2025 Hunting Island History Guide

The town of Port Royal, located due south of Beaufort and just north of Parris Island, is a delightful and large Lowcountry community that combines genuine southern hospitality and living with a trickle of local attractions that will appeal to coastal and outdoor lovers of all varieties.

The native Indians were living here seasonally as early as 4000 BC. Evidence of early settlement remains today in the form of a 3400 year old "Indian shell ring" in Hilton Head Island's Sea Pines Forest Preserve.

The expansive St. Helena Island borders the popular tourist communities of Fripp Island to the east and Beaufort to the west, but is a unique and authentic Lowcountry vacation destination or day trip in its own right. Packed with shrimping docks, working farms, fascinating historical sites, and a jamming downtown with a world of shops and restaurants to explore, this lightly populated coastal region is a pleasant surprise with a big personality, and has a lot to offer besides the cool waterfront landscapes.

Great golfing, beautiful beaches, and genuine southern hospitality easily combine on Fripp Island, the most seaward of South Carolina's Sea Islands, and a gorgeous barrier island destination that is a relaxing oceanfront haven for its loyal vacationers.

Beautiful Hunting Island is a bit of a contradiction. Located 15 miles east of Beaufort, the island is completely isolated, with just a handful of campsites and a main Visitor's Center. Despite this fact, the island is also the most visited state park in South Carolina, and one of the most acclaimed beaches in the southeast. Regularly landing on "Top Beaches" lists around the country, (including Trip Advisor's own ranking of "America's Top Ten Beaches"), Hunting Island is an oasis for coastal visitors who crave nothing more than gorgeous shorelines, endless water views, and an abundance of natural surroundings.