Hunting Island State Park Campground, near Saint Helena Island, South Carolina, is a fantastic spot for those looking to enjoy the beauty of the coast. With its picturesque beach and lush maritime forest, it’s a place where you can kick back and soak in the natural surroundings.

The campground offers a range of amenities, including clean restrooms and hot showers, which visitors appreciate after a day spent exploring. Many campers have highlighted the spacious sites, with some enjoying the privacy and shade provided by the trees. As one happy camper noted, “The sites felt nicely spaced out,” making it a comfortable place to unwind.

For outdoor activities, the pristine beach is just a short walk away, perfect for swimming, sunbathing, or even some body-surfing. Birdwatching is also a hit here, with various species spotted around the area. Plus, the historic lighthouse adds a unique touch to your visit, offering stunning views from the top.

While the campground can get busy, especially on weekends, the overall vibe remains relaxed and friendly. Whether you’re here for a quick getaway or a longer stay, Hunting Island State Park Campground is a great choice for enjoying the beauty of South Carolina’s coastline.

While tent campers may use standard campsites, a designated walk-in tent camping area is available that includes tent pads, fire rings, picnic tables, no power and centralized water. A vehicle parking lot is also provided. All walk-in tent sites are a short walk away from the designated parking lot and a short walk away from the ocean. Each campground is convenient to restrooms with hot showers.

Camping Information: Two campgrounds are located at the northern end of the park near the ocean. One of the campgrounds provides individual water and electrical hookups. Some sites accommodate RVs up to 40 ft.; others up to 28 ft.
Camping Reservations: 

Hunting Island is South Carolina’s single most popular state park, attracting more than a million visitors a year, as well as a vast array of land and marine wildlife. Five miles of pristine South Carolina beaches, thousands of acres of marsh and maritime forest, a saltwater lagoon and ocean inlet are all part of the park’s natural allure.

Hunting Island is home to the historic Hunting Island lighthouse, built in 1859 and rebuilt in 1875 after it was destroyed during the Civil War. A unique feature of the lighthouse is that it was constructed of interchangeable cast-iron sections so it could be dismantled should it ever need to be moved. Severe beach erosion made it necessary to relocate the lighthouse 1.3 miles inland in 1889.

Hunting Island State Park camping is available at 100 campsites with water and electrical hookups, shower and restroom facilities, beach walkways and a playground. Hunting Island State Park camping reservations must be made for a minimum of two nights.

Hunting Island State Park Campground

Edisto Island, SC is a great camping destination for adventurers of all types. Enjoy the scenic camping, fun activities, and sights and sounds of Edisto Island. Find the best campgrounds near Edisto Island, SC. Read reviews from campers like you and find your perfect campsite.

Edisto Island

The Best Camping Near Edisto Island, South Carolina

Driving in is like "Jurassic Park", loved it, primordial habitat goin on! Historical Lighthouse to scale and gift shop, limited hours and don't take the pooches. Campground, you guessed it, lotsa sand. It's like "Survivor" cause your basically on the beach, but in the tree cover. Excellent beaches to walk on and ecology at its prime with a tree "cemetery".

Sand in all those places....

This place is a nice little getaway. You can chill on the beach or go right around the corner and be in the woods. There is also good fishing in a small cut that fills up during high tide.

A nice getaway

Our dogs first trip to the beach, and something tells me they liked it. Only a 4 hour drive from our home-base in Athens, GA. I grew up going camping there but this was my first time back in about a decade. We had a great time and enjoy the video. A special thanks to Louis Pelot for the music.

Down by da beach.....

This is a good sized park with a good bit to do. There are meandering walking trails through the woods. There's the beach. There's the lighthouse, which is very blustery uptop, and quite a lot of stairs to get there. There are some historical museum type things around the lighthouse. Giftshop and hotdogs on the beach. The volunteers were great here--nice, helpful, funny. 

Camping, especially tent camping, is just inland of the dunes. There's no water or power at tent sites. There were a million RVs and it was pretty loud with generators even though we were somewhat separated. It was also Spring Break season, so that lends to crowds. 

There were lot of solo campers here, I guess due to being on the East Coast and perhaps a good road trip stop over for a night's stay. However, we actually didn't get to stay the night day two! It was so windy (no rain or storm) that there was no way we could sleep there. Taking down our tent and putting everything away while being blown sideways was exhausting. Only one tent camper remained when we left, and they were actually working with a hammock-station wagon combo. Off we went to a hotel and dinner in Beaufort, which is a nice, sleepy, old town on the water. 

Windblown in the Wetlands

**Hunting Island State Park** is like stepping back into the Jurassic period, except there's a lighthouse, lol. The foliage is crazy cool ! If a dinosaur stepped out from the side of the trail it wouldn't be out of place...shocking, but not out of place.

