Fort Sumter National Monument Highpoint Trip Report
Date: September 29, 2011
Author: Fred Lobdell
Fort Sumter National Monument is comprised of three pieces of real estate:
Fort Sumter itself on its own island, Fort Moultrie on Sullivan's Island, and the Fort Sumter
Visitor Education Center in downtown Charleston.
The national monument HP appears to be on Sullivan's Island on the Fort Moultrie grounds.
From I-26 north of Charleston, take I-526 East at Exit 212 B or C.
Take 526 about 16 miles to its end, where you should see signs for SC 703 and Sullivan's Island.
Take 703 south about 2.5 miles onto Sullivan's Island to the stop sign at Middle Street.
Turn right (west) on Middle Street and go about 1.5 miles when you should see Fort Moultrie on the left
and the visitor's center and parking lot on the right. Park and walk across the street to the fort.
A previous visitor has suggested that the high ground is right at the edge of the road
that runs along the north side of the grounds. However, the map appears to show the national monument grounds
extending to the water's edge on the southwest side of the property.
Near the water and within the national monument grounds there appears to be an old dune now stabilized
with brush and small trees. This dune seemed to me to be the highest natural surface
on the monument grounds. There is definitely higher ground within the walls of the fort itself,
but that ground is also definitely manmade.
I would be interested in hearing the opinions of others who have visited or will visit this national monument
as to where the actual highest ground is. The national monument borders do not seem to be delineated in any way
on the ground, so some of this may be an exercise in using one's best judgment.