Islanders Beach Park closed on September 8, 2026, and is scheduled to stay closed through May 31, 2027, for a $5.1 million rebuild. The Town's paid beach parking season ran through September 7. That means the island's main resident beach closed one day after the meters stopped.
That timing shapes the whole closure. From now until the end of February, losing Islanders mostly means a different boardwalk and a different drive. Resident permits have to be renewed before March 1. On March 1, visitor parking fees come back, and Islanders still has three months of construction ahead. The winter is easy. The spring needs a plan.
Why fall and winter cost you less than you'd expect
Visitors pay to park at every Town beach park except Coligny only from March 1 through September 7. Fees are enforced from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. at $3 an hour on weekdays and $5 an hour on weekends. Outside those dates, no one is paying to park at Driessen or Folly Field. A resident permit buys you a reserved space this winter, not a price break.
The off-season rules for dogs also make it easier to switch beaches. From October through March, dogs may be on the beach at any hour, on a leash or under voice control. In the post-Labor Day part of September, dogs had to be leashed from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The usual rules still apply: pick up after your dog, and don't let it chase or harass wildlife. All Town beach parks are open daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
When the Island Packet talked with Islanders regulars in August, the reactions were mostly practical. One regular said she goes about three times a week and planned to use Folly Field or Driessen during the closure. Another regular said she would have pushed the start "more toward October, November," but would "just make it work."
Where the resident spaces went
The Island Packet described Islanders as the only public beach on the island with ample parking reserved for residents. To cover the closure, the Town moved resident parking to the two nearest beach parks. The table compares the Town's standing parking inventory with the temporary allocation in its August 19 release.
| Beach park | Entrance | Standing inventory | Resident spaces during closure | Restrooms and access |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Driessen Beach Park | 64 Bradley Beach Road, off William Hilton Parkway | 27 resident, 168 paid, 7 ADA, 3 bus/RV | 139 | Restroom building, outdoor showers, beach matting, 2 beach wheelchairs |
| Folly Field Beach Park | 55 Starfish Drive, off Folly Field Road | 51 paid, 3 ADA | 26 | Restrooms, outdoor shower, beach matting, 2 beach wheelchairs |
The temporary numbers apply only during construction. The Town's resident permit page still lists the old resident counts at Islanders and Driessen, so go by the closure release for now. Passholders can also park a car or golf cart free in any open space at any Town beach park, not only in the marked resident spaces. Driessen's 139 spaces are the largest block. Folly Field is smaller, and its 26 resident spaces sit in a lot that normally has 51 paid spaces.
If you walk or bike to Islanders, you can still reach the sand. A temporary mulch walkway on the north side of the park connects to the raised crosswalk on Folly Field Road. The Islanders restrooms are closed, so the nearest facilities are at Folly Field and Driessen.
For beach wheelchairs, both alternatives hold two each through the Town's free program. You reserve online with a refundable $25 credit card deposit, and each person can book up to two days in any seven-day period.
How the construction schedule lines up with the parking calendar
The Town divided the work into four stages. Here is how each stage lines up with the parking calendar.
- September 2026: Site mobilization, tree protection, silt fencing and erosion control. Paid season had just ended.
- October through December 2026: Site prep, grading and stormwater drainage. No fees anywhere, and dogs allowed on the beach at any hour.
- December 2026 through February 2027: Walkways, curbs, paver parking, asphalt and striping. Still no fees.
- Late February through May 2027: Landscaping, furnishings, lighting, electrical work and hardscaping. Fees return March 1 at both alternatives, while Islanders stays closed until June 1.
The fourth stage is the problem. For those three months, visitors without a permit pay by the hour at Driessen and Folly Field again, and the resident spaces become the only free parking near mid-island beaches. The parking fee schedule comes from an undated Town page, so it could change before spring.
The Town says it closed the park so the contractor could work efficiently and finish before the summer peak. The project was first scheduled for September 2025. It was postponed because the park was serving as beach access for the renourishment contractor.
The permit deadline arrives right before the meters do
Resident beach parking permits run from January 1 through December 31 and must be renewed every year before March 1. Meters come back on March 1, right after that deadline. If you renew on time, your car is ready for the resident spaces at Driessen and Folly Field when fees return. If you let the permit lapse, you'll be paying hourly rates at the only two beach parks near Islanders.
What the renewal involves:
- Eligibility: The permit is free for Town residents. You need your vehicle registration plus proof that you own property in Town or hold a current residential lease in Town of at least 183 days. Short-term rentals and timeshares with less than 183 days of occupancy don't qualify.
- Limits: Two vehicles per address. The permit is digital and tied to each vehicle's plate.
- Golf carts: A cart needs a valid South Carolina DMV golf cart registration before it can get a permit.
- Where to apply: Apply online through Parklync, or bring a printed application and documents to PCI Municipal Services at 32 Office Park Road, Suite 108. Town Hall does not issue permits.
- New car: Change the plate in the Vehicles tab of your Parklync account.
If you bought a car or a golf cart this year, the slow months before March are a good time to get its registration and permit sorted.
What the closure moved besides parking
Some regulars lost more than a parking lot. One person told the Island Packet that a group of musicians has met at the Islanders Beach pavilion on Tuesday evenings for about 15 years, with five to fifteen players at each session.
"This is a special place to us," the speaker said. "So it's impacted us, but we're not alone."
As of August, the group was considering a move to Chaplin Park. The article did not report a final decision.
The same person also questioned the 24 golf cart spaces in the new design and linked them to the Maidencane, a 166-unit timeshare resort under construction on the old Port Royal Racquet Club tract near the park. The Island Packet reported that some residents are concerned about added crowds on the beach. The Town's release lists the golf cart spaces as resident parking.
The walk to Folly Field is changing too. The Town collected traffic, speed and pedestrian counts at five Folly Field Road crossings: Starfish Drive, Seahorse Way, Ghost Crab Way, Island Club Road and Islanders Beach Park. The data will feed an engineering study on pedestrian-activated rapid-flashing beacons. Starfish Drive, the turn into Folly Field Beach Park, was the last site, with a five-day count scheduled to start September 28. The Town has not announced results or whether beacons will be installed. For now, crossing at Starfish Drive works the way it always has.
What reopens on June 1
The rebuilt park is scheduled to open with 213 parking spaces on permeable pavers. That includes 187 resident-only spaces, which is 54 more than Islanders had before, plus 26 metered public spaces near the Folly Field Road entrance. The Town's plans also include:
- 24 resident golf cart spaces
- a new pathway along the park's southern edge, starting at Folly Field Road
- more paths to the boardwalk, with new lighting and plantings
- an accessible beach-themed playground with interactive STEM panels, Braille and sign language panels, and musical elements
- bike racks, seating and picnic areas
- better stormwater drainage
Accommodations tax money set aside for beach improvements is paying for the project. The Town posts updates on its Islanders Beach Park project page. Questions go to Senior Project Manager Scott Harris at [email protected]. Until June 1, 2027, plan on Driessen or Folly Field, and renew your permit before March 1.
If you're comparing parts of the island and want to know which beach access, parking setup and walking route each one actually uses, I'm glad to go through it with you. Michael Sutcliffe can answer those questions in a short call. Schedule a Consultation.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