Last spring (2017)some major storms caused some havoc and the park just reopened recently. The area by the lighthouse closed when we were there due to erosion making the pavement collapse/crumble. The campground (part of it) is reopened but the mess is still there. The staff is working to clear and clean the park up.

There is a dock with some premium fishing and trail adjacent that takes you to the beach of skeleton trees.

Blown away

Hurricane Damage

**Campground Review:** We cycled, kayaked, hiked and watched gorgeous sunrises over the Atlantic at this beautiful campground on the coast of South Carolina. Lined with spikey palmetto trees, towering long leaf pines, and live oak dripping with Spanish moss, the biking and walking trails makes you feel like you’ve stepped into a tropical paradise. You can kayak for days through the inlets lined with sea grass, too.

In early March, this state park was nearly full, but still amazingly quiet given the number of people they can squeeze into this place. The beach, as well as the campsites closest to it, were hit hard by the 2017 storms and hurricanes. While they’ve cleaned up a great deal of it, it’s going to take a decade to fully recover. With this said, the “pickled trees” of old forests add a haunting feeling to any sunrise, and also serve as a great backdrop for nature photographers like me.

We planned to stay 2 nights, but the weather was so glorious, we decided to stay another 2 nights in a different site.* Site 172 is significantly more private and shaded with no evidence of storm damage, but site 132 has a ton of sun, few trees, and an ocean view. *Note: State park campgrounds are notorious for telling you they are full when you look online, but when you ask at the office they will always tell you, “Looks like I have just 1 more available for tonight.” Hence, we very rarely make reservations.

Each site has a firepit, picnic table, electricity and water. Some sites are relatively small, but all are clean and maintained. Throughout the park, there are plenty of sites for large RV’s, and there were quite a few of them. The bathrooms were absolutely immaculate, and the showers nice and hot -- making us feel like we were at a spa rather than a campground!

In addition to all of this, there is a historic lighthouse, nature center, visitor’s center, and large picnic area at this park, as well as a small boat launch. All of the amenities do come with a price tag – $48 per night, which is quite a bit more than we usually spend, but the glorious weather made it worth it.

The town of Beaufort is about 15 miles away, with all that you could possibly need, including great low country restaurants. Get your shrimp, grits, and hush puppy fix on! Check out our [blog](https://blog.thedyrt.com/lifestyle/full-time-campers-coastal-camping-south-carolina/) on The Dyrt's Online Magazine about our experience on the coast of South Carolina.

**Product Review:** As a Ranger for The Dyrt, we’ve been taking the Renogy Phoenix Portable Generator out on a test drive as we’ve camped in various places throughout the southeast this winter. We also do lifestyle presentations around the country and have used this portable unit during our seminars to teach both kids and adults about the basics of how solar power works. We use this portable unit as a supplement to our larger 100-watt panel and deep cycle marine battery within our adventure rig. See our other [Renogy Solar Panel Ranger Review](https://thedyrt.com/camping/north-carolina/lake-santeetlah) for more information about our 100-watt panel.

**What we like about this product:**

1.  It is a solar panel, battery, and inverter – all in one unit.
2.  It is simple and easy to use. Open it up, face it into the sun, and start charging. Nothing to plug in, turn on, etc. The LCD screen on the front of the panel clearly shows that is irradiated and what % of the battery is currently charged.
3.  It’s easy to manage because it folds up to the size of a large briefcase for easy storage and portability. It weighs about 18 pounds.
4.  The carrying handle is firmly integrated into the side, making for an easy place to loop a cable through to lock it down when we leave for the day.
5.  You can charge it up in various ways: use the sun, plug it into your accessories connection (cigarette lighter) in your car while you are driving down the road, or if you are seeking a quick charge, plug it in to a standard wall outlet before you head out for a trip. These inputs are clearly labeled within the access panel on the left side of the unit.
6.  It charges small devices which run on either AC or DC power. These are clearly labeled within the access panel on the right side of the unit. It takes about 3 hours and 50% of the battery’s storage capacity to fully charge Shari’s laptop (which has a largeish battery and requires a good deal of power). But a smartphone can charge in less than an hour via a USB cable, with only about 20% of its capacity used.

**What could be improved:**

1.  If you are seeking to use the sun to charge up this unit, the panel is small, so it needs to be in the direct sun (no cloud cover) for a significant portion of the day. This can be tricky as you aren’t always hanging around the campsite for the entire day, monitoring the movement of the sun.
2.  If one portion of the system breaks (panel, battery, or inverter), can it be replaced without throwing the whole unit out?
3.  Though robustly constructed, this unit cannot be left outside in the rain as it is not waterproof.

