Becky and Lonnie's Permanent Vacation: Hunting Island, South Carolina

Monday, Nov. 10, 2014

Hunting Island State Park Campground

Hunting Island, South Carolina

It was a 75 mile move from Charleston to Hunting Island State Park on the South Carolina Atlantic coast. After crossing the marshes and bridges to the Island it was surprising to see so many trees on this barrier island.

We headed out to explore the State Park since it is cloudy and too cold to spend time on the beach today.

Fiddler Crabs make these little holes in the mud along the marsh.

This is one of the bridges that connect the islands. This bridge goes to Fripp Island that is all private residences since there is a security gate on the other side of the bridge.

This fishing pier goes out into the river from the Nature Center.

What pier wouldn't be complete without the birds.

The Nature Center had lots of fish, snakes and reptiles on display. These cute baby alligators were 2 months old.

American Alligators

The staff will let you pet and hold them. Most of the kids turned her down on holding the alligator. We also learned that Hunting Island is the nesting grounds for Loggerhead Sea Turtles. No lights are allowed on the beach from May to September as it frightens the mother turtles and disorients the newly hatched babies.

Our next stop was to the 1873 lighthouse.

For $2 you can climb the 167 steps to the top of the lighthouse. At each landing you could see how many more steps you have to the top. Before electricity, the lighthouse keepers would carry a 50 lb. can of oil used for the lamp up these steps everyday.