The summer of 2020 proved to be full of unusual twists and turns due to a pandemic and numerous restrictions across the globe, but my crew was delighted to get out of the house and head to the beach along South Carolina's coast.
Huntington Beach is one of many South Carolina state parks located along the eastern shore. This park caught my eye because it houses the Atalaya Castle, which was the homestead for Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington.
When we visited, the castle tour was self-guided and interesting. My youngest even saw a few bats hanging around. Nearby Brookgreen Gardens features a lot of Anna's sculptures, so people who love art may be particularly drawn to Huntington Beach State Park. South Carolina also has a Hunting Island State Park located farther south - these are two different and amazing parks!
Our family camped at one of their 173 campsites. Our site had a picnic table, water, electricity, shade, and bunnies that visited every day. Only a small wooded area and a nearby boardwalk separated us from the sand and waves.
The sand was plentiful and people enjoyed swimming, walking, flying kites, playing with dogs, and more right along the shore. Several beach entry areas were available that had spigots and showers, which is very helpful if you don't want to carry a lot of sand back to camp or to the car.
We were tent camping and shared the bathhouse with other campers. The facilities were cleaned regularly and air conditioned, which was a step above bathhouse facilities in some of the North Carolina State Parks we have visited. There is a fee to visit the park, but if you have camping reservations, you do not have to pay an extra fee to enter the park. The castle tour is a separate but reasonable charge.
I would suggest booking a campsite well in advance. Campsites often fill up quickly months ahead of time, but sometimes you can book a site for a single night and move to another site if one site is not available for the full time you wish to stay.
I love to see birds, and I was not disappointed at this park. A large variety of birds regularly visit and live in the area. Birds were flying, swimming, walking, and preening as we watched and admired their beauty. Visitors may see bald eagles, spoonbills, swallow-tailed kites, and more of the 300+ bird species in the area.
Many excellent photographers, including Phil Lanoue and Steve Ellwood, have take great shots at this park. When we were near the castle, our crew saw a painted bunting, a bird that I have wanted to see for years. I would have loved to have stayed at this state park for a week if only to see the beach and birds.
When we went to the causeway and onto the boardwalk to the edge of the water, we could see an alligator below. As we were walking back, a water moccasin decided to slither across the boardwalk, so we decided to hang back and keep our distance! For this reason, I recommend that adults always watch children carefully and discuss safety issues before venturing out.
So, you might be wondering if it is safe to visit a state park during a pandemic. Our family stayed for a couple of days and nights fairly early in the pandemic and we never had any problems with health or safety issues. When we visited, households overall were thoughtful in keeping their distance outdoors and when using the facilities. As with any outdoor nature activity, be prepared with sunscreen, athletic shoes, beach shoes, and bug spray as needed. We were grateful to have packed a canopy to go over the picnic table, especially when a storm cropped up.
I give Huntington Beach State Park a definite thumbs up and would like to go to this one again. Visit the Huntington Beach State Park official web site for camping reservations, hours, trails, directions, and more.
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