Where does Pier to the Citadel start and end?

It starts at Isle of Palms Pier, Front Beach, Isle of Palms, SC and ends at The Citadel, 171 Moultrie St, Charleston, SC. The stops are ordered so the route does not double back.

How long does Pier to the Citadel take?

About 2h 12m for 6 stops, covering 19.1 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 the Citadel?

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 the Citadel?

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 the Citadel?

Dear John, across 6 locations in and around Charleston.

Pier to the Citadel, Charleston

Pier to the Citadel, Charleston · Standshot

Dima Sergiyenko, CC BY-SA 4.001
Stop 01 · Dear JohnPrivate
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, and the current rate is posted at the gate.
Allow
About 15 minutes here
Warren LeMay, CC002
Stop 02 · Dear John
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.
Allow
About 15 minutes here
Also used in Outer Banks
Christiana Davies, CC BY-SA 4.003
Stop 03 · Dear JohnAdmission
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 15 minutes here
Not photographed yet04
Stop 04 · Dear John
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
Allow
About 15 minutes here
Warren LeMay, CC005
Stop 05 · Dear John
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 15 minutes here
Also used in The Notebook
Also used in The Notebook
CocoaBeachBoy, public domain06
Stop 06 · Dear John
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 15 minutes here

What this route is

6 stops, 19.1 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

9:41

Charleston, South Carolina Lowcountry

Pier to the Citadel

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

Sorted by distance on the day

Pier to the Citadel, as the app will carry it

The places on this page are free to read, one by one. A route puts them in order, tells you what was filmed at each and how to get round them. The app that carries it on the day is coming, and the routes are readable here in the meantime. It opens the other 4 paid routes as well, so the next one costs you nothing extra.

Free, no account All 54 locations on this site, photographed and addressed · what was filmed at 58 of 58 stops · the scene in detail at 50 · what it costs to get in at all 15 places that need it.

What differs	Free	With the pass
The route in order, as a day you can follow	Readable here	5 drives, 40 stops
The app, when it lands: sorts the stops by how far away you are, tells you when you have arrived, and works with no signal	The 5 stop walk	Every route, every town

What every pass opens

What carries it

The route is free to read here, in full. What the pass opens is the day carried: it sorts the stops by how far away you are, tells you when you have arrived, and works with no signal.

Pier to the Citadel

6 stops, in order

Isle of Palms Pier

Sullivan's Island

Fort Moultrie

Upper King Street

Cistern Yard

The Citadel

Before you set off