Hunting Island State Park Reopens May 26

Hunting Island Fishing Pier from May 16, 2017

The impacts from Hurricane Matthew affected the coastal plain of the Lowcountry in numerous ways, including beach erosion from Tybee Island to Edisto Island. The Memorial Day holiday brings good news for those with longstanding traditions of visiting the pristine beaches at Hunting Island Sate Park, which is set to reopen after seven months of deliberations and repairs. My visit to the Hunting Island State Park nature center and fishing pier on May 16 revealed that the facilities and staff are ready to welcome visitors once again.

            

T-shirt sales benefit hurricane recovery efforts

To reach Hunting Island State Park requires a trek down Highway 21 deep into Beaufort County, passing through Lady’s Island, St. Helena Island, and Harbor Island. The entrances to the campground area and the lighthouse grounds were still blocked by large signs stating that these park areas were still closed. The Nature Center is at the southern tip of the state park, and the fishing pier extends into the Harbor River, and looks out towards Fripp Island.

I was surprised to see that the wooden pier is still in disrepair and is closed to the public about halfway down. The pier may not be fully repaired yet, but it appears that ospreys are building a nest on the end of the pier, so the natural world is adapting to the changes. Hunting Island State Park is a 5,000-acre barrier island and maritime forest, and it saw significant damage from Hurricane Matthew. The state estimates property damages around $5 million and revenue losses from being closed of $2 million.

To view the entire feature article in the newspaper click on Colletonian.

To view past blog entries about S.C. State Parks click Barnwell - Hickory Knob - Huntington Beach - Hampton Plantation - Edisto Beach 

Their nature enter is top notch!!