Location: Follows the Ashley River southeast along Route 61 to Charleston, South Carolina
Length: 11 miles (17.7 km)
Time To Allow: 25 minutes – 2 days

Description/Highlights/Points of Interest

Few roads in the United States possess the history, scenic qualities and cultural resources of note in such a compact area. The Ashley River Road passes by three national historic landmarks: Old Saint Andrew's Church, Drayton Hall, and Middleton Place; and it traverses a National Register Historic District that traces the history of European and African settlement, commerce and industry from their colonial origins to the present. In the early 20th century, this road was recognized as one of the first scenic automobile touring routes.

Suggested Itinerary

As you embark from Charleston and begin to travel the Ashley River Road, you may be surprised at how much history and scenic charm this ten-mile (16 km) stretch of road has to offer.

Drayton Hall is located 3 miles (4.8 km) from the beginning of the byway near Charleston. This National Historic Landmark was constructed between 1738 and 1742. It is the oldest and finest surviving example of Georgian Palladian Architecture in the South. Drayton Hall is the only pre-Revolutionary plantation house remaining on the Ashley River Road and is noted for the exceptional handcrafted detail and the beautiful restoration that has put the mansion in near original condition. This piece of American history was handed down through seven generations of the Drayton Family and has stood for almost 250 years.

Four miles (6.4 km) up the road from Drayton Hall travelers will find Middleton Place, another National Historic Landmark. Middleton Place is known for its majestic, landscaped gardens laid out in 1741. Visitors can tour the gardens and see the ground of this 18th century plantation that sits on a bluff overlooking the Ashley River.

The following organizations offer trips in South Carolina:

Charleston's Homes, Gardens and Plantations on the River Road
American Driving Vacations
Much of the enchantment and appeal of Charleston stems from its magnificent architecture, carefully preserved over the centuries. Interspersed within the architecture and the surrounding city are courtyards, gardens, nature trails and lush plantations. No visit to Charleston would be complete without a visit to Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, with its Audubon Swamp Garden, Middleton Place, and Drayton Hall, a property of the National Trust for Historic Preservation; all located along the Ashley River National Scenic Byway.

Charleston / Savannah
Tauck Tours
A vacation to the renowned resorts of Georgia and the Sea Islands of South Carolina brings you to the elegant Jekyll Island Club, Savannah's charming antebellum architecture, Hilton Head Island and the beautiful seaport town of Charleston.

Ashley River Road -- Charleston's Homes, Gardens and Plantations on the River Road