This is a special blog to write because this is the SC State Park that means the most to my family. Huntington Beach State Park is absolutely breathtaking and, for those who appreciate the sea in its wildest form, a must-visit! We try to camp here at least 2x a year, though residents pay just as much as non-residents, so it can be pricey (though still less than an Airbnb or hotel!). We love the ocean and spend 90% of our day there thanks to the Sun Ninja Beach Tent. Below are a few photos of the beachscape to get an idea of just how flat and empty it can be down where the campers set up. The tidal pools created in the mornings are perfect for our kids to play in together, so yet another reason why this beach is one of my favorite SC beaches. Pure heaven!
This beloved SC State Park is below Myrtle Beach and without the crowds, though we do suggest booking your campsite in advance. Click here to do so. I would suggest booking a site with electricity because it gets HOT in the summer & you’ll want to have those box fans plugged in when you are sleeping! Keeping the air moving inside of a tent makes a huge difference and will help everyone sleep better. My parents have a Black + Decker AC unit in their tent that has made us consider getting one of our own, but we haven’t purchased one yet.
When did we begin camping here?
Kristoff & I discovered Huntington Beach State Park in July 2018 with our family when we tent camped here for the first time. We have never missed a year since. Elias was born in April 2023, so he was around 3mo. old for his first camping experience here. As you can see below, we made sure he got his stamp in his SC State Parks Passport book.
Before 2018, we enjoyed camping at Hunting Island State Park every summer, but due to Hurricanes Matthew, Irma, and Maria, the water table has greatly changed there. We camped there again afterwards and saw that the waterfront sites on the right side were gone. Electrical wires were everywhere. It was SO sad to walk through after the hurricanes. I’m glad they have rebuilt since then, though it will never be quite the same again. When we camped there, it rained a lot, and the water puddled right under our tent and came through the floor! The water table isn’t the same. I was worried that we would never find another place to camp that I loved as much as Hunting Island. I’m so grateful I was wrong and that we found Huntington Beach.
Archer Huntington and his wife, sculptor Anna Huntington, once owned this stretch of coast as their winter estate. Between 1931 and 1933, they built Atalaya, their winter home, right on the property. By 1960, the Huntington family leased their 2,500 acres to the state, and it became the park you can walk through today. So grateful for their generosity!
The photo below of Kristoff & me was taken in July 2018. We were babies and just so grateful to be by the sea together, surrounded by love. Much has changed since then, but also so much hasn’t changed. The good stuff has stuck, thank goodness. We haven’t missed a single year since July 2018, and many years we’ve camped here more than once.
We will be pulling out of the park after a great trip, and one of us will say, “Wanna book a weekend here in the fall?” YES PLEASE! I can’t fathom waiting 12 months to return to this slice of paradise.
Why is this state park your favorite?
Huntington Beach State Park has it all and is one of my favorite places to camp! Discover a beautiful, kid-friendly beach, a causeway with alligators, crabs, and beautiful birds to admire, “Alligator Alley,” Atalaya Castle, a nature center with a touch tank, trails, and more. Below are a few photos from the nature center. Elias loves to check on the stingray every time we visit, and it might just be the friendliest stingray in the state!
In addition to three miles of beach, much of the park is salt marshes, one of the world’s most productive ecosystems. Can you say BEAUTIFUL?! It is hard to describe in words. There are naturalists everywhere on the causeway, taking photographs of birds and gators alike. You won’t go far before you realize it’s a special, sacred place.
My favorite tradition is spending the entire day by the sea and then, after dinner, always going on a family bike ride down the causeway and around to alligator alley. Being outside 24/7 is hands-in-the-air amazing and always a welcome change of pace. Also, seeing our 3yr old master the “drip castle” this summer was such an unexpected treat. Below is a sampling of his drip castle master skills!
Suggestions of what to do while here?
- Swim in the sea with your loved ones & build castles together
- Take a tour of Atalya Castle
- Visit the Nature Center
- Visit the Gift Shop
- Fly a kite, read a good book, or go shell hunting
- Grab ice cream from Spoonbill’s
- Walk or ride your bike down the causeway and around to “Alligator Alley” (photos featured below)
- Let your photography skills rise to the surface
This SC gem is a favorite spot to play, learn, and discover. God is an artist, and there is a lot of his work to see here.
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