One of the most visited state parks in South Carolina is only about an hour from Hilton Head Island and Bluffton. Sandwiched between Edisto and Fripp islands, Hunting Island State Park’s visitors are drawn to explore miles of maritime forest trails, walk its pristine beaches and the fishing pier, and see wildlife at the Nature Center. Thanks to its popular campground, boasting 100 campsites and with easy access for day visitors, it’s no surprise that more than one million guests enjoy visiting this barrier island each year.
Hunting Island State Park, located at 2555 Sea Island Parkway, east of Beaufort, is open year-round.
One of the park’s biggest attractions, the Hunting Island Lighthouse, recently reopened after being closed for necessary repairs during the past four years. The welcoming black and white lighthouse resumed tours to the public on May 26 with a ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring park staff and elected officials.
“Today, together we are witnessing history,” said Kirby Brady, park manager. “We are not just reopening a lighthouse; we’re rekindling a beacon that has guided generations through time and storm. Arriving at this moment took intentional planning, dedication, and unending passion of people who believed it was worth protecting, preserving, and sharing.”
Ted Panayotoff serves as lighthouse director for Friends of Hunting Island, a nonprofit organization formed to support the park with funds and volunteers.
In early 2022, park officials made the difficult decision to close the popular lighthouse due to safety concerns with its deteriorating conditions. Over the past four years, restoration projects included repairs and reinforcements to the interior staircase, handrails, and upper observation deck. Additional work to repaint the lighthouse’s interior and exterior, replace glass in the lantern room, and repair water intrusion issues were also completed.
“When the lighthouse was built, it wasn’t meant to be an attraction for visitors,” said Duane Parrish, director of the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism. “It was built to be a functioning lighthouse, with one person going up and down the stairs periodically.”
The historic lighthouse was erected in 1859 and was rebuilt in 1875 due to damages from the Civil War. The forward-thinking construction included interchangeable cast-iron sections that would allow for relocation, if necessary. In 1889, significant beach erosion required the lighthouse to relocate more than a mile inland.
CH2 contributor Brooke Peck enjoys the climb back down, notes in hand.
According to the South Carolina State Parks website, the historic lighthouse initially opened for public climbing after it became a state park in the 1940s. Since then, visitors have made the trip up for educational and recreational purposes. Many climbers were motivated to ascend to the top for breathtaking views of the beach, ocean, distant islands, and treetops.
“If you have walked to the top, there is a sense of reverence in the moment that you step out,” said Joy Raintree, director of the State Park Service. “It doesn’t matter who you’re with, what mood you were in before you stepped through the storied threshold of this lighthouse or what thoughts crossed your mind on your ascent. When you’re 136 feet up in the air, (you’re) a world away. It’s a panoramic horizon that opens up around you.”
Ted Panayotoff serves as lighthouse director for Friends of Hunting Island, a nonprofit organization formed to support the park with funds and volunteers. “I hope people will come and visit, they’ll understand about the history of the lighthouse, and they’ll understand about the dedication of the keepers,” he said. Panayotoff referenced the lighthouse keepers and their families who previously lived on the remote island and made sure that the lighthouse was functioning properly so that mariners coming along the coast were safe.
Duane Parrish, director of the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism.
The restoration budget was more than $4 million and most of the funds were allocated from the South Carolina state legislature. Additional funds came from grants from Friends of Hunting Island, the Recreation Development Fund, and from state park revenue dollars.
“As the keepers of this nationally registered historic place, it is our duty to ensure the continuity of this invaluable resource that has become an inherent part of our state’s brand identity,” Parrish said. “Like any major undertaking, this project was a result of the efforts and hard work of many.”
A ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring park staff and elected officials was held on May 26.
The state park is also home to a large Fresnel lens, the most powerful and largest lighthouse type of lens. The 12-foot-tall lens originally operated in the Morris Island lighthouse at the entrance to Charleston Harbor and was moved to Hunting Island in 1962. Efforts are underway to construct an ADA accessible ground level building to showcase the Fresnel lens. This project will provide an additional educational opportunity for park visitors.
Hunting Island State Park, located at 2555 Sea Island Parkway, east of Beaufort, is open year-round. Park admission is $8 per adult, $5 seniors, $4 children ages 6-15, and free for children 5 and under.
Park Rangers are all smiles at the ribbon-cutting of the newly renovated Hunting Island Lighthouse.
Tickets to climb the lighthouse are an additional fee and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. The cost is $5 per person and climbers must be at least 44 inches tall and able to climb 167 stairs on their own (carrying or lifting individuals is not permitted, including the use of child carriers). Climbers under 13 years of age must be accompanied by an adult. Only 12 guests can climb at a time and each group is allotted 30 minutes for their climb.
For more information about Hunting Island State Park, visit southcarolinaparks.com/hunting-island.