The Sands
A Hidden Gem
story by ROBIN TODD photos by PAUL NURNBERG
In a sleepy small town where time stands still, residents can be found gathering for live street music over shared cheese plates and coolers toted on golf carts. On summer nights you will also find people gathered at the town’s hidden gem referred to by locals as, “The Sands.” Where Battery Creek flows into the Beaufort River, is Sands Beach. This beach is perhaps the only beach where you can drive up and park directly on the beach to enjoy the views. A rare find that has over time become a gathering place for generations of local families and hosts flocks of tourists who come to celebrate their loved ones graduating from our very own Paris Island Marine Boot camp, The Sands beach is a rare find.
On any given day you will find local fisherman, sunbathers, smiling children covered in pluff mud digging for fiddler crabs, shark teeth and kayakers among the dolphins. The tides here come and go, however, the spirit of this community stands still, and is truly something you will not find anywhere else.
A beach was formed here in 1958 from the dredging of sand onto the shore by States port authority, and according to locals, our precious Sands is the second deepest natural deepest harbor in the world. This allowed for the passage of ships into the port, a business which has since slowed in Port Royal, however, the history of this particular port remains very much alive. An old railroad ran right up to this port and now has become part of our beloved Spanish moss trail, allowing a safe place for pedestrian traffic to make their way through town.
Sands beach also hosts a boardwalk and tower in which you can stroll along and climb to steal views of one of the most breathtaking sunrises you will ever see. Local fishermen and boaters flock to this particular spot daily to utilize the easily accessible dock as well as fish right from the boards. When standing on this beach you can often hear the sound of cadence being carried across the water by the marines at Paris Island, it is a place where so many lives collide becoming one and reminding us just how important it is to stay in community with one another sharing common bonds. The Sands also plays host for the town to come together here on this beach to celebrate events and also is the host of a long standing Fourth of July celebration.
One can spend a lot time researching the history of this hidden gem and find data on the dredging that formed the beach and the history of the ports commerce and contribution to local economy, however the real magic is felt in speaking to long time residents and the heartfelt stories they have to tell of growing up in a place full of shark tooth hunts, changing landscape and of course Pluff Mud.
Counsel woman Mary-Beth Heyward and long time resident of Port Royal recounts her experience being part of the history that is Sands Beach as nothing less than pure magic. Growing up on the banks of the intercoastal waterway here in Port Royal she recounts the days of swimming beneath the coal shoot and shrimp docks as the sands beach was being formed. She tells the stories of her childhood, finding shark teeth as they plowed new sand from the riverbanks, she had a new adventure each visit. She shared the story of having her fathers shrimp boat being built in old town Port Royal and then being trailered down for her maiden voyage off of the shore of The Sands. She can still see her mother standing on the shore of The Sands breaking a celebratory bottle of champagne. Since her very first shark tooth hunt Mary-Beth has since kept this gem part of her own daughters life and now her grandchildren are third generation shark teeth explorers of The Sands. “I don’t know if this place could ever be replaced, it is something you would never want to trade, a hidden gem,” she states.
There are many plans for the waterfront development here in Port Royal however the Sands will remain a local gathering place. A piece of history that will be ever changing yet remain the same. It is a place for all to come and take in the beauty that is Port Royal, a place for generations of shark tooth explorers to find their treasure.
The goal of the town council is now and will remain, “To have this local gem preserved and to welcome the public to enjoy the waterfront. This is what Port Royal has to offer and it’s so special, where else can you go and experience this? “Nowhere,” Mary-Beth explains. When she speaks it’s as if time stands still and she gets lost in her memories. You can see in her eyes the future generations plot their shark tooth escapades along these waters.
One of the greatest perks this local gem offers is that it is an ADA accessible location. It’s rare to find somewhere you can drive right onto the beach. This is something that will remain of high importance as the port grows, and something else that makes this particular beach stand apart from all the others Mary-Beth explains.
An overarching theme in discussion with Mary-Beth is the community that has been formed here in Port Royal revolving around this beach, “we are all part of this together and The Sands was always in the center.”
The secret is out, this gem is one of the most family-friendly and free local attractions the lowcountry has to offer and the locals are ready to welcome, with open arms, all who want to share the experience of being part of a piece of history here at “The Sands.”
