Running in the Mount Pleasant Historic District is one of the hidden gems for running in Charleston. There are waterfront boardwalks, gorgeous homes, and a pedestrian ocean walk at the end of Pitt St.  Start at Shem Creek Park, where you can do nearly 1 mile on a series of wooden boardwalks overlooking the marina. Then, head over the bridge and along Coleman Blvd., exiting the main road onto Live Oak Dr. Then, head south along historic Church St./Pitt St., which is lined with historic homes and gracious trees. It’s nearly 2 miles to the end, with the final 0.75 mile along a beautiful, palm tree-lined path at Ocean Walk/Picket Park, featuring great water views. For the return, retrace your steps or run along one of the pleasant residential streets parallel to Pitt St.

OceanWalk at end of Pitt St. Author Photo

North Section of Mount Pleasant (~5 miles east of Historic District).  For an alternative route, there are some nice residential streets in the northeastern part of Mount Pleasant, near the Towne Center and north of Hwy 17.  It’s a lot of winding around shorter, curvy streets, and ~2.5 miles to Boone Hall Plantation and Gardens — make sure you run on the moss-draped 3/4 mile Oak Ave (note: admission might be required).  You can also include Laurel Hill County Park, a spacious park in the northern part of the neighborhood, with 1-2 miles of paths. You could park there, run the park, and then run on the residential streets south of there and east of Hwy 41. Palmetto Islands County Park is another good spot in the area for a run. There are waterside nature trails. Unfortunately, the approach to the park is on a busier road lacking a shoulder.