SC has one of 15 best summer vacation spots & it’s not Myrtle Beach, US News & World Report says
A South Carolina beach community is among 15 places for best summer vacations named by U.S. News and World Report.
The 10-mile-long Kiawah Island made the list due to its beaches, 30-plus miles of bike trails and five championship golf courses, the magazine said.
Southern Living also recently selected Kiawah as one of eight most beautiful places in South Carolina.
Development as a resort on the barrier island about 25 miles southwest of Charleston began in the 1970s. About 2,000 people live there year-round with the population growing to as many as 10,000 in the summer.
U.S. News considered affordability, weather and variety of things to do, plus traveler and expert sentiment.
Eight of the 15 locations are national parks.
“Although temperatures can reach sweltering highs in the 80s and 90s and the humidity is bound to make you sweat, you can cool off while swimming or boogie boarding at Kiawah Beachwalker Park,” U.S. News said.
The magazine also mentioned Freshfields Village, a shopping and dining area, and seasonal events like dive-in movie and music nights and oyster roasts. Freshfields also has a boutique hotel and spa.
Kiawah ranked ninth.
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The other locations are No. 1 Mackinac Island between Michigan’s Upper and Lower Peninsulas in Lake Huron.
2. Glacier National Park in Montana.
3. Mammoth Lakes in California’s Sierra Nevada mountain range.
4. Zion National Park, Utah’s first national park.
5. Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho.
6. Mount Rainier National Park in Washington state.
7. Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona.
8. Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming.
10. Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah.
11. Great Smoky Mountains National Park on the Tennessee-North Carolina border.
12. Bar Harbor, a maritime town on the Atlantic coast in Maine.
13. Cannon Beach in Oregon.
14. Outer Banks in North Carolina.
15. Adirondacks in New York.
This story was originally published May 29, 2025 at 6:00 AM.