Huntington Beach State Park Reviews

Beautiful park. We were in the South Campground. The sites are really close together. Short walk to the beach. Beautiful beach.Restrooms were cleaned daily. Nice laundry. The hookups are easy to get to. People were good about keeping their dogs on a leash. The sites are a little pricey $75.00 a night. Great place to hike and bicycle. If you need internet it is hit or miss. Mostly miss. You have to be near the bath house to get it and even then it doesn't work half the time. ATT cell service 2 bars.Will return.

This was a treat for us to explore. We started with the castle and wandered down to the beach to enjoy clean sands, water, and hardly any crowd or noise to distract from the waves and wind. The area had a few ponds and trails to explore. I recommend this for couples and families to check out.

I really enjoyed Huntington Beach State Park. There was so much to see and do. the beach was nice, historical building was great, walk along the paths and see wildlife!

Stayed in the area for four days and spent three mornings walking this beach and watching the sunrise. Early in the morning the beach is pretty empty and quiet except for the waves and gulls. Very relaxing and enjoyable.

My wife and I visited this park several times during our week’s visit to the area and I must say, the park was a great alternative to the standard touristy visits to the Myrtle Beach area. The beach area within the park was very clean with close, clean rest rooms. The various trails were clearly marked. The picnic area was extremely clean and well organized. Highly recommend.

Husband and I went to the state park in morning. Saw variety of birds and few alligators on overlook at marsh. Walked a trail. Bought a shirt at gift shop. Walked the beach. Drove to the end of jetty drive. Collected shells. Upkeep of park is exceptional. Bathrooms were very nice. Noted maintenance crew out early freshening up common areas. Beach is marked clearly for easy access. Large pathways to beach. Playground for children. Picnic areas and large trees for shade. Will return on next beach vacation. Advise to come early as parking is limited and park closes once lots are filled.

My friends and I enjoyed walking the nature trails. We didn’t see as much wildlife as I thought we would, but it was a nice way to spend the morning.

Clean!!!! Loved the Marsh walk. Nice gift shop. Beach is not crowded and there were other trails we didn’t get to. Did do the tour of the Atalaya Castle. That was definitely interesting and something to do. Great location!

Great location to see nature at its finest. Lots of walking trails,beach access, and Atalaya house of the Huntington’s.

Great place to see a lot of birds.....they have camp grounds and activities.

My kids and I loved this beach. It was a short walk from the parking lot to the beach. The water was perfect and we swam for hours. The beach was not crowded when we went.

Beautiful long beach. One end allows dogs year round, the other is dog free. Plenty of parking. Public restrooms open. Picnic shelters available.

Well worth a visit just for a place to go to the beach. No lifeguards, and no vendors, so bring everything for yourself.

Over the years I had heard that this was a great campground. Last weekend we took a couple of extra days off and camped in our RV. This is a very good campground. It's well laid out, the bathhouse is good, beautiful beach and quiet at night. We will totally go back.

Great beach, make to get a map an explore all of it and the fort.
Drive slow along Mullet Pond, there may be an alligator or more sunning themselves.

Love watching the gators! Live oak trees are beautiful. My brother was married at Atalaya in the 90s. Still looks amazing for such an old structure

Spent 4 hours on a recent morning on the beach then exploring the marsh. Got to the beach about 715am and enjoyed walking along the surf looking for shells, sharks teeth, crabs, etc. It was a nice cool morning and the ocean water was warm as it washed over our feet. Beach wasn't very crowded, maybe three surfers, 3 or 4 fishermen, and about 20 other people--I'm sure it gets more crowded later in the day.

After awhile, we went to two of the marsh boardwalks and really enjoyed watching all the wildlife--birds, minnows, crabs, oyster beds etc. Didn't see any alligators, but thought we saw a few signs of them. As we were leaving the north boardwalk, we observed several Painted Buntings that were attracted by a couple bird feeders. What an unexpected treat, these birds have unbelievable colors. (We went back later that evening and spotted them again near the same bird feeders.)

The park facilities are excellent: clean restrooms, outdoor showers to get the sand off, nice walkways, boardwalks. If you are a nature lover, this is the place!

We visited Huntington Beach State Park with our dog and toddler during the kite festival and had a really nice day. Seeing all the kites on the beach was really cool and there was a lot of stuff for little ones. The nature trails are really nice and great for seeing wildlife. We saw a couple gators and a lot of birds - herons, osprey, anhingas, pelicans and lots of others. Atalaya Castle was worth a visit too. We had take turns as dogs aren't allowed, but it was really cool to walk through. Overall, a really great park with beach access and great wildlife.

Best place to camp along the SC coast! Most campsites are shaded, two beach access points, and wonderful opportunities to observe natural wildlife. Bring your bike, since there are many opportunities to ride, including the Waccamaw Bike Path that goes all the way into Murrell’s Inlet or south into Pawley’s Island. Great place for families!

Wonderful state park with a beautiful, uncrowded, and clean beach. We also appreciated being able to reserve parking. We would highly recommend! I would also note that the Atalaya Castle self-guided tour was okay. It’s a series of empty stone rooms laid out in a rectangle so honestly, once you’ve seen one stone room, you’ve seen the whole thing. We walked the whole thing, reading about each room’s significance in about 15 minutes.

My husband and I wanted to tour Atalaya Castle at Huntington Beach State Park with our dog. As we entered the park, I paid the admittance fee and showed the employee my dog’s vaccination records. She gave me treats for my dog. We walked over to the “castle,” and heard someone shouting at us that pets were not welcome. He was VERY rude about it. I said I had no idea that they weren’t welcome. He said it says that on the sign. I went back to the sign to see in little lettering that no pets allowed. I went back in to look around a bit. My dog was with my husband who was just standing there many feet away from the entrance. This RUDE employee looked at me and shouted that he had already told me that pets aren’t allowed. By this time I’m getting angry, because I didn’t even have the dog. I called him a b$&@ar$, as he was embarrassing me in front of other patrons. I think there should be big signs letting patrons know that pets aren’t welcome, AND you need employees who know how to give good customer service.

This is a great uncrowded beach! They have installed a new playground for the kids. You can walk for a long time and enjoy the breezes and find shells. There are times you will see starfish. You can take pictures of egrets and pelicans! They also have nice walking trails.

Since we aren't from the coast we didn't realize that it was too cold. Instead we saw a lot of other things. Waterfowl, moss covered trees, swamp, the boardwalk, and Atalaya Castle! It really is a great combination of nature, beach, and history! There's a little bit of something for everyone! I didn't love that Atalaya was a paid entry since we all ready paid for the park but...I guess that targets the people who are interested in the history and upkeep of the building? Either way, it's beautiful! And the beach was beautiful too! I can only imagine what it looks like when things are fully green! I recommend a stop here!

We’ve been coming to Hunting Beach/State Park/Atalaya Castle for several years. It started out as a family thing with the kids when they were small. We all loved the story of Archer and Anna Huntington and how they brought jobs to the area during the depression. The castle, the beach and the park is just gorgeous! We were walking the water front and slipped up on a baby alligator! On the other side was a giant one basking in the sun. I was a little on edge but we always see alligators when we go. An awesome experience.

Marsh walks are very good and have several informative displays as you go along. The nature center is also very informative. Park is very clean despite being very busy.

If it were not for the $8.00 per person entry fee for those from out of state, I would have given the park top marks. We have visited many state parks nationwide that were as good or even better than this at a lower price or, at least, the ticket was good for several days. This ticket did not even allow one to leave and return on the same day, say to go for lunch.

Okay, enough complaining. We were there for the hikes and the birds. It was our second visit, the last being in November 2019. There are three main trails if one includes the boardwalk at the education center as a trail. One should, because the widest variety of birds was along this "trail." There is a type of fly in some areas of the park, however, that leaves a big, stinging welt that lasts for a few days if it bites, so visitors should take insect repellant. The trails were great, though the Sandpiper Pond Nature Trail is suitable for walking only, no strollers.

We did walk to the beaches to look around. They were clean and popular, even in early May.

We also visited Atalaya, which I address in another review.

My wife and I visited here on our 20th anniversary. It was different than what I had expected but we enjoyed it.

Arrived at our resort early and part of our stay included a week pass to Huntington Beach State Park! I had no idea what Marsh walks or Inlets where.

Going to Huntington Beach State Park was a regular stop for us. The beach is beautiful. The drive through the park took you to more destinations that got you out of your car and exploring. The birds were so plentiful. This eco-system is marvelous.

We love Huntington Beach State Park. We visited twice. The beach is clean, quiet, and free from all the hotel hustle and bustle. Enjoyed walking the beach looking for shells, watching dolphins, and visiting Atalaya. The wildlife was beautiful to see.

Traveling north on Hwy 17 from Charleston to Wilmington. Decided to stop at Huntington Beach SP. Paid $5/pp to get in the park. Enjoyed a nice ride through the park and camping areas. Had a little picnic, walked the beach, visited Atalaya Castle (additional fee $2/pp) & picked up souvenirs at the gift shop. Was worth the stop. Beautiful scenery and grounds were well maintained & clean.

Amazing State Park with wonderful campground in which there are two South and North. The North campground is where we enjoyed our stay with close beach access and modern clean restrooms with showers. Beautiful beach! A tour of Atalaya is a must. Bring your bikes. Exploring the trails, marsh walk and the causeway for the wildlife is amazing. The Nature Center had just reopened and is full of exhibits and details the area and wildlife. The staff is wonderful and a visit to the Gift Shop for that special something should also be on your list.

I like the fact that this park is only for those who pay an admission to visit. It makes me feel safer and more relaxed. I enjoyed the alligator tour we took and seeing all the alligators here. There are so many species of birds here hanging out in the marshes and in the trees along the trails. I could've spent all day here! Of course, there is also a beach, but we didn't make it there. We are nature lovers and photographers, so we enjoyed exploring the park area looking at all the wildlife. If you get a chance to visit if you are a nature lover, then you should definitely come here! You won't regret it!

Had a wonderful time even with the cold weather. The Park Rangers were great. The campsites were large compared to Myrtle Beach State Park. It is a good walk to the beach from the campground, with lots of wildlife. Super clean bathhouse. We are trying to camp at all of the SC State Parks, but we will have to go back to this one before we complete the rounds. Wonderful Stay!

We visit this state park often when we are staying in the area. It’s a great place to walk around and enjoy some family time. It doesn’t seem to be very crowded and we’ve visited at different times throughout the year.

We stayed at one of the camping slots for a night in a tent. If you do this make sure to bring bug repellent. A lot of bug repellent. They were crazy at night!

Huntington beach is a ver nice breach. There is a cost unless you have a South Carolina state park pass. On these grounds you will find Atalaya, the summer house built by the Huntingtons, a wealthy family from the New England. The house was damaged by hurricanes but there is still enough to tour.

Beautiful park. Clean bathrooms and beaches not crowded! The park map is a little confusing and I couldn’t find the beach with lifeguards. Nevertheless, the beach we found just before the RV campgrounds had ample parking on a Saturday at 11:00, outdoor showers, and bathrooms! It was a short walk to this beach past playground on a paved path with the beach tarp for easier entry/exit.

Interesting "castle" with a fascinating history, great bird and alligator watching (with more than 100 wood storks and spoonbills nesting in a tree near to the road), nice playground, and good beach access.

A gem of a state park! Birdwatching, beach combing, photography, camping, history, this place has it all!

Beautiful place. So much nature. We saw alligators, different birds, huge orb weavers, and some cicada killers. Additionally, we went to a talk on sea turtles that was very informative.

A wonderful place with so much natural beauty.

