Discover Port Royal

Port Royal combines coastal history with natural sites and activities on the water. When choosing a hotel in Port Royal, consider which focus you would like to give more time during your stay: Battery Creek, the Cypress Wetlands, or the history of Camp Saxton and the coastal economy. The topics below offer concrete points to consider when making that choice and planning your time in the city.

Exploring Battery Creek

The Henry Robinson Boardwalk runs along Battery Creek and is ideal for walking, crabbing, and fishing. This makes both a waterside trail and two specific fishing activities its main attractions. If you would rather spend time at the creek than in an exhibition during your stay, the boardwalk is a good point of reference. The creek gives your stay a different focus from the museum exhibitions: here, time on the water takes center stage.

Trails and birdlife in the Cypress Wetlands

The Cypress Wetlands offer walking trails. Herons, hawks, eagles, owls, falcons, geese, ducks, and other migratory waterfowl live there. Alongside the trails, this birdlife defines the area’s natural character. This gives the wetlands a different focus from the activities at Battery Creek: trails and birdlife are central in the wetlands, while the creek centers on the boardwalk and its opportunities for walking, crabbing, and fishing. This distinction can help you weigh two different nature-focused options for your stay.

The coastal economy and local history

The Historic Port Royal Foundation & Museum is located at 1634 Paris Ave in Port Royal. Its exhibitions cover the coastal history of shrimping, fishing, and crabbing. These three subjects offer different ways to explore the area’s coastal history. Port Royal developed into a boomtown because of its busy harbor and active railroad. Fishing, the harbor, and the railroad highlight different aspects of the past: the exhibitions focus on coastal industries, while the harbor and railroad explain the city’s development into a boomtown.

Camp Saxton and the history of emancipation

Camp Saxton in Port Royal was the site of the first reading of the Emancipation Proclamation. Camp Saxton was also home to the 1st South Carolina Volunteer Infantry, which was later renamed the 33rd United States Colored Troops. These two facts reveal different aspects of the same place: the reading of the proclamation and the history of the military unit. The later name, 33rd United States Colored Troops, refers to the same unit as its earlier name.

The chapel and historic sites

Pinckney-Porter's Chapel, a Freedmen’s chapel from the Reconstruction Era, is located in Naval Heritage Park. Exhibitions at Pinckney-Porter's Chapel tell the story of Camp Saxton and the soldiers trained there. As a chapel from this era, it offers its own historical perspective, while its exhibitions also lead back to Camp Saxton. Park rangers occasionally lead tours to Fort Frederick that focus on the history of Camp Saxton. If a tour is important to your plans, check in advance whether one is scheduled. Fort Frederick, whose construction dates to around 1733, is the oldest surviving tabby fort in South Carolina. The tours offer a connection to Camp Saxton, while the fort itself is notable for its age and its significance in a statewide context.

The Saturday farmers market

The Port Royal Farmers Market takes place every Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon at Naval Heritage Park, rain or shine. If you want to plan a visit to the market, you can set aside Saturday morning as a separate activity. Its regular schedule gives the market a clear place in your weekly plans, alongside the city’s range of nature and history attractions.

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