Fort Fremont Historical Preserve and History Center

Fort Fremont is one of the most unexpected sights in the Lowcountry: two hulking concrete gun batteries from the Spanish-American War era, half-swallowed by maritime forest on the southern tip of St. Helena Island, looking out over the Beaufort River toward Port Royal Sound. The fort was built in 1898 to protect the U.S. Naval Station at Parris Island, whose dry dock and coaling station were important to the Atlantic fleet during the war with Spain. Beaufort County's account adds a striking footnote: the USS Maine stopped at the fort's waters for provisions on its way to Havana, where its sinking helped start the war. The fort never fired a shot in anger, and after the war it fell into disuse, but its batteries survived, and it is now on the National Register of Historic Places. Beaufort County bought the preserve and fort through its Rural and Critical Lands Preservation Program in 2004 and 2010, and in 2022 it opened a history center with scale models and interpretive displays that explain how the fort worked and who served here. You can walk through the batteries' dark corridors and magazines and climb to the gun emplacements for views across the water, with the help of interpretive signs and ADA-accessible pathways. The grounds are open daily from dawn to dusk, and access and parking are free. The free history center opens Thursday and Friday from 10am to 2pm, Saturday from 10am to 4pm and Sunday from 1pm to 4pm, and docent-led tours are available by request on Saturdays. There is a picnic pavilion, restrooms and drinking fountains, making it an easy stop on the way to Hunting Island.

Exploring the batteries is the main event. The concrete structures are big, shadowy and a little eerie, with passages, rooms and stairways that children find thrilling and photographers love, especially where the light falls through openings onto the walls. Bring a flashlight or use your phone's light in the darker sections, watch your footing on uneven surfaces, and keep a close eye on young children near edges and drops. The views from the top of the batteries across the river toward Parris Island show exactly why the site was chosen.

The preserve's natural side is a bonus. The fort sits in a pocket of maritime forest and marsh edge, and Beaufort County runs occasional trail talks and nature programs here. The Friends of Fort Fremont, the volunteer group that supports the site, holds events through the year and offers Saturday docent tours by request; check its website for the calendar. Insect repellent is essential in warm months.

Fit it into a St. Helena Island day. From Beaufort, drive out past the Penn Center to Fort Fremont, spend an hour among the batteries and in the history center, then continue to Hunting Island State Park for the lighthouse and beach. Visit Thursday to Sunday if you want the history center open; the grounds alone are worth the stop on any day. It is about an hour and a half from Hilton Head.