Activities For Dogs In South Carolina On Cold Days

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Introduction

South Carolina is well-known for its southern charm, warm climate, and just as warm people, but like anywhere else that isn't perched directly on the southern edge of the continent, it gets cold during winter months. Even if it doesn't always dip into freezing temperatures, it's enough to keep many residents of and visitors to The Palmetto State in a state of hibernation. But it doesn't have to! While it may not be AS enjoyable to be outside, there are still plenty of things to do, many of which only come about when it's not hot and sunny. So take advantage of the season and use our list to help you get from listless to lively!

Dynamic Dune Duos

Popular
0 Votes
Cold Day
Free
Easy
20 - 180 min
Items needed
Dog Bags
Dog Toys
Towels
Activity description
Beaches are almost always associated with summer and sun, but that doesn't mean those are the only times you can have fun. In fact, during the busy season, which usually runs from sometime in April to October, dogs are either required to be on-leash for a majority of the day (usually 9am-6pm or so) or not allowed on the beach at all, which leaves a pretty heavy restriction on the liberation and relaxation the sands are supposed to provide their patrons. During the offseason, however, most of these restrictions dissipate entirely, leaving most beaches free to explore throughout the day. They provide wide-open spaces which are often off leash, the excitement of a location you can't normally explore during the daytime nearly half the year, are plentiful, and best of all, free, making it an ideal choice for any day and time in the colder months.
Step
1
Pick a place
The greatest benefit to this activity is easily accessibility. There are an absolute ton of beaches that sprawl the eastern shoreline from the islands and inlets of the Atlantic to the inland beaches that surround the lakes from Columbia to Bulls Bay. If you only have limited time, you can choose one that's closer to you. If you want a bit more adventure, find one with some unique features such as the shipwrecks and lighthouse of Morris Island or the dunes of Murrells Inlet. If you want to stretch it out even further, find a good spot near Myrtle Beach and get yourself a heavily discounted dog-friendly hotel or Airbnb to extend your stay.
Step
2
Breach a beach
When you do finally make it to the beach, take full advantage! Being able to have your dog off-leash means you can explore more places and stretch even further apart, which is the perfect recipe for games of fetch, which can be even more fun and challenging than they would be on standard grass. If you bring a towel and the water is warm enough, you can also convince your pooch (and maybe even yourself) to splash about in a way you're not able to during the summer months. Try to exercise every liberty you're given, as you won't have the opportunity once summer rolls back around again.
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Holiday Vacation

Popular
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Cold Day
Moderate
Easy
2 - 48 hrs
Items needed
Leash
Dog Bags
Activity description
With cold weather comes the holidays and the most magical time of the year. Regardless of what you celebrate, you and your furry pal can still take in the charm of warm glowing lights on cold winter nights, hot drinks and the gift of giving. If you can find the time, you can plan your own little vacation and find tons of ways to enjoy your time somewhere new with unique activities. Several South Carolina towns universally celebrate the Festival of Lights and Christmas, so all you really need to do is find the right city, a few activities, and find a place to hunker down for a day while you enjoy the local festivities. It won't always be cheap to stay, but many of the activities are inexpensive or free, should provide more than enough entertainment, and can't be enjoyed any other time of the year in the same capacity.
Step
1
Hone your holiday
The first step is to find a city that caters to your specific holiday. After that, you'll want to ensure there are enough dog-friendly activities to make the trip worthwhile. Our best suggestion is searching online for "(insert holiday here), South Carolina" to get started. For instance, Rock Hill turns into Christmasville for four full days, with the after effects lasting long into the season. They have loads of nearby dog parks, a series of decorative windows to walk past and look at, outdoor seating to enjoy some hot chocolate, and even a few dog-friendly stores to walk around in. Aiken, SC is especially gorgeous as it features much of the same in terms of activities, yet tacks on a walk through the gorgeous and dog-friendly Christmas lights of Hopeland Gardens, as well as carolers, outdoor concerts and many more. Pick your city, find the base activities, then start booking a dog-friendly place to stay.
Step
2
Get festive
Once you've found your city and booked your dog-friendly accommodations (which can provide some adventure in itself depending on where you book), do some additional research to see what kind of other activities are within a reasonable distance outside of your initial city-based plans. Fill out your search with everything you can think of from dog parks to dog-centric bakeries (or "barkeries") and beyond, so you can get festive in as many ways as possible. Try to plan your days so you have enough time to both freely explore, adhere to specific activities, and relax. If you're still stumped for ideas, try to plan to go somewhere that will be full of dog-owners like a nearby event or dog-park early on so you can network and ask the locals what kinds of dog-friendly activities are going on nearby. That way you'll get the inside scoop and still have your original plans as backup should you fail to find supplemental activities. Once your planning is done, go enjoy the festivities!
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Do the Charleston

