Hunting Island, SC

My family and I were vacationing at Fripp Island (on the coast in South Carolina) for my recent birthday. Fortunately, I had the opportunity to explore an area that has always piqued my interest – Hunting Island, SC. This was one of my first coastal and maritime forest hikes, and it did not disappoint. 10 miles of hiking offered various levels of trails that led me to everything from an isolated beach, idyllic sunrise, lighthouse, nature center, fishing pier, lagoons, maritime forests and my favorite – an eery, separate island with a graveyard-like surf with a tangle of trees.

Hunting Island is a State Park in South Carolina, located between Harbor Island and Fripp Island, approximately 20 minutes from Beaufort, SC. It has over 5 miles of beaches and 5000 acres of wilderness to explore. It has a large and active campground with over 100 sites. It also contains an historic lighthouse originally built in 1859, which is available to climb.

Admission to the park is $8 for adults and $4 for children with a separate $2 fee for climbing the lighthouse. South Carolina State parks also offer an annual pass for all of the parks, which you can find on the SC state park website.

The park opens at 6am, so I took the opportunity to get an early start. I began on what is known as South Beach, hiking north on the sand to be able to experience the changing sunset as it broke the horizon.

It was about a total 2 mile hike to the lighthouse and then to the campground at the north end of the island. The campground appeared to be very active with everything from large motor coaches to single tents. It was obvious that many campers were there to take advantage of the many fishing opportunities on the surf, fishing pier and inland waters.

After the campground, I began hiking in the maritime forest. I was surprised that even though this trail was on the coast, it was not entirely flat and it more or less undulated through the dense forest.

As I continued south, there are several trails with various levels of difficulty to choose. Three trails run parallel to the island and the beach, with several connecting passes between them. The map that is provided for the island is more of a sketch. As you enter the park, ask one of the Rangers to advise you on which trails may be closed. Due to recent weather, a few sections of trails were closed and the Ranger checking me in was happy to mark on my map which areas to avoid.

The Lagoon Trail parallels the beach and allows views and access to a large lagoon that covers a large section of the southern end of the island. I saw many wildlife tracks and the diversity of birds was well worth the trip. From the distance I witnessed raccoons as well as some deer foraging in the marsh.

My favorite area is Little Hunting Island. Located on the southern tip of the island, it is accessible via an elaborate footbridge.

During my walk, this area was completely isolated. It is not a place for swimming due to the vast amount of trees and limbs in the surf. Even though a bit surreal, the time there provided me with solace and the constant pounding of the surf on the trees was extremely peaceful. If you are planning on visiting this point, access is limited due to tides so be sure and check with the rangers and verify the tide tables.

Just beyond the southern tip is the Nature Center and recently renovated fishing pier. The Nature Center has a very extensive display of live and mounted wildlife that are natural to Hunting Island. The staff are extremely helpful and informative.

One interesting fact, Hunting Island and nearby Fripp Island are where the Vietnam War scenes were shot for the movie Forrest Gump. As I explored the island, it was obvious why they chose this area. These are not the types of woods that you would want to go ‘bushwhacking’. Just a few feet off the trail, the woods and undergrowth become thick and cannot be easily breached.

The trail is well marked and well traveled. The park is listed as one of South Carolina’s most visited. If you are planning on making this hike, the trails are also open to mountain bikers, even though I did not see any during my trip.

Being from the mountains of western North Carolina, this day hike through coastal trails was a first for me and it made for a wonderful start to my birthday. I look forward to continuing to explore more hidden treasures in the near future.