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Hilton Head Island, SC Travel Guide

Red-and-white striped lighthouse among docked yachts and sailboats at a harbor at sunset with live oaks behind

Destinations › Lowcountry › Hilton Head Island

Hilton Head Island is in Beaufort County, in South Carolina's Lowcountry, with about 38,158 residents (2024 Census estimate). The Hilton Head Island visitor site calls the island "America's Favorite Island" and lists beaches, arts and culture, outdoor recreation, family activities, golf, water activities, shopping, biking and guided tours among things to do.

  • Population38,158Census estimate, July 2024
  • CountyBeaufort CountyLowcountry region
  • Our Guides Nearby3parks, attractions, venues within 25 mi
  • Things to Do16 pickshours, costs, kids, dogs

Plan It in Three Lines

  1. Things to Do

    16 picks with hours, costs and kid, dog and rain notes.

    Open the list

  2. Where to Park

    Town beach parks with paid parking (Alder Lane, Burkes Beach, Driessen, Fish Haul, Folly Field, Islanders): $3 per hour Monday-Friday; $5 per hour Saturday and Sunday (per vehicle)

    All parking below

  3. What's On

    Dated events in and around Hilton Head Island, checked on organizer pages.

    Events page

Things to Do in Hilton Head Island Hilton Head Island Events

About Hilton Head Island

  • The Hilton Head Island visitor site calls the island "America's Favorite Island" and lists beaches, arts and culture, outdoor recreation, family activities, golf, water activities, shopping, biking and guided tours among things to do. source
  • The island has 12 miles of white-sand coastline, and all beaches are public from the ocean to the high-water mark. source
  • Hilton Head Island was incorporated as a town in 1983; in 1956 Charles Fraser created a master plan for a resort community and a bridge to the mainland was built the same year. source
  • The island has more than 60 miles of leisure pathways for biking and walking and is rated a Gold Level Bicycle Friendly Community by the American League of Bicyclists. source
  • In September 1862 Mitchelville was established on the island; the visitor site describes it as the first self-governing town of formerly enslaved African Americans. source

Areas Visitors Use

  • Coligny / Forest Beach (south end) Coligny Beach Park is off Coligny Circle with showers, restrooms, wheelchair access, free parking and a Breeze trolley stop. source
  • Sea Pines and Harbour Town (south end) Harbour Town is described by Sea Pines as the island's most famous and visited marina, home to Harbour Town Lighthouse, the Liberty Oak and a playground; Sea Pines is a gated community with its own rules and gate access run by Community Services Associates. source
  • Shelter Cove / Broad Creek (Mid-Island) Shelter Cove Community Park has a playground, performance pavilion, public art and a boardwalk with Broad Creek views. source
  • North end: Mitchelville and Fish Haul Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park and Fish Haul Beach Park are on the north end, near the end of Beach City Road and on Mitchelville Road. source
  • Folly Field / Islanders Beach Folly Field Beach Park (55 Starfish Drive) and Islanders Beach Park (92 Folly Field Road) are Town beach parks on the island's mid to north oceanfront. source

Getting There and Around

  • Hilton Head Island Airport (code HHH) is about 5 miles from all island resorts; American, Delta and United offer year-round and seasonal nonstop flights from eight destinations. source
  • Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport is about 45 miles south of the island, just over the Georgia border. source
  • By car, take I-95 Exit 8 (eight miles north of the Georgia border) onto Highway 278 east and continue about 17 miles, then cross the bridges over the Intracoastal Waterway to the island. source
  • For the south end (Shipyard, Coligny, Forest Beach, Sea Pines) stay left onto Cross Island Parkway; keeping right takes Highway 278 Business / William Hilton Parkway and adds 10 to 15 minutes to a south-end trip. source
  • Amtrak serves Savannah, GA (about a 45-minute trip from the island) and Yemassee, SC (about one hour). source
  • The Breeze trolley is free and runs seasonally, 7 days a week, 1 pm to 10 pm and until 11 pm on Fridays and Saturdays, from early April through Labor Day; trolleys reach each stop about every 30 minutes. source
  • The visitor site says two main Breeze routes connect Shelter Cove, the Village at Wexford, Park Plaza, Lowcountry Celebration Park and Coligny Beach, and the Loggerhead Express runs along U.S. 278 between Shelter Cove Town Centre and Coligny Beach Park. source
  • More than 60 miles of leisure pathways connect residential, commercial and recreation areas; nearly 30 bicycle rental shops offer approximately 15,000 bicycles for rent. source
  • A free Palmetto Breeze shuttle ran from the USCB Hospitality Campus (1 Sandshark Drive) to Coligny Beach Park 10 am to 4:30 pm on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, May 23 through September 1, 2025; confirm the current year's schedule. source

