Easy Half Day at Hampton Plantation
Tucked away off of the main route between Charleston and Myrtle Beach, are the quiet remains of Hampton Plantation, a State Historic Site.
There are plenty of old plantations in South Carolina, but this one is a protected South Carolina state park and National Historic Landmark thanks to its incredible history.
Spend a few hours walking the grounds and touring the main house, learning about the many famous people that have visited and lived here.
Enjoy a peaceful half day at Hampton Plantation for a unique look into colonial and antebellum South Carolina!
Top 5 Tips to Know Before Visiting
- Exploring the grounds is free, but the House Tour is well-worth the small fee.
- BUG SPRAY is not optional here, especially in the summer.
- Easy half day trip from either Charleston or Myrtle Beach!
- House Tours are guided only, available Friday through Tuesday at noon and 2PM.
- Pets allowed outside, but not in the House
Where’s the Ultimate Outsider Stamp?
The Ultimate Outsider stamp is at a kiosk by the restrooms, a few short steps from the parking lot.
What Happened at Hampton Plantation?
Hampton Plantation dates back to the pre-Revolution colonial era.
If you’ve spent any time in South Carolina you’ve probably heard the names Horry, Pinckney, and Rutledge. All three politically-prominent families have owned the property at one point.
During the American Revolution, the rice fields at Hampton Plantation helped hide Francis Marion, the famous “swamp fox”, from British troops.
After the war, President George Washington stopped here during his southern tour of the newly established United States.
Hampton Plantation flourished and grew into a huge rice plantation with fields as far as you could see, built entirely off of forced labor from hundreds of enslaved people that lived here.
During the Civil War, Hampton was too far from anything to gain the Union Army’s notice, so it survived intact. At any rate, most of the slaves had been moved to a different family plantation on the Mississippi River before the war even began.
After the Civil War, some of the formerly enslaved families that were still at Hampton opted to stay.
They built better homes and farmed small sections for themselves to feed their families. They watched as the huge fields beyond slowly grew over and disappeared to history.
Descendants of these families still live in the area nearby, tend to the African American cemetery, and contribute to the park’s historical archives.
The last private owner of Hampton Plantation was Archibald Rutledge, South Carolina’s first poet laureate. Born well after the Civil War, he spent some time at Hampton Plantation as a child and then didn’t return for another 30 years.
He lived in the main house with members of his family, reordering the rooms and handling some renovations, but largely leaving the house as it was. Archibald even ran an amateur museum out of the house’s ballroom. He’s buried on-site in a small family plot.
In 1969, the family left the house and sold off most of the furnishings. The house was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1970 due to its architectural and structural features.
The family then sold the land to the State of South Carolina in 1971, when it was declared a state historic site in the state’s park system.
What to Do at Hampton Plantation
There’s not a ton to do here, which makes it a perfect half day trip from Charleston or Myrtle Beach.
It’s fascinating how something tucked away in a corner of nowhere has so much history to it!
Good to Know: You can be in and out of this park in 2-3 hours, including the House Tour.
Self-Guided Walking Tour of the Grounds
The best way to see Hampton Plantation is to just walk around. If it’s summer, apply copious amounts of bug spray first, but it’s still a good idea to walk around.
Start under the huge live oaks by the visitor center and then walk towards the house. A small rice field section remains, which the park uses to demonstrate the various phases of rice production.
At the height of production, none of the underbrush would have been here. All the swampy areas you can see would have been cultivated rice fields with water levels controlled by the hand-dug canals and rice trunks.
Take some time to walk around the House exterior and the huge Washington Oak tree out front. The kitchen building is also intact, near the house, and it’s worth a stroll out back to see Wambaw Creek.
Hike the Nature Trail
There’s now just one trail on the property, easy and flat, but not accessible. (There used to be three short trails, but they’ve had to permanently close a few.)
The Nature Trail circles an old rice field near the house so you get an idea of how rice plantations operated and the conditions enslaved workers would have endured.
Good to Know: Use effective bug spray before taking this walk! Rice fields need standing water to function, so mosquitoes are abundant.
Tour the House
Ranger-led House tours are held every Friday through Tuesday, twice a day at noon and 2PM. If you’re visiting on one of these days, we highly recommend timing it so you can make a house tour!
While these tours do require a fee, it’s 100% worth it. The fee is pretty small but the information provided is huge.
Good to Know: An Annual ALL Park Passport covers the cost of the House tour for up to 4 people per visit, plus admission to every South Carolina State Park for a year.
The House features that amazing columned portico that was added in preparation of George Washington’s visit, but before that portico was added, that was the back of the house.
Plantation homes usually faced the waterways, since that was the faster transportation method and how most guests arrived.
It used to take two days to get to Charleston from here; it’s now a 1 hour drive.
The interior of the home has been preserved, restored, and left alone in various states so you can see how the house functioned throughout its life.
The colonial era faux wood wall painting, the bell pulley system to call servants, and even some wallpaper from the 1930’s can all be seen in this house.
