Hunting Island State Park

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A campsite at Hunting Island

Hunting Island is a 5,000 acre (20 km²) secluded barrier island of semitropical beauty located near historic Beaufort, SC. As the name implies, the island was once used for hunting deer, raccoon, waterfowl and other small game. It is the most-visited state park in South Carolina and is a part of the larger, federally protected ACE Basin.

Developed into a state park by the Civilian Conservation Corps, the island is now a preserve for its abundant wildlife. Visitors may enjoy more than four miles of beach, a maritime forest, and an extensive saltwater marsh. The most notable attraction is the 19th-century lighthouse, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. While not operational, the lighthouse tower currently features a rotating light in the tower that is turned on at night.

The wildlife includes loggerhead turtles, deer, alligators, raccoons, diamondback rattlesnakes, and hundreds of species of birds. Of the birds, many are impressed by the abundance of herons and egrets. The lagoon, created by sand dredging in 1968 has become a natural wonderland and home to such species as seahorses and barracuda.

Since 1980, Hunting Island has suffered major beach erosion as a result of heavy tides from the confluence of the Atlantic Ocean and Saint Helena Sound, and is expected to shrink in size by ten per cent over the next forty years.