Most South Carolina sea islands and much of the coastal lands in the southeast US have experienced significant development and commercialization, making one resort area look much like another. But Edisto Island is different – it has escaped the ravages of “progress.” There are no stop lights, no malls, no high-rise resort hotels, no waterslides, no fast food restaurants. Instead there is scenery that takes you back in time: thousands of acres of farm lands that have been cultivated since the 1600s, live oaks canopies over the byway that are 200+ years old. Thousands of acres of wildlife habitat and rural lands have been permanently preserved – these natural scenic views from the byway will never change.
This area was inhabited as early as 2,000 B.C. when archaic cultures lived on the sea islands and consumed shellfish, giving rise to shill middens. By the mid second millennium, the Edistow Indians, one tribe of the Cusabo Indians, harvested seafood and grew crops. Europeans began to engage with this area by the 1550s, and the first settlements occurred in 1683. The Edistows had all but disappeared by 1750 due to displacement and disease. Thanks to an enslaved population, the island flourished agriculturally for a century, growing sea island cotton, and many former slaves continued to work on the plantations after the civil war. By the 1920s, the boll weevil ended cotton cultivation, prompting a switch to the seafood industry and truck farming for the area.
The route begins at the foot of the McKinley Washington Jr. Bridge, also known as the Dawhoo Bridge, which spans the Intracoastal Waterway, and ends 13.5 miles later at the Atlantic Ocean on the Edisto Beach. The McKinley Washington Jr Bridge and Dawhoo Landing are favorites of local photographers for the wide array of greens and blues, which are perfect for a family portrait or holiday card. Along the Byway there is much to soothe the spirit and awaken the senses. Traveling through tunnels of moss-draped live oak canopies, the Byway opens to expansive marsh vistas with meandering creeks, ever changing with the tides and the seasons. You may spot bald eagles, egrets, wood storks, osprey, hawks and herons, or catch a glimpse of songbirds, mammals and reptiles, as the Byway rambles past tidal creeks, maritime forests, farm fields, roadside markets, conserved lands, and historic churches and buildings. The Byway's many points of interest tell the story of a community of people living and working on the island, many with roots that go back to colonial times.
Along the way visitors should take the opportunity to slow down the pace of life to discover an authentic way of living. There are many opportunities for visitors to take their time and breathe deep: this “Edis-slow ramble” is a visual delight that will cater to the soul. Along the way, visitors can stop at a stand and buy a handmade sweetgrass basket and fill it with fresh local produce at a roadside market and fresh seafood dockside. The local produce and products will entice even the most frugal travelers with their distinct regional symbolism and influence, allowing visitors to take a piece of the byway with them. Visitors can go for a picnic on the beach, keeping an eye out for dolphin and horseshoe crabs while they go shelling.