Millions of visitors head to Charleston, South Carolina each year for day trips, short road trips, and full vacations but few venture just outside the city to another part of the metropolitan area: Moncks Corner. Check out why the tiny, unassuming bedroom community of Moncks Corner makes a perfect South Carolina day trip destination and then add it to your bucket list soon!
If it's charm you're seeking, then you've come to the right place with a visit to the Holy City. Charleston's allure is part charm, part history, and part fantastic culinary cuisine. But along with it comes scores of visitors - and even crowds. If you want to escape the hustle and bustle of Charleston for the day, head just under an hour out of town to Moncks Corner where you'll find a wealth of things to do, see, and admire.
One can't-miss spot in Moncks Corner is Cypress Gardens. It's been featured in several motion pictures, including "The Patriot" and that unforgettable rowboat scene in "The Notebook." Come see what makes this 170-acre preserve so wonderful!
Next up: Old Santee Canal Park (opened in 1989). Highlights of the park include the still functioning oldest canal ever built in America plus a circa 1843 home overlooking the water, and four miles of boardwalks on which to wander. 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 paying a visit to the Biggin Church ruins and cemetery. Seen here today is the fourth rendition of this place of worship. The first was merely a wooden structure used for preaching. It was followed in 1711 by a wooden church that burned in 1755. It was replaced in 1761, then occupied by the British during the American Revolution. Prior to vacating the church, the British burned it to the ground. The ruins we see today are those that were built in 1781 to replace the church burned by the British.
And no trip to Moncks Corner would be complete without a visit to Mepkin Abbey. Situated on the banks of the Cooper River, this Trappist monastery was established in 1949 and is still home to the brothers of Mepkin originally founded by the monks of Gethsemani in Kentucky. They are a quiet and peaceful group who are devoted to prayer, spiritual study, work, and hospitality. The monastery is open daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and guests are free to roam the beautiful grounds.
All of this sightseeing will surely have you working up an appetite. Although Moncks Corner is loaded with inexpensive dining choices, we'd suggest the Barony House.
The Barony House, 401 Altman St, Moncks Corner, SC 29461, USA
It serves up a variety of American fare and always receives great reviews on Google. Barony House is open Monday and Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Thursday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., and on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Possibly one of the most overlooked small towns in South Carolina, Moncks Corner certainly has a lot to offer daytrippers looking to escape the crowds found in our bigger cities. It’s a perfect South Carolina day trip destination.
