Folly Beach. Don’t Call it a Comeback.
Folly Beach County Park officially reopens its gates for visitors on Wednesday, July 3 — opening for normal operations at 9:00 a.m. and a public grand opening ceremony at 10:00 a.m.
Folly Beach County Park (FBCP) has been closed for public access since August 2011 when the park, owned by the Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission (CCPRC), suffered heavy erosion from Hurricane Irene. The storm rendered a number of facilities inaccessible — forcing closure of the property and eliminating public access and parking for over 400 cars on the west end of Folly Island. The park had served as a public beach access area for thousands of area residents since its opening in 1982.
The initial beach renourishment phase began in 2012 with a comprehensive study that led to the stabilization project beginning on May 5, 2013 with the construction of a 745-foot-long low-profile steel structure located at the southernmost end of the property designed to trap and hold southerly flowing sand in place. Excess sand is expected to flow over and around the groin to rebuild the end of the spit.
Dr. Tim Kana, President of Coastal Science & Engineering (CSE), the firm that designed the beach restoration project, said he was pleased to see the outcome after years of planning. “Visitors will find a much larger expanse of beach than normal until some dunes develop and vegetation starts to grow.”
The restoration will provide a beach and dune area that will facilitate sea turtle nesting and shorebird habitat. Steven Traynum, CSE’s project manager, said construction was completed in record time — in less than two months — without environmental incident. Traynum said, “We even had our first turtle nest on the new beach this week.”
“We all know that beach access is important to our area, but what is more important to an agency that promotes safety as one of its core values is the opportunity to have 1400 additional feet of lifeguarded beach,” said CCPRC Executive Director Tom O’Rourke.
“Our beach safety record has won national awards and we are happy that the community will have this option, and we are even more excited to be able to open our beach by the July 4 holiday,” said O’Rourke.
Future plans for FBCP may also provide for concessions and other amenities, according to officials.
Currently, the park remains closed to the public while final preparations are put into place. Folly Beach County Park will resume its former hours of operation (9:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. daily through Labor Day) beginning July 3, offering over over 200 beach-side parking spaces, lifeguarded shores, and portable restrooms. Admission to the park is $8 per vehicle or free for CCPRC Gold Pass holders.