Huntington Beach State Park is the best beach anywhere along the Grand strand. You can either pay $5 a person to enter, you can buy the annual pass for $75 or if you're a senior citizen the annual pass is half price and it's worth every penny. The beach is all natural, it has no homes, motels, hotels, businesses, etc. There's a huge parking lot, clean well-managed bathrooms, a beautiful brand new playground for children, picnic tables and benches, lifeguard... what more can I say? The park also boasts several nature trails, a bike trail, and camping. There's always something to see year round at Huntington Beach State Park. it's directly across the street from brookgreen garden which is also a must-see when you're in the area.

Beautiful state park to visit for the day or an overnight. We didn't make it to the castle, but our kids enjoyed the playground and the beach had nice soft, white sand. It was a bit windy in March to be hanging out in the beach. Restrooms were accessible for those with strollers or wheelchairs close to the playground and beach area. I don't recall seeing a baby changing station, but there may have been one since the bathroom was large. Lots of parking, a gift shop, and friendly staff. The marsh was absolutely beautiful- worth going for a drive or stroll.

We spent a day at Huntington Beach State Park hiking the marsh lands (saw SO many birds in natural habitat) and also on the beach. White sand, secluded NONE of the craziness of Myrtle Beach! We nearly had the beach to ourselves. I'd recommend packing a picnic lunch, a big blanket, hat and sunscreen and just enjoy the solitude and beauty. WE also went to the castle, although it feels more like a fort.

Lets start off with the beauty of nature. No telling what you might see, including a gator or two ! Take the paths a little farther and discover an absolute beautiful beach. Stop, then stroll through the haunting ruins of the amazing castle where you can sense the feeling of spirits from the past as the sound of the surf and the salty breeze adds to the mystery of your experience. A venture worth taking over & over again !

This is the best beach in Myrtle Beach area. Clean with many facilities including nature center and ranger programs. So scenic.

We love history so this place was very interesting to see. The place looks amazing, well kept and it’s walk at your leisure. So your not rushed with a tour guide.

While on our trip south we visited the Huntington Beach State Park several days. It is a great place to visit and hike! We saw numerous birds and alligators on our walks.
The staff is very friendly, polite and helpful!!
I highly recommend you give them a visit when in the area!!

Went to the park with a professional photographer. Have been vacationing to Garden City for 30 years and this was the first time there. Everyone should go at least once. Saw an alligator and turtle nests and the pictures turned out spectacular!

We had a few hours to spare and went to Huntington Island State Park. It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed our short time there. The nature center was very informative and the highlight of our time was spent at Atalaya Castle. We weren't able to take the tour, but totally enjoyed the areas that were open. There was so much information & pictures about Anne & Archer Huntington. Amazing that one couple owned all the land that is now the state park. Although their home doesn't look like a traditional castle, it was a beautiful & unique home. We'd love to go back and take a tour. We had planned on walking a couple of the trails at the park, but they were closed due to damage from Hurricane Ian. One day we'll return!

Huntington Beach State Park South Carolina. Stayed a week. Great campground. Trails, easy access to the most amazing beach. The nicest washroom facilities and laundry. January was a little early for us, temperature wise. We would probably return in Feb or March but maybe it is too busy then?

We visited the park, walked the paths and the beach. Very cold and windy that day but fun. The we toured the castle.

Visited the park and saw many birds! We walked the trails and toured the mansion.
Beautiful park.
The entry fee is per person. The mansion tour is an additional fee. Well worth the cost, we visited the park twice.

I purchase the yearly pass, well worth the value! Great Beaches, campgrounds, bike trails and natures sight seeing!!! Clean facilities and ample parking. Its fun to sit and have your picture taken in the over-sized Beach Chairs, LOL!!!!

We were looking for a good place for spotting and photographing birds and other wildlife; we were pleasantly surprised as we found a 'target rich' environment.

There is a charge for the park, separate charges for campers and hookups. Best to check online. Plenty of parking, clean beach, but no life guards. Great for whole family.

We were here off season so there was heavy moving machinery doing some work on the campground facilities and paths and trails but the beach is beautiful despite the rainy and windy day. Other wonderful habitat locations allowed for some nice diversity in the plants and animals seen.

Lovely State Park. Beautiful beach, many parking opportunities, wildlife visitor centre, walk and wildlife.
You will see many alligators, big and small here.
Great for bird lovers too.

The sky is deep sapphire blue, fading to a lighter shade close to the horizon, with just a hint of high wispy cirrus clouds without shapes, scattered in abstract horizontal poses. After lunch, it is high tide. The rough surf of gray-green waves crashes noisily onto the sand, which appears whiter than usual in the incessant brightness of a mid-autumn sun. The brisk breeze never lets up.
Here at Huntington Beach State Park in South Carolina, a tiny handful of people
have ventured onto the sand, most of them couples walking dogs at the water’s edge.
Unlike Myrtle Beach, there are no buildings to spoil the pristine effect of the trees and scrub growing along the dunes, which stretch little higher than the beach and hide the view off of the beach; leaves turn yellow and brown except on the trees. With the noise of the surf and wind, my wife Lynn and I must raise our voices to talk even though we are sitting close together in our beach chairs.
We scan the horizon for boats but none appear. Sunset is at quarter after five, and the angle of the sun at three is already low enough to cast long shadows.
No seagulls here; just a frantic flock of tiny birds running together along the water’s edge, dodging the sea foam as it rises at the end of each wave flowing toward us. The solitude is a rare treat, one that is not seen during the warm seasons when this popular area is saturated with visitors. To walk back to the RV camping area takes less than ten minutes, and the walkways recently have been paved with broad cement sidewalks, replacing the gravel path that could get muddy in wet weather.
It is likely that if a vote were taken in the campground, everybody would unanimously agree that we all wish summer here would be year-round. Here in mid-November, it is bitter sweet; we enjoy being here but know that it will be a long wait until “beach season” returns.
Even so, the campground is over half full, with all sizes of RV’s. There is no litter on the ground and the bathhouses are clean as well. Some sites are shaded by trees but some are out in the open; with two separate camping areas, the north area is more suitable for bus-sized RV’s with larger side by side spaces. Two large shops for souvenirs and clothing also offer corn-hole games and picnic tables on their lawns, and the mysterious Atalaya Castle is situated near the beach, a relic from the 1920’s and the original beach home of Archer & Anne Huntington. Anne’s world famous statues are featured across Highway 17 from the park in Brookgreen Gardens, a popular tourist destination in its own right.
The long entrance driveway from Highway 17 includes a causeway with several viewing areas to use to see the water and marsh areas, with egrets, herons, and even alligators visible especially during the warm seasons, but no gators are seen in November. A small nature museum is hidden on the interior road to another beach area and admission is generally free.
We highly recommend Huntington Beach State Park; after multiple visits, it still retains a highly satisfying variety of attractions and peace and quiet.
- John S. Sharp, Indian Trail, NC

Very nice park. Beach was clean, and not real crowded....the walk to the beach was a little far, would be nice to have parking a little closer, but not a big deal. Plenty of nature to see in the park. We saw an alligator, birds, crabs, and lizards. Wish there was more boardwalk out into the marsh to explore a little more. I would certainly come back again.

Beautiful, clean, beach experience! Well worth the $8/person that it costs to get into the state park. Also has a gift shop/snack bar a short walk from the beach.

Lovely state park! The beach was uncrowded and there is a playground area beside the beach parking lot. Hope to return one day so that we can tour Atalaya Castle. The nature trails were nice and we saw several alligators on the overlook. Camping area looked nice as well.

They could have a little better signage along the road but that's OK. It's well kept and a beautiful place. The beach is wonderful but a bit of a walk from the parking lot. Parking can be tight, especially on weekends unless you get there early. The beach area isn't patrolled that we have seen but the restrooms and grassy play areas have employees present on occasion. Restrooms are clean but like most ocean front - on a raise level so the stairs or ramps can be a chore.

This is a really cool place to visit, although I think $8 per adult in the car is a bit pricey. There are beautiful little walk ways out into rhe water to get a good look at the area..but the high light is the alligators..the water is loaded with them and one came crawling across the road when we were there...beautiful beach also

This is our favorite park in the area. The North Beach is great if you want to get away from the bigger crowds. The main beach is great too but just a bit more crowded. Bring your bicycles and ride the park. Great exercise and scenery.

Huntington Beach State Park was a highlight so far, especially if you like birds! We saw lots of Woodstorks, tricolor heron. Great egrets, white ibis,roseate spoonbill, green heron, little blue and great blue heron. Pretty causeway walk for observing. Mosquitoes bad on the path so we didn’t do that!

This is one of my all time favorite places to visit. Early in the AM is best when no one else is up yet except a few dog walkers. Awesome beach with tons of shells and wildlife viewing at its best.

Our 2025 Huntington Beach State Park Summary

The Carolinas experienced weather patterns in 2025 that made it difficult to find good opportunities for outdoor leisure, specifically RV camping, because campground reservations must usually be made too far in advance to predict what kind of weather to expect. Some areas in the middle of North Carolina saw between 9 inches and a foot of rainfall as summer began, which is considered about double the normal amount, according to a Raleigh news station.

With a number of 100-degree days, the daily July average for mid-Carolina was a hair less than 94 degrees. For the typical senior citizen, afternoon outdoor physical activity at the hundred-degree level is not recommended, and with high humidity factored in, makes it borderline foolish to spend much time outside with dehydration being the expected result. Hence, RV camping was postponed.

Therefore we waited until after Labor Day to return to one of our favorite state parks in South Carolina; just below South Myrtle Beach lies Huntington Beach State Park, off Highway 17. Camping is so popular here that we have to wait for months just to reserve a site. As with our previous stays, the park was delightful, and having decent weather was a big plus.

This park offers attractions that put it head and shoulders above the typical camping experience, and actually contains separate north and south campgrounds, including some tent camping in the north part. Enormous bus-sized vehicles are usually seen at the south campground in parallel spaces, and for more elbow room, the north area has loops with about 130 sites with varying degrees of shade trees. The RV sites have a generous amount of room, with ample parking space.

Overall, the heavy vegetation is not only lovely, but it reduces traffic noise and provides a superb environment for all of the rare wildlife; this area is also a bird sanctuary. And numerous warning signs are posted about the alligators, which normally stay out of sight in the marsh by the entrance causeway.
There are paths through the forest to walk from campgrounds to the beach which only take a few minutes from either camping area. More hiking paths are found as well as a well-equipped nature museum, where wooden boardwalks wind into the marshes, allowing spectacular views of feeding birds. And there are two camp stores offering much more than simply souvenirs, along with playground areas for kids. You can purchase shirts, coffee mugs, decorations, or an ice cream treat.

Most popular here are people and kids on bikes and electric scooters, a parade that goes on non-stop until nighttime. Dogs are to remain on leashes. What makes the beaches most desirable is an absence of any visible buildings along the entire length of Huntington Beach, but there is a surprise at the south end of the park, a structure designed after a Spanish castle, dating from the 1930’s. This was the residence of the original residents, Atalaya Castle, where sculptress Anne Huntington and her author husband Archer lived and worked before this became a public park. (This property is recognized on the National Historical Register.) Admission to tour inside the castle is very affordable.

Many park visitors are not campers, but simply want to photograph the various types of birds and alligators. These emerge from their hiding places at dusk, sometimes even climbing from the marsh onto the sidewalks along the entrance causeway! When the alligators’ eyes catch reflected light, they glow an ominous orange.
The park is well-cared for and offers several shower houses that are always clean and inviting. Possibly the reason the camping fees are high is because the park is so well taken care of, with no litter visible. Unlike Myrtle Beach State Park, just up the highway, this park is free of a constant stream of noisy, low-flying air traffic and as a result is much more quiet and peaceful. Each site has a large picnic table and fire-ring, and many sites offer easy electric, water and sewer hook-up.

