The time has finally come to explore one of my favorite State Parks, and tell you all about the things to do at Huntington Beach State Park. This is park 3 of 12 on my South Carolina State Parks series. We jumped on the chance to stop by when we were on our way back from Myrtle Beach, and I’m so glad we did. Before we dive in, let’s get into some know before you go’s.

Know before you go

I’m providing as much information as possible here, however, always remember to double check the website for the most up-to-date information.

When is Huntington Beach State Park open?

Park: 6am – 6pm, and closes at 10pm during daylight savings.
Atalaya: 9am – 4 pm, and closes at 5pm during daylight savings.

How much does it cost?

Park: $8 for adults; $5 for SC seniors; $4 for kids 6-15; Free for 5 & under; Free with SC State Park Pass
Atalaya admission: $2 per person 6+ years; Free for 5 & under

Are pets allowed?

Huntington Beach State Park is dog friendly, and allowed on the south side of the beach. Must be on leash under 6 ft long.

History

The park is named after the property owners, Anna Hyatt Huntington and Archer M Huntington, who were artists, or sculptors to be more exact. The Atalaya is a National Historic Landmark, and was the Huntington’s winter home. Now, every September, a very prestigious art show called the Atalaya Arts and Crafts Festival is held at the property.

Things to do at Huntington Beach State Park

There are lots of things to do at Huntington Beach State Park, so we couldn’t get to them all, however, I’ll show you what we did.

Lookout points

On the drive in, there are some kick outs with those big coin binoculars. There’s supposed to be some pretty cool birds in the area, so these are perfect to do your bird watching if that’s your type of thing.

Visit the Gift shop

I avoid gift shops for the life of me when I’m with the Sprouts, but sometimes you just can’t. I did this time though and I had to do it quick! The stamp for the passport book was inside the Gift Shop so I made a mad dash inside, stamped our book, ran back outside, snapped a few pictures, then jumped back in the car. I don’t even think they realized what was going on lol.

Picnic Shelter and Playground

One of the first things you’ll see when you enter the park is the playground. Be prepared to never leave because you know… kids and playgrounds… You might be able to get them to leave to go to the picnic shelter for some shade and a little snackie snack, but good luck.

The Beach

Remember how I said, “good luck?” Well maybe luck comes in the form of the beach, because the walkway from the playground leads to the beach. I’m really becoming a fan of these state park beaches because: a. they’re less crowded, and b. they seem cleaner to me.

Take a tour of Atalaya Castle

We didn’t take the actual tour but I did sneak away to take some snaps of the outside while Tyler watched the kids back at the playground.

The Nature Center at Huntington Beach State Park

Alright. Now that you were able to pull the kids away from the beach and park, it’s time to head over to the Nature Center, which is on the other side of the park. Before you enter the building, there’s a pier you can walk down to check out… well what else, but nature! We saw some fiddler crabs, birds, and more birds.

Now once you make your way inside, make sure you wash your hands and arms, because there’s a petting fish tank. Is that what it’s called? Carter was really trying to pet the puffer fish but they kept swimming away from him. There’s also a reptile room where there’s a baby gator, some snakes, turtles, and books.

Camping

There’s also camping on site. That’s not really my jam and we don’t own a trailer, RV, or even a truck or SUV with a hitch to pull one if we wanted, so there’s that. But if camping is your thing and you don’t have any of those things that we don’t either, then tent camping is your best bet. Here’s the link for more information about the campground, how many sites they have, what type of hook ups, etc.

Trails

I believe there are two trails, and one is an interpretive trail.

Other things to do

If that wasn’t enough, there’s also biking, fishing, and geocaching. You need to bring your own gear, and as always, make sure to check out the website for more and up-to-date information.

Visiting Huntington Beach State Park

And there you have it my friends. This was a fun trip for the family and we’d definitely go back and explore more. If you’re headed to Myrtle Beach and want to venture out a bit, I’d highly recommend visiting Huntington Beach State Park. There’s so much to do, and you can spend as little or as much time as you’d like there.