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Hilton Head Island sits at the southern tip of South Carolina's coast, a foot-shaped barrier island of live oaks, salt marsh and long, firm beaches. Much of it was developed from the 1950s onward as planned resort communities called plantations, but its deeper history belongs to the Gullah people, descendants of enslaved West Africans whose culture still shapes the Lowcountry.
In Sea Pines, the red-and-white lighthouse overlooks the yacht basin at Harbour Town, and the adjacent Harbour Town Golf Links hosts a PGA Tour event each spring. The same community protects the Sea Pines Forest Preserve, with boardwalks over wetlands, and the tabby walls of the Stoney-Baynard Ruins. Coligny Beach Park is the liveliest public beach, while Driessen and Folly Field beaches feel calmer, and Shelter Cove offers waterfront dining and boat tours. To understand the island's past, the Coastal Discovery Museum at Honey Horn covers natural and cultural history, Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park marks a town founded by freed people during the Civil War, and Fort Howell's earthworks were built by Black Union soldiers.
More than a hundred miles of paved paths make biking the default way to explore. Families, golfers and beach walkers make up much of the crowd. Savannah and Beaufort are both within easy reach for a day of history and architecture.
WiserMap travel guideHilton Head Island South Carolina Gullah History and BeachesExplore Hilton Head Island: Harbour Town Lighthouse, Coligny Beach, Sea Pines Forest Preserve, Mitchelville, bike paths, Gullah history and Lowcountry seafood.Read the guide
A marina village in Sea Pines with shops, restaurants and the red and white striped Harbour Town Lighthouse, which has a small museum and 114 steps to a viewing deck over Calibogue Sound. In summer, the Liberty Oak hosts family music shows in the evening. Entering Sea Pines by car requires a daily gate fee.
A famous golf course designed by Pete Dye with Jack Nicklaus, opened in 1969 in Sea Pines, home of the RBC Heritage PGA Tour event each April. Its 18th hole runs along Calibogue Sound toward the lighthouse. The public can play here, though green fees are high; book tee times well in advance.
A 605-acre nature preserve inside Sea Pines with trails and boardwalks through forest, wetlands and lakes, where you can see alligators, wading birds and deer. It also has a Native American shell ring about 4,000 years old. Entry is free once inside Sea Pines, and it is good for a quiet walk or bike ride.
A wildlife refuge on the causeway just before Hilton Head, with about 14 miles of trails across salt marsh, ponds and maritime forest. It is excellent for birdwatching, with egrets, herons, ibises and roseate spoonbills, and alligators in the ponds. Entry is free; bring water and bug spray, as only hiking and biking are allowed.
The tabby ruins of a plantation house built in the late 1700s by Captain John Stoney, later owned by William Baynard, in the Sea Pines area. The site includes the remains of the main house and slave quarters. It is small and quiet, reached by a short path. Read the signs to learn about the island's plantation era.
The site of Mitchelville, founded in 1862 as one of the first self-governed towns for freed people in the United States, during the Union occupation of Hilton Head. Today the park has interpretive signs, a replica house, a walking trail and a beach. It is free to visit, and guided tours are offered at times.
An earthwork fort built in 1864 by Union troops, including the 32nd United States Colored Infantry, to protect Mitchelville. The well-preserved earthen walls are reached by a short trail through the woods. It is free and quiet, and interpretive signs explain its history. Bring bug spray in the warm months.
A small historic cemetery on the north end with graves of Revolutionary War patriots, and the Baynard Mausoleum, built in 1846 for the family of planter William Baynard and said to be the oldest intact structure on Hilton Head. The site is free and takes only a few minutes to see, near the main highway.
The island's busiest public beach, at the end of Pope Avenue, with a playful entrance area of fountains and swings, restrooms, showers and boardwalks. Shops, restaurants and bike rentals are across the street at Coligny Plaza. Parking fills up quickly in summer, so arrive early or ride a bike.
A quieter public beach park on the mid island's ocean side, with a long boardwalk through marsh and dunes, picnic areas, a playground and restrooms. Nearby Folly Field Beach is another uncrowded spot. Parking fees apply in season, and the wide hard-packed sand at low tide is perfect for bike rides.
A harbor and shopping area on Broad Creek with a marina, waterfront restaurants and shops at Shelter Cove Towne Centre. Boat tours, dolphin cruises and fishing charters leave from the marina. In summer, concerts and fireworks are held on the harbor on some evenings. It is a pleasant spot for a sunset dinner.
A museum on the historic Honey Horn plantation with exhibits on natural history, Native American and Gullah history and the island's past, plus a butterfly habitat, marsh boardwalks and huge live oaks. Admission is free, with paid guided tours and programs. It is a good introduction to the area.
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South Carolina, United States
South Carolina, United States
South Carolina, United States
South Carolina, United States
South Carolina, United States
South Carolina, United States
South Carolina, United States
South Carolina, United States
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