Gorgeous Hunting Island State Park (SC) [March 8-10, 2016]

 

We had been hearing about Hunting Island State Park (SC) for months before we actually went there.  It is said to be the most visited park in South Carolina, so we just had to visit it as well.  Though we were there almost 2-weeks ago, the park is so lovely, that it deserves a (belated) blog post.

 

Hunting Island is part of the archipelago of islands known as the Sea Islands.  To get to Hunting Island, you pass Parris Island (think Marines), and the turn off to Hilton Head (think big bucks).  Hunting island is a long skinny island with wetlands on one shoreline and the Atlantic Ocean on the other.  It is the home of a lovely lighthouse.

 

The campground is right on the beach.  The dunes that separate the campers from the beach have been entirely eroded in one area, and are small in another.  Some of the campsites on the beach have gotten tiny over the years as the ocean has eroded them away.

Tiki surfing in Tiki-sized waves

The beach is very, very wide at low tide.  The waters off of it are shallow, with tiny wavelets.  The waves break far off shore, interrupting their energy as they continue toward the beach.  At high tide, the waves lap right at the edge of the campsites.  That said, there is something serene about the beach.  Down from the campground are the skeletons of what was once a maritime forest, with some of the dead trees standing in the water.  At low tide you can collect sand dollars at the water’s edge.  Our last morning there, the winds had picked up during the night, churning great gobs of sea foam.

A rare photo of Dana on a bicycle

We rode our bicycles to the lighthouse.  The off-road trail followed along the top of ancient dunes, and was difficult for Dana (who bicycles more easily on paved surfaces without sand traps at the bottom of hills - thank you very much), but the scenery of the forest was quite lovely and worth the adventure.  We climbed to the top of the lighthouse for a spectacular view of the island.

View from the lighthouse

For eats, we would recommend the Shrimp Shack which is just that, serving a menu that revolves around fried shrimp and the shrimp burger.  Suspend the warnings against fried food and you will truly enjoy these yummy eats.  We also got fresh fish and oysters from the Mainline Market, an open air market near the entrance to the park.  Our experience with the Johnson Creek Tavern was mixed – Russ’ broiled seafood was delicious and Dana’s shrimp and grits was inedible.

Shrimp Shack

Shore birds and gulls at low tide

Pretty thistle from our bike ride

The lighthouse

The lighthouse stairs

Sunrise and sea foam

More sea foam

 

Beach Combing and Kayaking at Edisto Beach State Park, SC [March 5-8, 2016]

Edisto Beach State Park has two parks.  The main park and campground are nestled in a maritime forest of live oaks, spanish moss and pine trees.  This is where the hiking trails, boat launch and environmental learning center are located.  The second park is about a ½ mile away.  It has a beautiful beach, dunes and a narrow strip of land between the dunes and the tidal Scott Creek, with only 70 campsites and a few bath houses.  That is where we camped. 

Our tiny campsite is on Scott Creek, and we have a beautiful view of the tidal marsh.  When we arrived, we saw mud flats and marsh grass.  As the afternoon progressed, the tide came in, and the water came up near to our picnic table and fire ring.  We have enjoyed watching the ebb and flow of the waters.  We have seen a few wading birds, and had a neighborly anhinga for a few days.  There is an elusive raccoon who leaves footprints on the table cloth on our picnic table– guess we don’t keep the same hours as he does. 

The ocean is so close that you can hear the rumble of the ocean waves in our motor home.  The beach is gorgeous.  It has bands thick with shells left by the waves.  Every high tide we see shell collectors walking along bent over, with their plastic bags to hold the shells.   A short walk north on the beach, where Scott Creek connects with the ocean, there are even more shells piled up.  It is a haven for shell collectors.   

Shells

We’ve taken several long walks on the beach, enjoying the fresh, salt air and the bright sun.  Highs have been in the 60’s, so with the sea breeze we’ve worn light jackets.  Tiki, meanwhile, has been in her element retrieving her ball, dodging the bigger waves going out, and surfing back on the smaller ones coming in.

Where Scott Creek meets the sea

Not far up the road is the Botany Bay Plantation Wildlife Management Area.  It is actually the remains of two old cotton plantations that were given to the state.  Very few buildings remain.  They plant some of the fields with crops that the animals that live there would eat.  Ocella Creek runs through the plantation, and they have a nice launch spot for kayaks and canoes.  We had a nice paddle down the creek, first heading into the rising tide, and then turning around and letting the tide carry us back.  We barely paddled for the trip back and returned in ½ the time it took for the first leg against the tide.  The paddle was through a “winter” marsh of brown grass stems.  We saw a few green leaves coming up.  We had thought to see more birds, but only saw a few egrets from a distance and a little blue heron.

We have enjoyed our time here, and certainly plan to return.

Low tide

Mid-tide

High tide

 

Higher tide

Pretty reflection

Ocella Creek