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 Huntington
Beach offers its visitors the best preserved beach on the Grand Strand.
The park’s freshwater lagoon, saltmarsh, maritime forest and beach are
outstanding examples of the state’s natural coastal environment. These also
provide such prime habitat for birds that the park is widely recognized as one
of the best birding sites along the East Coast.
Huntington Beach is also the site of the historic “Atalaya” castle. The former
winter home and studio of noted American sculptor, Anna Hyatt Huntington, and
her husband, Archer Milton Huntington, Atalaya is also listed as a National
Historic Landmark.
The prestigious juried "Atalaya Arts and Crafts festival" is held at the castle
and attracts thousands of visitors to the park each September.
GENERAL
- Counties: Georgetown
- Acreage: 2500
- When & How PRT Acquired: Leased in 1960
from Brookgreen Trustees
- Pets: Pets are allowed in most outdoor
areas provided they are kept under physical restraint or on a leash not
longer than six feet.
- Tour and Programs Information: The park
also features its Coastal Exploration program. From March to November,
"field trips" allow visitors to join staff educators for alligator
viewing, marsh and nature trail exploration and more, including a
close-up look at the history and mystery of Atalaya.
- Significant Natural Features: Perhaps the
best known "studiers" of wildlife at Huntington Beach State Park are the
birders who for years have been coming to see some of the more than 300
species that have been recorded here, giving the park a reputation as a
top spot on the East Coast. A
birding checklist is available for enthusiasts to print.
In addition to three miles of beach, much of the park is salt marshes,
one of the world’s most productive eco-systems.
Much of Huntington Beach’s marsh is now registered under the South
Carolina Heritage Trust Program to help preserve its unusually pristine
nature.
- Historical Significance: Atalaya, a
National Historic Landmark, stands as monument to the creativity and
generosity of Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington.
A noted scholar of Spanish culture and art, Archer Huntington modeled
the couple’s winter home in the style of the Moorish architecture of the
Spanish Mediterranean coast.
HOURS
- Admissions: $5/adult; $3.25/ S.C. Senior;
$3/youth age 6-15; Free for children 5 and younger.
- Office Hours: 9am-4:30pm
- Days and Hours of Operation: Sat-Th
6am-6pm; Fri 6am-8pm (hours are extended to 10pm daily during Daylight
Savings Time)
LOCATION
- Driving Directions:
From Murrells Inlet: Drive 3 mi. S. on Hwy 17. Park entrance is
on the left.
From Georgetown: Drive 20 mi N on Hwy 17. park entrance is on the
right.
- Miles to Nearest Hospital: 20
- Miles to Nearest Town: 3
- Miles to Nearest Grocery Store: 2
- Pay Phone on Site: Yes
MILES TO:
- Charleston, SC: 80
- Columbia, SC: 150
- Florence, SC: 75
- Greenville, SC: 250
- Charlotte, NC: 191
- Raleigh, NC: 186
- Atlanta, GA: 342
- Augusta, GA: 195
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