All of these features make this park a real treat and it is visited year-round, and if that were not enough, across the main entrance on Highway 17 is the world-famous Brookgreen Gardens, which feature many statues, exotic plants and art work, including many by Anne Huntington. This is especially popular at Christmas time with its exceptional holiday lighting viewed by thousands every year.
We highly recommend Huntington Beach State Park and hope you enjoy having a visit yourself!

John Sharp
(Grammy-nominated recording artist)
Indian Trail, NC
sharp5music@protonmail.com

This was our fourth stay at Huntington Beach State Park in three years. It should be rated 10 stars instead of five; this is the highest quality RV experience that we have had in our three years of being RV owners.

HBSP offers more than a typical state park. The beach itself is long, wide, and clean, free of litter and without the sight obstruction of buildings close by, such as Myrtle Beach, a few miles north. We have never felt crowded using this beach. The park is a large one with nearly 200 RV sites set on two loops.

Many sites have full service and some people enjoy tent camping as well. Walking from the sites to the beach is easy, using walkways through heavy foliage and over swampy streams, where warning signs are posted about alligators. Campers who stay where they belong are not in danger by the alligators, which are also visible in the large ponds between the entrance from highway 17 and the main park area.

The park has beautiful trees and plants, and some sites have a lot of shade, but not all. Nature lovers will enjoy seeing exotic water birds, cranes, egrets, ducks and red spoonbills. Be sure not to leave any food outside your RV overnight, as the raccoons with certainly help themselves!

Along with a large gift shop (where you can purchase an eight dollar refrigerator magnet) there is a day-use beach parking lot just up the road, and a world class nature museum with free access. On a rainy day, this museum is a treat for campers with small children who don’t want to sit quietly in the RV.

The level of care is top-notch, with the park cleaned up constantly for the next visitors. And there is a mysterious feature of national historical significance, the Atalaya Castle, which dates from nearly 100 years ago. This offers tours which are affordable even on a tight budget.The one-story structure is now empty, but was the summer home of Archer Huntington and his wife, Anne, who was a world famous artist in the 1930’s; she created statues and sculptures which still are displayed around the world. (Her sculpture of President Andrew Jackson on a horse stands prominently at Andrew Jackson State Park near Lancaster, SC.)

All in all, this park is one of the most enjoyable destinations we have ever visited! It is so popular, you will probably wait a year just for an RV reservation. Have fun! -

John and Lynn Sharp, Union County, NC. 50 rocket 88 @ gmx.com

Spent most of the day here with a few small children and had a good time. We toured the history house/“castle” and grilled lunch at one of the pavilions. Be advised, you have to bring your own grill…there are no public grilling available. They sell small charcoal grills at the gift shop that are big enough cook about 4 burgers or a pack of hotdogs. The beach area is nice with plenty of room. Facilitate nice. We went on a Tuesday and the parking was not an issue. I can see it being a different story on a weekend.

We stopped in not quite sure what we'd find and were pleasantly surprised with the abundance of wildlife! We visited many different beaches in the area and this beach was my favorite because it was clean and not many people. We will have to make it a point to stop in again the next time we're in the area. A suggestion would be to provide maps at the front gate so people don't miss any of the areas to see.

The audio tour of Atalaya Castle was worth the $5 fee for the headset and recordings. The Castle was built in 1931-1934 for Arthur Huntingon who was the heir of the transcontinental railroad Huntington. Nice job in inheriting a fortune Arthur! Arthur bought three plantations in South Carolina and he built the Atalaya Castle where he and his wife Anna (who had TB and the doctor recommended warmer climes in the winter months) She must have beaten TB because she lived until 1973. The Huntingtons came here until 1955 when Arthur died. Arthur built the Brookgreen gardens. Anna was a world class sculpturer and the sculpture at the entrance to Brookgreen is hers. The beach was great as long as we were in the water. At the waterline back to the dunes, there are a tremendous number of biting horse flies. You will need a combination spray with insect repellent and suntan lotion. When you are in the water, the flies don't bother you. There are a lot of RV slots with full hookups. We stayed at Rustic camping spot T-3 for two nights. The camping spots have a slab of coarse sandy material that you can drive stakes into to set up your tent. We had a thunderstorm the first night and this foot high slab of sand drained immediately so our tent did not flood so much. The wonderful thing about the rustic camping spots is they have community bathrooms with showers with hot and cold water and these bathrooms are air conditioned!! How awesome! Print out the detailed birding checklist of over 300 birds seen within the park and then get an annual pass to come back time and again to see them all. The nature center had a presentation on sea turtles and some hands on to see the differences in turtle skeletons. check out the nature center programs so you don't miss something you might want to see or to take your kids to. The nature center also had the longest pier over the salt marsh I have ever seen! all to see nature up close. You can get some great pictures of the bird life off of this pier! There are several trails - I hiked on one for about 30 minutes and really enjoyed it - it went parallel with the sandpiper pond and is actually a bikeway. Waccamaw Neck bikeway. I think the best beach to use was at the north beach access but in the morning there was no parking. Parking opened up around noon on the Sunday we were there. The Atalaya Castle gift shop had some beautiful coffee mugs in various colors. I bought a pink one and my wife thinks it is awesome everytime she uses it. It is a beautiful mug I have to admit.

My daughters loved seeing the Alligators so close as we took a walk through this beautiful park. A couple we very close to the bank for really cool pictures.

A state park that has a variety of wonderful things to do. After you enter you come across a causeway type road that goes through a water way known for the presence of alligators and many gorgeous birds. Right before sunset is the best time for birding. Later in the park is a wooden walkway that goes far out into the water and provides excellent bird watching and their is an eagle and nest in the area. Beautiful clean beaches that usually aren’t crowded. Don’t forget to stop at the gift shop which has exceptionally nice merchandise. Snacks and drinks are also available. If camping is your thing there is also a campground.

We are always looking for nice places to camp and this place fits the bill.

173 campsites in two loops. The North loop is the original loop. This loop has gravel RV pads and plenty of room to set up tents. Depending on the site they have water & electric (30amp) or water electric sewer. A walkway leads from the loop out on to a wide beautiful section of SC beach.

The South loop is newer and all sites have water/electric (50amp) & sewer. This loop caters to larger towable RV's and coaches. The sites are much closer together with little room for tents.

The bath houses are clean and well maintained.

This is a perfect location as a base to spend time on the beach or explore Murrells Inlet or Myrtle Beach.

Note, they lock the gates at 6PM, so if you are arriving late call and get the gate code.

Huntington Beach State Park was amazing, we stayed with our travel trailer and we were about 250 yards walk from the ocean front. This park was so clean and sooo peaceful. We were there the first week of November and cant wait to get back.
The park is close to the Marsh Walk with plenty of restaurants and things to do. The park staff was very nice and helpful.

Staff is very courteous and wildlife if varied and beautiful. A great place for relaxation and reflection.

What a great place to spend a day absorbed in nature. The highlights were the waterside walk with lots of birds and alligators near the shore, Atalaya Castle (could spend 2 hours there), the beach, and the Nature Center. It's a large area so take your bikes along. The history of this park is very interesting but I'll let you find that out for yourself at the castle

We stopped on a breezy February day, we saw the Castle, Visitor Center and RV/Camping grounds. I recommend a stop, there is an entry/parking fee but they seemed to have some kind of deal if you were going to come for a couple days. The park was clean and tidy, some damage was present from what I can assume was Hurrican Ian in the fall of 2022. The staff at the visitor center weren't overly friendly but they had a few interactive things to read and do in the building. I would have loved to walk more of the trails but we ran out of time so be sure to plan accordingly!

Beware, they charge $8.per person to enter. I don’t remember reading this.
It’s a well maintained park. There’s the beach, lookout towers, kids playground, interesting marsh walkway bridge, 2 lg ponds, ice cream shop(closed 10/16). Camping and an historic building/castle.

The beach is very neat and plenty of sand to spend full day. Restroom facilities look very new. Atalaya castle is right inside the park and the nature center is also nice.

$5 each to get in and then $2 each to tour the castle. We toured Atalaya castle first and you walk through on own and it is just fantastic- there is a room at the beginning that tells you all about the family first. Well worth the $2 fee! We then drove and parked near the marsh walk - there is a really long boardwalk that goes out in the marsh- saw lots of crabs, turtles, birds and fish- it was really nice. We then drove on and parked at beach parking lot. The beach was perfect- not crowded at all. There are restrooms in the parking lot and a really nice sidewalk then mat down to the ocean with a shower/foot shower at the parking lot end. Picnic tables all around the parking area too and many are in the shade. I thought there were supposed to be life guards on the beach but we never saw one. This park is huge and would be great for bicycles so you could really explore the whole place.

What a beautiful place! From the beach, the trails, the wildlife, it is definitely a place you can find something to enjoy.

We visited Huntington Beach State Park in December 2025 with our two kids (ages 11 and 8), and it was a really enjoyable outing. The park offers a nice play area for kids, a beautiful beach perfect for long walks, and plenty of space to relax and enjoy nature.

One of the highlights is Atalaya, the historic Moorish-style castle. For a small additional fee, you can tour it and learn how people lived there back in the 1800s. The visit is definitely worth it if you enjoy history and unique architecture.

Overall, it’s a great place to slow down, relax, and spend quality time as a family near the beach. A solid stop if you’re in the Myrtle Beach area and want something peaceful but still interesting to do.

Beautiful beach and nice biking trail close by.. Mosquitos are horrible and unfortunately rates are going up 30 percent this year, from $57 for 30 amp electric and water to $80 and $95 for full hook-ups.. These rates are more in line w/private parks, not your State Parks! Won't be coming back, at that price we will save the diesel and drive the car and hotel or VRBO it! Shame on you SC..

What an amazing experience!!!; we stayed in the North Campground in spot 41...friends of ours were in adjacent spots... This has probably been our best camping experience, thus far. Beach access, spacious spots, clean bathhouses, friendly staff...there's nothing lacking here for a beach vacation. I have been won over and plan to return next year. Everything was wonderful.

We visited the Huntingdon Beach State Park several times during our visit to Murrells Inlet. We went to the beach at least 4 times and enjoying seeing all the wildlife including the many different varieties of birds and of course alligators. We saw multiple alligators including a 7-8 foot one and several smaller ones. This is a nice park and we used the pass for the park from the resort where we were staying so we did not have to pay to enter each time. I would recommend this park.

The reason I give this park a 3 star isfor one reason only. Park is a 5 star, however once you leave the park and try to re-enter as a camper with a placard hanging from your rear view mirror, the people at the entrance make you sit in the line waiting while 10 cars in front off you register as guests. There are two lanes bit they block off the second lane and make you wait 10 minutes to get back in. Other parks utilize their 2nd lane and wave you through as they are checking in new guests. It isn't difficult, nobody proceeds at the other parks until they are wave through but you wait just a few seconds vs 10 minutes every time you leave and come back. This park could take some training from other parks.

Our visit to Huntington Beach State Park in July, 2020, should really be rated 10 stars. We went in our 20 foot RV and found our experience to be entirely satisfying. The full hookup worked perfectly and our space was in a wooded area where other RV's were not too close together. The 5 minute walk to the beach allowed us to see nature at its best; large birds, waterways and even alligators appeared! There is a large gift shop and another historical property within short walking distance: a "Spanish castle" built in the 1930's as a private residence for the famous Mr & Mrs Huntington. Tours of "Atalaya Castle" are available here a stone's throw from the beach. And we were able to rent two bicycles from a business close by very cheaply, as there is plenty of safe area for bikes.

Didn’t go to the beach but went to walk a bit and checkout the wildlife. Saw several gators and a ton of birds.

What a nice State Park to visit. $8 to get in which isn't too bad especially if you go on a day to really enjoy the beach. There is a castle to explore which is $3. Nice place to walk around.

