The 7th Day Collection / Harbor Island Guide
Harbor Island, South Carolina
A slower way to know the island, from Cedar Reef.
Welcome
Cedar Reef sits on gated Harbor Island, where boardwalks cross the dunes to the beach and evenings are meant for gathering. Just beyond the island, Hunting Island State Park opens into lighthouse, marsh, forest, and a long fishing pier. This guide is here to help you plan those days at an unhurried pace.
With your stay
An SC State Park pass is included with your stay at Cedar Reef. It provides access to Hunting Island State Park, a short drive from the island.
Please check current park hours on the official site before you go. Some activities, such as climbing the lighthouse, may require a separate ticket.
On the island
Harbor Island’s beach is reached by boardwalks over the dunes. From Cedar Reef, two walks lead to the sand. Both are labeled simply “Beach access” on the map below — one from the south end of the building, and one from the north.
Mornings here tend to be quiet: sea oats, a wide stretch of sand, and time to ease into the day. The map later on this page shows Cedar Reef, those boardwalks, and the beach.
A short drive
Just east of Harbor Island, across the Johnson Creek causeway, is Hunting Island State Park — a landscape of maritime forest, salt marsh, and beach, and home to the Hunting Island Lighthouse.
The drive is typically about five to ten minutes, depending on whether you are headed to the lighthouse or farther to the fishing pier at the south end of the park. Your included state park pass covers park admission.
The lighthouse is the only one in South Carolina that visitors may climb when it is open. The climb is 167 steps to an observation deck above the island, the marsh, and the Atlantic. The park also has a nature center, beaches — including the well-known “boneyard” stretch of weathered trees on the sand — and a 950-foot fishing pier that extends into Fripp Inlet. For current hours, programs, and any climb tickets, use the official park pages.
On the water
There are several places nearby to wet a line. On Harbor Island, guests often fish or crab from the island docks. Along the causeway between the islands, people also fish near the Johnson Creek bridge. At the park, the Hunting Island fishing pier extends 950 feet into Fripp Inlet — a favorite for a slower afternoon, whether you are fishing or simply walking out for the view.
In South Carolina, anglers 16 and older generally need a saltwater recreational fishing license when fishing from shore, a private dock, or similar places, including for many kinds of crabbing. There are limited exceptions — for example, fishing from a licensed public fishing pier or a hired charter, or using three or fewer drop nets, fold-up traps, or hookless handlines for crabs. Please read the current rules from the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources before you go, and keep your license with you. Licenses can be purchased through SCDNR.
The table
These are local seafood and Lowcountry kitchens we are glad to point guests toward. Hours change, so please confirm them before you go.
Harbor Island
The closest table — a casual restaurant on the island itself, with marsh views and a menu of local seafood and Southern fare.
St. Helena Island
A family-run lunch counter on Sea Island Parkway, known since 1978 for simple, local seafood. The shrimp burger is the classic order. It is often open for lunch in season; check current hours before you drive over.
St. Helena Island
A casual seafood restaurant with a marsh deck, serving Lowcountry plates such as Frogmore stew, shrimp and grits, and oysters — a relaxed stop on the way to or from the park.
Sea Island Parkway, by Harbor Island
A small, family-run pizzeria just off the island, near Johnson Creek Tavern, with specialty pizzas, wings, grinders, and barbecue. An easy dinner after a beach day; check current hours before you go.
Port Royal
A laid-back waterfront restaurant overlooking Battery Creek, with fresh local seafood, a chilled raw bar of oysters and shrimp, crab cakes, and Sunday brunch. Open for lunch and dinner every day, with a big backyard that works well for families.
Downtown Beaufort
A dinner restaurant on the Beaufort River, known for Lowcountry seafood and a waterfront patio. Beyond the dinner menu, it has a raw bar with fresh oysters on the half shell and a shellfish tower for sharing, plus a full sushi menu of rolls and sashimi. A slower evening in town, when you want the meal itself to feel like the plan.
Downtown Beaufort
A local breakfast staple since 1991, half a block off Bay Street. Expect hearty Southern breakfasts like shrimp and grits, pancakes, and biscuits, plus lunch, served until early afternoon, so plan on a morning visit.
St. Helena Island
A cozy café on Sea Island Parkway with espresso drinks, house-made biscuits, pastries, and local gifts, plus a shaded patio overlooking the marsh. There is also a location downtown, but this one sits right on your route off the island, so make it a must stop on departure day.
Nearby
Historic downtown Beaufort is about 15 miles from Harbor Island, typically a 20- to 25-minute drive. St. Helena Island, along the way, holds some of the area’s most important cultural sites.
St. Helena Island
A National Historic Landmark District on a 50-acre campus of live oaks — among the first schools in the South for formerly enslaved West Africans, and a living center of Gullah Geechee history. Start at the York W. Bailey Museum and walk the campus.
Downtown Beaufort
The social heart of downtown, along the Beaufort River, with swings, shade, and a grassy lawn. Bay Street, just behind the park, is lined with shops, galleries, and places to eat.
Beaufort and St. Helena Island
A National Park Service site that tells the story of Reconstruction in the Beaufort area. Penn Center is one of its campuses; the visitor center is in downtown Beaufort, a short walk from the waterfront.
Downtown Beaufort
Bay Street and the blocks around it are made for wandering, from the bookstore to art galleries and clothiers for grown-ups and kids alike. Families love Monkey’s Uncle, the downtown toy store, and Cook on Bay has everything for cooking during your stay, from kitchen tools to Lowcountry seasonings. Whatever you forgot to pack or want to bring home, you can probably find it downtown.
St. Helena Island
Sea Island Parkway is lined with local markets that make it easy to cook like a local. Pick up wild-caught shrimp, crab, and Frogmore stew packs at Gay Fish Company, family-owned since 1948 with shrimp boats right outside, and stop at Dempsey Farms, a working family farm stand with fresh vegetables and U-pick strawberries in spring. For Gullah heritage, browse Red Piano Too Art Gallery, with Gullah and African American art, quilts, and crafts at the corner of Sea Island Parkway and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, and the Penn Center gift shop, where sweetgrass baskets and books by Gullah artisans support the center’s work. Hours change with the seasons, so call ahead.
Finding your way
This aerial shows Cedar Reef, the two boardwalks labeled Beach access, and the sand beyond the dunes.
Ways to spend the days
Two unhurried outlines, meant to be rearranged around weather, naps, and whatever the table decides.
Plan a stay
The first retreat in The 7th Day Collection is an oceanfront condo on Harbor Island — two bedrooms, sleeps six, with the beach a boardwalk away. For questions, write to 7th Day Collection.
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