**Product Link:** [https://www.renogy.com/products/the-element-series/the-phoenix-generator](https://www.renogy.com/products/the-element-series/the-phoenix-generator)

**Product Video:** [https://youtu.be/kPNQiWCbNQk](https://youtu.be/kPNQiWCbNQk)

Ranger Review:  Renogy Phoenix Generator at Hunting Island State Park

This is by far better than going to myrtle beach. Nice campground spacious sites. uncrowded beach. close enough to drive to myrtle to be touristy if u want to. 

stay here

I have been camping here since I was a kid and always found this place so peaceful and beautiful. Make sure you bring bug spray and plenty of money for the wonderful camp store! Unfortunately the front row sites which we use to enjoy are slowly being washed away but the park rangers and other committees are doing their best to help save Hunting Island.

Camping on the beach

Hunting Island State Park campground is absolutely stunning and a tropical vacation dream! We camped for 5 nights in site 158\. Most of the campsites are shaded and well maintained. A hurricane decimated the island a few years ago, but the staff are working hard to bring it back to full capacity (some campsites are still not open). The bath/shower houses are amazing with nice showers, warm water and plenty of privacy. The wildlife is abundant with friendly deer, raccoons, turtle nests, crabs, woodpeckers and a variety of sea birds. The raccoons are a bit too friendly, so make sure your food is well secured. The mosquitos are vicious and bug spray is a must! The beach and camp store (awesome staff) are easily accessible from all campsites by foot or bike. The beach is gorgeous and is only used by the campers. On the south end of the island, the beach is open to the public. The island is unspoiled and has no hotels, condos, beach houses or the sort. We were able to dine on fresh seafood at local restaurants and purchase daily catches at local seafood markets to cook on the campfire. The bike/hiking trails are well maintained and offer beautiful views of the forest, lagoon, light house and beach. Our favorite spots on the island were the tree bone yard on the beach and riding our bikes in the surf to the farthest northern point of the island. Here are the campsites we will consider in the future: 158, 127, 167, 177, 179, and 187\. Book early because the campground fills up fast!

Tropical campers dream

Loved this beach the canpsirestbwere very tight because of the trees. Walk to the beach was beautiful. Didn’t use bathhouses it’s not got a lot in the area.

Before the Hurricane 

Beautiful beach which you can bike from the north end to the south end at low tide. Definitely one of the highlights of the trip. The lighthouse is beautiful and the area very well maintained. Lots of trails for all levels. The campground is still recovering from Hurricane Mathew but well worth visiting. This place is wild with all the driftwood, palm trees and butterflies. The beach was never crowded and is very dog friendly. We were on site 130 which backed up to the main road in and out but was not a problem for us. We could see the ocean, feel the breeze and hear the waves. The bathhouse near our site could have been cleaner and is the reason I gave the campground a 4\. I just hope Hurricane Florence stays away.

Butterfly Beach

My family and I have camped at this campground for over 20 years. Every summer we would rv camp for a week or two. I have camped on at least 30 sites. A couple of years ago, hurricanes decimated the island and local rangers and staff have done wonders to renovate the campground. Many campsites and parts of roads got wiped away with the hurricane but what is still left is my version of paradise. This has been and will probably continue to be my favorite campground. Bugs are bad and will pick you up and carry you off. Deer and racoons are friendly and will approach campsites. The camp store and bathhouses are nice and frequently updated. 

Hunting Island 

We've been coming here for 18 years. It's a wonderful place for family and friends to gather. The beach is beautiful. The campground is coming back to life after Hurricane Matthew. Charleston and Savannah are both within an hour and a half. Beaufort is a beautifully quiet town with many lovely spots to visit. It's our favorite place to visit. 

Where My Soul Finds Rest 

We camped here for 3 nights with our dogs. The only reason I'm giving 4 out of 5 stars is the campground was just super crowded. Some of the campsites don't have much privacy. 
But the campground facilities were top notch. I've never seen such a nice and clean bathhouse at a campground. The park staff was super nice too. There is a camp and souvenir store at the campground entrance that has everything you need.
The landscape was just breathtaking. There are palm trees right on the beach and you could walk for miles right on it. It's also just a short walk to the lighthouse. There are multiple hiking trail to explore the maritime forest. It's definitely worth it. 
I would camp there again but I think during the week it's a little less crowded and more quiet. I'm also glad we came in November and bugs and mosquitos weren't a big problem. 

Beautiful spot of nature.

