Hunting Island a magical kingdom by the sea
Thanks to Deonne Parker of Moss Creek for sharing an essay on her favorite place in the Lowcountry.
'Hunting Island State Park'
By Deonne Parker
An enchanted forest is the heart of Hunting Island, a wild barrier island on the Atlantic coast. Of all the wonderful places in the Lowcountry, it is my favorite.
It touches something inside me that I can't quite define, but it has to do with my love of exotic places that stir thoughts of adventure and romance. There is little to suggest modern civilization. The present lighthouse was built in 1875.
A narrow, one-way road winds through the maze of the overgrown landscape to the parking areas, where elevated boardwalks tunnel through the maritime forest to the beach.
Boardwalks protect the undergrowth from being trampled and protect visitors from prickly saw palmetto. This jungle-like wilderness embraces without injuring.
Emerging from the trees, you see the infinite ocean with its surf rolling onto the magnificent beach. It is the reason a million visitors come to Hunting Island State Park every year. Only 16 miles from historic Beaufort, you feel you have come thousands of miles to reach a remote island.
This wild island appeals to an untamed side of our nature that we seldom indulge. It holds the promise of mystery and discovery, perhaps even pirate's gold.
As a child, I climbed the stairs of the historic lighthouse to the lookout platform for the vast views of the Atlantic Ocean and the marshes. I no longer attempt the climb, but the images of this wonderland from the platform are fixed in my mind -- and in my heart.
Other memories of Hunting Island trips are not so lofty. For example, stopping at the country store on St. Helena Island for an RC and a Moon Pie -- a child's delight.
For centuries, explorers have traveled the world, facing danger and risking their lives hacking through jungles that looked much like Hunting Island. Today, we can have a wonderful adventure discovering this wilderness without the danger and hardship. It is a short ride from our front door to where Highway 21 leads to a magical kingdom by the sea.
The maritime forest has been left intact,
So human construction does not detract
From the awe you feel in its wild aspect,
Closer to town than you might expect.
After tourists and beachcombers have gone,
Night sounds haunt this wilderness until dawn,
When locals begin to fish the lagoons
In secret places beyond the dunes.
The Island Packet and The Beaufort Gazette appreciate all written and photographic submissions from readers. All submissions become the copyrighted property of The Island Packet and The Beaufort Gazette, which may use them for any purpose, including in print and online, without compensation to the submitter.
RELATED CONTENT
- Local dentist donates time to Bluffton-Jasper Volunteers in Medicine after serious illness
- Jasper County students benefit from much-needed summer jobs program
- The Literacy Center celebrates 40 years of success stories
This story was originally published September 13, 2014 at 4:00 PM with the headline "Hunting Island a magical kingdom by the sea."