Popular
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Cold Day
Cheap
Easy
2 - 8 hrs
Items needed
Leash
Dog Bags
Activity description
When it comes to dog-friendly cities, Charleston ranks high on the list. Not only do they have a ton of beaches but just as many, if not more, dog parks to match. But those aren't even the true highlights. There are three great hot spots you can go even when it gets cool that will keep you and your pooch entertained for hours on end. We recommend making a day trip of it if you're not super local. For those that are, feel free to pack these attractions in at will. Most of them are inexpensive, provide at least an hour each of something interesting to do and are nearly just as enjoyable (if not more so with one of them) when the weather gets cold. We'll separate each one into a step so you can enjoy them individually or in succession, should you so choose to.
Step
1
Sugar Magnolias
Of all the places in Charleston you can visit with your dog, Magnolia Plantation and Gardens is easily one of the most historic, interesting, and accommodating. Outside of being the oldest public gardens in America, Magnolia is also super friendly to pets, allowing them to walk the grounds, ride the trams, and even go through the plantation house (if they're light enough to carry). If all that wasn't enough, it's safe to say it is easily one of the most gorgeous gardens you'll likely see in country. Plus, at $20 for basic admission, you get to see a ton of stuff, but you can also include additional tours and activities for about $8 a piece with five more options to choose from.
Step
2
King of the Street
If you're looking for more than just one stop, check out King Street that runs through the heart of downtown Charleston. It stretches for about three miles from the tip of the city where it meets the Ashley River and nearby channel to where it turns back into a highway on the way out of town, providing a healthy stretch of dog-friendly shops to check out even though not all of it is as charming as the southern end. If you travel from north to south, you can even end your trip with a stop at the White Point Gardens which has a good amount of space to run (although not fenced) and a beautiful view of the water nearby.
Step
3
Get spooked with your pooch
Cold weather isn't just for November and December holidays, but October too, which means you can find plenty of great spooky stuff to check out. Our best recommendation is to take the Old Charleston Ghost Tour. Not only is it dog-friendly and highly-rated, but hosted and led by an extremely knowledgeable and experienced guide who has a considerable understanding of Charleston's history and the spookiness that exists there, as well as a few other parts of the world. It's only $20 for an hour and a half tour, is perfect for walkers of all types from kids to the elderly, and will give you the chills whether the night is cool or not!
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More Fun Ideas...

Yappy Hour

If online events calendars are any indicator, South Carolina is barking nuts over Yappy Hours: few-hour, dog-friendly events with live music, food, drinks and activities that even stretch into the colder months.

Walking Tours

We did list a haunted walking tour above, but there are plenty more dog-friendly walking tours available in cities all across the state (especially the larger ones). All you need to do is bundle up and buy a ticket and you'll partially keep warm from walking, get some exercise, and spend some good time with your dog outside.

Bake Inside

Most of our activities mean staying outdoors, but if it's too cold or the weather just isn't right, find a nearby dog bakery to check out. It'll be a great spot to keep warm and get your pup a special treat they don't get to have every day.

Conclusion

There's a reason South Carolina's state motto translates to "While I breathe, I hope" (although sometimes they forget to tell people it should end with "it stays warm enough outside"). But even when it's not, we hope our list will help provide you with some insight on some cool activities and attractions you can take in even when warm weather is out of season. If nothing jumps out at you here, don't forget to check out our other South Carolina (and nearby state) guides, as many of the activities also work as well in cold weather as they do in warm!