Best Places to Fly
Your Drone in Charleston

Bridges are always great to photograph with drones, and they don’t get much better or more modern than the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge. Crossing over the Cooper River, this bridge has the distinction of being one of the longest cable-stayed bridges in the world. The bridge is particularly spectacular at night with its lights highlighting the bridge’s diamond-shaped towers.

Sullivan's Island Lighthouse, more commonly known as the Charleston Light, towers over the other structures in the US Coast Guard Historic District. Its white and black color scheme makes it easily stand out, as does it rectangular shape. The lighthouse has plenty of open space around it to launch your drone, but we suggest walking a bit to the beach for a safer take-off point. The beach is arguably cooler than the lighthouse, but you can fly over both easily with a drone.

The Huntington Beach State Park is a pretty long way from Charleston but is still a convenient beach getaway. Access to the beach is quick from the parking lot and there is plenty of wide open space for you to fly a drone. The Atalaya castle compound off the south is also an interesting subject for aerial photos. Whether you're going here for a quick beach trip or for overnight camping, make sure to pack your drone.

Dock Street Park is a small and quiet neighborhood park located at the end of Patterson Ave. in Charleston. Despite being fairly nondescript, the park has large trees and an open field that stretches out to a fishing dock. This is a good refuge for drone pilots who would like to fly their drones away from crowds an curious onlookers. It's also a good spot to catch the sunrise.

Fort Sumter is a historical sea fort that played an important role in protecting Charleston during Civil War. Today, tours inside Fort Sumter can be done by taking a ferry to the artificial island. Drone pilots can instead take photos and videos of the fort by taking off in any of the nearby land masses. Flying over the waters of the bay also makes for amazing aerial footage.

Pelican Pier Marina is the go-to place for tourists who wish to rent boats to explore the bay. Its easy access to the waters also makes it a great place to launch drones. The pier should have just enough space to launch and land a drone, although you may want to watch out for birds. The blue waters around Marco Island are unlike no other. If you're lucky, you may even catch videos of dolphins swimming around.