Hunting Island State Park
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Hunting Island is a 5,000 acre (20 km²) secluded semitropical barrier island located about 15 miles east of 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 National Wildlife Refuge. It is one of the Sea Islands.
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.
Since 1953, the entrance to Hunting Island serves as the southern terminus of U.S. Route 21.
The large playground and seating area hold many summer Church programs for adults and children in the morning.
Yearly, dozens gather to watch all the hatched eggs of the Loggerhead Turtle walk out to the ocean. The event is protected by the park rangers. In certain months, notices are put up to ban flashlights on the beach after 10 p.m. to protect the turtles.
Bike trails, nature trails, a nature center and a fishing dock are all available for enjoyment.
Often there is surf on the island, but it is best three hours before high tide due to the continental shelf and south facing beaches.
[edit] Contact information
2555 Sea Island PKWY
Hunting Island,SC 29920
Phone: +1 843 838 2011
Fax: +1 843 838 4263
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Hunting Island State Park is at coordinates Coordinates:
- [www.killerpeaks.com Local surfing shop]
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