This campground was the best we have stayed at so far.  Beach view with very easy beach access.  Dogs are also allowed at the beach which was a nice change.  The beach is wide but watch out for high tide as certain areas are harder to navigate through at that time.  They are still cleaning up parts of the campground from the hurricane, and from the looks of it they may not be able to get back some of the sites that have been damaged.  The bathrooms were clean.  My only complaint is they have two showers in one stall, and the stall has no lock.  You will either be showering with a friend or a complete stranger, potentially.  The park has plenty to do including a lighthouse.  We had a terrific visit and is on our list of places to go back.  The sites were close together and some were not even.  We were at site 145.  

Beach View!

We spent three nights here and fell in love with it!  If you love the ocean this is the best place. The beach is beautiful and it is amazing for shelling.  We were in site 118 and it was perfect. We had a hill behind us which made it nice and quiet. They have a great store there and the staff was very welcoming and helpful. The rest of the park is beautiful as well. The lighthouse is the highlight of the park. We can’t wait to go back!

Beautiful beach campground 

Stayed at site 126, great site, fairly shaded. Wonderful experience, plenty of wildlife (deer as common as people, raccoons too, even a baby bobcat at neighboring campsite). Only complaints are: no parking at bathhouses have to walk &amp; had bad experience with single person. Free access to the state park and great beach. Great weekend getaway. Mosquitoes were pretty bad away from campsite but keeping two citronella candles lit kept them away 90% of the time, not as bad as people make it out to be here. $2 to climb the lighthouse is definitely worth it. Even with 90+ degree weather the breeze kept it bearable. Very quiet campground. 

Hunting Island

Hello happy campers. Stayed at site 172. Nice level spot with your neighbor right behind you and across the street. Our three year old said we were living in the jungle since we are surrounded by a multitude of trees and plant life. We love the shade. We saw deer, birds, squirrels and several raccoons.  I suggest you keep all food put away since I watched one carry off someone’s food from their campsite. The store is stocked with everything you could possibly need or that you forgot to bring. Staff is friendly and helpful. Beach is clean and best of all not crowded. If you like history and nature, don’t forget to see the lighthouse and the nature center. One of the highlights of our stay was getting to participate in a loggerhead sea turtle nest being opened and watching four baby turtles being released to the seas. 

Camping at the beach

Organized campsites on pristine barrier island near Beaufort SC. Accessible via bridge. Tent camping and RV sites. Several rustic trails . Literally can camp next to the beach. There is a historic lighthouse and grounds  there a available for tours. Across the channel from Fripp Island.

Pristine barrier island with organized campsites

Hunting Island State Park is my favorite of the coastal state parks.  The wildness at the heart of this gem is undeniable.  Hurricanes have not been kind to it over the past few years but it has stood the test of time and shows us all how to adapt and roll with the storms that come through life.  If you want to visit a state park that allows you to get in touch with your wild side you must check this place out.

Wildness at heart

First beach camp. First South Carolina camp. 
Site 13 was literally 24 steps from tent to the breaking waves of the Atlantic which are a great soundtrack along with the gusting breezes for reading and cooking s’mores. 
Thursday night the park was very quiet with Friday and Saturday filling up with friendly  families with kids, a surfer, and RVers..a great mix. 

Staff was helpful, efficient, and accommodating. 

Simple, relaxing, memorably situated park. 

Solitude in SC

Hunting Island is a gorgeous campground and state park right on the Atlantic Ocean. Unfortunately, this means they are constantly rebuilding after hurricanes so consequently, it is expensive to camp here! The upside is brand spanking new bathrooms with hot water. The only thing missing (in the bathroom) was a trash can so unfortunately, trash was on the floor. 

  

Sites are generous in size and some have trees separating them from ones on the other side of the loop. Note alcohol is prohibited. 

  

The beach, which is directly accessible from the campground,  has a long stretch of hard-packed sand and is very walkable. The lighthouse is within easy walking distance from the campground and the beach takes you through upended trees from hurricanes dating back to Hugo in 1989. The sunrises are incredibly gorgeous and well worth getting up when it is still dark out to take photos. There is a well-stocked camp store with friendly personnel.

Beautiful campground right on the Atlantic!

Hunting Island Beachside Camping has amazing views and is right on the beach. I was no more than 40 yards from the water. All rustic sites are car friendly but you must keep car on paved area. You have great and easy car access to some nice and easy ocean and marsh trails. I recommend the Lagoon Trail to Little Hunting Island Loop Trail (about 4 miles round trip). Little Hunting Island is a cool small island filled with petrified trees and driftwood. In total there are 12 trails totaling 9.45 miles. There is also a store, bathrooms with showers, and WiFi in the campgrounds. 

I camped here at the end of February. The daily and nightly temps were very manageable/comfortable. High in the low 60s and Low in the mid to low 40s.

