Folly Beach: Megalodon Tooth Rockhounding in Charleston County, South Carolina
Updated July 2026
Folly Beach is the best walk-up, no-boat shark-tooth beach near Charleston, with fossil teeth washing in from the same phosphate-rich Pleistocene deposits that feed nearby Morris Island. The east end near the Washout is the known concentration point, where wave action sorts dark fossil teeth into the shell gravel. Its fully public access and steady productivity make it the reliable Charleston-area pick. Reported finds include megalodon tooth. Below: coordinates, access notes, nearby spots, and trip-planning links.
Folly Beach photos
Public image records connected to this spot or its reported material.
Map showing Folly Beach in Charleston County, South Carolina
Quick details
- Access
- Public area
- County
- Charleston County
- State
- South Carolina
- Nearest road
- West Arctic Avenue
- Postcode
- 29439
- Coordinates
- 32.65216, -79.94473
Geology at Folly Beach
This spot sits on Beach, mapped as sand and gravel that formed within roughly the last 12,000 years. Loose deposits like these are float-collecting ground: erosion keeps moving durable rocks and minerals into gravel bars, cutbanks, and washes.
- Mapped unit
- Beach
- Age
- < 1 Ma (Holocene)
- Rock types
- sand and gravel
- Elevation
- 0 ft
Geologic mapping via Macrostrat and the underlying state geological survey maps (CC BY 4.0). Bedrock at the surface can vary within a mapped unit.
Best time to visit Folly Beach
Conditions here are workable year-round, with typical highs from 58°F in winter to 88°F in summer.
Climate normals: NOAA 1991-2020 monthlies, DWTN CHARLESTON station (9 mi away).
Land & collecting status
Generally open to casual rockhounding
Most public-tagged spots sit on BLM, U.S. Forest Service, or other federal land where reasonable hand collecting of common rocks and minerals is allowed. Confirm posted rules and active mining claims before you dig.
Public-land rules vary by agency, season, and field office. The RockHoundR app pulls live BLM, USFS, NPS, and tribal overlays so you can see exactly which agency manages the ground at this spot.
Sources & verification
Spot details combine the public RockHoundR location dataset, normalized mineral labels, agency land-status checks in the app, and community submissions. Coordinates are approximate until verified in the field.
Sources: RockHoundR public spot dataset, app land overlays, and local agency review before each trip.
Found at Folly Beach
Each chip opens all spots that produce that material; the encyclopedia link opens the full ID and field guide.
Nearby rockhounding spots
Other rockhounding spots within driving distance of Folly Beach.
- Morris IslandTop pick in South CarolinaCharleston County, South Carolina · 5 mi awayMegalodon Tooth
- Kiawah IslandCharleston County, South Carolina · 9 mi awayMegalodon Tooth, Shark Tooth, Agate
- Edisto BeachTop pick in South CarolinaColleton County, South Carolina · 24 mi awayMegalodon Tooth
- Palmetto Fossil ExcursionsDorchester County, South Carolina · 28 mi awayFossil, Megalodon Tooth
- Morgan RiverBeaufort County, South Carolina · 34 mi awayMegalodon Tooth
- Hunting Island State ParkTop pick in South CarolinaBeaufort County, South Carolina · 35 mi awayFossil Shark Tooth, Megalodon Tooth
- Cooper RiverBerkeley County, South Carolina · 37 mi awayMegalodon Tooth
- Diamond Hill MineWilliamsburg County, South Carolina · 67 mi awayQuartz, Amethyst, Smoky Quartz
Folly Beach FAQ
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More rockhounding in South Carolina
See all 51 South Carolina spots →Open Folly Beach on the map
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