Book Hotels in Sullivan's Island, SC

Book hotels in Sullivan's Island, SC and get ready for an enriching exercise in vexillology (which, of course, you know means "the study of flags"). For this island at the entrance to Charleston Harbor represents the story of the state's flag, that waving indigo icon with its white palmetto and crescent moon motifs. Those symbols' significance will become clear as you explore Fort Moultrie, the major draw for visitors to the island. But a tour of the grassy mounds, sandy shorelines, and brick fortifications is no dull history lecture; it's an understanding of the defense of the nation's oceanic boundary since its very inception.

Visiting Sullivan's Island

The first place to go after checking into Sullivan's Island, SC hotels, is Fort Moultrie, part of Fort Sumter National Monument. You'll quickly learn of the most significant event that occurred on the site—the battle at then-named Fort Sullivan during the American Revolutionary War. Scan the horizon for palmetto trees (you'll recognize their squat silhouette from the South Carolina flag). The original fort's walls were constructed from their trunks and packed with the same sand that rings the island today.

Such a seemingly unsteady structure held strong under the barrage of cannon fire from British warships. Envision that improbable day as you stand on this spot where history was made, and the selection of the humble palm as the symbol of the state will make perfect sense. You'll never again sit under the shade of a palmetto or gaze at the waxing moon without recalling your time on the island. Continue your wanderings with Sullivan's Island rental cars and an easy drive into Charleston, a city with many history lessons of its own. After a day seeing such landmarks as Middleton Place and Charles Towne Landing, you'll return to one of the hotels in Charleston with a head bursting with historical facts and your patriotism forever enriched.

Find Sullivan's Island hotels using the Travelocity app. You'll save more than enough to buy a souvenir bearing the South Carolina flag, and return home with its story forever in your memories.