Hunting Island State Park
Encyclopedia
Barrier island
Barrier islands, a coastal landform and a type of barrier system, are relatively narrow strips of sand that parallel the mainland coast. They usually occur in chains, consisting of anything from a few islands to more than a dozen...
located about 15 miles (24.1 km) east of Beaufort, South Carolina
Beaufort, South Carolina
Beaufort is a city in and the county seat of Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. Chartered in 1711, it is the second-oldest city in South Carolina, behind Charleston. The city's population was 12,361 in the 2010 census. It is located in the Hilton Head Island-Beaufort Micropolitan...
. It is the most-visited state park
State park
State parks are parks or other protected areas managed at the federated state level within those nations which use "state" as a political subdivision. State parks are typically established by a state to preserve a location on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, or recreational...
in South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
and is a part of the ACE Basin
ACE Basin
The ACE Basin is one of the largest undeveloped estuaries along the Atlantic Coast of the United States. Located primarily in Colleton and Beaufort counties in South Carolina, the ACE Basin is an acronym that represents the Ashepoo, Combahee and Edisto rivers, which combine into the larger St....
estuarine reserve
Ashepoo Combahee Edisto Basin National Estuarine Research Reserve
The Ashepoo Combahee Edisto Basin National Estuarine Research Reserve is a reserve area located in the ACE Basin, one of the largest undeveloped estuaries on the Atlantic coast of the United States...
area. It is one of the Sea Islands
Sea Islands
The Sea Islands are a chain of tidal and barrier islands on the Atlantic Ocean coast of the United States. They number over 100, and are located between the mouths of the Santee and St. Johns Rivers along the coast of the U.S...
. Among the various natural activities, the park is also known for its 19th century lighthouse
Hunting Island Light
The Hunting Island Light is located in Hunting Island State Park on Hunting Island near Beaufort, South Carolina. Although no longer utilized as a functioning lighthouse, the tower is a fixture at the state park and is open to visitors.-Overview:...
which bears its name.
History
Hunting Island retains its colonial designation of the "Hunting Islands", which served as hunting preserves for Lowcountry planters and elite in the 19th and early 20th century. As the name implies, the island was once used for hunting deerDeer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
, raccoon
Raccoon
Procyon is a genus of nocturnal mammals, comprising three species commonly known as raccoons, in the family Procyonidae. The most familiar species, the common raccoon , is often known simply as "the" raccoon, as the two other raccoon species in the genus are native only to the tropics and are...
, waterfowl
Waterfowl
Waterfowl are certain wildfowl of the order Anseriformes, especially members of the family Anatidae, which includes ducks, geese, and swans....
and other small game. The first signs of human activity came in the 1850s when the first Hunting Island light was constructed. The original light was destroyed by Confederate forces in the early days of the Civil War. Ten years after the Civil War ended the lighthouse was rebuilt, and later relocated to its current position.
The 1893 Sea Islands hurricane
1893 Sea Islands Hurricane
On August 27, 1893 a major hurricane which came to be known as the Sea Islands Hurricane struck the United States near Savannah, Georgia. It was one of two deadly hurricanes during the 1893 Atlantic hurricane season; the storm killed an estimated 1,000–2,000 people, mostly from storm surge...
swept Hunting Island and other nearby Sea Islands
Sea Islands
The Sea Islands are a chain of tidal and barrier islands on the Atlantic Ocean coast of the United States. They number over 100, and are located between the mouths of the Santee and St. Johns Rivers along the coast of the U.S...
clean, but the lighthouse survived.
In the 1930s, the island was developed into a state park by the Civilian Conservation Corps
Civilian Conservation Corps
The Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program that operated from 1933 to 1942 in the United States for unemployed, unmarried men from relief families, ages 18–25. A part of the New Deal of President Franklin D...
as bridges were constructed to connect the outer Sea Islands with Beaufort. Despite the limited human development, the island remains a preserve for its abundant wildlife. Visitors enjoy more than 4 miles (6.4 km) of beach, a dense maritime forest in the interior areas, and an extensive saltwater marsh
Marsh
In geography, a marsh, or morass, is a type of wetland that is subject to frequent or continuous flood. Typically the water is shallow and features grasses, rushes, reeds, typhas, sedges, other herbaceous plants, and moss....
on the western side. The most notable attraction is the 19th-century lighthouse
Hunting Island Light
The Hunting Island Light is located in Hunting Island State Park on Hunting Island near Beaufort, South Carolina. Although no longer utilized as a functioning lighthouse, the tower is a fixture at the state park and is open to visitors.-Overview:...
, listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. While not operational, the lighthouse tower currently features a rotating light in the tower that is turned on at night.