Why I did not rate this 5 stars is for two reasons. One is price, it cost $90.00 for two nights at the end February which is offseason. The cost does include admission into the state park which is were most of the trails are. It is also home to the only lighthouse in SC you can walkup. 

The second reason for the 4 star rating is the campsites are extremely close. You are right on top of other campers. I could clearly hear other sites’s conversations and music and for it being off-season most sites were booked. However there was one site that was more private, closer to the water, and next to the tree line, rustic site 13. THIS IS THE SITE YOU WANT. If you want more privacy or have more people or both and you have the money I would rent site 13 and 14. Because the sites are so close together these two have a natural flow and feel like one nice campsite. 

Pros
• Beach camp close to the Ocean 
• Good easy trails 
• Store 
• Bathrooms w/ shower 
• WiFi 
• Fire ring w/ grille 
• ￼Picnic table
• February temps ￼comfortable
• Amazing Sunrise!!!!
• Dog Friendly 
• Nature center
• Fishing pier
• Wildlife viewing area
• Great parking/ easy driving. (SUV) 

Cons 
• Price ( $90 for two night in Feb)
• Sites extremely close to one another￼￼
• ￼No alcohol 😉

🏕 Beachside Rustic Site 15 🏕 

This was our first time out after having to cancel trips during the CoronaCation, so we were really ready.

Got our favorite campsite on the back row, away from the kids and the beach. Quiet with all the nature critters.

Site is a good size, very near the bathhouse. Bathhouse is well maintained and about average for cleaning. 

Since the hurricane almost destroyed the park, none of the sites are really on the beach, so bring your wagon.

Bring a fan and your bug stuff. If the breeze ever stops, the bugs can only be described as biblical.

Raccoons, deer, squirrels, and armadillos maraude through the campground constantly looking for food. The raccoons -can- open your high dollar grizzly proof cooler if they want to. Don't leave anything that smells edible unattended.

First Post Corona Outing

Seemingly well maintained. Booked this site based on photos prior to the devastation from hurricane Matthew in 2016. Our site, and many others had no privacy or shade. With that being said, it is still a beautiful beach and there are Still quite a few sites that maintained its lush surroundings. Cannot beat the beach access! Would book again,  just not this particular site. Left one day early.

Nice beach access

Uneven sites, horrible potholes and poor drainage throughout the park.  We did have some torrential rain our first night, but the puddles didn’t drain after 4 days.  My son hit a pothole on his bike and got skinned up on our first day.  You can’t deny the natural beauty and the beach is gorgeous.  Bathrooms were clean and showers hot.  The bathrooms are not close to the beach access point and staff was very rude.  I recommend avoiding the first loop closest to the beach as they were flooded. Our site was #169 which had good drainage and close to a camp shower.

Poorly Maintained Sites

Where else can you camp and get deer on one hand, and ocean fishing in the other! We loved it! Stop at Gay Shrimp Co. on your way in for fresh shrimp to cook at your sight. We camped feet from the ocean. Talk about relaxing! 

Wow! 

Hunting Island is a gorgeous and popular park. If you love mosquitoes and sweat, you should definitely visit in July! Recently opened after being flooded by rain, the campground had many large puddles where mosquitoes like to breed. And breed they did! As soon as we arrived, we were swarmed. We used a new can of bug spray up in one day and had to drive out to buy more supplies. 

  

The best place to escape the bugs was on the beach, where a breeze keeps them at bay. The beach is also the spot to stargaze at night, where it's cool and clear and the sky view is amazing. 

  

There are multiple restrooms/shower facilities, centrally-located throughout the campground (but no wastebaskets in the restrooms). You may want to bring a beach cart, as the walk from the campground to the beach is a little far for carrying a bunch of stuff in your arms. 

  

The rustic tent sites, while closer to the beach, don't have much shade, which is a must during the summer. Friendly deer and raccoons roam the campground, looking for handouts and stealing, if necessary.

  

 Recommended sites: 158, 179, 183

A Mosquito's Paradise

Part of me wants to keep this place a secret and of course here I am telling it all. This is our second year in a row visiting this beach and campground for a week long stay. If you want the privacy, peace and quiet of a campground and feel like you have your own little piece of the beach then you need to come here. Coming into the campground you ride along and first stop is a little hut on the right for check in with the volunteer staff.  Straight ahead is the camp store that is always well stocked with all your camping needs, groceries, ice lots of items to decorate your camper and site with gifts and clothing. The view to the right lets you see the newly redone dunes put in place along with some camp sites. The campground has had a lot of rain lately which has created a lot of standing water which the camp staff have been using sump pumps to remove. The campsites are your typical sand and gravel base with some sites level to up hill a bit. Wildlife is abundant from the daily deer visits to the teeny tiny pesky mosquitoes. There are a handful of trails for hiking and bicycling on. A nature center is on site that shares the history and nature of the island via visual and audio information. The bathhouses are clean and well stocked. The beaches are clean and with minimal campers heading out to the beach gives you a lot of space to spread out and have some beach fun. 

