Hunting Island
Explore Nature at its Best
Hunting Island, just 10 minutes from Fripp, offers a day of exploring and is one of South Carolina's most popular state parks. With 5 miles of beaches, a salt water lagoon and thousands of acres of marsh and maritime forest, you'll enjoy all that nature has to offer. The island is also home to the only publicly accessible lighthouse in the state. Hunting Island Lighthouse is a must see on your visit, offering beautiful views of the barrier island and surrounding seascape. And don't miss a visit to the Nature Center. You'll find live animals and exhibits as well as special programs throughout the year. Check out Local Fun for more off-island adventures while enjoying your Fripp Island Vacation.
South Carolina’s newest Ultimate Outsiders were made today ON National South Carolina Day!! How cool?! 🤩🙌🏼48 state parks and lots of beautiful places in our gorgeous state! 🌴 scstateparks
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Ellie and I began this 4 years ago and had almost finished when I added baby brother, Elias to the family and adventures too. We had to work to catch him up and finish together! And Eric has been so helpful and supportive helping us get to places after vacations, encouraging us to have adventures, and cheering us on!
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#ultimateoutsider #scstateparks #comeoutandplay #explore #travel #adventure #familyadventures #familytravel #sc #carolinagirl #carolinaboy #southcarolina #discover_sc #lowcountry #huntingisland #huntingislandstatepark
Day One of Vacation - Hunting Island State Park 🏝
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#huntingislandstatepark #huntingisland #huntingislandsc #beaufortsc #southcarolina #civilwar #sthelenaisland #vacation #travel #travelgram #summer #nature #travelphotography #beach #trip #love #photography #photooftheday #wanderlust #traveling #adventure #travelling #explore #tourism #travelblogger #sea #beautiful #picoftheday #fun #tourist
More Hunting Island Beach sunrise magic.
#huntingislandstatepark #sunrise #HDR #beaufort #SC
age,old roots, and the sea. #lowtidevisits #huntingislandsc #roots #artandnature #sculpture #grain
We finally did it, we are SC State Park Ultimate Outsiders. We visited all 47 state parks. #scstateparks #ultimateoutsider #huntingislandstatepark
4D Music on a Sunday, “it’s like I’m running in strawberry fields with You
Oh taste and see/Oh taste and see
Beautiful in all Your ways
Matchless in Your perfect peace
Open up my heart to taste
The wonders of Your endless grace” johnmarkpantana tomatovineproduce
#strawberryfields #roadtrip #cdplayer #totheocean #huntingislandsc #4dexperience
Trees of South Carolina #trees #southcarolina #huntingislandstatepark #drawingtrees
#huntingislandstatepark #lighthouse
#huntingislandsc #instagood #travelphotography 📸 #instalove ♥️ #carpediem 🗺
Roundleaf bluet. The southern cousin to bluets seen in Ohio. According to the Wildflower Center, this bluet can be observed blooming in every month of the year. Observed growing in sand alongside a beach access.
February 13, 2024
#wildflowersofinstagram #scwildflowers #scstateparks #huntingislandstatepark #bluets #southeastwildflowers #roundleafbluet #naturetrail #beachblooms #naturelovers #naturegram #FebBlooms #nativeplants #scnativeplants
Totally worth the drive to get to catch up with this one! It’s always a blast and didn’t disappoint! 🌴❤️☀️
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#huntingislandstatepark #huntingislandsc #beachday #neveradullmoment #laughuntilithurts #alwaysfriends #beachbums #beachlife #saltyandsandy #vitamindtherapy
White dress, sunrise, and new bling! Congratulations Carter and Maya on your engagement! This was such a beautiful and sweet morning!
#lowcountryphotographer #beaufortsc #lowcountry #datenight #photography #candid #love #engagement #proposal #couplesphotography #beach #huntingislandstatepark #alwaysyou
Lighthouse vacation. 114 steps + 167 steps = tired legs 😁. #HarborTownSC #HuntingIslandSC
Ending a busy and fun filled Thanksgiving week on a peaceful note. Thinking of family and friends in snowy weather ⛄️ #beachday #corgi #huntingislandstatepark #enjoythatsnow #letsgotothebeach #sunsets
Eat your veggies 💪🏼
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#huntingislandstatepark #southcarolina #discoversc #sunrise #reflection #reflectiongram #tree_brilliance
Sand Dollar
My middle really wanted to find something special at the beach. She reached into the sand and pulled out this beauty.
It broke less than a minute later, but we get to remember it.
