From staff reports
For those who haven’t been able to take advantage of the beauty of Hunting Island State Park because of mobility issues, a gift from the Ford Motor Company and its Bronco Wild Fund (BWF) may have just given them a shot at accessing Beaufort County’s crown jewel.
Hunting Island State Park is one of the 18 parks around the country to receive an all-terrain track chair from Ford Motor Company and the BWF. These adventure-ready, battery-powered chairs have wide and rugged tracks that make it possible for visitors with various levels of mobility impairments to explore the park’s trails and beaches – areas where regular wheelchairs typically can’t traverse.
“We are grateful and honored to be selected to receive a track chair at one of South Carolina’s most popular state parks,” Director of the South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Duane Parrish said in a news release. “Helping more people experience the fun, beauty, and solitude found in our state parks is an ongoing effort. Track chairs are an incredible accessibility innovation. We’re thrilled for the countless visitors who have access to explore one of South Carolina’s most iconic landscapes for the first time thanks to the support of Bronco Wild Fund, and its commitment to ensuring access for all.”
Hunting Island applied for the track chair through a partnership program between BWF and America’s State Parks. The program received applications from 79 applicants in 33 states, narrowing the winners down to 18 parks, with three winners in each of America’s State Park’s six regions. The other winners from the Southeast region are state parks in Tennessee and Alabama.
“It was a competitive program,” said Sam Queen, spokesperson for the SC Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism. “The park applied early in the fall. (The chair) technically awarded in late 2023, and it arrived in late 2023.”
Queen said Hunting Island State Park applied for the gift at the individual park level rather than the state applying. She said a park staff member found out about the contest, and the staff entered.
The new track chair is an Action Trackchair AXIS model, which offers users comfort and safety as they trek through wooded or beach trails, covering a variety of uneven and sandy terrain, for up to seven miles.
Visitors are encouraged to call the park to reserve the track chair at least 48 hours in advance to ensure availability. There is no additional charge to use the track chair, but a Park Passport or park admission is required for entry for all visitors. Park passes are $8 for adults $5 for seniors, $4 for children ages 6 through 15 and free for children 5 and younger. Photo ID and acknowledgment of operating instructions are required for every user.
Hunting Island State Park attracts more than a million visitors every year. Home to a vast array of land and marine wildlife, the barrier island boasts five miles of white sandy beaches, thousands of acres of marsh and maritime forest, a saltwater lagoon, and an ocean inlet.
The park’s historic lighthouse is currently closed for renovations, but a virtual reality headset is available to guide you up the iron staircase to the top of the lighthouse, with views from every angle of the gallery – all without leaving the ground.
The park is one of South Carolina’s 16 original state parks built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. Learn more about Hunting Island State Park at southcarolinaparks.com/hunting-island.
