What locals are saying
Fort Sumter gets the headlines and the ferry lines — up to six crossings a day, 300 passengers a load — but the locals' consistent verdict is that Fort Moultrie on Sullivan's Island is the more rewarding half of the park. Accessible by car and far less trafficked, it walks visitors through six centuries of coastal defense, from the original palmetto-log fort that held off the British in 1776 to WWII concrete bunkers, with harbor views that frame Fort Sumter itself across the water. The NPS rangers at both sites are the connective tissue that turns stone ruins into actual narrative, and the Liberty Square visitor center — the ferry departure point at 340 Concord — holds the original garrison flag and enough pre-war context to make the boat ride land harder.
