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Hunting Island State Park (Hunting Island, SC)

Occasionally I do detour off of Highway 17 – and one worthy reason to do so is to visit Hunting Island State Park, which is part of the Ace Basin area. Hunting Island is a 5,000 acre barrier island that has been classified as a state park since 1935.

In colonial times, “Hunting Islands” served as hunting preserves for elite Lowcountry planters in the 19th and early 20th century. In the 1850s, the first Hunting Island Light was constructed – it was destroyed by Confederate forces during the early days of the Civil War. Ten years after the Civil War ended the lighthouse was rebuilt, and the 136′ Hunting Light was later relocated to where it is today. Of all of the lighthouses in South Carolina, the Hunting Light is the only one that is publicly accessible. The Hunting Light was deactivated in 1933, and listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1977 (registration form). In 2009, the Hunting Light celebrated it’s 150th anniversary.

South Carolina Parks – Hunting Island State Park

Friends of Hunting Island State Park

Hunting Island State Park – Wikipedia

HuntingIsland.com

Hunting Island, South Carolina – Discover South Carolina