ROAD SORTIES Scenic Roads

Ashley River Road

A red footbridge over a moss-draped pond
A red footbridge over a moss-draped pondPhoto: Kellie Thorne of NSBO / America's Byways (FHWA), public domain

Ashley River Road is a National Scenic Byway in South Carolina. Within South Carolina it covers roughly 13 miles. The map below shows its route. Use “Plan a drive” to open it in the Road Sorties route planner — already routing along Ashley River Road with scenic roads turned on, ready to add your own stops.

This historic road runs northwest from Charleston beneath a near-continuous canopy of live oaks draped in Spanish moss, past some of the oldest plantation landscapes in the country. Along it lie Magnolia Plantation and its famous gardens, Middleton Place with America's oldest landscaped gardens, and Drayton Hall, a remarkably intact 1738 Georgian mansion. The mossy, shaded corridor is itself the attraction.

Designated for its historic qualities

Plan a drive on Ashley River Road → Drive this route in Road SortiesTurn-by-turn on iPhone · App Store

Places to stop along Ashley River Road

  1. Old St. Andrew's Church

    A 1706 parish church, the oldest surviving house of worship south of Virginia, under oaks beside the road.

    Website

  2. Drayton Hall

    A 1740s Palladian plantation house preserved unrestored, without electricity or plumbing, interpreting the enslaved people whose labor built it.

    Website

  3. Middleton Place

    America's oldest landscaped gardens, laid out in the 1740s, with terraces, butterfly lakes, stableyards, and an exhibit on the plantation's enslaved community.

    Website

Where to Stay along Ashley River Road

2 campgrounds and RV parks sit within about 5 miles of Ashley River Road.

Ladson, SCLadson RV ParkBook a site →Summerville, SCSummerville Lakes RV Park and CampgroundBook a site →Hotels & motelsNear Charleston, SCSearch stays →

Campsite and lodging links are affiliate links — booking through them may earn Road Sorties a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Recreation.gov links are not affiliate links.

Photos of Ashley River Road

Spring blossoms and Spanish moss at Magnolia Plantation
Spring blossoms and Spanish moss at Magnolia PlantationPhoto: Kellie Thorne of NSBO / America's Byways (FHWA), public domain
The plantation grounds at Middleton Place
The plantation grounds at Middleton PlacePhoto: Kellie Thorne / America's Byways (FHWA), public domain
Sheep grazing on the lawn at Middleton Place
Sheep grazing on the lawn at Middleton PlacePhoto: Kellie Thorne / America's Byways (FHWA), public domain

What is a National Scenic Byway?

National Scenic Byways are roads recognized at the federal level for at least one outstanding quality — scenic, natural, historic, cultural, archaeological or recreational — that gives travelers a reason to seek them out rather than just pass through.

← All scenic roads in South Carolina