Charleston and Mount Pleasant Sports and Recreation

Lacrosse, Football, Soccer, Tennis, Basketball, Volleyball, Crew, Ice Hockey, Squash and more!

With so many long, warm sunny days in Charleston during the year, it is only natural to get outside and enjoy some form of recreation. Coastal South Carolina is flat, so biking and hiking are very easy and enjoyable, and one big favorite is the combination of trails in the Francis Marion National Forest that take hikers and bikers past Indian middens, towering trees, gentle ponds and wind-swept marshes.

The 3-mile Arthur Ravenel Bridge across the Cooper River offers a 150- foot climb along a beautiful hiking/biking attachment that provides a spectacular view of the entire Charleston area, and is the focus of the major Cooper River Bridge 10k road race held each Spring that attracts more than 30,000 runners and walkers each year.

For those who are more viewer than doer when it comes to sporting events, Charleston has a great range of facilities and teams worth watching. At beautiful Joe Riley Park on the banks of the Ashley River, the Charleston Riverdogs are part of the New York Yankee franchise, and play in a family-friendly stadium where fireworks displays and a picnic atmosphere is all part of the fun. The North Charleston Coliseum is home to the South Carolina Stingrays ice hockey team, and an exciting 10,000- seat venue for rodeo events each year. At Blackbaud Stadium on Daniel’s island, the Charleston Battery is the featured professional soccer club, playing a full schedule of league games as well as hosting national and club teams from around the world. Daniel’s Island is also home to the Family Circle Tennis Center and its annual womens’ professional tournament in April, that draws such international talent as Serena Williams and Martina Sharapova.

On the college level, Johnson Hagood Stadium is home to the Citadel Bulldogs, who play in the very competitive Southern Conference, and have had wins over such major schools as South Carolina and Air Force. The stadium experience is unforgettable with the grand parade of marching cadets, and the booming of miniature cannons signaling another Citadel score. The College of Charleston Cougar basketball and volleyball teams are at home in the 5,100-seat TD Arena in downtown Charleston, a sparkling new facility that puts every seat on top of the action.

Sports participation is very big in Charleston for adults and youngsters, as numerous municipal basketball, soccer, lacrosse and softball leagues attract thousands each year to fabulous facilities such as the Patriot’s Point Sports Complex in Mount Pleasant, which features baseball and softball diamonds, tennis courts, as well as soccer, football and lacrosse fields.

Traditionally, football, basketball, and volleyball are very popular in schools all over Charleston, and in recent years, lacrosse has become a huge hit with high school and club teams playing throughout the year.  Travel teams compete with teams from other parts of the state and region.