This easy, self-guided, two-mile loop trail on remote Bull Island in Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge and is accessible only by boat. Primarily flat and amply marked, it begins at the island visitor station and meanders through forests, wetlands, and along beaches. In 1989 Hurricane Hugo washed completely over Bull Island and almost totally destroyed its trees, but today it continues to support a subtropical forest of magnolia, palmetto, bay, and live oak draped in Spanish moss. Fortunately the storm did not ruin a wildlife habitat that includes over 300 species of birds, numerous alligators, and the recently introduced red wolf. Though the trail is perhaps best enjoyed during cooler months, loggerhead turtles nest on the Bull Island beaches in early summer.

The ferry to Bull Island runs four days a week from March to November, and Saturdays only the remainder of the year. Call (843) 881-4582 for the schedule. No camping allowed on Bull Island, but there is camping at Buck Hall Recreation Area in the Francis Marion National Forest. There is primitive camping south of Bull Island (with a permit on Capers Island) and north of Cape Romain (with a permit on Murphy Island).

Directions: From Charleston, Follow US 17 north for approximately 15 miles. Turn right onto Sewee Road (Charleston County S-584) and continue 3.5 miles. Turn right again onto Charleston County S-1170, which runs into Moore's Landing where you can catch the ferry to Bull Island.

Distance: 2 miles

Difficulty: Easy

Visitor Information

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