There are many more birding sites along the South Carolina coast than we mention below. In order to keep this list manageable, we've limited it to some of the locations that have been frequently visited by the GCBC. For each of the spots below, more detail can be found in books cited on our Literature page or in the site descriptions on the Carolina Bird Club website.
Savannah NWR is a large refuge off US Hwy 17 just before it crosses into Georgia. The most accessible birding is along the Laurel Hill Wildlife Drive, which forms a loop with a section of Hwy 170. Along the wildlife drive are many impoundments that are good for waterfowl, waders, rails, and raptors. The numerous hammocks along the route can be very active with passerine migrants, particularly during fall.
In addition to the wildlife drive, look for Tupelo Trail and Little Back River parking areas on SC Hwy 170 for access to walk the dikes and check the impoundments north of 170. Kingfisher Pond and the refuge visitor center also have trails and good birding. Another, somewhat hazardous birding location can be found along the roadside on US Hwy 17 about 1.5 mile before the bridge to Georgia. Traffic is moderately horrifying, but stopping on the shoulder here to scope the mudflats to the southeast can turn up some good shorebirds and waders.
Bear Island Wildlife Management Area is one of the best places to bird in SC. The numerous impoundments and ponds hold waders, rails, shorebirds, White Pelicans, ducks, geese, and swans. During warmer months, it's a reliable place to find Least Bittern, Black-necked Stilt, Roseate Spoonbill, Painted Bunting, and more.
Donnelley Wildlife Management Area is great on its own, or paired with Bear Island. It has more wooded areas than Bear Island, with several different types of forest, and their associated birds. There are also impoundments, ponds, freshwater marshes, and swamps. Donnelley can be a great place to find Purple Gallinule, Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Painted Bunting, Roseate Spoonbill in warmer months, and ducks, shorebirds, and more during colder months.
The birding map linked above shows some specific spots to check in these large WMAs, and along Bennett's Point Road as well. For both of these sites, be sure to check the DNR website for closure status. Both are closed from mid-October to early February, and then also for scheduled hunts. Certain portions of the WMAs will be open, but large areas will be closed during hunts, so plan carefully.
Santee Coastal Reserve boasts one of the most diverse arrays of habitats to be found at a single birding location in SC. The first ~1.5 mile of the entrance road pases through open long-leaf pine forest that is home to Red-cockaded Woodpeckers and Bachman's Sparrows, after which it passes through a patch of oak woods that are quite productive for warblers in migration. Just past this is a trail that approaches the Washo Reserve, with its cypress swamp and freshwater lake.
The patch of woods around the office building can turn up some good migrants and often has large groups of blackbirds. The adjacent Clubhouse Canal Road goes past an impoundment which often has ducks and waders to an overview onto the South Santee River.
Just beyond this on the entrance road is a parking area adjacent to a gate blocking further vehicle travel. Walk from here down the road to start the Cape Trail, which passes briefly through some woods before offering several miles of dikes around brackish water impoundments that hold thousands of ducks and shorebirds in winter and migration, and can be really good for raptors as well. This section of the WMA is seasonally closed for hunting from mid-October to early February, so check the DNR website for closure status.
The entire Santee Delta Wildlife Management Area is subject to the same closures for hunting as the Santee Coastal Reserve, so check and plan carefully. When accessible, this WMA provides access to many impoundments harboring winter waterfowl and waders, and also King Rail and patches of woods that can be really great for migrants. During the summer, this is a reliable location for Swallow-tailed Kites.
Many birders consider HBSP to be the best single birding site in SC. The description on the CBC website is detailed and recently updated, so we'll defer to that.