Harbor Resort hotel (888)856-0028. The marina hosts Charleston Race Week here in the Spring and sport fishing tournaments throughout the season. Black and white photographs of previous tournament winners line the walls in the Reel Bar.

A quick bike ride or trip aboard the East Cooper Shuttle (843)343-0484 will transport you over to Shem Creek. For guests preferring to cross the harbor to go into Charleston, a water taxi (843) 330-2989 leaves from Dock A hourly, dropping passengers at the Charleston Maritime Center. One-way trips are $5, roundtrip $8 and an all-day pass is $12.

Bikes and pets are welcome on the water taxi. Bring your camera for close ups of the hull of the U.S.S. Yorktown and the Arthur Ravenel Bridge.

For accommodations overlooking the creek, check into the Shem Creek Inn (864)881-1000.

The experienced local fishermen here provide the ultimate in fresh seafood if you’re looking for something to cook on your boat. In business since 1945, Mt. Pleasant Seafood Co. (843)856-8154 operates a retail store at the creek and has a booth at the Mt. Pleasant Farmer’s Market.

For dining out, patrons at the Water’s Edge Cabana Bar (843)884-4074 delight at the antics of the creek’s playful goodwill ambassadors. Arriving daily at 4 p.m., the male dolphin makes his appearance, followed by the rest of the pod. Look closely and you’ll see the baby swimming along with his mother. It’s as if they’ve come just to welcome guests to the area. Working in conjunction with brown pelicans and seagulls, they dive for fish remains from the charter boats.

In recent years, the creek has also been home to manatees during the warmer months from April to October.

Sunsets are an event here. Several restaurants offer outdoor and creekside seating to experience a brilliant Charleston sunset against the charm of a small fishing village. Enjoy the view from the outdoor bar and dining area at Vickery’s (843)884-4440. Feel the gentle breezes from Charleston Harbor waft through the palmettos. From the indoor bar, one can see the shrimp boats, wings spread out and up as if they were water angels ready to fly.

Magwood Seafood (843)884-3352 still provides shrimp and fish to much of Charleston after 30 years in business. “Live long, love long, eat seafood” is their motto, painted on the walls in red and blue.

At The Wreck (843)884-0052, Low Country culinary favorites are dished up informally on huge paper plates. The price is well worth it for the spectacular sunset view from the screened-in porch dining room. This is one place the no-see-ums can’t reach.

Looking toward the bridge, RB’s (843)881-0466 and neighboring Red’s Ice House (843)388-0003 offer more choices for outdoor dining. RB’s is more upscale. RB’s owns the Shem Creek Towing Company, and keeps a tow truck parked in view on the parking lot, so be warned if you visit by auto.

Red’s is the casual local hangout with something going on at happy hour daily. They are more concerned with customers having a great time with live music and nightly specials. Red’s is also the local “Yappy Hour” hotspot, so bring your canine crewmates to meet and greet the locals. Buckets of water and doggie biscuits are favorites with the four-legged furry crowd. Cushions line the upstairs bar, which can be reserved for private parties. On holidays, this is a prime spot to view fireworks launched from the U.S.S. Yorktown.

Two more restaurants can be found east of the Coleman Bridge. Shem Creek Bar & Grill (843)884-8102 has a spectacular view of the marsh from the outdoor dock bar and the indoor back porch. Inside the main restaurant, the bow shaped bar is unique, reminding all who enter that boating is a first love here. With a great selection of seafood and Low Country favorites, this family oriented restaurant has it all. Next door the new Creekside Grill (843)856-4803 offers lower priced favorites and outdoor roof seating overlooking the creek.

A few blocks to the east is the Old Town of Mount Pleasant. On Pitt Street, the Old Post House Restaurant and Tavern (843)388-8935 operates in the building that served as a grocery store originally built by German immigrants in 1888. The Post House serves light lunch and dinner. Nearby, visitors can tap into nostalgia with an old fashioned ice cream soda from the Pitt Street Pharmacy (843)844-4051.