If you are into birding, this park is for you. There are many different species of aquatic birds, especially on Mullet Pond, although it's more of a lake than a pond. The park also features a number of hiking trails, several overlooks for bird watching, a nature center, camp grounds both for tents and camping vehicles, and a large expanse of sandy beach fronting on the Atlantic Ocean.

There are fees. South Carolina residents can purchase an annual pass. Visitors from out of state pay a nominal fee per vehicle. The park will stop entry when they have counted enough vehicles to know there is no more parking space available.

This was a neat spot. Trails for walking, camping and RV sites. historical homesite, and a little store. You can stroll and see alligators and birds as well as the beach.

Wide open parking, safer and more things to do than MB state park. Very cool castle on site to check out as well. Less likely for criminals to break into your car since the parking lot is more open and viewable to many.

Went here for a camper gathering that was organized by local folks but had people from all over the US attending. The campsites, restrooms and beach were clean and well kept. The proximity to Atalaya Castle, Brookgreen Gardens, and Marshwalk made this an excellent choice for all us visiting to explore. The North sites are more wooded/private than those for the big RVs at the South sites.

Came for some birding and was not disappointed. There were several, like the Rosetta Spoonbills, that I had yet to see. The only negative, why they got a 4, was there should be some benches or seating along the paved walkway to Mullet Pond to stop and enjoy the area. Watch out for the huge spiders in the trees and shrubs.

This is a hidden gem. If you have small children, this is the place to go. The beach is amazing and clean. The park is well maintained. We even saw alligators. Go and relax.

Wonderful beach we always buy the yearly pass and frequent this beach quite often. Plenty of parking and the marsh area is great for birdwatching.

Nice park with some easy hiking trails running between the beach and the campground. Trails are very well marked once you are on them, could use some better signage to find the trailhead.

What a special place. Huntington Beach is beautiful. Campground is great too. We only stayed one night, wished we could stay longer. Anyone that we encountered here was super friendly. Our favorite part was walking on the beach in the morning, a few steps away from where we were camping.

The park is beautiful. The beach is wonderful. What we did not expect was the joy of visiting the Castle. It was extremely interesting and our guide was great. Worth more than one visit.

This park is definitely worth making time for. It does cost to get in but it’s not much and your ticket is good until they close. We saw several alligators, which thrilled the kids. We also saw some spoonbills. We started the alligator tour but did not finish. The mosquitos were absolutely terrible. We had on two different types of bug spray. We started out with a natural bug spray and that wasn’t cutting it so we sprayed with some Cutter and that didn’t cut it either. You need the DEET if coming here. We left the tour due to the mosquitos and ended up getting to see an alligator eat a turtle. I wish I could have spent more time here but we had a baby in tow and two small children and like I said, the mosquitos were eating us alive. It does cost extra if you want to tour the castle. The restrooms were very nice here.

I hate to share publicly about this little gem of a beach spot but everyone deserves to enjoy a great beach spot. Family friendly, plenty of parking, public restrooms and more.

Day trip for us, and enjoyed the park very much. Beautiful low-country scenery and beach. We especially liked touring the historic estate and learning the history of the home and its artistic owners. (The previous estate owners established nearby Brookgreen Gardens, which is a MUST-SEE!) Would visit again.

This is a very nice State Park with paths to walk on. There's a Nature Center with live creatures. The marsh is vast. You can even spot an occasional alligator. The Huntington Castle is interesting. We went for a long walk on the beach. Out of state seniors do not get a discount.

Huntington Beach State Park is very natural which makes it beautiful. The walkways are nice, and the admission price is fair. Make time to tour Atalaya - the ruins are pretty and its history is interesting. If you want to see wildlife - including alligators - head to this SC state park.

So Peaceful and beautiful!! Our family brought our grandchildren here and we all absolutely adored the trip!
We definitely we revisit.

Huntington Beach State Park is my absolute favorite because it has the best of both worlds-- an untouched wilderness for camping and exploring and a vast walking beach for all things aquatic. Quality time, fun activities, and nature's beauty at its finest!

This is one of the crown jewels of the SC State park system. Beautiful beaches, with plenty of places to camp, cook & clean. Cost to enter is $8 per person and a bargain at that! Plenty of parking too. Check it out

Beautiful park and awesome wildlife! I went hoping to photograph the wildlife and I had a great time and saw many different species of wildlife.
The beach is gorgeous and the trails and boardwalks well maintained. Will definitely return.

My family loves Huntington Beach State Park! We purchase a State Park pass every year. The beaches are clean and it is possible to have some privacy if you use an alternate path to get to the ocean. There are also walking paths that lead through the trees and to the marshes. Restrooms, camping sites, and a store are on the property as well as the historic Atalya, former winter home of the Huntington's.

The Huntington's Mansion is in ruins, now, but still an interesting visit - imagine the life lived in those old rooms. Mrs Huntington was a sculptress, and there are cages on the property for animals that were models for many of her sculptures.

Need to reserve a good shaded spot at least 6 months in advance.
First night we got Full Sun so miserable, 2nd night moved to a shaded spot. You can do so much here. Recommend to stay at least 4 days. No Dog park

We come here about every other summer to enjoy the beach. Clean, quiet, and great for families. Have never had any problems in all the years we’ve been visiting

This park had great amenities. There was a playground, nice bathrooms and changing rooms, covered area outside of the bathrooms, outdoor showers to rinse the sand off and a beautiful beach. We didn't have time to tour the Atalaya house but we went in the entrance and it looked pretty unique. Our kids loved the beach.

The customer service at this park is amazing!! I visited the store several times and I was always greeted with a smile and great service. It is a rather large gift store along with snacks, lots of drinks, icees, coffee, shirts, souvenirs, books, along with a few camping accessories, etc.
This park offers two handicap wheelchairs (first come, first serve). The store is open late in the evenings which helps when wanting to go to the beach later in the afternoon. We had a handicapped site by the boardwalk and my husband was able to enjoy the beach in the wheelchair. Kudos to the South Carolina Parks!!

Great place to ride bikes, walk or relax on the beach. Beach is very clean. Nice areas for picnics. Clean bathrooms.
They have a nice tour of the Huntington’s home. I highly recommend paying a few dollars for the audio tour if you decide to take the tour.
We just moved to the area recently and purchased a year membership. Love visiting the beach here.

Loved walking around this park and enjoying the birds; such a wonderful and beautiful sight to behold. Quiet and pleasant. Wonderful spot to spend time.

The Huntington Beach state Park is a great place to spend a nice day or afternoon at the beach. We were there on a Monday in September and the parkings were pretty empty so we plenty of place to relax with our camper. I even laid down on the beach and could shower afterwards at the free beach shower available at every toilet block. Beautiful beach.

Great place to spend the day, walk the beach, bird watch etc. If I lived here I would most definitely have a season pass and visit often.

We camp here every year for the last 20+ years. The park is clean and quiet. It is very family and nature oriented. You can easily ride you bike to Murrell's Inlet to dine out or get anything you run out of. The beach is 3 miles of pristine sand that you can fish and swim from. Our dog could be on the beach all day and it's not crowded.

We visited Huntington Beach. Inside the park is Atalaya Castle. Price was $8.00 pp for the park fee and another $2.00 pp if you decide to go into Atalaya Castle. We were told on this day in January there was only one tour guide once a day. However, we could pay an extra $3.00 pp for headsets. We got there and there were no headsets available because they were all in repair. They do hand you a map with numbered rooms and descriptions. It was easy to follow. Unfortunately, this building is in total disrepair. The story and history of this building was intriguing to us. The building itself had beautiful areas but also totally broken down areas. I enjoyed seeing this structure however I could see how others would not be as enthusiastic. ( I hope some day they can manage to have at least one room in the fashion of the lifestyle at that moment in time. ). This is a definite fixer upper on steroids…lol. I’ll say again, we enjoyed this little treasure.
Now because of our “day trip” agenda we didn’t have as much time as we wanted to see the nature trails. What we saw looked very nice. The beach was beautiful and large.
We are not campers and it’s obviously a nice campground too.
My comment on the 2 for 1 is great to know…..upon paying our $8.00 pp park entry, the guard told us if we decide to visit Myrtle beach state park in the same day, show them this receipt and we get in free ! We were excited and added that as another stop on our day trip. Great to know and I’d say a definite hidden secret that people aren’t aware of ahead of time.

We make an annual pilgrimage to Pawley's Island in March to knock it out of gear, and we love to visit Huntington Beach for bird and gator watching. Neither ever disappoint. Today, along the causeway we saw herons: great blue, tri-colored, and little blue. Hundreds of tree swallows soaring and diving, feasting on large hatches of gnats. Osprey, galinules, snowy egrets, great egrets, coots, anhingas, cormorants, green wing teal, lesser yellow legs, gulls of all sorts,grebe, and lots of gators. So very beautiful! The park is always spotlessly neat and clean. Please don't miss it if you're in the area. $8.00 per adult, well spent!

Beautiful walk through nature. Saw alligators, turtles, and lots of birds. We were there the right time of year to see a couple painted buntings. They are such beautiful birds. The trails are easy walking and well manicured. A delightful way to spend a morning or afternoon.

The cleanest beach I’ve visited in a long time. I would not have visited this beach if it were not for the art festival going on the last weekend of September. By the way, best art festival I’ve ever been to and I’ve been to a few in the south east.

I may have to make it an annual trip.

Very nice state park to visit. Lots of stuff to do-tour the castle of the Huntingtons, walk on the beach, collect sea shells on the beach, pet friendly so your babies can play in the sand. And if u buy the pass you can go to both state parks as long as it is the same day for 1 ticket price! Will definately return

Best Beach ever. Lots of wild life to see as well as well as family home not crowded at all lots of room to spread out.

This is a great place for a photographer as the marsh has a variety of birds close up and easy to photograph (recommend about 400mm or longer lens for great shots. Beach is long and great to walk. Easy to spend a day exploring. Many hiking paths and a large camping ground. One of my favorites when in the Myrtle Beach area

This state park is absolutely amazing. The park is clean and the parking is super easy. It was worth the $5 per person admittance. The water was very good for families w young children as it was not rough. The park has endless areas to photograph as well.

We thoroughly enjoy visiting the park. The beach is great to walk. The pier is in great condition and takes you out into the marsh. The new center at the Marsh walk way. Great information. Love seeing all the birds at the park. We saw an alligator as well as a small buck. Always a favorite.

this is a very well done site: the walks, the nature center, the beach, the camp grounds all work well. You are keeping the legacy in good stead.

The Huntingtons used this area as a summer home. It includes a castle and three miles of pristine beach. The birds use the area as part of migration. Plan to see them at low tide

Every time I am at Myrtle beach I make the drive to Huntington Beach State park. Although its a paid park now price up I believe $8 it is well worth the money at 8 but not anymor if they are planning on gouging the public like everyone else. Upon entry you are greeted near the lake with a abundance of wildlife. Very nice park my favorite. Never used the camp ground but the camp ground is very nice well located. Ocean is near by. but let me tell you one thing, this is what I came for below in picture.

Tickets are good for one than one day which is nice and having Atalaya Castle here is a bonus. Wonderful beach area and hiking

We live about an hour from the coast and Huntington has become our go to place. We bought the SC Park Pass so we can go often without paying each time. Almost 100% guaranteed to see alligators. One of the reasons we always take out of town visitors there. There is a great bird watching here as well with a number of species throughout the year.

The facilities and beach are well maintained.

We do tend to avoid the height of the summer because parking can be an issue even with the new reserve parking.

