GUIDEPOSTS
Stargazing on Bulls Island: A Night Sky Adventure Like No Other
Looking for a stargazing tour in Charleston, SC that takes you beyond the city lights and into the heart of the wild? Step aboard for one of the most awe-inspiring experiences on the East Coast—a boat drop to remote Bulls Island for an unforgettable night under the stars.
This is not your average stargazing experience. It’s a journey across the salt marshes of the Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge, timed perfectly to catch the Milky Way rising or meteors streaking across an unpolluted sky. Whether you’re a seasoned night-sky photographer or someone who just loves wonder, the Bulls Island Stargazing Tour offers a front-row seat to the cosmos in one of the darkest places along the South Carolina coast.
A Wild Beach, a Boat Ride, and a Billion Stars
Your journey begins at sunset, as you board a Coastal Expeditions boat and glide through the Cape Romain refuge. Along the way, your naturalist guide will point out wildlife—dolphins, herons, maybe even a night-flying owl—as the sky shifts from gold to deep indigo.
After crossing the refuge, we’ll land on Bulls Island, a 5,000-acre barrier island managed for conservation. Here, there are no roads, no houses, and no artificial lights—just dunes, salt flats, and sky. It’s the kind of place where you can hear your heartbeat in the stillness and look up to see the universe laid bare.
We’ll drop you on the beach, and from there, you’re free to wander, settle in, or simply look up. On the right nights, you’ll see the glowing band of the Milky Way stretch from one horizon to the other. On meteor shower dates, you may catch dozens of Perseids or Geminids lighting up the darkness.
Why Bulls Island Is One of the Best Places for Stargazing in South Carolina
Bulls Island offers true dark skies, far from the light pollution of Charleston and neighboring towns. It’s part of a protected refuge, meaning the horizon remains undeveloped and wild—ideal conditions for astronomy tours, Milky Way viewing, and night photography.
And unlike most stargazing destinations, you get there by boat. That means the experience begins before you even step on the beach—with a scenic cruise through one of the most biodiverse estuaries on the East Coast.
Book Your Spot Under the Stars
This is one of our most limited and intimate experiences, and it often sells out quickly. If you’ve been looking for a night sky tour near Charleston, or dreaming of watching a meteor shower from a deserted beach, this is your chance.
→ Reserve your spot on the Bulls Island Stargazing Tour
Come watch the stars rise over the ocean, far from everything—except the magic.
