Hunting Island State Park

We had a great afternoon in hunting island state park. You pay $ 5 upon entering per adult and then drive through the beautiful cabbage palmetto trees on a winding path.
Stop at the visitors office for a clean bathroom or to get the history on the areas different islands and continuing erosion of the sand and beaches.
Next, drive to parking lot c and visit the lighthouse. An extra $ 2 per person to climb the 160+ steps. Each flight allows you to stop for an interesting tidbit about the structure so that you aren’t too winded when you arrive at the top. Beautiful views await.
After descending from the top of the lighthouse, walk the beach and take in the views of the ocean.
We had a great time.

I was visiting my sister in Hilton Head SC, which has lovely beaches, so I was surprised when they suggested a long drive to see another beach at Hunting Island. We paid to enter the state park ($ 5 per person) and navigated the one way road system through the dense forest to one of the parking areas. The ground was covered in giant ferns, giving the feeling of being in a Jurassic Forest. I only wondered what forms of wildlife where hiding under the huge leaves… (aligators, snakes came to mind!).
There was plenty of parking and a small building housing toilets and outdoor showers with drinking water for both man and beast (this time the domestic doggies!). A smooth path led us to the beach, where the vista opened onto white sand, blue skies and turquoise sea.
The densely packed, smooth sand was perfect for walking along. We even left our shoes at the end of the path — with no fear that anyone would walk off with them.
We started our walk at the impressive light house. It is possible to go up — but we were more interested in walking along the beach and collecting shells, which were plentiful and perfect.
It was such a unique setting that made it totally worth the trip. The beach was sandwiched between the ocean on one side and the fern filled forest on the other. Palm trees, giant clumps of driftwood and fossilised stumps added to the ancient ambience.
We used foot power this time but my sister often brings bikes to either ride along the beach or use the many paths through the forest. The forest also hides a lagoon, perfect for kayaking. All in all a great day out for exploring and exercising.

This place feels like another world ! It was like going into a tropical jungle, I loved the winding roads through the thick trees and bushes.

Beautiful lighthouse, you can go up to the top for $ 2.00 charge
The beach is eroding away from the force of the surf.
Such nice scenery!
Definitely worth the drive from Beaufort, about 30 min drive and a $ 10 parking fee (non residents)

I believe they charge about $ 5 per person to enter the park, but the folks who work there are really friendly and helpful. We took great advice from the entrance attendant regarding where to go. We went to the lighthouse and were greeted by the friendliest people. I almost felt like I had a personal tour guide. In addition, the attendants offered to take our picture many times. Great history here. The walk to the beach was relaxing and picturesque. Hopefully we’ll be back to do some hiking.

Perfect to grill. Perfect for families. The views are amazing. The wildlife is easy to see. The best thing we did was grill on the beach. Enjoy your time here it is heaven on earth. (Note: 5.00 fee per adult to get in)

A cool lighthouse, unfortunately kids have to be 44″ to go to the top, and they are militant about enforcing it. It’s $ 5/​person to get on the island and another $ 2/​person to go to the top. Not a lot, but I was really disappointed I couldn’t take the kiddo to the top of the lighthouse.

Really awesome place to take a stroll among the most awesome grouping of palm trees I have ever seen. It’s breathtaking. It’s the southern version of the Redwoods in California. I’ve never seen anything like it. The park is also really cool.

