This popular state park has the only authentic lighthouse you can tour in SC

Since the early days of our nation, lighthouses have served as beacons to help ships past dangerous waters and safely into port.

And, though South Carolina has several lighthouses along its coast, the 143-year-old Hunting Island lighthouse located at Hunting Island State Park -- South Carolina’s most popular -- is the only historic lighthouse in the state that is open to the public.

After two years of construction, the 133-foot-tall beacon was completed in 1875. Except for a brief pause in 1889, when it was moved to its current location, it guided ships around shoals near Hunting Island. It was retired from service in 1933.

Today, Hunting Island is a state park, with the lighthouse as its centerpiece. Park visitors can tour the lighthouse grounds, check out displays on the history of the light station, and climb the 175 steps to the top for a panoramic view of the Atlantic Ocean and the park.

In honor of National Lighthouse Day, which was celebrated on Tuesday, we took a tour of the lighthouse to create this video on the lighthouse and its history.

This story was originally published August 8, 2018 at 11:07 AM.