Hunting Island and Sheldon Church

2019 Hiking Week 13
Hunting Island State Park and Sheldon Church Ruins

This past weekend we were able to visit the Hunting Island State Park, outside of Beaufort, SC. On the way there, we stopped by the Sheldon Church ruins. These ruins are from a church built in 1757 but it was burned in the Revolutionary War in 1779, then, after being rebuilt, it was destroyed again during the Civil War. They are currently maintained by the Parish Church of St. Helena, which is in Beaufort. I’ve always wanted to visit these ruins. If you look up pictures, there are some beautiful images from this location. It was interesting to see the church and the grounds. There are a few tombstones from the past three centuries. The oak trees, spanish moss, and dogwoods were so pretty. You can schedule events for the location but you have to go through the St. Helena church. 





After visiting Sheldon Church, we went through Beaufort and on to Hunting Island State Park. I was really impressed by this park. They are able to preserve an entire island on the coast and have minimal development. Unfortunately, the island was hit hard by Hurricanes Matthew and Irma and have had many parts destroyed. I heard there used to be a few cabins on the island but now there is only one (and it costs around $250/night to rent). Even though the hurricanes were in 2016 and 2017, you can still see the damage on the island. There are many trees down and parts of the roads have been washed away. They have gravel on them but it hasn’t been repaired yet. The lighthouse is still there and the beach is wide. We were surprised how many people were there on a Friday. But it’s spring break time. I think the island would be great place to spend a day or two but not during peak summer, I imagine it can get very crowded. The park costs $5.00 per person plus an extra fee if you want to climb the lighthouse. Our first stop was the visitors center where we saw a turtle and an alligator that were keeping an eye on each other. 


After visiting the beach and lighthouse, we drove further south on the main road and checked out the inlet and the marsh. There is a fishing pier on the south end as well as a boat slip. I really enjoyed the marsh trail. Most of it is a low raised boardwalk with a couple of islands in the middle. I love watching fiddler crabs. It was low tide when we went, so the fiddler crabs were out en masse. Eventually, the trail leads to a platform at the end with a nice view of the marsh. I think many people think marshes are just stinky mud flats that keep them from the beach but marshes are full of life. They are the nurseries for so many animals and marine life. They’re full of birds, dolphins, crabs, snails, oysters, and so much more. If you’ve never done a guided marsh walk, I highly recommend them. It’s a fascinating ecosystem. 

Hunting Island is a neat state park and I hope to return to explore more in the Beaufort area. If you are in the area, there is one restaurant I've been to in Beaufort, Panini's, and we had a good experience there. I would recommend checking it out!


Hope you are able to go out and enjoy this great spring weather! 
Location: Hunting Island, South Carolina 29920, USA

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