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#sanddollar #sanddollars #beachlife #ocean #oceanlife #nature #naturephotography #naturelovers #naturelover #naturephoto #macro #macrophotography #macrophoto #naturemacro #macronature #macronaturephotography #huntingislandstatepark #huntingislandsc
Hunting Island State Park near Beaufort, South Carolina attracts more than a million visitors every year making it the state’s most visited state park. With five miles of palm tree lined beaches, more than 5000 miles of Lowcountry including marsh and maritime forest, a saltwater lagoon, and the historic Huntington Island Lighthouse, it is easy to see why the park is so loved. Some also know of the park because many of the Vietnam scenes in Forrest Gump were filmed on the island.
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Hunting Island State Park was developed into a state park in the 1930s as part of the Civilian Conservation Corps, a New Deal Program created by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to provide jobs during the Great Depression. The land was donated in 1938 by Beaufort County and the park is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
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The island retains its colonial designation of the “Hunting Islands,” serving as hunting grounds for Lowcountry planters and elite in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Wildlife on the island today include deer, alligators, raccoons, diamondback rattlesnakes, hundreds of species of birds including egrets and herons, and loggerhead turtles. Every summer loggerhead turtle hatchlings emerge from the sand and walk to the ocean. Up to 130 nests are laid annually and are protected by volunteers.
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Hunting Island has suffered major beach erosion in the last forty years and is expected to shrink in size by ten percent in the next forty years. #southernreverie
Want to walk with me to the beach from my tent?
#huntingisland #huntingislandcampground #tent #tentcamping #huntingislandsc
Download a trail map for Hunting Island.
UPDATE:
Exciting News! As of May 26, 2026, the Hunting Island Lighthouse is now open after extensive renovations. Visitors are welcome to tour the lighthouse and grounds.
Climb to the top (167 steps) of Hunting Island Lighthouse for fantastic views of the barrier island and surrounding waters of the Atlantic.
Make your reservation 24 hours in advance by calling 843-838-4868 during office hours - 9:00 am - 5:00 pm Mon -Fri, 11:00 am - 5:00 pm Sat - Sun. Reservations may be made the same day at the park, if space is available.
The lighthouse was closed for repairs in May 2003 when cracks were discovered in several of its cast-iron steps. In a renovation that spanned more than 18 months, construction crews not only repaired the cracks, but installed steel braces beneath them for reinforcement. Left unpainted, the silver-gray braces stand out in sharp contrast to the black cast-iron stairs. The contrast helps distinguish between the original structure and modern improvements, which protect the lighthouse’s historic integrity.
The original structure was built in 1859 and rebuilt in 1875 after it was destroyed during the Civil War. A unique feature of the lighthouse is that it was constructed of interchangeable cast-iron sections so it could be dismantled should it ever need to be moved. Severe beach erosion made it necessary to relocate the lighthouse 1.3 miles inland in 1889. (Source: South Carolina State Parks)
Head to the south end of Hunting Island for an amazing visit to Little Hunting Island Boneyard Beach. Decades of wave action and changing shoreline have creating a beautiful display of "driftwood" Live oak trees and palmettos are scattered on the beach; it's an amazing sight!
Access the beach from the Nature Center Scenic Trail, a .7 mile walk through the maritime forest. Be sure and bring your camera!
Explore and learn at the Hunting Island Nature Center. With programs and exhibits available year 'round (varies by season), this is a great way to see animals up close and learn more about the natural habitants found on the island. Call for current programs 843-838-7437.
Hike through Hunting Island and discover the amazing terrain and wildlife found on this beautiful barrier island.
Twelve Easy and Moderate trails offer varying sites and discoveries through the maritime forest, around lagoons and over the salt marsh. Among the island's wildlife, look for alligators and deer as well as owls, hawks, egrets and other wading birds. Don't forget your camera!
Fishing
Enjoy a great day of fishing in Johnson Creek, the lagoon or surf fishing. You will also find great fishing from the newly refurbished pier at the south end of Hunting Island. (Pets are not allowed on the pier.)
Look for redfish, trout and flounder!
Bring your own gear or find bait and fishing equipment at the park store, which is located in the camp ground. This park also participates in the Tackle Loaner Program. Sponsored by the SC Dept. of Natural Resources, rods and reels are available for loan at the Nature Center. Learn more.
A valid SC Saltwater fishing license is required to fish anywhere on the park except at the fishing pier. Hunting Island has purchased a commercial license that covers all pier users.