We LOVE THIS BEACH!!!

Hunting Island State Park is a lovely place, but our camping experience was less than ideal. We tent camped on a full hookup site so we would have water and power. Had a lovely set up, but the mosquitoes and biting flies were off the chart! Also, was very hot and muggy. The bath house was like a sauna. Even after a cold shower, you came out sweating. It was also not very clean. The saving grace was the lovely beach which was a short walk from our campsite. 
Would definitely recommend going when the weather is a bit cooler and dryer! 

Picked a bad weekend

Our first visit was in August 2020 and we’ve already booked our trip for 2021. We were in a site on the back row and even though this was farthest from the beach, it was only a quick walk to the ocean. Bathhouses were extraordinarily clean. The campground store was stocked with anything we might have needed. We rode our bikes up and down the beach and visited the lighthouse. The whole trip was fantastic, the only downside were the mosquitoes—come prepared! 

Absolutely gorgeous 

Great campground, nice and clean bathrooms, beautiful beach, very nice hosts, plenty of activities to keep you busy. Laundry facilities would be very nice addition. Be aware of vicious mosquitoes. Other than that amazing spot. Definitely will be back. 

Great campground 

This campground was beautiful. The sites are fairly close together but they are spacious and the wooded area makes you feel like it’s your own little spot. Just a short walk to the beautiful clean beach with lots of shells. We hiked along the beach to the lighthouse. Beautiful views from the top of the lighthouse. We hiked one of the many trails back to camp. A very short drive to amazing local seafood restaurants that overlook the water. Everything was clean and well kept and the staff was kind and helpful in every interaction. This place is a must visit!

Peaceful Paradise

Like many state parks, the campground just wasn't built for 37' campers. It was super tight getting into our spots, but our neighbors were very helpful and the beautiful trees made for a cozy site. The kids enjoyed the beach, although it was too cold to swim and the algae bloom bubbles were abundant.  Good COVID precautions all around!

Cool spot, tight campground

Great hidden gem away from the busy beaches

Lighthouse and beach

It was our first time in SC, and also the first time on a barrier island. After Thanksgiving we camped here for 9 days. Everyday was filled with gorgeous nature, hikes and bike tours.
We got lucky with a campside closer to the inland, no 76, which was more wind  and flood protected. (campsites at the beach were severely flooded after a night of thunderstorms)
We cherished our own little oasis.   A lot of gorgeous large trees surrounded our spot, hence it was very shady. Good for the summer but in the cool fall, we craved the sun. Therefore we often just went to the beach to read and lounge. We loved it. 


Gorgeous otherworldly barrier island

We were there in our pop up earlier this month (February, 2021). It was chilly and windy, but we came prepared. We stayed in our pop up, with heat and we were cozy. Our first night we saw a spectacular sunset! The next day we climbed the lighthouse, and had a good conversation with the volunteer tour guide. The next day we went out to the boneyard beach end and had the place to ourselves. The bathhouse was really nice. It was always clean with plenty of hot water. 

Great visit!

Came here for the first time and what a hidden gem!! Exploring the beach and lighthouse was so so fun. Everyone was so friendly. The shop was nice to have too. Great bathrooms. Beautiful weather. I want to come back and ride bikes everywhere. 

Gorgeous!!! Cannot wait to come back

We came in yesterday, the pin point on Dyrt is about 1/4 mile off. Watch for the signs after you cross the bridge onto Hunting Island. Followed signs to a checkin booth which was not operational but follow the road to the camp store. The people were great and quick. When we scheduled this stop they emailed us our site and gate code.  They give you a map of the hiking trails, lighthouse, but not one of the camp ground layout. So good luck finding your spot, just follow the signs. 

The sites are all different sizes. We luckily got a pretty decent size site. We are in an RTT so it wasn’t bad either way. They all have fire rings, gravel and sand. Decent amount of shade for all the spots and very clean. We are going on the trails today. 

Beautiful and quiet hideaway 

We stayed here for two nights. A great hidden gem in the SC islands. We enjoyed the beach, the quiet camp site, and the light house. This place had a lot to do for the family. I definitely recommend it for anyone wanting a getaway along the coastal Carolina. 

Beautiful place

Glancing through the reviews, I can definitely see where July stays could be less enjoyable because of the weather.