Parking in Hilton Head Island

WhereRateWhenNotesSource
Town beach parks with paid parking (Alder Lane, Burkes Beach, Driessen, Fish Haul, Folly Field, Islanders)$3 per hour Monday-Friday; $5 per hour Saturday and Sunday (per vehicle)Peak season March 1 through September 7; fees enforced daily 7 am to 5 pmBeach parks open daily 6 am to 10 pm. Pay online through a digital parking app; cash is no longer accepted. Unpaid parking citations $50 to $500. Residents with a beach parking permit park free. Page lists Burkes Beach fees as enforced 7 am to 5 pm from May 18 through September 7.source
Coligny Beach Park (102 Pope Avenue; 1 Coligny Circle)FreeYear-roundListed as free for visitors; 8 ADA spaces at 102 Pope Avenue plus 8 ADA at 1 Coligny Circle; additional 220 free spaces with 8 ADA at USCB Hospitality Campus, 1 Sandshark Drive.source
Chaplin Community Park / Burkes Beach (35 Castnet Drive)Same $3/$5 per hour; 246 paid and 12 ADA spaces, plus 136 paid and 4 ADA at 2 Castnet DriveFree each year from early September until mid-May after youth sports season, per the Town news noticeYouth recreational sports parking at Chaplin Community Park is free year-round.source
Space counts at other paid parksSame $3/$5 per hourPeak seasonAlder Lane 22 paid, 1 ADA; Driessen 168 paid, 7 ADA, 3 Bus/RV, 27 reserved for resident permits; Fish Haul 93 paid, 4 ADA (overflow Barker Field lot, 160 Mitchelville Road, 70 free spaces); Folly Field 51 paid, 3 ADA; Islanders 25 paid, 6 ADA, 6 Bus/RV, 127 reserved for resident permits.source
Free for some driversFreeRegistered handicap placard or plate holders park free in accessible spaces at all beach parks; disabled veterans and Purple Heart recipients with the appropriate plate are exempt from municipal meter fees.source

Beaches in Hilton Head Island

BeachAccess and parkingDogsLifeguardsSource
Town beach parks (Alder Lane, Burkes Beach, Coligny, Driessen, Fish Haul, Folly Field, Islanders)All beaches around the island are public from the ocean to the high-water mark; access points are Alder Lane (2 Woodward Ave), Burkes Beach (60 Burkes Beach Road), Coligny (1 Coligny Circle), Driessen (64 Bradley Beach Road), Fish Haul (124 Mitchelville Road), Folly Field (55 Starfish Drive) and Islanders (92 Folly Field Road). Parks open daily 6 am to 10 pm; paid parking at all but Coligny in peak season (see parking). Beach wheelchairs at Coligny, Driessen, Fish Haul, Folly Field and Islanders.Official beach season is April 1 through September 30. October through March: animals any time, leashed or under voice control. April through the Thursday before Memorial Day: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. leash required; 5 p.m.-10 a.m. leashed or under voice control. Friday before Memorial Day through Labor Day: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. animals not allowed on the beach; 5 p.m.-10 a.m. leashed or under voice control. Tuesday after Labor Day through September: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. leash required; 5 p.m.-10 a.m. leashed or under voice control. Owners must remove animal waste. Fish Haul Creek restricted area (about two football fields, roughly 600 feet from the Fish Haul access) takes effect once Town Council adopts the code change.Seasonal lifeguards listed at Alder Lane, Burkes Beach, Coligny, Driessen, Folly Field and Islanders; no season or hours stated on the page; not listed for Fish Haul.source
Beach regulationsNot allowed: fires and fireworks on the beach, dunes and adjacent waters; alcohol, beer or wine; glass containers. Fishing and surfcasting not allowed in Designated Swim Areas April through September, sunrise to sunset; shark fishing prohibited.source

Comparing beaches? See which South Carolina beach to pick.

Dogs

  • Chaplin Community Park has a fully fenced, double-gated dog park where dogs may be off-leash if not aggressive; it is the only dog park on the island per the visitor site. source
  • Dogs are not allowed in areas marked "Animals Prohibited Area"; service dogs follow the same leash and control rules. source
  • Pets are not allowed on Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge lands, including trails and beaches. source

When to Go

  • Atlantic hurricane season runs June 1 to November 30; the peak is September 10, with most activity mid-August to mid-October. source
  • Town beach parking fees apply during peak season, March 1 through September 7; official beach season for animal rules is April 1 to September 30. source
  • The Breeze trolley runs early April through Labor Day. source
  • The visitor site lists the Gullah Celebration and Gullah Heritage Trail Tours as Gullah culture experiences (dates not given). source

Coming Up in and Near Hilton Head Island

15 more on the full events calendar.

