Boaters who launch out of Remley's Point in Mount Pleasant need to start planning around a long detour. The landing is expected to close in mid-November for a major overhaul and won't reopen until early summer 2027, while the already-busy Shem Creek landing remains open.
The closure covers a sweeping set of upgrades, according to Holy City Sinner, including a new four-ramp concrete boat launch and floating docking systems connected by fresh gangways. Crews also plan to install a 210-foot fixed wave break designed to cut down on wave action and make launching safer, the outlet reports. As WCBD News 2 notes, the improvements also include replacement and expansion of marine facilities along with upgrades to ADA-compliant features.
Parking has long been a sore spot at crowded landings around Mount Pleasant, and the Remley's Point plan tries to get ahead of it. The project calls for expanded parking facilities, additional gravel overflow space for cars, and dedicated tie-down and make-ready areas, per the same account. Dedicated ADA car and truck-trailer parking spaces are also part of the design, with accessible routes leading to the docks and launch areas.
What Officials Say the Upgrades Will Fix
Steve Nehls, capital projects manager for the Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission, said the work is meant to solve several problems at once. The improvements will increase capacity for boat launching activities, enhance shoreline resilience, and improve traffic flow and parking operations, Nehls said. WCBD News 2 reports the finished project is intended to provide a safer, more efficient and more accessible public boating and recreation facility for everyone who uses it.
This isn't the first time Remley's Point has gone dark for repairs. The landing previously closed from August 7 through August 13 for storm-related fixes that included replacing the longer floating dock and repairing the shorter one, the outlet's earlier report states. This time around, the scope is far bigger and the shutdown far longer, spanning roughly half a year rather than a single week.
Shem Creek Picks Up the Slack
While Remley's Point is offline, the Shem Creek Boat Landing will remain open, giving displaced boaters somewhere nearby to launch. That landing is no stranger to congestion itself. Overcrowding there has already pushed Charleston County and the Town of Mount Pleasant to develop their own plan to ease traffic and add parking, according to ABC News 4.
Mount Pleasant's Design and Review Board recently approved a final design for a Shem Creek parking expansion, as reported by Live 5 News. That outlet describes 13 new trailer parking spots, a separate kayak launch area and ADA spaces, along with pervious-paving parking and new entry and exit points onto Simmons Street. The Post and Courier, however, reported the expansion would add 15 new parking spots — a discrepancy between the two accounts that remains unresolved. The Post and Courier adds that Shem Creek currently offers 28 parking spots able to accommodate vehicles with boat and trailer hookups.
Funding and Timeline for the Shem Creek Work
Charleston County Parks and Recreation will fund and complete the Shem Creek expansion, Live 5 News reports, building on land the county bought specifically for the purpose. The county purchased an adjacent parcel on Simmons Street in 2022 for $1.9 million to expand the landing's parking lot, according to the Post and Courier. Live 5 News reports that Charleston County Parks and Recreation had received final approval for the expansion.
Tree preservation has also been part of the Shem Creek debate. ABC News 4 reported that an earlier revised proposal would preserve one live oak but still remove the others, while Live 5 News's coverage of the newly approved design describes preserving trees previously slated for removal — another point where the two reports diverge.
Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission maintains 19 public boat landings across the county, a reminder of how much weekend boat traffic the system handles overall. For now, boaters planning trips out of Remley's Point should expect the mid-November closure to stick around through the winter and spring, with the rebuilt landing not expected to welcome trailers back until early summer 2027.
