Millions of visitors travel to Charleston, South Carolina each year for day trips, short drives and complete vacations, but few venture just outside the city to another part of metropolitan area: Moncks Corner. Find out why the small, unassuming bedroom community of Moncks Corner is an ideal destination for a day trip to South Carolina, then add it to your bucket list soon!
In these uncertain times, please keep safety in mind and consider adding destinations to your bucket list at a later date.
If charm is what you are looking for, then you have come to the right place when visiting the Holy City. Charleston’s appeal is both charm, history and fantastic culinary cuisine. But with that come dozens of visitors – and even crowds. If you want to escape the hustle and bustle of Charleston for the day, head less than an hour out of town to Moncks Corner where you’ll find plenty to do, see and admire.
A must see place in Moncks Corner is Cypress Gardens. It’s been featured in several movies, including “The Patriot” and that unforgettable rowboat scene in “The Notebook.” Come see what makes this 170-acre reserve so wonderful!
Cypress Gardens, 3030 Cypress Gardens Rd, Moncks Corner, SC 29461, United States
Next: Old Santee Canal Park (opened in 1989). Park highlights include the oldest working canal ever built in America, as well as a circa-1843 house overlooking the water and four miles of boardwalks to stroll along. You can spend an hour or half a day exploring this park.
Old Santee Canal Park, 900 Stoney Landing Rd, Moncks Corner, SC 29461, USA
Don’t leave Moncks Corner without visiting the ruins and graveyard of Biggin Church. Seen here today is the fourth rendition of this place of worship. The first was simply a wooden structure used for preaching. It was followed in 1711 by a wooden church which burned down in 1755. It was replaced in 1761 and then occupied by the British during the American Revolution. Before leaving the church, the British set it on fire. The ruins we see today are those that were built in 1781 to replace the church burnt down by the British.
And no trip to Moncks Corner would be complete without a visit to Mepkin Abbey. Located on the banks of the Cooper River, this Trappist monastery was established in 1949 and is still home to the Mepkin Brethren originally founded by monks from Gethsemani in Kentucky. It is a calm and peaceful group dedicated to prayer, spiritual study, work and hospitality. The monastery is open daily from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and guests are free to stroll through the beautiful grounds.
All these visits will surely whet your appetite. Although Moncks Corner is full of inexpensive restaurant choices, we suggest the Barony House.
The Barony House, 401 Altman St, Moncks Corner, SC 29461, USA
It serves a variety of American dishes and consistently gets great reviews on Google. Barony House is open Monday and Wednesday from 11am to 2pm, Thursday and Friday from 11am to 2pm and 5.30pm to 9pm, Saturday from 5.30pm to 9pm and Sunday from 11am to 2pm. pm
Perhaps one of the most overlooked small towns in South Carolina, Moncks Corner certainly has a lot to offer day-trippers looking to escape the crowds found in our big cities. It is an ideal destination for a day trip to South Carolina.
For more must-see small towns in South Carolina, here are seven more!
Address: Cypress Gardens, 3030 Cypress Gardens Rd, Moncks Corner, SC 29461, United States