Events within 15 miles, measured in a straight line to the centre of the event's town. Dates come from our checked events list; confirm with the organizer.

Near Hilton Head Island

Around Hilton Head Island within 25 miles
10 mi20 mi25 miNSEW123
  1. 1St. Phillips Island State ParkState Parkabout 10 mi
  2. 2Reconstruction Era National Historical ParkNational Historical Parkabout 17 mi
  3. 3Hunting Island State ParkState Parkabout 20 mi

Straight-line distances between map points, not driving miles. Dots sit in their true compass direction; distance is stretched near the middle so close neighbors stay readable.

Nearby Towns With Their Own Guide

FAQ

How much does beach parking cost on Hilton Head?

At Town beach parks other than Coligny, parking is $3 per hour Monday to Friday and $5 per hour Saturday and Sunday from March 1 to September 7, enforced 7 am to 5 pm. Coligny Beach Park parking is free. source

Can I bring my dog to the beach in summer?

From the Friday before Memorial Day through Labor Day, animals are not allowed on the beach from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; outside those hours they must be leashed or under voice control. Rules differ the rest of the year. source

Can I pay for beach parking with cash?

No. The Town says visitors pay online through a digital parking app and cash payments are no longer accepted. source

Is there a free way to get around in summer?

The Breeze trolley is free and runs daily from early April through Labor Day, 1 pm to 10 pm (to 11 pm on Fridays and Saturdays). source

What was Mitchelville?

The Town park page says Mitchelville was the location of the first freedmen community established during the Civil War; the park is at 40 Harriet Tubman Way and is open 6 am to 9 pm (6 am to 6 pm in winter). source

How many people live in Hilton Head Island?

About 38,158, the U.S. Census Bureau’s estimate for July 1, 2024 (Census table).

What We Could Not Confirm

Not confirmed: we looked for these on official pages and did not find them. Check with the town or operator before you rely on them.

  • Sea Pines visitor gate fee: looked on seapines.com home, resort-policies and harbour-town pages; none state an amount (seapines.com says CSA runs gate access). Not included.
  • Harbour Town Lighthouse admission price: seapines.com lighthouse page shows hours but no price (tickets via FareHarbor link). Not included.
  • Mitchelville guided tour times and price: Town page gives park hours only; tour price/days not read from exploremitchelville.org (not read).
  • Visitor center address/hours: hiltonheadisland.org home page lists only a Contact Us link; no address read.
  • Beach lifeguard season and hours: Town beach_parks page says 'Seasonal' without dates.
  • Whether the Fish Haul Creek dog restriction has been adopted by Town Council: animals page says it takes effect on adoption and does not say whether done.
  • The Town parking page includes a 2025 shuttle date range (May 23-September 1, 2025) and may not have been updated for 2026.
  • Visitor-site dog page lists Tuesday after Labor Day through Sep 30 as '1 a.m.-5 p.m.' (appears to be a typo); Town page says 10 a.m.-5 p.m., which is used above.
  • Airport code for Savannah/Hilton Head International not stated on the read pages; Hilton Head Island Airport code HHH is shown on the visitor site home page.
  • Mitchelville Town page says park is free to park; no admission price for the park itself stated.

Sources

  1. U.S. Census Bureau, city and town population estimates, Vintage 2024
  2. Town of Hilton Head Island – Parking for Beach Parks
  3. Town of Hilton Head Island – Animals on the Beach
  4. Town of Hilton Head Island – Public Beach Parks & Access
  5. Town of Hilton Head Island – Beach Regulations
  6. Town of Hilton Head Island – Beach parking fee changes news
  7. Town of Hilton Head Island – Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park
  8. Hilton Head Island Visitor and Convention Bureau – home
  9. HHI VCB – Getting here
  10. HHI VCB – History
  11. HHI VCB – Biking
  12. HHI VCB – Beaches
  13. HHI VCB – Trolley
  14. HHI VCB – Pet friendly
  15. HHI VCB – Parks
  16. HHI VCB – Gullah
  17. Sea Pines – Harbour Town
  18. Sea Pines – Harbour Town Lighthouse
  19. Coastal Discovery Museum
  20. USFWS – Pinckney Island NWR
  21. NOAA National Hurricane Center – climatology

Read on October 26, 2026. How we check: editorial standards; spot a mistake? Tell us.

Cite this page: It's South Carolina, “Hilton Head Island, SC Travel Guide”, itssouthcarolina.com/destinations/lowcountry/hilton-head-island/ (updated ). By the It's South Carolina editorial team. Free to quote with attribution and a link to this page; data and tables are licensed CC BY 4.0.