A sweeping Grand Strand beach, pristine and wide open, stands as one of the most recognizable South Carolina landmarks. Dogs are welcome on a leash at all times . We walked on the beach and on the trials all beautiful. There are picnic areas. Yes

A silly little secret here in Murrells Inlet SC is Huntington Beach State Park. By far, one of the better campgrounds in the state and you're "at the beach"! I recommend to reserve a site in the South campground as the sites are concrete pads, FHU, WiFi and great washrooms with washers/dryers! The north camp sites are just as nice, mainly packed earth with water/electric and decent Bath houses. There are several dump stations to expedite your exit and easy in/out. The area is fun to explore, plenty of great eateries and entertainment along the way.

Smooth beach - great for family. Outdoor shower and newly updated restrooms. Great playground for kids. We will be next time for sure!

We enjoyed our stay here very much. The park is clean and well maintained. The staff is friendly and helpful. We will be returning.

The beach here is beautiful and peaceful. A great place for a picnic, a swim, or just putting your toes in the sand. The trails are great to explore and the boardwalks over the marsh are a must do.

The castle was interesting and a beautiful beach. Lots of fun! Everything was very clean and well kept!

Nice clean beach and nature trails. A couple lead to observation decks overlooking the gator lake and over the marsh to listen to the snapping shrimp. Just be careful to watch where you walk. We just stepped over a snake on our walk.

Went to visit and see what was at the state park. Have nice walkways of marshlands and could see tons of small crabs during low tide. Very nice and shirt walk. Able to see a few birds. We also walked through Huntingtons house (small 2 dollar fee per person). Also has beach access.

The park suffered some from a fall hurricane, but still an outstanding visit. Lots to do, from the beach a historic home to wildlife hiking (saw lots of big birds and what what we think was a mink. Nice staff. Your admission also gets you into Myrtle Beach State Park the same day.

The chronological walking tour was very educational. The surroundings and my imagination just put me back in the early 1900s when the structure was built. The informational plaques were well worded. Just take your time walking through the buildings and the grounds.

Loved it! I Closed my eyes and let my imagination bring me to that time. History- Art and a little bit of magic.

Lots of great photo ops along the bridge for birders. I only wish I could be here in the summer for the roseate spoonbill.

The one thing we absolutely loved about this place was Atalaya Castle. We came across it driving around the state park and stopped to see what it was, and was so surprised. You pay $8pp entry into the park then this place is an additional $2pp that you pay at the castle itself which seems sort of odd since it's within the state park, but its the best thing this park has to offer! Worth the entry fee. Its the former winter home of Archer and Anne Hyatt Huntington and the house is so interesting to walk around in.
We saw there was a beach, but didn't go over to check it out, although the parking lot is shared with Atalaya. Im sure there is a lot to this place, but we weren't impressed other than the Atalaya Castle. There are a couple little pier type things to walk out on and see wildlife, didn't see a single animal.
Anyhow, if you go, check out the Atalaya Castle and then head over to the Brookgreen gardens to see Anne Hyatt Huntingtons sculptures. That place is AMAZING.
We went in the early-ish afternoon on a Friday and got in , but when we passed this place even earlier the following day there were signs saying it was closed because they were full, so maybe go early on weekends?

This place is really really well maintained. Looks like great RV campground set with walkways to a fantastic SC wife flat hard sand beach. The drive in is across a beautiful causeway occupied by migratory birds. We will be back for a week+ as it is so conveniently located to Myrtle Beach.

We visited the park to tour Atalaya Castle and it was wonderful to be able to walk through and learn more about the Huntington family. Amazing to walk through Anna Huntington’s studio since I’ve seen her work in public.

The trails were well maintained and parking was very easy probably because of the time of year.

I would think even in the summer it would be a fun place to visit since the trails are shaded unless ocean side.

very nice, clean, big beaches with life guards no umberalla rentals and no shade so come prepared if you want to spend the day grills and picnic areas clean, large bathrooms and changing area

We camped here for 2 weeks in our 38’ 5th wheel in the south side campground. This park is very clean and well maintained. The beach area on south side was not congested and had lots of room to spread out. Campground was very nice and sites were adequately spaced apart. Most sites did not have shade so plan on your A/C running overtime on hot summer days. Beach access was just a 5 minute walk from our site on a concrete walkway. Very nice! Lots of wildlife to view on the causeway. Lots of places to stroll during the day. Nice gift shop. The one thing I really liked about this park is that it did not feel over crowded. My only complaint is the spotty internet access. However, I came to camp and enjoy the outdoors so this was not a big negative on my list. My DW and I will be back in the future for sure.

Fantastic Park!

We enjoy returning to this park - the beach is undeveloped, clean, quiet & relaxing. You can stroll, sit or visit with other visitors on the beach, watch for birds or alligators along the Marshwalk or visit Atalaya, the past Winter residence of the founders of Brookgreen Gardens (directly across the road; also worth a day's visit). Camping areas look inviting, with walking trails mixed throughout. Park store is available for drinks, sunscreen, etc. & there's also a bathhouse available. Good way to spend a carefree day!!!

Great tour of the park on segways. Bear was our guide and even though it rained we had a great tour and a great time.

Lovely smooth beach. Great for walking and finding shells. We easily could've spent all day here. Lots of parking.

Beautiful scenery, come prepared for mosquitoes ! I mean big ones. Very hot in July.
Might want to come in June. Excellent beach access , very nice people. close to restaurants etc.

Great time. Awesome beach. Lots to do. Make sure to get there early so you can enjoy the day. Watch out for the gators. Lol

I'm sure that this beach is lovely during the Summer. The day I went it was very windy and cold. There is an interesting abandoned building that they tour called the Atalaya. You can see it from the parking lot. I'd like to revisit this natural area on a much warmer day.

We were here for a long weekend the last weekend of August 2022. This is the first time we have camped here in 20 years. Back then the roads in the campground were sand and the south campground was just an overflow campground with no connections. Roads in campground are now paved. The south campground is now all 30/50-amp full hookup sites. The sites are packed in pretty tight. We prefer the north campground which is all 30 amp and some full hookup sites. Some sites are pretty tight, and others are great. For full hookup sites in the north campground, I would recommend 51, 52, 97, with 51 being the best. This trip we had 86 which was fine but it did not make it to our preferred site list. We had no issue with hookups. Enough water pressure for the shower.

Bathrooms are typical SC Park bathrooms. We didnt use but did scout them out. At some point they have been updated. Each shower stall had a privacy door in the dressing area and then a curtain in the shower area. The walk to the beach was fine with a nice boardwalk on the beach access we used and then mats laid down over the deep sand you walk through at the end.

Of the four SC beach state parks I think Huntington Beach has the best beach for swimming. Even at high tide there is plenty of beach. The day use area is the most crowded. The campground accesses are not nearly as busy. If you want even less people, you can park at the jetty parking area and have access to the beach. There is also bathrooms at the jetty parking area and they are actually closer than walking to the bathrooms from the campground beach accesses. This is a great park for bikes. Not for the nature trails but just biking around with plenty of bike racks. Racks are at the store, nature center, Atalaya, beach accesses and jetty parking area. Rangers that we dealt with were great. Battery on my truck died so I called the office. They had a ranger at my site to give me a jump within 30 minutes. Atalaya is worth the few bucks to tour. They now have signs in each room that describes it purpose which was new to us. We did the Sandpiper Pond Nature Trail. Even with bug spray the mosquitoes were bad, along with some other biting fly. However, it was an enjoyable walk. We walked back on the road to avoid the bugs.

Mosquitoes are to be expected and you need to be prepared for them. We did not have an ant problem. There was a fire ant nest on the site, but it was located on the back side of the camper so did not interfere with us. There is no Wi-Fi available in the campground. We use AT&T and wow the signal was not very strong it was usable for light internet activity.

You are away from the madness of Myrtle Beach, but it is still close enough should you want to take advantage of the touristy stuff it has to offer.

i was very hungry and when they brought my plate it was more than enough food for me to eat! i will alsys go here and to mention the bathrooms are clean and the people are nice and it was a plearsure to eat here ! i wil come back soon !

We have been to Pawleys Island several times, but this was our first visit to Huntington Beach State Park. This place is great. We will definitely be back. From the castle to the beach, it is awsome.

Rude, unhelpful, uninformed man at entrance gate, acted like he was miserable having to work.overcharged us$6, would not honor local residents senior rate.

We went to Huntington State Beach for the first time. We were looking for a beach that allows dogs. The South Beach allows dogs. It’s a really nice beach. Our dogs had a great time. It’s an easy place to visit. Parking was no problem and the walking to the beach was a short walk. The beach was not crowded. We are going back soon.

This is a beautiful state park right on the ocean. it also has a campground that although I didn't camp, it looks to be a nice area. The beach is perfect, the park area and gift shop are great. clean bathrooms. plenty of picnic areas. easy to get to. will be going back.

We felt this SP was not worth the $8 senior fee/pp unless you’re camping or spending an entire day. All we wanted to do was take the marsh walk.

The beach is beautiful and uncrowded (at least mid-September).

We got eaten alive on the nature walks through the woods. Go prepared. The marsh walks are well done.

MUST visit when you go to Myrtle Beach. I love this place. I wish it wasn't so difficult to get camping reservations here.

Nice and clean state park. The Atalaya Castle was interesting and worthy extra $2. Small amount of hiking trails. We'd didn't review the beach but the lookouts were cool.

Well since the tourists have thinned out we decided to visit Huntington. We visited the historic Castle, explored the walkways to beach and did see some alligators and plenty of birds. The beach area was very quiet and peaceful. A great way to spend the day when in Myrtle Beach.

Very neat place. The trails, beach and castle are all worth seeing. Great place to soak up nature and history.

Beautiful beach!
It is large and flat. The sand is Swedish and clear. There were surfers in the water and we were able to enjoy the sea.
There are bathrooms and many volleyball courts.
The pier is nice!
They rent pedal carts to ride.

nice beach area, showers and bathrooms available, plemty of parking, other things to do, bird watching, hiking

The beach was great. Lots of nature trails. We took the alligator tour with Nancy and she was the best! She was very informative. She involved our kids and they had a blast. We went to this beach multiple times throughout our trip. Was well taken care of and I felt like it was less crowded as well.

Beautiful park. Great walking paths and very friendly staff! Plenty to see. Beautiful nature park. Lots of boardwalks. Saw a few gators. Would go back!!

Unless you want to visit the Atalaya Castle within the grounds of the park, access to the beach or limited camping area, it's not worth the 8$ admission.

We visited twice while in town for vacation. Bathrooms were clean, beach was nice. Less people than the big beach

No pensioners discount, unless you have a South Carolina drivers license. Which is ridiculous, a pensioner is pensioner, regardless where he lives.
No map to the park was given on entry. Very unhelpful, as a map would be a requirement to find one’s way around the park.
Signage within the park was also desperately bad.
We finally found a map of the park at the castle (if you can call it that). Upon our inquiry why they were not given to visitors on entry, we were informed by staff lapidary that they must have run out of them again. (One would think it would be not too much effort to bring some from here to the entrance.)
But then again, the map is confusing, not giving the required detail to all trails.
Generally the park has some nice wildlife. But lacks good customer service a d is certainly overpriced for what’s offered.

Very full around the holidays but price and facilities are worth it. also offer day trips for just beach access. Not in Horry county so you can bring your shelters on the beach.

The beach here is wide and not over-crowded. The areas for camping look very nice. The gift shop is an added plus.

Just LOVE Huntington. Enjoy the programs, the nature center is a must see. Beach is clean and pleasant. The new ice cream shop is such a hit. Wish they would do a deli along with or next to the ice cream shop.

This park packs a lot into a relatively small place and is a great place to take young kids and introduce them to bird watching.

Besides the easy access to the beach, there is a beautiful new nature center that has a touch tank for kids and other live small animal exhibits. Right outside the nature center is an easy boardwalk trails that goes well out into the marsh. Lots of herons while we were there and even some small alligators.

