2025 Nature Spots Guide

The Parris Island Marine Corps Base is easily one of the most recognizable marine corps bases in the country, if not the world, even though it is located on a small and undeveloped island on the outskirts of coastal South Carolina.

Beaufort's downtown, which earned its own place on the National Register of Historic Places in 1969, is easily one of the most visited and all-encompassing "attractions" that this coastal community has to offer. The expansive series of standard city blocks feature a wide variety of historical residences, gardens, houses of worship, and ancient graveyards, and the fantastic history and antebellum legacy can be admired in person around virtually every street corner.

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.

Visitors cruising along US Highway 70 in between the towns of Morehead City and Beaufort will briefly travel over a small parcel of land that makes a momentary appearance in between the two on-the-water bridges. This small slip of terrain is known as Radio Island, and it’s certainly more than meets the eye. Home to a yacht club, several marinas, a scenic beach, a fishing pier, and multiple boat or kayak launching areas, Radio Island offers visitors a surprisingly large number of things to do while being relatively “close to home” for Morehead City or Beaufort vacationers and locals. Definitely worth a second look, Radio Island is a unique component of the Crystal Coast landscape, and is worthy of exploration in more ways than one.

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.