We had a 70 degree day and with the ocean breeze sifting through the trees it felt like our jungle hike was air conditioned. No bugs. It was perfect.

We didn’t have reservations, but lucked into a spot as they were almost completely full. It doesn’t feel full though. 

There are some awesome spots - some are just good and a few are just out in the sun. Ours (116) didn’t any barriers between us and the adjacent spot, but it was shaded and roomy enough. 

Bathhouse were tiled and clean. Looks like they just built a laundry room on one.

Camp store is well stocked. 

Beach. Swamp. Tropical hike. Fishing. Lighthouse. Lots of options here. 

Friendly staff, too!


Perfect weather made a great stay

Love love loved this park. The beach was amazing sand and so clean. So close to the bathrooms with showers. The campsite was extremely well maintained. The camp store was more like a convenient store, they have everything. Trails everywhere. Amazing camping here! 

Sunrises Galore 

Hunting Island is the perfect campground tucked among the pine trees and palm trees. It is very well kept from the campsites, to the bath houses, to the camp store, and even the beach area. Very dog and kid friendly! Almost always packed, so we book about a year in advance but we know we’ll keep coming back. Gorgeous sunrises on the beach make getting up early worth it! During the day the beach can be busy, but not over crowded. Can even walk down the beach to the lighthouse! We take our two labradors and it is so nice to walk them on the beach in the morning and evening when sometimes we’re the only people for miles. Recommend this for anyone who loves to camp and spend time on the ocean as well. 

We keep coming back 

We love this spot for a spring get away before the heat and bugs are bad. We prefer the walk in tent sites close to the beach. Bathhouses are immaculate and recently remodeled. Camp store is super convenient. Gorgeous unspoiled beach. Great campground for the kids to bike around. Also a few trails to bike or hike to the lighthouse. 

Best beach campground

We were welcomed into the camp by a very kind lady who was knowledgeable on all the adventures we could take from the campsite. The camp sites were very clean and pretty hidden away, we could hardly even see our neighbors from the site. My only problem was that there were no sewers on site, but plenty of clean bathrooms were spread around the campsite. Emphasis on clean bathrooms!! The camp store was equipped with just about everything we need and there are many nearby towns for adventurers. 

Tropical Getaway 

First time camping at Hunting Island! I have come to this beach my whole life but the camping was so fun. Our site had no shade, but we were right at the beach, and the store and bath houses were right in front and behind me. Our site had a huge yard. Plenty of room between us and the neighbors. Bugs and mosquitos were unreal but what do you expect! Had a blast and cant wait to return


Great Trip

Nice state park and campground near the SC coast.  Camp sites are walking distance to the beach.  The park offers sites to visit and explore, such as a lighthouse, marsh walk and pier.  The campgrounds were well maintained, with restrooms and free showers.  Only down side is if they receive heavy rains the campsites nearest the beach and camp store flood.

Hunting Island State Park

The sites are well spaced with foliage between them. Our site, 156, was very tight to get into with a 33' TT, but others are plenty big. The restrooms are exceptionally clean; A/C and heated. Lots of places to hike to, not strenuous at all. The Lighthouse climb was great. We camped at Hunting Island State Park in a Travel Trailer.

Shaded Campsites

We stayed in the tent sites, which are located right behind the dunes.  The website says that you have to walk into your site, but you can actually bring your car in to unload.  Once you have unloaded, you have to park your car in a parking area, but the parking spots are very close.  There isn't a whole lot of vegetation separating the sites, but they have planted vegetation to help with this.  Even with the close sight-lines to neighbors, it was great to be in an area that didn't have generators going, you could hear the surf, and have a short walk to the beach.  The bathrooms were good with hot showers.  I will definitely return.

Nice Tent sites

This is a fantastic full-service campground in the heart of the Lowcountry. Enjoy walks on the beach and trails.


Hunting Island Beach State Park Campground

What a lovely spot! Walking miles on the beach on mild January days sometimes without seeing anyone else! Incredible shell collections. Campsites are big, lots of palm trees may limit some campsites for big rigs so speak to someone there when booking or use pull through sites. Sites do need more gravel, some are muddy. I didn’t use bathhouse. Short walk to beach. Great camp store, need to visit. 

Beachside campground 

This is a GREAT campground. Staff is friendly, you are right at the beach, and there are a ton of things to do in the area. The walking trails are well kept, and the light house is nearby. You also get a free pass in the State Park with your stay at the campground.

  

We will definitely be back again and again. 

  

See our larger write-up here: 

https://www.ourtinycamper.com/post/a-weekend-at-hunting-island

LOVE this campground!