The other side of the park had the castle ruins and the kids were surprisingly interested in them. Cost an extra $2 to go inside the castle ruins, which was kind of disappointing because you had already paid once to enter the park.

On the other side of the parking lot for the castle ruins was a large gift shop and a new playground, which the kids liked.

Overall, a nice change of pace from the tourist traps down the road in Myrtle Beach. Highly recommend taking some time out to see this park.

The description of Huntington Beach State Park (HBSP) as a place “where history and nature meet” is well-deserved. Named for Anna Hyatt Huntington and Archer Milton Huntington who owned this property as well as what is now Brookgreen Gardens across the highway, HBSP is a birding mecca. The park’s 2,500 acres of freshwater lagoon, saltmarsh, maritime forest and beach habitats attract more than 300 bird species including the endangered Least Tern and Wilson’s Plover, a pair of bald eagles and one of the world’s most colorful songbirds – the painted bunting.

A good blend of nature and fun. Great board walks into the marsh and a beautiful beach as well. There is a castle in the park as well - did not tour that.

This is such a pristine park. You pay to enter or purchase a park pass to get free admission to all SC state parks which for seniors is so cheap.
My wife and i love checking out the causeway as we enter the park. On the left is the ocean side with reeds and so many marsh animals/birds....on the right is the bird sanctuary and home of the gators. As you continue into the park, you can go left to the north end for fishing near the jetties or go right for the main parking area with the park office/store and the beautiful Atalaya home....camp areas abound everywhere...lots of bathrooms and dressing areas....and sea turtles lay their eggs on protected areas on the beach during the summer. There are long piers to walk on in the marshes to observe wildlife.
You will absolutely.love this park.

Beautiful beach and park. Well maintained. Spent a couple of hours walking the beach, not many people here, it was quiet and peaceful, made for a great walk.

This is one of the places we always come to when in Myrtle Beach. We love watching the birds, and this visit we spotted many alligators right along the sidewalk. This is always a thrill for us!

Only negative is that the bathrooms are so far away. With little children it was a close call to make it to the restrooms! Down the beach out to parking area, up the stairs and down the building was a long way to go! Poor thing was running! But the beach was enjoyable. Was able to find some whole sea shells, they are not unique or beautiful but they are sea shells! The tide was coming in so it was not a good time to go, but we still had a great time. It was a smooth day with little waves. The park was closed but we had annual pass and was let in. The beach was not crowded and we walked just a short way past the entrance to find a spot. Overall a wonderful day and only reason not 5 stars was how far the bathrooms are from the beach.

The park is very nice with lots of walkways and trails for walking (use bug spray!). We also toured Atalaya $2 each). It was very interesting. Saw tons of birds and gators as well as a little snake.

overcrowded in july. did bike riding and we brought our own bikes. Best to go in the morning before 9 in july or people will be everywhere,

Attention Birders! Attention Alligator seekers! Go to HBSP! We often vacation at Myrtle Beach and always go there. You never know what you might see. Of course the Causeway’s the place to see gators, in fact we saw 42 on our last visit! They were mostly young ones on the fresh water side, although we have seen them cross the road for some sea food. We also saw a life bird for us, a Sora. The causeway has been nicely redone since we were there last, it had been damaged by one of the storms. However, the boardwalk took a big hit from Hurricane Ian last year. The new nature center is wonderful for kids and adults alike. The camp store carries quality clothing and lots of nice souvenirs. If you’ve never toured Atalaya, please do, it’s worth it, a very interesting place. The beach of course is a must go as well. Explore the whole place! You won’t be disappointed!

This State Park is absolutely beautiful, as well as historic. To get to the Park you cross a causeway that is salt water marsh on one side, and fresh water on the other. Bird life and alligators abound. Great for photography. Gives a sense of calm as soon as you get onto the Causeway. Beautiful unspoiled beach for miles, excellent camping facilities, historic Attalaya, home of sculptress Anna Hyatt Huntington and Archer Huntington - also the founders of Brookgreen Gardens across the street. This place is truly a gem.

This is a beautiful state park nestled on the SC coastline. We walked down to the beach which is very beautiful and protected. We spent most of our visit at the Huntington Castle on the grounds. A well informed park volunteer provided very interesting and helpful information. The architecture and ground of this place are gorgeous and well worth the extra $2 per person.

We loved our time here. We saw alligators, deer, stingrays, crab, and all kinds of birds. The beaches were so pretty and not crowded at all. The bathrooms were clean and the beaches had easy walking access.

I had some time to kill between my checkout time and a flight - and what a wonderful experience I had in the park! The park includes a huge area for birding and enjoying other wildlife and nature. If you've read (or watched the movie) Delia Owens' "Where the crawdads sing", you've probably wondered what do those marshes look like. That was in part what made us go here.
To get to the park from Myrtle beach, it's a 20 minute drive +/- traffic. If traveling from Charleston, leave at least an hour and a half at least to get to the park.
Once in the park, there are plenty of parking spaces (note: I was there on a Memorial Day monday, so I can't imagine that the place would be significantly busier at other times). The park includes wildlife viewing section, trails for hiking and biking, as well as 2 sand beaches. There's also a historic Atalaya castle that I did not have the time to tour, but it seemed interesting.
The most impressive sightings were alligators (first time for us seeing them in the nature without any kind of a wall or fence between us), anhinga birds, roseate spoonbills, and other less known species to me.
We spent more than 2 hours just walking around the ponds and on the trails. Well worth the time it takes to get there.

We camped here in the fall last year and absolutely loved it. The bath housewas cleaner than anywhere we have ever been. We couldn’t wait to come back. Here we are again, finally, in August. The mosquitos are horrendous. If this had been our first experience, we would never have come back. Swarms of them. I sprayed down my dogs because there were dozens, no exaggeration, on their legs after I had sprayed their body. The biggest mosquitos I have ever seen too. Thankfully we have a screen tent that I am hiding in, but every time we come in and out I have to kill a few and wash my hands. It’s horrible!! I have several sprays with me, candles, and coils, but it seriously doesn’t help much. I hate chemicals and killing the environment way more than the next guy but they need to spray the area or something to make it livable.

We had a great overall experience at this state park. The beach is only a few hundred yards from any camping site and the beach is gorgeous. Camping spots are well kept, bathrooms are clean, and the entire park is large enough to accommodate quite a few guests. With decent weather, even January is a nice time to visit. There are various marsh/bog areas to watch wildlife—we spent several hours over our stay taking many pictures.

They are only allowing in a certain number of cars a day, and with the weather getting nice the may be an issue.

We went there to go birding - and did not like that they had cut all the "landing" bushes for the birds near the feeder at the " visitor center" that is not completed yet. It looks like it is close though. They have the board walk that goes up and around closed. the long one out into the marsh was open though.

There were not as many people there as there have been in the past - so it was nice from that point of view.

We had a GIANT gator walk across the path while we were there. I always look before going to the edge of a trail, but I was extra carful after that. Lots of bikers on that path too.

I always enjoy this park.

Bought the pass and saved on admission to the park. Stopped on a cold day so no swimmimg. Walked the beautiful beach looking for shells. No crowd at this time of the year. Quiet, restful and feeling the ocean breeze was great on the crisp and refreshing day. Watching the waves and the birds was so very peaceful. The bathrooms were sparkling clean and looked like they had a recent remodel. Stopped at the amazing well stocked gift shop. Walked trhough one of the clean and spacious camping areas. Will return with our R.V. Parking was plentiful. A cute playground area for the little ones. Great spaces with lots of wildlife and trees. The beach is grand.

We booked a camping trip on the beach on a whim after purchasing a camper...on a whim. We were not disappointed!!! At HBST you have the best of both mountain and ocean life. We saw alligators, deer, racoons, many different birds, different jellies, dolphins, frogs, different crabs, clams, and so much more. The staff was friendly and helpful. We really enjoyed how it wasn't over populated. My only complaint- I didn't think there would be mosquitos at the beach so I didn't bring enough repellant. But the campground is within minutes of the "strip". Local and chain stores and restaurants. We usually go to Disney every year but after this experience, this is our new annual vacation destination!!!!

Views driving in are breathtaking as you drive over the marsh area! It was not too crowded and was family oriented.

Bring your cameras to take some bird pictures or alligators. We saw the roseate spoonbills! We were at the right place at the right time. Just beautiful! We loved the beach! Not real busy in September and so clean!

After spending a couple of days in some wonderful places (Georgetown, Charleston, and Pawley’s Island), my daughter and I agreed that Huntington Beach State Park was our favorite part of our trip. It’s stunningly beautiful, and we particularly loved strolling along the marsh and seeing the wildlife, and exploring the remains of the Moorish castle and reading about the couple who built it and lived there. We also visited the nature exhibit, supported the gift shop, and spent about an hour on the gorgeous beach. There were clean restrooms and outdoor showers for day visitors, and the campground that we accidentally drove through was pretty and clean. We weren’t able to explore the trails because we ran out of time, but we plan to return when we’re in the area again.

My wife and I spent this past weekend camping at Huntington Beach State Park. We had an amazing time. Walks on the beach, tour of the castle, marsh views, were all spectacular. The weather was great, the park and campground were pristine and we were able to spend time in the park and touring the area. I highly recommend a trip to SC coast and Huntington Beach State Park, to camp or just to walk the trails and beach.

Spent the day here. great playground, beautiful beach, great bike, and walking trails. Lots of birds and alligators!

We went especially to see the Atalaya Castle and learn its history. Very interesting to me and my three grown daughters. The history of the place and especially the Huntingtons that lived there is amazing. Very interesting but simple building. Amazing brick work throughout the house..

Campground is great, lots of space between sites. Clean bathrooms and showers. Electric and water. Easy access to beach and well marked. Friendly staff.

Huntington beach once was a quiet oasis. Now, it's an over crowded tourist attraction. There are so many quaint family beach options along the north and south carolina coast that aren't over populated. Lately seems to be closed before noon because they've reached capacity.

We went on a cool day but Atalaya was still nice to tour.
The park grounds are lovely--will come back on a warmer day!

Wonderful beach but was a bit crowded mid week and during Covid. A bit pricey for admission, $8 per person but nevertheless a beautiful park. Plenty of small gators in nearby waters on drive to beach.

We went on hopes of seeing wildlife. It started raining so we visited the castle first (see Atalaya Castle for that review). Simple but worth the 2$ a person I thought. But that will add about an hour to your visit. Didn't spendmuch time at the beach due to weather but did seem like a nice beach. Sea turtle sand dunes. The lookout over the lake revealed quite a few water fowl which was nice enough then we saw one eat a fish! There was much more to see and do but we were on a time crunch. Don't visit on a time crunch. We did stop at the boardwalk on the way out and saw dozens of spider crabs on the walkway and more birds and jumping fish. But on the way out we see the gater! That made it more worth our short time. Also, the gift shop is nice.

The moorish style architecture on the Huntington House is awesome. The story of the poet philanthropist and his amazing sculptor wife is great. The best is the beach with no houses. Great sand

So pretty... a must see! Great trails and observation areas. Also a fantastic beach! If you like nature go, its that simple!

We love the short walk to the beach. Beaches are not at all crowded like up the road at Myrtle beach. Very friendly staff, they allowed us to drive the whole park and checkout all the camping, walks and beaches.

Beautiful park! Quiet and serene in December for a walk on the huge expanse of oceanfront. The house is very interesting and worth a look. I have such respect for people who show such fore-site and generosity in preserving natural areas for future generations to enjoy!

My husband grew up visiting Huntington Beach State Park, and while he says it has changed it did not disappoint. We spent a quiet, relaxing weekend camping there, enjoying the beach and the natural beauty. Not to be missed is sunset as the birds come in over the water to roost and the fish and crabs search for dinner. Looking forward to our return trip.

