Huntington Beach State Park South Carolina
As you enter Huntington Beach State Park there is a sign advising you that it is against the law to feed the alligators. More on this later.
The park sits immediately south of Murrell’s Inlet which is itself about 15 miles south of Myrtle Beach SC. It has about three miles of beachfront, saltwater and freshwater marshes, a jetty, a campground, several trails, a visitor’s center, and a nature center. We were there for bird photography, but I’m always looking for an alligator shot when I’m where they live.
The campground is very large with over 130 campsites. It is nicely laid out with lots of grass and protected from the wind, which was enough for small craft warnings the entire time we were there. We would have preferred the wind to the bugs which found Joyce rather tasty.
The restrooms had cockroaches, one of which was large enough to rival those of Washington DC, where they are so big that the rats get out of their way. That’s apparently a feature not a bug. We saw a sign of things birds like to eat, and sure enough, there was a picture of cockroach included.
Murrell’s Inlet is a small town that is dedicated to the tourist business. It has a boardwalk with a marsh on one side and restaurants on the other. While the price for the meal we ate was high compared to rural Tennessee where we live, it was reasonable for a tourist spot. Based on the layout and marketing, though, a lot more drinking than eating takes place here.
We were told that songbirds were migrating through, but because of the winds, I guess, they weren’t out where good photographs could be taken. It was a bit early for migrating sea and marsh birds. Still, we did get a few good bird pictures. I think that’s good for a two-night first visit. Knowing what we know now, we will be more productive on our next visit.
Loggerhead Turtles lay eggs in the sand dunes here, and the park is committed to protecting them. No lights are allowed on the beach or in the dunes during the months May through October. Walking on the dunes is prohibited. Nests in areas where walking is allowed are protected by signs and metal cages.
Then, there are alligators. It’s hard to imagine that there are so many people silly enough to feed an alligator that a sign is required. As it was, we saw some similarly silly behavior. An alligator was crossing the entrance causeway. People flanked it, standing within the body length of the animal. It had to stress the alligator, and they were putting themselves at serious risk.
Go to Huntington Beach State Park. Enjoy the place and the animals, but give the animals their room, especially the turtles, the water moccasins, and the alligators.
