5 Things to Do at Hunting Island State Park

Five minutes from Fripp's gates — close enough that there's genuinely no excuse — sits South Carolina's most-visited state park, and it earns the title. A freshly reopened lighthouse, a driftwood beach straight out of a movie, miles of undeveloped shoreline, and some of the best marsh walking in the Lowcountry, all in one stop. Admission is $8 for adults — pocket change for what you get.

And yes, you've seen it before: Hollywood got here first. Forrest Gump's Vietnam scenes, G.I. Jane, and Netflix's Outer Banks all filmed on this island, with the lighthouse and the boneyard stealing scenes. Here's the hit list.

1. Climb the Lighthouse (It's Back!)

After four years behind scaffolding and a $4.75 million restoration, the Hunting Island Lighthouse reopened in May 2026 — and it was worth the wait. 167 steps up the winding cast-iron staircase, 136 feet above the island, and a view that pays back every step: the Atlantic on one side, the marsh fanning out on the other. It's the only lighthouse in South Carolina you can climb, which makes this the single best panorama in the Lowcountry. Go early — climb tickets ($5, first-come first-served at the little white Oil House across from the tower) and the cool morning air both go fast.

2. Walk Boneyard Beach

On the island's south end, decades of erosion have toppled live oaks and palmettos straight into the surf, and the result is pure sculpture — silver-bleached trunks and roots scattered across the sand at impossible angles. It's the most photographed stretch of coastline in the Lowcountry, and it looks like a movie set nobody had to build. Reach it via the Nature Center Scenic Trail (about a 0.7-mile walk), go at sunrise if you can, and wear shoes you don't mind getting wet.

3. Take the Marsh Boardwalk Trail

A raised boardwalk threads through the salt marsh past the lagoon — flat, easy, shaded in stretches, and just about the most relaxing walk in the Lowcountry. Herons, egrets, and the occasional alligator doing absolutely nothing. Hit it at dawn or dusk when the marsh really shows off, or join a ranger-led Salt Marsh Stroll if one's on the schedule.

4. Duck Into the Nature Center

Small, air-conditioned, and better than it has any right to be. Live native animals, touch tanks for the kids, exhibits on the island's ecology — and rangers who actually know their stuff, so ask questions. Open daily 9 to 4, it's the perfect midday reset when the beach gets too hot.

5. Fish the Pier, Walk the Five Miles

The fishing pier juts into Fripp Inlet with room for everyone and no boat required — and here's the kicker: you don't even need a fishing license on the pier (the park's commercial license covers you). Beyond it, five miles of undeveloped beach run the length of the island, quieter than any beach you're used to, with shark teeth and shells for the patient. Pick a direction and walk until you're ready to turn around.

Hunting Island works for every kind of visitor — the climbers, the photographers, the kids, the "just find me somewhere pretty to sit" crowd. It's five minutes away. Go twice.