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I found out about Huntington Beach State Park when I did an online search for campgrounds along the Grand Strand.
The campground at HBSP was very nice and seemed to be well maintained. Most of the sites had more than adequate shade, but were also accommodating for even the largest of RVs. We stayed in a pop-up camper with our two dogs, a pitbull/chow cross and a German shepherd dog.
The campground is laid out very well. The sites are situated such that campers are not crammed in on top of one another, and there was plenty of room for our two dogs to be tied on 20 foot long tie outs without being in the way of other campers or getting tangled up in each other's lines. The campground appears to be extremely dog friendly, with 'poop bag stations' in several locations in case you forget to bring a bag with you when you walk your dog. There were many, many campers there with dogs.
Beach access is easily accessible to everyone, including people in wheelchairs or parents with strollers, via a raised boardwalk from the campground all the way to the beach. There was a floodlight on the side of the bath house, which made me feel safe going to the bathroom during the night, as it lit up the area very well, without being obtrusive and shining directly into the campsites.
The bath house that was near our campsite needed to be updated. There were some cracked and loose tiles on the floor, and green stuff growing in a couple of the faucet heads, both at the sinks and the showers. There was indication of mildew/mold on
the benches at the showers themselves, and the tile grout in the showers needed to be scrubbed because it looked dirty. There was also little privacy for those taking a shower. The only curtain was for the shower itself, so you had to undress and dress either in the shower behind the curtain, or out in the open for whoever walked by to see. I overheard other campers saying that the other bath house was newer and better, but I did not see it for myself. The toilets, countertops, and sinks appeared clean. We and other campers did use our Lysol spray in the shower areas, though.
Atalaya 'Castle,' the winter home of Arthur and Anna Hyatt Huntington, is open to the public and can be toured alone or with a guide. Brookgreen Gardens is across the street on the opposite side of Hwy 17, and requires at least one full day to see everything there. Myrtle Beach is about 10 miles up the coast, and Georgetown is to the Southwest.
Not directly related to the campground, I did want to say that the Sandpiper Pond trail needs some work. I was not impressed with it at all. The pond is grown up and so are the viewing sites, so we really only got to see the pond at the beginning of the trail, at the first raised viewing area. It's a fairly long trail, and is a bit confusing, because it was not well marked. The freshwater
lagoon and saltwater marsh, on the other hand, provide excellent wildlife viewing opportunities. We saw several alligators, herons and other birds. The Education Center at HBSP provides some good programs and 'excursions' that are fun for young and old.
  
Received from Kristen C for visit in Oct 2006 |
Site Number: 10
Stay Again? YES |
