Things to do / Travel Guide
Address:Murrells Inlet, South Carolina
The natural beauty of Huntington Island State Park and its beaches bring more than a million people to its wild, lush surroundings. The 3 miles of beach nestled in the 5000 acres of parkland is clean and beautiful, perched on the azure waters of the Atlantic in South Carolina, 16 miles from the city of Beaufort. It's a unique experience in that visitors truly do merge with the untouched natural surroundings of the beach.
The park was originally an island called Hunting Island whose soul purpose was for hunting creatures of the forest. It also served as a rest station for pirates and sailors – rumor has it that Blackbeard even made a stop here! It was established as a State Park in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps, and became a guardian of the natural world ever since. The beach is equipped with cabins and campsites, restrooms, showers, and changing rooms, a blue lagoon, a boat ramp and a fishing pier.
The Paradise Fishing Pier can be found at the beach's south end. It extends 1120 feet out into the Fripp Inlet and is situated at the southernmost point on Huntington Island. The pier attracts fishermen from all over South Carolina and beyond for its huge variety of fish, including bass, whiting, trout, shark, and many other types of fish. It makes for a fun, and usually productive, day out in the fresh ocean air.
Kids will have a great time at the park's nature center where rangers teach visitors about the various forms of wildlife they may encounter over the course of their visit. They'll learn about the beach and the park, as well as about the animals living in the ocean, on the beach, and in the surrounding forests. They'll get to have first-hand encounters with various marine life and forest animals, with special attention given to the Loggerhead turtles that come to hatch their eggs on Huntington Beach.
For those who like sleeping in the great outdoors with the stars overhead, there is an amazing campsite on the beach on Huntington's north side. It is pretty comprehensive with all you might need for an evening outside. There are public restrooms, changing rooms, and showers with hot water. There is also parking and dumping stations available for the RVs that roll in for the night. There's even a modest general store for any basic supplies you might need. There are also cabins available for rent of differing levels of luxury, although even the most basic comes complete with some nice perks, like A/C and heat, utensils, towels and sheets, and a color TV. There's even a grill for you to throw on whatever catch you made that day! Between 6 to10 people can usually stay comfortably in one cabin. Whatever you choose, reservations can't be made over the internet, so either call ahead, or drop in if you're in the neighborhood.
At Huntington Island State Park Beach, lovers of the outdoors will find the peace they've been missing in the hectic world outside, whether they choose to go fishing off the pier, swim in the ocean, or take a dip in a sparkling blue lagoon. It's a multidimensional beach experience, offering all the things you'd expect in a regular beach vacation, plus so much more.