I knew Hunting Island State Park was about a 30 minute drive from our hotel, so we headed on over to the park this past weekend and this place is truly a beautiful and peaceful place to visit. This massive island and park is 5,000 acres and according to TripAdvisor, it has been ranked as one of the top beaches in the USA.
When you drive into this state park, the scenery is breath taking, as you drive through the outsized maritime forest and into another world.
[ Cost ]
The entrance into this state park is $ 5 per adult, $ 3.25 for South Carolina seniors, $ 3 for kids 6 – 15 and children who are 5 and under are free.
The Lighthouse — Cost is $ 2 per person, but children must be 44″ to enter (3 feet and 8 inches), any shorter and they are not allowed. Toddlers and babies are not allowed either. This light house (175 steps) is one of the oldest light (1889) houses in South Carolina and is the oldest one that is open to the public, compared to the Harbour Town Lighthouse built in 1969, that one is still used till today.
[ Park Hours ]
6AM to 6PM (daily, but 9PM during daylight saving time)
[ Things to do ]
While here, we explored the park visitor center, here they have history information about the lighthouse and the park for visitors to learn about. They also have a few alligators while walking up the wooden deck to the center. Afterwards, we visited the beach, here visitors can swim in the Atlantic Ocean, but have to be careful, there are warning flags posted about the wave current and there are no lifeguards present. This five mile long beach is a great place for children to collect seashells and the water is quite warm as well.
We did not have enough time to see the whole park, as it is enormous in size. However this park is excellent for camping out in tents, family picnics, lodging in cabins (about $ 210 a night), fishing and walking through hiking trails.
[ Dressing Tip ]
Make sure when you come to this park you bring fresh water and have several different pairs of clothing with you. While walking from the Lighthouse through the maritime forest to our car parked about 10 minutes away, it felt as though I was walking in the Amazon rainforest with humidity reaching 90%, even though it was only about 78 – 80 degrees outside, I was soaked in sweat as if it had been 100 degrees outside and I am very physically fit.
This park is a must stop for those visiting the area!
[Review #187]

Beware of the mosquitoes! It will ruin your entire trip. I would highly suggest you bring a lot of repellent and tiki torches; a screened in canopy would be a good investment as well.
Wildlife: we had a doe wander onto our site (trailside), which was pretty cool. But we also had a raccoon get into everything in the middle of the night. I had hung our food pretty high under my canopy but the sucker still almost got it. I woke up just in time.
Views: the area is absolutely beautiful but it was pretty crowded. I’m used to camping out in the woods, so the lack of privacy caught me off guard.
Overall, I really love this place. Especially since the beach is dog friendly all day year round. I’ll definitely be going back, just not in the middle of summer when the mosquitoes are that bad.

I really liked this park so I’m just going to write the one thing that really bothered me about it. We came to beaufort on vacation and decided we should go see the light house as a nice relaxing afternoon trip. When we got to the park you pay to get in when your still in the car. It was about $ 5 per person so not too bad but when we got to the lighthouse we found out you need to pay another $ 3 to go in. So just to go to the lighthouse it’s $ 8 a person which just seems a little much. I would recommend planning a day trip to get your money’s worth.
So to the good stuff. This park/​forest was beautiful. Just driving through the beginning of it was amazing. The oak trees and the tons of Spanish moss was just breath taking. There was plenty of parking and we walked to the lighthouse. Around it are a bunch of little homes and trinkets showing where the light house guy lived and where he got oil and where there was a school, etc etc. the light house itself is about 200 steps (not bad at all) and just gorgeous from below and when you get to the top.
After we took a little walk through one of the paths and got to a part of the beach that was not groomed and I loved it. It was quiet and grungy and beautiful. I just want to go back.

Hunting Island is my happy place when I’m visiting Fripp Island. While there are deer and other wildlife running around on Fripp, Hunting Island is my quiet place to go and enjoy nature away from the shoobies.
The state park is relatively uncrowded, even during the high season. The hiking trails are wonderfully kept. And even though I’m super terrified of heights, I always make sure to pay to go up the lighthouse, because the view of the ocean and Fripp across the water is amazing.
If you’re going to be around Fripp or Beaufort, a half day trip to Hunting Island is always worth it. Pro tip — the earlier in the day, the better.

I can’t speak to the swimming, but the park is very pleasant for beachcombing, wandering, and climbing the lighthouse. The beach is surprisingly wide, with mostly hardpacked sand and some areas where water is strangely (to me, at least) springing through the sand at points significantly above the tide. The view from the ocean to the thick palm groves is very pretty. There’s plenty of parking, with many easy pass-​throughs from the parking to the beach.
The lighthouse is a wonderful experience (if you like that sort of thing as I do). It’s old and sturdy, and is well-​marked with informational signs. The view from the top is pretty, if somewhat straightforward, all around, from the flat Atlantic Ocean to the wide flat beach to the relatively uniform palm forest.
The south end of the park has a few walking trails. I liked the boardwalk over the sa