Hunting Island State Park, State park in Beaufort County, United States.

Hunting Island State Park is a protected area on a barrier island in South Carolina covering around 5,000 acres. Sandy beaches follow the shoreline while inland, dense forest and a branching lagoon system shape the terrain.

The cast iron lighthouse structure was completed in 1859 and rebuilt after war damage in 1875. Coastal erosion forced authorities to relocate the entire structure farther inland in 1889.

The Nature Center brings visitors face-to-face with coastal wildlife and explains the habitats found along this barrier island. Programs change with the seasons and show how plant and animal life shifts throughout the year.

The lighthouse is open year round when maintenance is not being performed; visitors climb to the viewing deck of the 136-foot tower. A 6.1-mile loop trail cuts through the maritime forest and along the lagoon. The southern end of the island is heavily eroded, while ample shore remains in the central section and near the northern campground.

The 2-mile lagoon beside the washed-out cabin road was created by sand dredging in 1968 and has since become naturalized, now holding seahorses and barracuda. Volunteers of the Friends of Hunting Island walk every mile of beach each morning in nesting season to find and protect loggerhead nests, of which 60 to 130 are laid annually.