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Overview
The park is divided into three different environments. A causeway separates the tidal inlet from a brackish pond called the Mullet Pond for the predominent species of fish. Specialized water handling mechanisms originate in the old slave days called trunks are used to add and remove water to the pond. Two fresh water sources keep the pond from becoming too salty for the alligators to spend much of the day in the pond. The Mullet pond is separated from the Mallard Pond a fresh water environment where the alligators live by the carriage path that runs from Atalaya to Brookgreen Gardens. This path was used to move the large sculptures from the studio to the gardens.
The unique environment has made the park a home and migratory stop for a large number of bird species. Over 300 species of birds have been seen in the park.
Birds
Notable Species
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Rarities
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Check-list
Birds you can see here include:
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Other Wildlife
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Site Information
History and Use
The park, originally the property of Anna Hyatt Huntington and Archer M. Huntington, was leased after his death and takes its name from him. The 2500 acre (10 km²) tract was leased to the state in 1960 for use as a state park. Mrs. Huntington died in 1973. Atalaya was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984, and was included in the designation of Atalaya and Brookgreen Gardens as a National Historic Landmark in 1984. He and his wife's winter home, Atalaya Castle, is located in the park. Built during the Great Depression by only local workers, the residence was designed to withstand hurricanes.
The studio of his wife, the noted 20th-century American sculptor Anna Hyatt Huntington, was part of the compound. Many of her significant sculptures are in nearby Brookgreen Gardens, an extension of the former Huntington estate, now a public sculpture garden.
Historically the area of the park was a rice plantation which extended from the ocean to beyond the Waccamaw River which parallels the coast. After the Civil War the rice growing dwindled out and the plantations passed hands many times until the Huntingtons bought the land, which was actually 4 plantations, around 1930. Brookgreen was one of the original plantation names.
Areas of Interest
There is a spillway for overflow from the Mallard pond to the Mullet pond. The alligators (the parks biggest attraction) can be seen in all three environment, but usually return to the Mallard pond after feeding at night and early daylight in the Mullet Pond or the Inlet.
Access and Facilities
- Admission: $5 adults, $3.25 seniors, $3 children 5-15, free for under 5s - there is a separate admission charge for the Atalaya building
- Opening times: every day at 6 a.m. Closing times vary with the season, see their website
The Nature Center was destroyed by fire recently, but other areas are open again:
- Wildlife Observation deck and boardwalk
- Beach access, picnic shelter, all parking lots and campgrounds
- Beach bath house, park office, the historic Atalaya structure and trails into the maritime forest
Contact Details
16148 Ocean Hwy
Murrell's Inlet
SC 29576
- Phone: 843-237-4440
- Email: huntingtonbeach@scprt.com
External Links
- South Carolina Parks, Huntington Beach
- Huntington Beach SP bird checklist
- Directions to Huntington Beach SP
- Huntington Beach State Park on Google Maps
GSearch checked for 2020 platform.
