This is the best SC state park for summer 2024, Tripadvisor says. Here’s why

Huntington Beach State Park is South Carolina’s best state park, according to a survey of users of Tripadvisor.

The 2,500-acre park is located in Murrells Inlet, just south of Myrtle Beach, and was donated to the state by Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington. Archer was a philanthropist who inherited money from his railroad magnate father, Collis. Anna was a nationally recognized sculptor.

The park includes Atalaya, the Huntngton’s Moorish-style winter home. They also founded the adjacent 9,000-acre Brookgreen Gardens, which is managed by a private foundation and open to the public. The park is known for 3 miles of pristine beach and is home to more than 300 species of birds.

There is also a freshwater lake. Think alligators. People have also spotted mink at the lake.

The park has 173 campsites, six tent-only campsites and three picnic shelters.

Brenda Magers, park manager, said on the Huntington Beach website, “For me, the magic of Huntington Beach is in the salt marsh. I love the long-range views, the seasonal changes and of course, the birds! There is nothing more beautiful than the movement of a flock of birds or the upsweep of kettling wood storks!”

Ranked second is Caesars Head State Park, 17,000 acres with a granitic gneiss outcropping atop the Blue Ridge Escarpment connecting to Jones Gap State Park It actually looks like a profile of Julius Caesar..

From the overlook you can see Greenville on a clear day. From Sept. 1 to Nov. 30, thousands of hawks migrate through the park.

The 4-mile round trip Raven Cliff Falls trail is one of the most popular of the 60 miles of trails in the park. The falls cascade 420 feet into Matthew Creek. There are six other waterfalls accessible to hikers and 18 primitive, backcountry campsites.

The park’s high point in 3,208 feet.

Not too far away and third on the list is Table Rock State Park, 3,000-acres in Pickens County named for Table Rock Mountain. The park also includes Pinnacle Mountain, the tallest totally within South Carolina and built by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the Depression.

It has two lakes, a historic lodge, 94 campsites and 14 CCC-built cabins.

Park Manager Michael Trotter offers this suggestion for first-time visitors: Carrick Creek Falls. “Take a minute to reconnect with your inner child by wading in the pool below the falls—most enjoyable during the warmer months,” he said on the park’s website.

Hunting Island State Park ranked fourth on the Tripadvisor survey but it is South Carolina’s most popular park with more than a million visitors a year.

It includes 5 miles of beach, 5,000 acres of marsh and maritime forest, a saltwater lagoon and an ocean inlet. The park includes a lighthouse built in 1859 and rebuilt in 1875 after it was destroyed during the Civil War. It is the only publicly accessible lighthouse in South Carolina. There are 100 campsites, beach walkways and a playground.

The other top parks on the list — South Carolina has 47 state parks — are:

5 — Edisto Beach State Park, 1,255 acres, four miles of ADA accessible trails, 1.5 miles of beach, two oceanfront picnic shelters and two campgrounds with 120 sites, seven cabins on the saltmarsh.

6 — Paris Mountain State Park — 1,700 acres in Greenville County, 17 miles of hiking and biking trails, four lakes, including one called Lake Placid, 39 paved campsites, five trail-side camping sites, six picnic shelters.

7 — Myrtle Beach State Park, which opened in 1936 as the state’s first park. It was one of 16 South Carolina state parks built by the Civilian Conservation Corps

It has a mile of coastline in a maritime forest amid the sprawl of developed Myrtle Beach.

“Stunning ocean views” the park service says. The fishing pier is a highlight.

There are six cabins located 200 yards from the beach that were built by the CCC and 278 campsites.

8 — Isle of Palms County Park — owned by Charleston County, the park is in the Isle of Palms commercial district and has ocean frontage.

9 — Colonial Dorchester State Historic Site — This is the site of a colonial settled on the Ashley River in 1697. It includes an oyster-shell concrete tabby fort, an Anglican Church bell tower and the remains of an 18th-century wharf once used to shipping logs.

Archaeologists continue to unearth artifacts at the site to better understand the colonial era in South Carolina.

10 — Devils Fork State Park — 7,565 acres of Lake Jocassee and Devils Fork is the only public access, three boat ramps, 20 lakeside villas, 59 standard campsites for RV or tent camping, 25 tent camping sites. One campground is accessible only by boat.