Located in Beaufort County, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) built Hunting Island State Park in 1938. In 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt had established the CCC, a federally funded organization that put thousands of Americans to work during the Great Depression. The public work relief effort was intended for projects with environmental benefits. The park is 5,000 acres.
Hunting Island has a tremendous erosion rate. There's about 15 feet of erosion every year caused primarily by big storms or hurricanes.
Built in 1859, the Hunting Island State Park lighthouse is one out of seven historic lighthouses in the U.S. It's the only one in South Carolina open to the public. There are 175 steps to get to the top. Visitors get to step back into the past to view the daily life of a lighthouse keeper.
The lighthouse was built to be relocated. Due to erosion over time, the lighthouse has been moved two times. In 1873, the lighthouse was moved. A few short years later, in 1889, the lighthouse was moved to its current location.
Hunting Island State Park offers a kayaking program that provides instructions for beginners to advanced. The park is not only great for kayaking, but visitors come to enjoy shrimping and crabbing too.