Structural features are laid bare in some rooms, letting you see how this home was built without nails. That’s right, not a single nail used in the original structure.
The 1886 Charleston Earthquake left its mark here at Hampton Plantation, too. The marble fireplace in the ballroom is cracked and lifted, and you can see and feel in the first floor bedroom how the house sank.
There’s even childhood graffiti from the 1700s where the children wrote their names and the date on a door.
If historic homes interest you, this is worth your time!
Admire the Washington Oak
Like every other coastal plantation in South Carolina, there are many absolutely gorgeous live oak trees here. Don’t forget the beautiful magnolia trees either.
The show stopper here, though, is the enormous Washington Oak Tree.
This tree was already pretty big when President George Washington stopped by in 1791. The hostess asked if the tree should be removed to improve the view, and Washington supposedly said to let it stand.
The family referred to it as Washington’s Oak ever since, and the tree has grown into a behemoth beauty, sprawling across the sky.
Fishing
Fishing is allowed in Wambaw Creek, just past the house. Bring lots of bug spray and your freshwater fishing license, and enjoy a peaceful afternoon.
Caution: Alligators live here. They’ll ignore you so long as you don’t threaten them, but give them plenty of space and be careful when fishing. A fish in distress can attract a gator.
Enjoy a Picnic under the Live Oaks
If you’re here for the midday House tour, there’s a good chance you’ll want to eat lunch while you’re here. Pack a lunch and enjoy a picnic at one of the tables by the gift shop!
Good to Know: We don’t suggest this in the summer. There are too many mosquitoes! Eat in your car with the AC, or plan to eat brunch elsewhere before you arrive at the park.
Kayaking
The park doesn’t rent equipment and does not have a boat launch on site.
However, you could book a guided paddling tour from their recommended outfitter, which is a Charleston-based company.
The Wambaw Creek Wilderness Area in Francis Marion National Forest is a beautiful area to explore from the water. There’s no shortage of towering, old trees, wildlife, and faint remnants of the rice plantation age.
Good to Know: The Wambaw Creek tour is under “Tours by Request” in the Charleston Blackwater Kayak Tours section on the outfitter’s website. These must be booked well in advance of your trip.
How to Get to Hampton Plantation
This park is rural but surprisingly easy to reach thanks to the coastal highway, US 17. You’ll turn off of US 17 onto a narrow two-lane road and continue for about 2 miles. The park will be on the right.
Hampton Plantation is just 20 minutes from Georgetown, SC and about halfway between Charleston and Myrtle Beach.
It’s a little less than 1.5 hours from Myrtle Beach and a little more than an hour from Charleston, making this site an easy half day trip from either vacation hot-spot.
If you’re coming in from upstate or further afield, we recommend having other items on your to-do list. We wouldn’t say this park justifies a full day’s exploration by itself.
There are a few other state parks within a couple hours’ drive of Hampton Plantation, if you’re also working on your South Carolina State Parks Ultimate Outsider bucket list.
- Huntington Beach State Park, 1 hour
- Charles Town Landing State Historic Site, 1 hour 10 minutes
- Myrtle Beach State Park, 1 hour 20 minutes
Good to Know: We’ve visited Hampton Plantation, Huntington Beach’s Atalaya Castle, and Myrtle Beach state parks all in one day, and it wasn’t too rushed for us.
Just beware of trying that on a busy summer weekend. You may find yourself stuck in a long park entry line at Huntington Beach or Myrtle Beach.
How Much Does It Cost? Do I Need a Permit?
Hampton Plantation State Historic Site is free entry to explore the grounds!
House tours, however, are a paid program (and totally worth it). Stop in the park office/gift shop to pay the small fee. Adults (16+) are $10, seniors are $6, kids ages 6-15 are $5, and kids 5 and under are free.
Good to Know: A South Carolina State Parks Annual ALL Park Passport covers the cost of the House tour at Hampton Plantation for up to 4 people per visit.
Buy yours online or at any state park. It’s easiest to buy it at the park rather than wait for it to arrive in the mail, in our opinion.
A 7 Day Park Passport is also available for a reduced fee and could be cost effective if you plan it right. You can no longer buy these online. Get one from any park that collects a fee.
A freshwater fishing license is required for fishing in Wambaw Creek on the back (north) border of the park property. Prices vary based on residency. Check the South Carolina DNR website for current rates.
What Else to See Nearby
An easy day trip any time of year, come explore this unique South Carolina state park!
Combine a trip to Hampton Plantation with one of these other nearby sites:
- The Top 5 Best Plantations to Visit in Charleston, SC
- Guide to Huntington Beach State Park’s Atalaya Castle
- Visiting Charles Town Landing State Historic Site
Happy Travels!
Rachel Means is the founder and author of Adventures in the Carolinas. She’s lived in the Carolinas for over a decade and has been creating useful travel guides and tips for almost 5 years. She enjoys sharing fun things to do across the region, not just the big touristy areas. There are plenty of adventures to be had in the Carolinas!
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