Where does Pier to Folly start and end?

It starts at Isle of Palms Pier, Front Beach, Isle of Palms, SC and ends at Folly Beach. The stops are ordered so the route does not double back.

How long does Pier to Folly take?

About 3h 57m for 8 stops, covering 32.2 miles. That is measured driving time plus the time each stop is worth, not the drive alone.

Do I need to pay to do Pier to Folly?

The locations, the order and what was filmed at each are free to read on this page. The pass covers carrying the route in the app, which sorts the stops by how far away you are, tells you when you have arrived, and works with no signal.

Can I get into every stop on Pier to Folly?

Not all of them are walk-ups. Isle of Palms Pier is private; Fort Moultrie needs a ticket. The rest are public and free to stand at.

What was filmed on Pier to Folly?

Dear John, across 8 locations in and around Charleston.

Charleston · Dear John

Pier to Folly

A self-guided tour you do in your own car, on your own day.

From the pier on the Isle of Palms down to Folly, taking in the fort, the college where the phones ring, and the oyster house on the marsh.

Mode: Drive
Runtime: 3h 57m
Distance: 32.2 mi
Stops: 8

What this tour is

8 stops, 32.2 miles, ordered as one drive.

What was filmed at each stop, and which building it is
The drive between them, measured, and where to park at the stops that need it
With the pass: all of it in the app when it lands, which sorts the stops by how far away you are, tells you when you have arrived, and works with no signal. Free to read here in the meantime

9:41

Charleston, South Carolina Lowcountry

Pier to Folly

Isle of Palms Pier
Sullivan's Island
Fort Moultrie
Upper King Street

Sorted by distance on the day

Pier to Folly, as the app will carry it

The stops

8 stops, in order

All of them, free to read, before you pay for anything.

Route diagram · order and spread, not a map · coordinates approximate until field-checked

Dima Sergiyenko, CC BY-SA 4.001
Stop 01 · Dear JohnIn the passPrivate
Isle of Palms Pier
The scene
The pier where John goes in after Savannah's bag.
Savannah's bag goes off the fishing pier and John goes in after it. That is the whole beginning of it.
Front Beach, Isle of Palms, SC
Admission
The pier is privately owned and gated, belonging to the Sea Cabins and Oceanside Villas, so there is no public way onto it. It is seen from the beach at Front Beach, which is open and free.
Parking
Isle of Palms County Park is the public car park at Front Beach. Charleston County Parks charge by the vehicle and by the season: $5 in January and February, $10 in March, $15 in April, $15 on weekdays and $25 at weekends and holidays from May to Labor Day, $15 in September, $10 in October, $5 in November and December.
Allow
About 45 minutes here
Warren LeMay, CC002
Stop 02 · Dear JohnIn the pass
Sullivan's Island
The scene
The island where the barbecue and much of the summer is set.
The beach house scenes are set along Middle Street. The houses themselves are private and are not stops on this route; the beach and the island are.
Sullivan's Island, SC
Parking
Parking is on the street and free, but the island enforces it. The town's rule is that you must park in the designated right of way, with all tires off the pavement, and not block the street or the beach paths.
Also used in Outer Banks
Christiana Davies, CC BY-SA 4.003
Stop 03 · Dear JohnIn the passAdmission
Fort Moultrie
The scene
The historic fort stands in for a military installation overseas.
The installation on the African coast was built here. A street on Sullivan's Island was covered in sand and dirt to finish the effect.
1214 Middle St, Sullivan's Island, SC
Admission
National Park Service site, about $10 a head, under 16 free. Card only, no cash.
Hours
Current hours at nps.gov
Parking
There is a visitor centre car park at 1214 Middle Street. Space for buses, RVs and large vehicles is limited.
Allow
About 60 minutes here
04
Stop 04 · Dear JohnIn the pass
Upper King Street
The scene
A coin shop on lower King Street. Nobody has ever identified which one.
John and his father have the collection valued on King Street, and it is where the older John eventually parts with it. The shop itself has never been pinned down: every guide says "the King Street coin shops" and none of them names a business, so it may have been a dressed storefront that no longer trades. Walk lower King for the look of it and do not expect to find a door.
King St, Charleston, SC
Warren LeMay, CC005
Stop 05 · Dear JohnIn the pass
Cistern Yard
The scene
Randolph Hall, where the phones begin ringing with the news of September 11th.
Savannah returns to school here, and it is outside Randolph Hall that the phones start. The same building turns up in The Notebook, Cold Mountain and The Patriot.
66 George St, Charleston, SC
Parking
City garages nearby are Marion Square at 399 King St and Camden/Exchange at 35 John St. City garages are $1 for 20 minutes with a $24 daily maximum. Street meters are $3 an hour, enforced 9am to 6pm, free on Sundays and city holidays.
Allow
About 45 minutes here
Also used in The Notebook
Also used in The Notebook
CocoaBeachBoy, public domain06
Stop 06 · Dear JohnIn the pass
The Citadel
The scene
The Citadel infirmary stands in for the German hospital.
John recovers from his wounds here. The campus sits on the Ashley and is open to visitors.
171 Moultrie St, Charleston, SC
Parking
Free visitor parking on campus; Summerall Field lots on parade Fridays
Allow
About 30 minutes here
07
Stop 07 · Dear JohnIn the pass
Bowens Island Restaurant
The scene
The oyster house on the marsh, though not the building that was standing when they filmed.
The first date, shot at dusk over the creek, and the reaction of the regulars is the first hint of John's history here. The building is not the one on screen: the original burned down in 2006, five months after it was named a James Beard America's Classic, the film shot in the interim building in 2008, and the one standing now opened in 2010. The marsh, the creek and the light at sunset are the same, which is most of why the scene works.
1870 Bowens Island Rd, Charleston, SC
Hours
Current hours at bowensisland.com
Parking
Own gravel lot at the end of Bowens Island Rd, free
Allow
About 120 minutes here
Kurtis Garbutt, CC BY 2.008
Stop 08 · Dear JohnIn the pass
Folly Beach
The scene
The falling-out over his father plays along this beach. No single spot is identified, so this is the end of the day rather than a mark to stand on. The county park at the east end is where to leave the car.
No single spot on the sand is identified, which is why this closes the day rather than giving you a mark to stand on. The Outer Banks route stops here too, for the lighthouse off the east end.
Folly Beach, SC
Parking
Folly Beach County Park, at the west end, is the reliable car park. Charleston County Parks charge by the vehicle and by the season: $5 in January and February, $10 in March, $15 in April, $15 on weekdays and $25 at weekends and holidays from May to Labor Day, $15 in September, $10 in October, $5 in November and December.
Allow
About 120 minutes here
Worth knowing
The lighthouse itself sits offshore and is not reachable on foot. Seeing it up close means a boat.
Also used in Outer Banks

Questions

Before you set off

Where does Pier to Folly start and end?: It starts at Isle of Palms Pier, Front Beach, Isle of Palms, SC and ends at Folly Beach. The stops are ordered so the route does not double back.
How long does Pier to Folly take?: About 3h 57m for 8 stops, covering 32.2 miles. That is measured driving time plus the time each stop is worth, not the drive alone.
Do I need to pay to do Pier to Folly?: The locations, the order and what was filmed at each are free to read on this page. The pass covers carrying the route in the app, which sorts the stops by how far away you are, tells you when you have arrived, and works with no signal.
Can I get into every stop on Pier to Folly?: Not all of them are walk-ups. Isle of Palms Pier is private; Fort Moultrie needs a ticket. The rest are public and free to stand at.
What was filmed on Pier to Folly?: Dear John, across 8 locations in and around Charleston.