Over One Million Visitors A Year Visit This South Carolina State Park

There is a reason why Over One Million Visitors A Year Visit This South Carolina State Park. Hunting Island State Park has it all—miles of beautiful beaches, walking trails, a pier with a great view, and a historic lighthouse.

This is Hunting Island State Park, just outside of Beaufort, South Carolina.

After paying my $8 at the gate, I drove deeper into the park on a narrow, freshly paved blacktop road with coastal plants and palm trees hugging the road. The road winds through the park, and you almost feel alone in the middle of nowhere. It's one way, so you don't have to worry about oncoming vehicles.

It's almost like a jungle frozen in time. Hollywood likes it, too. As a matter of fact, the Vietnam scene in Forrest Gump was filmed on Hunting Island.

Once you get to the beach, you see an untouched beach that seems like it could be from an early 1900s picture. No hotels and oceanfront homes in Hunting Island State Park. It is just a natural beach with incredible views. There is even a lagoon here, which is beautiful.

Then, there's the lighthouse. According to the South Carolina State Parks website, Hunting Island is home to the historic Hunting Island lighthouse, 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.

If you haven't been, check it out. It's well worth the price of admission!