Riverfront
Walk Bay Street into Waterfront Park
Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park faces the Beaufort River with swings, marina views, and restaurants close to the historic storefronts on Bay Street.
Start with the town →Beaufort, South Carolina
Beaufort riverfront and Hunting Island
Bay Street, Reconstruction history, tidal creeks, and seafood sit within reach of Hunting Island’s beach, lighthouse, and maritime forest.
Start in Beaufort
Walk the riverfront, then follow US 21 into the Sea Islands
Atlantic coast
Find five miles of beach beyond the marsh
Hunting Island State Park combines Atlantic beach, a historic lighthouse, maritime forest, and saltwater lagoon at the end of the Sea Islands road.
See the coast guide →
Reconstruction history
Begin downtown, then continue to St. Helena
The Old Beaufort Firehouse introduces Reconstruction Era National Historical Park; Penn Center and Brick Baptist Church extend the story on St. Helena Island.
See Beaufort activities →
Why Beaufort
Live oaks shade a riverfront with Reconstruction-era landmarks.
Waterfront Park and Bay Street make Beaufort easy to explore on foot, while the Old Beaufort Firehouse, Reconstruction-era sites, churchyards, and historic homes explain why the city matters. East of town, US 21 crosses tidal creeks and St. Helena Island before reaching Hunting Island.
Why stay in Beaufort
Bay Street keeps meals, galleries, and river walks close after the island drive
Beaufort is more than the nearest collection of rooms and restaurants to Hunting Island. The compact historic district puts Waterfront Park, Bay Street, galleries, churchyards, and the Reconstruction Era National Historical Park visitor center within a comfortable walk. A downtown room also puts a shower, a river view, and dinner close together after the beach drive.
The wider trip follows the Sea Islands east. Penn Center and Brick Baptist Church place St. Helena Island inside the Reconstruction and Gullah Geechee story. At Hunting Island, the landscape changes to maritime forest, lagoon, lighthouse, and Atlantic beach. These are distinct visits, not stops to compress into one afternoon.
Four Beaufort scenes
Riverfront, live-oak streets, tidal marsh, and Atlantic beach