U.S. Route 21
U.S. Route 21 is a north–south United States highway of , from Hunting Island State Park, South Carolina to Wytheville, Virginia.-South Carolina:...
has been on Hunting Island since 1953. The Terminus was at the south end of the island until about 1980, when erosion destroyed a portion of the highway, forcing the state to create a new entrance to the park and a set of one-lane roads through the palmetto forest. Since that time, US 21 terminates at the point where it formerly turned east toward the lighthouse.
Since 1980, Hunting Island has suffered major beach erosion
Erosion
Erosion is when materials are removed from the surface and changed into something else. It only works by hydraulic actions and transport of solids in the natural environment, and leads to the deposition of these materials elsewhere...
as a result of heavy tides from the confluence of the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
and Saint Helena Sound
Saint Helena Sound
Saint Helena Sound is a coastal inlet in Beaufort and Colleton counties, South Carolina. The inlet is located East of Beaufort, between Edisto Island. and Hunting Island. Saint Helena Sound is 7.5 mi/12.1 km wide. The Combahee River empties from the Northwest and the Edisto River and...
, and is expected to shrink in size by ten per cent over the next forty years. 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.
Wildlife
The wildlife includes loggerhead turtles, deerDeer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
, alligator
Alligator
An alligator is a crocodilian in the genus Alligator of the family Alligatoridae. There are two extant alligator species: the American alligator and the Chinese alligator ....
s, raccoon
Raccoon
Procyon is a genus of nocturnal mammals, comprising three species commonly known as raccoons, in the family Procyonidae. The most familiar species, the common raccoon , is often known simply as "the" raccoon, as the two other raccoon species in the genus are native only to the tropics and are...
s, diamondback rattlesnakes
Crotalus adamanteus
Crotalus adamanteus is a venomous pit viper species found in the southeastern United States. It is the heaviest venomous snake in the Americas and the largest rattlesnake. It featured prominently in the American Revolution, specifically as the symbol of what many consider to be the first flag of...
, and hundreds of species of birds. Of the birds, many are impressed by the abundance of heron
Heron
The herons are long-legged freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae. There are 64 recognised species in this family. Some are called "egrets" or "bitterns" instead of "heron"....
s and egrets
Great Egret
The Great Egret , also known as the Great White Egret or Common Egret, White Heron, or Great White Heron, is a large, widely-distributed egret. Distributed across most of the tropical and warmer temperate regions of the world, in southern Europe it is rather localized...
. The interior lagoon (which was created by sand dredging in 1968) has become a natural wonderland and home to such species as seahorse
Seahorse
Seahorses compose the fish genus Hippocampus within the family Syngnathidae, in order Syngnathiformes. Syngnathidae also includes the pipefishes. "Hippocampus" comes from the Ancient Greek hippos meaning "horse" and kampos meaning “sea monster”.There are nearly 50 species of seahorse...
s and barracuda
Barracuda
The barracuda is a ray-finned fish known for its large size and fearsome appearance. Its body is long, fairly compressed, and covered with small, smooth scales. Some species could reach up to 1.8m in length and 30 cm in width...
.
Each year, 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 dark to protect the turtles.
Facilities
Hunting Island provides accommodation locations for recreational vehicles and tent campers on the northern portion of the island. The majority of the park's cabins have been vacated in recent years due to high beach erosion and have since been condemned. A 2 miles (3.2 km) lagoon is adjacent to the cabins and serves as a popular location for fishing.The Hunting Island Visitors Center is located in the central portions of the island overlooking a small lagoon. The center provides visitors with general information on the island in addition to space for activities and office space for park staff. The center is also connected with Hunting Island's extensive trail system and is a short distance to several beach access points.
The Hunting Island Nature Center features live animals and exhibits about the habitats and natural history of the park. The center is located at the entrance to the Paradise Pier fishing pier, which juts into the Fripp Inlet between Hunting and Fripp Island.
Fripp Island, South Carolina
Fripp Island is a 6.546 sq mi barrier island located along the Atlantic coast of the U.S. state of South Carolina, about 20 miles from Beaufort...
The Hunting Island Lighthouse is open year-round to the public. Visitors are able to climb to the viewing deck of the 136 feet (41.5 m) tower for a nominal fee.
Hunting Island's 4 miles (6.4 km) of beachfront provide a wonderful and natural beach experience for visitors. Although the beach is heavily eroded towards the southern end of the island, ample beachfront remains in the more popular beach access points in the central section of the island and in the campground areas towards the north end of the island.
The state park also features several trails for hiking and biking, including a 6.1 miles (9.8 km) loop trail that cuts through the maritime forest and along the lagoon. The trail also connects to the Marsh Boardwalk, a popular pull-off point for photographers. A short 5-minute walk leads visitors across a section of marsh onto a hammock
Hammock (ecology)
Hammocks are dense stands of hardwood trees that grow on natural rises of only a few inches higher than surrounding marshland that is otherwise too wet to support them. Hammocks are distinctive in that they are formed gradually over thousands of years rising in a wet area through the deposits of...
and towards a deck along a tidal creek.