Pack a picnic & explore Huntington Beach State Park
Huntington Beach State Park is such a fun and breathtakingly beautiful place to visit with kids! We love to pack a picnic and spent the afternoon exploring. There are plenty of picnic tables in the shade by Atalaya Castle. Here are Love & Lemons picnic food ideas that will make you want to step up your picnic game.
Huntington Beach State Park Price
Huntington Beach State Park is located in Murrells Inlet, directly across Highway 17 from Brookgreen Gardens. Admission is $8/adult; $5/ S.C. Senior; $4/youth age 6-15; Free for children 5 and younger. There are plenty of beaches, walking trails, piers, and picnic areas plus Atalaya to explore for a day.
Explore (and photograph!) Atalaya Castle
Atalaya Castle is GORGEOUS and arguably the best spot in the Grand Strand for beautiful instagram photos. It’s $2 admission for anyone older than 6.
The Atalaya Castle at Huntington Beach State Park is a photographer’s dream location – old, monochrome stone walls. Moss-filled walls. Pretty red brick. Arches, ironwork, palm trees, and brick patterns. You get the picture. (see what I did there?)
Walk through the swampy woods to the pier to look for alligators. I got some gorgeous photos… but it was kind of hot and icky on the walk to the pier. Once we got to the pier, the kids LOVED spotting all of the wildlife, especially the alligators. Ickiness was worth it.
The boardwalk is another fun place to explore and look for crabs. The kids just loved being outside. I was actually surprised by how long we looked into the water watching the crabs scoot around. We spotted plenty of birds, too.
When there are no distractions, its crazy how something uneventful like looking for crabs can be endlessly entertaining.
If you’re looking for a fun afternoon of exploring, check out Huntington Beach State Park! We had a blast.
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