This was my second time visiting Huntington Beach State Park, and it is wonderful for pets. When visiting without pets, the marsh is great to view birds and alligators. Overall great park!!

We went here twice during our vacation. We spent one day at the beach and the other looking at wildlife. We saw an alligator, jellyfish, numerous birds, starfish, and crabs. Definitely worth a visit.

This park was such a wonderful little surprise! It is clean and well thought out. Great for birders with little mailboxes that have birding notebooks inside to write your observations. The beach (on the Jetty side) was massive and clean and not populated. The causeway across from the Atalaya Castle, provided a plethora of birding and views of alligators.

The Atalaya Castle was well worth the $2.00 entry fee.

Highly recommend!

Best place to go for a nice quiet, beautiful day at the beach. I sat there all day reading a book....Heaven!

Huntington Beach is a gorgeous stretch of sand, looking much more natural than Myrtle with the large hotels dominating the shoreline. It was great to walk from the South to North access point. Pretty much pristine the whole. If you want a less touristy beach with plenty of space, this is the spot.

Very nice facility with excellent beach and camping grounds. If you like fishing for sharks, this is a good place. During my visit, I watched a couple battling a very heavy shark. It was much fun to watch. Finally, the shark won and got away.

If you like to be in the outdoors and view wildlife, then this is a very nice place to visit. We took a driving tour and stopped at a few of the parking spots to view some of the birds (many different kinds) and alligators. There is an area for RV-ing, a historic fort, places to hike and bike ride. The beach areas look very nice, too.

We visited this park in an effort to find future RV camping opportunities. We were very impressed with the campground and will be back. While we were there, we were pleasantly surprised with our tour of Alafaya Castle. We toured the castle as a way to kill time and were impressed by the organization of the information we took in on the self-guided tour. We got a clear picture of the history of the grounds and the people who lived and worked there.

This place is amazing! So many different birds, alligators, and other wildlife. Its the best of both worlds with the ocean/beach and the walking paths through the large trees and marsh area.

Took my fiance and daughter (8) to this state park . We are from Canada and it's our first time here in the area . We had an amazing time learning about Atalaya Castle. Being able to explore the grounds and learn about the history. For a very reasonable admission as well. We then went down to visit the beach, which was beautiful. On our way out of the park, we parked over by the mullet pond and saw many alligators( another first for my daughter) and many birds . We had an amazing afternoon. We would highly recommend this visit for anyone who likes to get out for an easy hike with the family .

Unfortunately when we went over half the park was closed due the hurricane. But the wildlife viewing area that was open was great. We saw lots of alligators and beautiful birds. The beach looked very nice and it was a wonderful day 😊!

Unfortunately, this state park is closed indefinitely, but cannot wait for it to reopen to the public!

Clean, and expansive beach- great camping and RV sections, and walking/running/biking paths!

The beach ends up with the jetty. It is about a mile and a half walk each way. On the jetty, we observed a mink playing in the rocks.

We went here primarily to see Atalaya, but the park is a really nice spot for accessing the beach, having a picnic, or just enjoying the natural beauty and history. Your visit would not be complete without visiting Atalaya.

Our kid has gotten really into birdwatching, and we had heard this was one of the best places to see birds in SC. Those reviews were spot on. We could have spent an entire day here. We saw alligators, tons of coastal birds, and a mink. We saw the mink down at the jetty about 1.5 miles down the beach at North Shore. It was a long walk but definitely worth it. The Atayla castle is also really cool. All the facilites in the area were very clean as well. Only thing we wouldn’t recommend is the nature center. It’s very small and doesn’t offer much.

Two adults visited this state park in early February. Cost was $8 per person for non-South Carolina residents. We visited two different areas in the park: near the gift shop there is a nature trail that leads to a pond that is evidently home to alligators (too cold in February to see them), turtles, and many birds; also, at the extreme northern end of the park road past the Nature Center is a parking area where you can either walk north on the beach up to the Atlantic Ocean inlet or south along a path back to the gift shop parking area. We walked part of the way north on very firm sand. The North parking area has small restrooms available. The gift shop has even smaller restrooms (single use). Really do not know how they handle high season visitor use. The park also has Atalaya Castle, associated with the adjacent Brookgreen Gardens, available for either one daily guided tour or self-guided tours, both for $2 per person, which we didn’t do. There are two campgrounds available also and many viewing areas for birds. Note that signs directing you to the north parking area are lacking, but the park is small and has really only one road.

The place is crowded. Especially around surfers beach. The place has some plastic thrown away. We picked up some plastic ourselves. It was a nice place.

Nice park to visit where you can see several kind of birds and alligators. Very nice beach as well. Thought $8 per person was a bit pricey but the season pass looks to be a good deal.

I love this state park. They have beach access and the sand is pristine! There’s bird watching and alligator spotting along the paths near the freshwater ponds arose the street from the castle. They also have camping with primitive and rv spots. Totally with the money to go and spend the day at the beach and walking the paths.

If you didn’t get a chance to visit Huntington Beach state park while you were here, just come back! There is so much to do and so much to see between their daily programs and just chilling on the beach. Exotic birds, plenty of alligators, and fun in the sun and sand is just one part of your visit .There’s the historic Atalaya House on the acreage, and be sure to visit the gift shop. So much to learn and so much to see in there! Stay tuned for the completion of the New Fabulous Nature center! If you have a camper, the campground is beautiful Find the historic Atalaya House on the acreage, and try to visit the gift shop. So much to learn and so much to see in there! If you have a camper, the campground is beautiful with pet friendly areas of course!!
The only worry you’ll have this little slice of paradise is, “...is the Tide gonna reach my chair?” Enjoy!

We had a wonderful week up until the end when the camp host's wife didn't like our setup. We had a plastic garbage bag over (what I consider) our extremely expensive EMS (electrical management system) to protect against several rain storms that came through that week. She didn't like us protecting our investment for camping and demanded our removal of the plastic bag. Without the nerve to tell us herself, we told her husband facetiously we live and work daily in order that we can please and make your wife happy? "Anything else we can do for you, Uncle Lewis?" (Christmas vacation ref) Unbelievable!!! Talk about friggin uppity!!!!!!!!! Trying to protect a nearly $300 electrical device upsets someone who's living off the state for free????? Dayum. Yeah, that's you I'm talking about woman.

A little over priced just to be able to take a bike ride through this park, especially for seniors. Not a lot to see unless one is interested in birds.

We visited the park for a family photo shoot at the castle and beach. On the way into the park we saw a couple of alligators along the causeway. We had a very nice photo shoot with a local photographer with pictures around the castle and on the beach. Everything was very clean and well kept. The castle had just closed so we couldn't tour the inside. The beach was really nice with some protected dunes. The tide was going out so the beach was huge. There were lots of people walking and riding bikes. The sand was packed very firmly so it was great for bikes. There was camping available and a small playground. On the drive out of the park, we saw almost a dozen more gators along the causeway. This was the first gator sighting for the kids so they loved it.

We always go to Huntington BEACH State Park when we are in the area. It has long been one of absolute favorite places to spend the day and camp. Love the store and bathrooms which are clean and convenient.
The perfect spot for families and individuals to spend some time relaxing and viewing wildlife.

Arrived late afternoon and still enjoyed the unparalleled beauty of this park. Too late to catch the tour of the castle, we peeked through cracks and walked around the remaining structure, peering in windows and imagining the grandeur of living on the coast, surrounded by palms. The park service maintains this property incredibly well -- even saw a man with a leaf blower clearing the sand from the boardwalk out to the beach. Walked along the strand and found the water fountain/faucets to clean the sand off. Then drove around and through the campgrounds and marsh. Such a beautiful and well-kept property. Well worth the visit!

The historic self-guided tour of the castle was very interesting and informative! We enjoyed the nature trail there and saw several lizards and a few deer. Nature center is small, but it has some cool local animals to see, as well as a salt water tank with touchable sea creatures.

Loved the history, nature, and the beach! Clean restrooms, outdoor shower area to wash off sand, picnic tables, great beach to play on! We saw an alligator which my son loved, did the self guided tour of the castle and learned some of the history, and swam for a long while. It was fairly crowded but I felt like we could safely social distance there. We only encountered one other family in the castle and staff wore masks. Masks were required for gift shop entry.

We camped in the park. The park has a beautiful causeway with many herons, egrets, roseate spoonbills, and other birds. It's a border's paradise. There are also alligators. There are bike trails in and around the park, and a bike company that will deliver bikes to you in the park. We stayed in the north campground. It was very quiet and there was a lot of privacy even though the campground was full. The campsite was clean and and shaded by live oaks. The gift shop and visitors center is nice. Atalaya is in the park, and it is worth the $2 tour price. The beach access is nearby. We took early morning walks and bike rides on the beach. The beach is really nice. The park is very near to other attractions, like restaurants in Murrells Inlet, activities in Myrtle Beach and Georgetown, shopping in Pawley's Island, and Brookgreen Garden right across the street. There are also festivals at various times, so check the calendars. The only drawback was that there were a lot of mosquitoes. However, it was a very hot week in SC, and after all, the park is near the marsh, so it's to be expected. Although we put spray on constantly and lit citronella candles, the bugs seemed impervious to it.

Love our jaunts along the causeway in search of spoonbills, herons, anhingas, and alligators. The beach is also spectacular and a visit to Atalaya is a must.

Amazing place to enjoy the beach and the marsh in beautiful Murrells Inlet. A must visit if you are in the area.

This park is mainly for campers. If you like sand, hot weather, and insects; it may be the place for you

Huntington Beach has a great walking trail and you can take your dog. Goes all through the woods near some marshes and the beach. Huntington Beach is a great place to spend the day.

Beautiful campground, awesome beach, great grounds. I can’t say enough good about this wonderful place. The campsites are large and many, like ours, are fairly private. May be my favorite place on earth. The park rangers were all friendly and helpful. There are many programs to enjoy. Just perfect!

Wifi is a joke!! Seriously, for this kind of money, you'd expect excellent service for something so basic. Very disappointing. You have to go to the office area for any kind of service.
Yes, the park is very nice to bike in and the 3 beach accesses are nice, too. But, that's it.

Have been to this state park many times and am never disappointed. Nature trails and bike paths are wonderful and the beach is beachy. North campground is great. Drove through new south campground that has concrete pads and full hookups but sites are right on top of each other. North campground is definitely better. Wooded, quiet, 2 paths to beach. Drove up to the north beach and saw Painted Buntings. That was a bonus. Staff are great, restrooms clean and gift shop/registration has lots of books, souvenirs and ice cream. What more can you want at a state park?

This is our favorite beach to go to when visiting the Murrell's Inlet area. There's always ample parking and plenty of nice space on the beach. We enjoy seeing the alligators, and various birds. There are nice shells and wide beaches. Getting the yearly pass is a great deal, too!

My parents first took me to Myrtle Beach nearly 60 years ago and this park is like a walk back in time to what it was like then. It is nestled in the middle of 2500 undeveloped acres. Therefore, you can stand on the beach without a condo or restaurant in sight. Campsites book up early so we've already booked to go back next year.

This is an awesome park. It’s not crowded in the morning and a great place to watch the sunrise. Friendly rangers and they are so helpful. Great place to take in the wildlife.

