Best South Carolina Anchorage

There’s no obvious draw to this anchorage in Bull Creek, like when we anchored by NASA, a fort, or a national monument, but this one was special all the same. It’s is located in the Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge in an easy-access oxbow just off the ICW. There was almost no boat traffic on this offshoot and it felt very quiet and secluded.

There’s no shore access, but we stopped at Wacca Wache Marina ~4 miles prior and stretched our legs. They’re known for having the least expensive fuel around, so we filled up on diesel and water before continuing on to the anchorage.

Tom went fishing, then later we rode around the shoreline together in the dinghy. In addition to the beautiful long-leaf lily pads and graceful spanish moss, we saw (or heard) owls, turkeys, osprey, and a real-life swamp puppy, also known as an alligator. We saw multiple fish breach, including an Atlantic sturgeon!

There was very little light pollution, revealing a bright night sky and highlighting the dozens of mayflys floating by in the dark water. In the morning, a massive gulp of barn swallows engulfed Swamp Puppy. They played around us, and through the various openings on the boat.

If we hadn’t just stayed in Charleston for five nights, we probably would’ve stayed in this stunning anchorage longer, or perhaps forever. But we were new Loopers, and adventure called us north.