Since Monday, Oct. 5, the boardwalk along River Landing Drive between Fairchild Drive and Seven Farms Drive has been closed for repairs. The Daniel Island Town Association expects the work to take about six weeks, weather permitting. The Daniel Island Property Owners' Association announced the closure and described the boardwalk as a route that "sees a lot of foot traffic, bikes, strollers, and dog walks every day." It added that years of heavy use and coastal weather had worn it down.
The POA counts more than 25 miles of trail across maritime forest, marsh edge, waterfront, neighborhoods and downtown. The harder question for dog owners is where a walk can end. Daniel Island's leash rules apply almost everywhere. Only one stop on the island has City rules that clearly allow time off the leash, and it sits at the far end of the Riverfront Loop.
What's Closed, and for How Long
The work is paid for by the Daniel Island Community Fund. It covers the boardwalk and trail section between Fairchild and Seven Farms, and the POA asks walkers to stay behind the posted barriers rather than step around them. Six weeks from Oct. 5 puts the finish around mid-November. That date depends on weather, and the association has promised an update if the timing changes. As of this writing, no update has been posted since the Sept. 29 notice.
Daniel Island has two places called "Waterfront Park." The City of Charleston's Daniel Island Waterfront Park sits on the Wando River with riverfront walking trails, benches, a fishing pier, a playground and water features. A separate POA listing, also called Waterfront Park, gives its address as 1 River Landing Drive and describes swings with a view, a hammock garden and seating. When a friend says "meet at Waterfront Park" this fall, it helps to ask which one.
The Routes That Cover the Gap
The POA's trail directory lists lengths and surfaces, and they matter more than usual right now. A dog used to soft boardwalk planks, or a stroller that handles poorly on sand, will notice the difference.
| Route | Length | Surface | What's along it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Riverfront Loop | 1.78 miles | Gravel and sand with wooden boardwalks | Wando River views, a pass under the Wando bridge, historical markers, ends toward Governors Park |
| Smythe-to-Townsend Loop | 1.37 miles | Gravel nature trail and paved sidewalk | Smythe Park, Pirates Park, Townsend Park, dog stations and fountains on parts of it |
| Island Park Loop | 2.6 miles | Fully paved | The longest paved option in the directory |
| Grove Park Loop | 0.9 miles | Paved sidewalk | A short neighborhood circuit |
The Riverfront Loop is the closest match to what the closed boardwalk offered. It keeps the river beside you and still has wooden boardwalk sections. Its trailhead is listed at 1 River Landing Drive, and it runs behind the LTP Tennis Center and under the Wando bridge toward Governors Park. Because it starts on the same street as the closure, follow the posted barriers if the two meet. Along the way you pass a cemetery, the Pritchard Shipyard marker and the Fairbank Plantation site, and the POA warns about tree roots across the path.
If you'd rather stay inland, Smythe Park at 2394 Daniel Island Drive has 22 acres around an 11-acre lake, with pedestrian and history trails and a kayak dock. The Smythe-to-Townsend Loop starts there and has dog stations on portions of the route, which the closed boardwalk can't offer anyone for the next several weeks. Barfield Park at 1179 Barfield Street adds winding paths in a marsh setting and a picnic gazebo. The POA doesn't publish a length for those paths.
Where the Leash Can Come Off
Every route above is a leashed walk. The POA's governing documents require dogs to be leashed or otherwise confined outside the home. The City ordinance the POA quotes requires physical restraint or a leash no longer than 16 feet on public streets, sidewalks, fields, facilities and parks. The same ordinance allows off-leash time in a city park only where the Parks Director authorizes it and posts the hours or conditions. It also keeps animals off tennis courts, fenced recreation fields and athletic fields.
That rule is what makes the end of the Riverfront Loop worth the walk. Governors Park, maintained by the City of Charleston, has a dog run along with waterfront trails, soccer and baseball fields and a playground. The City lists the park at 165 Fairbanks Drive. Its rules treat the fenced run as an off-leash area, with dogs leashed on the way in and out.
The City's rules for the run include:
- Dogs must be licensed and vaccinated, with current tags.
- Dogs must be at least four months old.
- Each person may bring no more than two dogs.
- Owners carry a leash at all times.
- Dogs in heat and aggressive dogs are not allowed.
- Owners remove a dog that keeps barking, clean up after it and fill any holes it digs.
Breaking these rules can lead to removal or suspension. Hours are less clear. The City's dog-park document lists the run as open dawn to dusk, while its FAQ lists fenced dog-run hours as 6:30 a.m. to sundown. For a pre-sunrise walker in October, that gap is real. Arriving after 6:30 meets both versions.
The island's other fenced option is smaller and on the opposite side of the ownership line. Farr Street DOG Park at 7770 Farr Street is owned and maintained by the POA, next to the Overture senior apartments. It's described as a small park with benches and a dog water station. Its listing doesn't post off-leash terms the way the City does for Governors Park, so the signs at the gate are the place to check.
Between the routes and the runs, the cleanup basics haven't changed. The POA requires owners to pick up after their dogs and maintains more than 50 pet-waste stations around the island.
The Saturday the Whole Island Brings Its Dogs to the River
The closure overlaps with the biggest dog date on the island's fall calendar. The Daniel Island News hosts its sixth annual Bark in the Park at Daniel Island Waterfront Park on Saturday, Oct. 24, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with Sunday, Oct. 25, as the rain date. The paper lists this program:
- Dog-Owner Look-Alike Challenge
- Doggy Runway Competition
- Best Trick Contest
- Best Halloween Costume
- Doggy Yoga and Pup Cups
- Adoption Row and the Blessing of the Pets
- An appearance by Charlie T. RiverDog
Proceeds go to Charleston Animal Society, and local shelters and rescues will bring adoptable dogs, according to the paper. An earlier Daniel Island News preview also mentioned a K-9 demonstration, music and food. The October announcement doesn't cover attendee registration or parking. Vendors reserve space by emailing the paper.
The next evening, Smythe Park hosts the free Pumpkin Walk & Halloween Bash on Sunday, Oct. 25, from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. If Bark in the Park gets pushed to its rain date, both events land on the same Sunday. In that case, an evening Smythe-to-Townsend loop would run straight into the Pumpkin Walk.
A Stop After the Walk
For a cold drink after the Riverfront Loop or the paved Island Park circuit, New Realm Brewing Co. at 880 Island Park Drive has a covered patio. This August, WCBD described it as a dog-friendly setting while covering a golden retriever meet-up held there, and dogs at that event had to stay leashed. The report covers that event only, so it doesn't settle the brewery's policy for a regular visit. The brewery's Charleston page lists the Daniel Island address and current hours.
When the River Landing boardwalk reopens, likely around mid-November if the weather holds, the POA plans to post an update on its announcements page.
Here at Brad Williams, we keep track of Daniel Island at the level of which boardwalk is closed and which dog run opens at 6:30. If those everyday routines are part of the picture as you think about your own home's place on the island, we'd be glad to talk it through over coffee, with the dog welcome too.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