I’ve been taking groups of kids here for over 8 years I think. Once a year we drive down on Friday, fish the jetties from sunup to sundown on Saturday, then eat bbq on the way home at D’z near Florence. Anyhow I want to give 5 stars but I can’t. We are actually now looking for a new place to go starting next year. This park has changed some pricing, every year it seems messes up our reservation, even though they fix it I end up having to feel like I’m being mean to somebody’s grandma at the desk, and it’s just not worth it.
Is the park clean? Yes
Do the rangers do a good job? Yes
Is the fishing and scenery good? It’s great
Are the bathrooms adequate? They are ok but need showers near beach access on the far end.
Is the beach easily accessible? Yes but it’s a LONG hike to the jetties and needs a road/parking area closer to the jetties for handicap access.
Are the jetties nice? They are good but cracking at the top of the walk path and need a restroom otherwise find a whole in the rocks because it’s a long walk to the closest restrooms.
Sunday church service? Yep and they are really nice but need their time posted better. Missed it last week and ended up going to Garden City Chapel which is nice too.
Will I go back? Ehh not looking good at this point at least not to camp. Shame to because we love going here. They just have to get folks who can get your reservations right, and while the newly cleaned up primitive area looks great the prices going up don’t.

We didn’t come here for the beach or to camp. Only to see Atalay Castleand to see a blue bunting. We loved going to the nature center. They have lots to see and boardwalk to go out on. Several actually, in the park. We got lots of blue bunting pictures and summer tangers and many others. What a unique find! Oh we did go 2 days!!

We toured Atalaya, took a quick walk from the bike path to an observation deck via a trail through the woods. We ran into an eastern rat snake that had just eaten on the paved trail. Our quick walk through the woods led us to the gift shop where we ended with ice cream. The beach is beautiful and people are spread out so that you feel like you have your own little area.

Beautiful beach and state park. Has a nice little gift shop. Getting to see the alligators and birds is a nice little treat. Amazing views, clean restrooms

This is such a beautiful place and full of history. Spend the whole day to take in the sun, sand and trails. The gift shop has ice cream. Woohoo.

Wonderful way to spend the morning walking along the marsh areas exploring wildlife! We saw so many birds and alligators, it is well worth the visit. It is important to be aware of your surroundings as the alligators do walk across the path and roadways. Highly recommend and would come back!

Many things to do at this park, Camp, Swim in Ocean hike but very hot in summer so I was in and out very fast about four hours I mainly hiked. Be prepared to see Alligators I have been to numerous places this year Caw Caw at Charleston, Circle B near Lakeland Florida and the Everglades area, this has to be one of the worse infestation of Alligators that I have seen. Don't know if its the time of year or not but many Alligator paths. Outstanding place to see wildlife.

After several visits, we bought an annual pass. There is so much to experience year-round. I love bike riding through the roadways. walks along the beach. and especially observing the wildlife. Sun up to sun down provides amazing lighting for Photographers with a paradise for birds. alligators and vegetation HBSP does a wonderful job preserving the area with safe access to wildlife and educational opportunities. Visit the gift shop and the Atalaya Castle to learn about the Huntingtons.

Huntington Beach State Park in Murrells Inlet is a great park that is scenic and historic. I like the beach access that they here as it is clean and well maintained. They have cool trails and walkways here that are fun to go through. I have enjoyed each visit that I have made here and have had a really good experience every time.

we stopped here on our bike ride around Myrtle and was glad we did. There is a fee to enter. When going over the bridge there were multiple alligators - big and small. Fun to watch. We then biked around the park.

Never disappointed..went there for the Gators there was a festival going on and park was free...good times
Can wait to come back again

Such a special place full of beautiful wildlife. A great place to contemplate nature, life, everything. Take the time to stop and admire the fiddler crabs!

I've gone here a couple of times and it is a beautiful place to walk around, see the ocean, and watch boats drive by. There is a beautiful marsh with all different kinds of wildlife. A really beautiful and fun place to visit!

might be the best water bird photo spot in the region 100s of different breeds of birds. 2 great beach access spots and the very small entry fee makes it a bit less crowded

We loved this beach! We went only for swimming in the ocean, but could have camped and hiked as well. It was about $16 for our family of four, and well worth it. Easy parking, clean wide beach with great waves. It was extremely hot out when we visited, otherwise we might have explored more - we spent our time in the water. Showers to rinse sand off near the ramp to leave, bathrooms not too far away. Tents and umbrellas are allowed.

We went for the boardwalks and excellent birding, but there is also an old castle/dwelling to visit, and lots of perfect beach to enjoy. The birding was terrific along the main drive, out on the boardwalks and on the ponds just off the beach. good diversity, and it’s not really the right season. Most folks were there for the beach and it is easy to see why; we will go back and join them at some point. There is also a terrific gift shop along with large, clean restrooms.

I love the Park. So much to see and do. Make sure you walk up Alligator Alley and take a tour of the house there

Beautiful park and beach, really nice camp grounds, beautiful walking and biking paths and really nice nature paths

Wonderful campground and Park. Winderful folks working there! Love the gators..my wife does NOT. Thank you everyone!

Internet service! For folks that need to continue to work while on the road , we need consistent internet! I don’t want to have to go sit at the office to work all day!!
Your service needs to be upgraded ASAP! Especially for the price that is charged! Trying to connect to the Internet is like a dial up modem! So frustrating!

The park alone is a shining gem of the SC state park system, but visiting the “castle” - the home of the Huntington’s - is totally worth the low price of $2 per person to see. What an incredible story and building! The park is utterly perfect, too!

What a nice quiet place to walk and visit with nature. Enjoyed the castle and saw an alligator while walking out to bridge overlook. Admission to get into park does not include the castle

We wanted to see some birds and alligators and boy did we!!! This wonderful park is filled with beautiful birds in abundance. The Nature Center is so nice with great exhibits and helpful staff. The beach is gorgeous. Our favorite part was alligator alley where the growling from the alligators was unbelievable!!!

The beach is very beautiful, and there are shows throughout the day to see wildlife. However I had a poor experience at the entrance with Sandy. She was unkind was unwilling to give us directions. Not sure if I will return.

Had never been before, so we drove thru, and it was a very pleasant afternoon. There were several board walk trails to the beach and to the marsh. Very much a nature lovers dream. Saw some water fowl. If you are into camping this would be a great spot to get away from it it all.

Interesting historical site with knowledgeable staff at the house. Wished that they could get a few of her sculptures in the central garden
And give access to the top roof to enjoy view all around
Grounds were kept very nice
Beach is not crowded and they have clean bathrooms and picnic tables available

Very interesting home built by the Huntington. Lovely camp grounds. Very nich Long Beach. Bird watching. And marsh tours are very good

What a gem of a state park this place has shaped up to be. Absolutely gorgeous. Highly recommend taking a day to explore and discover the wildlife and scenery of this part of the east coast of the US. As a bonus, one of the most uniquely beautiful trees I’ve come across is located here and shown in my review. It’s up to you to notice it when you visit, which you absolutely should :) P.S. Bring bug spray if you’re going to hike. Vicious little insects by the thousands on the trails.

My primary purpose in going to the park was to see the ocean and spend time on the beach, although there is a lighthouse and other attractions there. Wide open spaces, sea shells, public restrooms. Pay at the gate entrance.

We spent four days going to Huntington Beach. We toured the castle. Very interesting! I wish I visited before I went to Brook green gardens. I would have appreciated the sculptures a little more. We spent time birding fishing beaching and walking. All of the above was fabulous! Can’t wait to visit again! I highly recommend this park to any birder or nature lover. Anytime of day was great for birds!

My wife and I did a Segway Tour at this park. We drove along the various paths and saw nature and wildlife up close and personal. On the grounds is the Atayla Castle, the winter home of Industrialist Archer Huntington and his wife, sculptor Anna Huntington. The causeway to the park separates fresh water from saltwater. I believe it is one of the few locations that do that.

The campground is spacious, restrooms and shower facilities are clean and heated which is great in the cold weather. From the North CG to the beach is a short walk. We will definitely come here again. Our site has full hookups too... very nice!

We always like visiting this state park. Beautiful beach and wildlife. The Atalaya tour is a must. There are also great facilities including restrooms and change rooms.

Spent lots of time on the observation deck watching the birds and fishing jumping out of the water. The signage is very good so you don't get lost. After the observation deck we went to the beautiful beach for a long walk. They have a nature center and gift shop. I would highly recommend a visit if you are a nature lover!

Walking along the causeway, you are likely to see plenty of natural wildlife, which is nice, (although a bit strange to share the space with vehicle traffic).
The Atacama "castle" is really an old residence, with some interesting historical information, although largely barren inside. The gift shop is quite small, although they do have free Wifi (which you will likely need as cell signals in the area are spotty) There are some simple yet functional rental areas for picnics and gatherings, as well as a camping section that I did not visit so I cannot comment on. The natural beach front is of course beautiful with plenty of space for walks and nature viewing. The "trails" were flooded from a recent rain, and so we were unable to go deeper into some of the wooded areas as well. The restroom facilities were quite clean and nice however. Overall I do recommend spending some time here, but it isn't very remarkable other than to see the undisturbed natural beauty of the area from decades ago.

This is a great state park and beach to visit. They have ghost crabs on the beach, so cool to see them run along the sand. Beautiful seashells here. A great place to take family pictures!

Loved this undeveloped stretch of beach and salt marsh. Got to enjoy some geocaching in the park. Loved learning about the ecosystem. Atalya Castle was fun to visit and learn about the Huntington's. Great day of exploring this park. It was beautiful. There was some stuff we did not get to see like the nature center, but that's just another reason to go back!

Visited Huntingdon Beach in December with friends who live in the area. Beautiful beach with compact, easy to walk on, sand. I would assume since it is a pay beach that it is somewhat less crowded even in the height of the summer season. There are two campgrounds with full hook-ups available, large sites, within a short walk to the beach. Very beautiful state park.

Beautiful scenery, long unspoiled beach with clear water. You can't go wrong with a visit here - in the summer on the weekend plan to go either early or late because they close the parking lots once they fill up. Locals with a library card can borrow a state park pass from the library that gets you in for free (sometimes there's a wait list for the pass so go online first).

Beautiful state park with lots of things to see if you are interested in hiking. Toured the Huntington Beach mansion on the property.

Very nice campground with easy acess to the beach. The issue I had was that they lock the gates at 10 PM. We were out to dinner with a friend who luckily drove us so all we had to do was walk to our campsite. If we would have driven we would have been locked out as both entrance and exit are locked. They should have a code gate that campers can use.

Amazing park with beach access. There is something for everyone here. You can tour an old castle, hike, see alligators and other nature critters or you can go to the beach all in one location. There is also a gift shop and an ice cream shop to visit. Great place for families or nature enthusiasts.

We are in town from North Carolina for the week and we're recommended to visit this state park. We had a wonderful day of hiking, taking photos of the birds and beach walking. Very clean and a huge beach. It's only Feb, so not alot of peyote, was wonderful!!

Stopped for about 3hrs, could have spent all day. Tons of birds. Saw a bunch of alligators in the big pond. Great beach with plenty of parking. The castle was really cool to tour as well. Would plan to spend more time here if back in the area.

awesome Beach with the added attraction of Aatalya . spanish style ruins of the former home of? can't remember.

My first time at Huntington Beach State Park and I plan to return. All the facilities were very clean with easy access. I appreciate how functional the Park is for " handicap" accessibility. The beach was pristine!

Our favorite beach. Clean, right across from all kinds of food and shopping.Dont forget the awesome sunsets too. Something to do all day.

This park is beautiful, clean, and lots of wildlife. Beach access, with a shower house, as well. Oh, and alligators!

I had three kids and we went on a day trip here. We saw lots of gators and visited the beach. The kids had so much fun and we enjoyed ourselves very much.

Huntington Beach State Park is a great park to visit. Love the beach, the trails and watching wildlife at the causeway. Park is clean and well maintained. Learn a little history/culture at Atalaya which is on the premises.

Beautiful beaches. Facilities on site. Park pass allows you in and out all day. Sand is soft, not many shells.

The park and beach were fabulous. Grounds are immaculate. Walk to the beach was easy. Outdoor showers. Parking plenty.