There are sites for everyone. Some are private some are not. The ones closer the the beach/tent sites don’t have much shade or privacy. Most of the others have privacy. Some are level some are not. The bathhouse is clean and shower is nice. Staff is friendly. Check in was super easy. Loved the beach. Deer greeted us in the mornings. Raccoons  visit throughout the day. My 1 and only complaint is that there are not trash cans throughout the campground. The only dumpster is located when you first come into the campground. BYW the lighthouse is closed for maintenance for about 6 mths . They do have wifi and the camp store does have a variety of supplies. 

Top favorite 

I can’t say enough good things about this place. The site we stayed on was very spacious and shady, close to the bathhouse and playground. Beach access was a short walk away. Good camp store. Anytime we went to the beach for as far as we could see there were maybe 20 other people on the beach. So much privacy on the beach. We found several sand dollars. If you are considering this campground, go, you will never regret it

Favorite so far

Spent a few days here. Bugs are really bad but the area is beautiful

Awesome Place to camp

My Favorite Campground

I’ve been camping here since I was a kid and now I take a solo trip here every year to recenter and take some time for myself. It’s absolutely gorgeous. Serene beaches, amazing hiking and biking trails all over the island, incredible lighthouse, and I always find a few shark teeth on my trips! Just make sure you seriously lock up your stuff because the raccoons are gnarly. My only complaint is that I don’t live closer, so I could go more often! 

All-time Favorite Campground

Nice campsites nestle next to palmetto trees and Spanish moss covered Live Oaks. Bring your bikes to fully enjoy the park.  My boys loved riding on the beach and going through all the trails. I took my boys in Dec. and had the beach practically to ourselves. Shelling was great. The lighthouse wasn't open when we were there.  You don't need a fishing license to fish on their pier but you will need one if you want to surf fish or fish in the lagoon. If the weather is bad the town of Beaufort is about 20mins and has a beautiful historic downtown with boutiques and restaurants. You can rent bikes for $30 for 24hrs to take to the park. A must see at the park is the Boneyard. It's an area with driftwood that kids could spend all day exploring and climbing.

Winter camping on the beach

Pros:
Beautiful beach and trails
Sites felt nicely spaced out
Bird watching and seeing turtle nests!

Cons:
While we were here we had a big rainstorm and a lot of the sites flooded. 
Some sites were really unlevel/ oddly layer out
No see ums! We used a box fan when sitting outside which helped a ton! But they do get through your screens so we had to keep windows closed and run ac.
Only one location at park entrance to dump trash (no trash cans even in the bathrooms)

Great place!

HISP has a pristine beach and well situated campground area separate from the public beach access area.  Restrooms nice and clean with hot water in the shower. Washer/dryer set up as well and camp store is fully equipped and lots of souvenirs. 

Campsite numbers are marked on electric boxes so kind of hard to see. 

Great beach getaway

The dunes, sea oats, sands, lighthouse in background, perfect waves!!  My husband spent hours body-surfing, and we explored the interesting patterns the winds had made in the beautiful sands.  Its a remarkable spot.  The campground is somewhat smaller than some, and with limited shade; our site was fairly level for a small rig, but the natural beauty of this island more than compensates!  The North Beach access was in easy walking distance.  The Camp Host was especially helpful when I thought I lost my keys.  Our only complaint was heavy local traffic driving there for late afternoon check-in.  Great adventure and we will be back!!

What a stunning beachfront, goes on for miles!!

The north campground has much more shade and privacy than the south campground.  

We enjoyed watching the bird life and being in easy walking distance to the beach itself. The camping area was quiet and clean even though very busy on a weekend.  The beach itself was peaceful and lovely even on a somewhat rainy day.  Traffic getting in and out of the park is pretty crazy, rushing by on a 4 lane road leading to Myrtle Beach.  We enjoyed our 2 relaxing nights and look forward to a return trip sometime.

Great oasis near busy Myrtle Beach strand.

We camped at Hunting Island over a long weekend and had a great time. We were in a 30 foot 5th wheel and stayed in site 95. In my opinion it was one of the best sites there. Nice size and lots of vegetation surrounding. The beach was just over the dunes. We couldn’t see the beach or ocean from our site but it was just a short walk away.
The store was well stocked and people were very friendly. The tent sites looked very nice and if I was still tent camping I’d definitely be happy with the accommodation. They are also easier access to the beach.
We had water and electric at our site. Two Dump stations available and were easy in and out. Bathhouse in each area was nice and clean.
We visited Beaufort and fell in love with the cute town! Lots of water view restaurants to choose from.
From the nature center we explored the path to the boneyard and was glad we took the 15 minute walk out there. Enjoyed our time and will definitely be back!


Photos of Hunting Island State Park Campground

Real photos from real campers