The Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center is comprised of four islands; only three of them, North, South and Sand Islands, have an ocean-facing beach. This area was given to the state of South Carolina by Tom Yawkey of Boston. The area is managed by SCDNR. All islands are protected in perpetuity from beachfront development.

North Island, the "crown jewel" of the South Carolina coast, is located at the entrance of Winyah Bay. The 15 km beach reflects a textbook beach profile with dune field that are 100 meters wide in some areas, merging into the salt-pruned thicket community. Some dunes are 3 to 8 meters high and rise above the maritime forest. The north jetty of the Winyah Bay entrance channel is located on North Island and the beach wraps around from the Atlantic Ocean to the Bay. As stipulated in Mr. Yawkey's will, North Island remains as a wilderness area for the benefit of the fish and wildlife within its boundaries. Access is permitted for scientific and educational purposes to include the protection of endangered and threatened sea turtle nesting.