Listed on the National Register of Historic places, Old Town is home to quaint churches, colonial and antebellum homes and also the majestic Alhambra Hall, the original site of the Mount Pleasant Ferry Company. Built in 1847 by Charles Jugnot and Oliver Hilliard as a summer retreat and dance hall and rebuilt in 1937, Alhambra Hall sits nestled in a grove of massive live oaks. It is a popular spot for community events on a waterfront park lined with live oaks, and equipped with a community playground.

Many Old Town streets end with a view of Charleston harbor, making it easy to see why the town founders named it Mt. Pleasant. Although there is no mountain per se, it is certainly a pleasant place to be.

Caution: This information is not intended to be used for navigation and while we strive for accuracy we cannot accept responsibility for errors. Consult the latest charts and other navigational aids and use sound seamanship if you intend to visit a destination by boat.

Things to do in Mount Pleasant

An entire day could be devoted to exploring the Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum (866)831-1720. Billed as “the world’s largest maritime museum,” the fleet includes the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown, the Coast Guard cutter Ingham, the submarine USS Clamagore, the destroyer USS Laffey and the Medal of Honor Museum onboard Yorktown.

Watch the top-ranked College of Charleston Sailing Team practice from their neighboring floating boathouse.

Tour boats (800)789-3678 to historic Ft. Sumter leave from a dock adjacent to Yorktown daily.

The resort also offers Patriot Point Links (843)881-0042, an 18-hole championship golf course, known for its challenging waterfront finishing holes.

Shrimp season opens in late April with the Blessing of the Fleet festival, held at historic Alahambra Hall. Deep sea charter fishing vessels also dock along Shem Creek’s restaurant row. Capt. Rick Hiott’s (843)412-6776 expertise for finding red drum and the best inshore fishing hot spots is well known, both with locals and worldwide. He also has a genuine interest in teaching others about the inshore waters around Charleston. Aqua Adventures (843)884-6696 with Capt. Chuck Griffin is another good option.

Wednesday evenings Red’s Icehouse hosts a sunset cruise on Aqua Safari’s Palmetto Breeze, a 50-foot sailing catamaran (800)524-3444, providing a great way to watch the Charleston Ocean Racing Association Wednesday Night Races during the summer season. The $30 tickets include adult beverages and a spread of hors d’oeuvres. Captain Ping is always cheerful and may even let you steer the boat, if you ask nicely.

Above the bridge next door to Shem Creek Marina you’ll find Coastal Expeditions (843)884-7684 offers kayak tours of Shem Creek and passenger ferry tours to Bull Island year round. A kayak tour will shed light on conservation efforts on the creek. They are housed in the old Maritime Museum building, which still has some dusty exhibits from the area’s early shipbuilding and fishing industry lurking about. Wander over to the Confederate Cemetery between Carr Street and Royal Avenue to gain a new perspective on that conflict which played such a key role here.

If you’re in town on a Tuesday afternoon, stop by the Farmer’s Market, held at the Old Moultrie Middle School on West Coleman Boulevard. An abundance of fresh flowers, herbs, local produce and seafood is found in this tiny market. Local Bluegrass or acoustic musicians perform while you shop. The market runs through the end of October with a special Holiday Market and Craft Show scheduled on Dec. 8, 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

Shopping in this area offers delightful wares both in Old Town and along the creek. In the village, Utonga Gallery (843)216-7686 offers a unique collection of Shona (Zimbabwe) sculpture. Next door, Out of Hand Gallery (843)856-3585 is a feast for the eyes of cards, gifts and treasures. At the Charleston Candle Cottage (843)388-6644 on West Coleman Boulevard, a post office located in the back of the store lets you mail art cards to folks back home. Behind the store, watch local artist Steven Jordan (843)881-1644 as he paints watercolors and oils of favorite Low Country scenery in his gallery. A variety of shops are located in the Commons along Mill Street. For stationery and post cards, check out The Scratch Pad’s (843)884-3433 selection of quirky, fun locally oriented gifts, stationery and invitations for the right occasion. At the end of Mill Street, proprietress and local history expert Lou Edens offers a collection of select gifts, home furnishings and a generous helping of local history about the area at The Fifth Season (843)884-5000. Edens owned and operated the Maritime Museum next door for years, and also owns Rice Hope Plantation Bed and Breakfast on the Cooper River.