Hilton Head and Daufuskie: Beach Rules, Lighthouse and Ferry

Hilton Head is easy to visit once you know the beach parking rules, and Daufuskie Island is a ferry ride away. These are the Town's and the ferry operators' own figures.

• Beach Parking$3/hrweekdays; $5 weekends
• Pathways72 mithe Town's figure
• Lighthouse114 steps10 am-7:30 pm
• Daufuskie$30one-way adult fare

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Facts below come from official pages read on November 3, 2026. The Town’s beach parking page carries signs of the 2025 season, so check the fees again before you go.

Beaches, Parking and Dogs

Hilton Head’s beach is public below the high water mark, but getting to it is the tricky part.

• The Town says all of the beach is public from the ocean to the high water mark, but access to it is often private; the Town provides access at eight named beach parks. source
• Town beach parks are open daily from 6 am to 10 pm. source
• From March 1 through September 7, visitors pay for parking at all Town beach parks except Coligny Beach Park; enforcement runs daily 7 am to 5 pm. source
• The Town lists parking at $3 per hour per vehicle Monday to Friday and $5 per hour on Saturdays and Sundays. source
• Visitors pay through a phone parking app; the Town says cash is no longer accepted. source
• The Town lists parking citations and fines from $50 to $500, and vehicles outside a marked space can be towed. source
• Coligny Beach Park (1 Coligny Circle) is listed with free parking; its 8 accessible spaces and 8 more at 1 Coligny Circle are noted. source
• Town beach parking permits are free for Town residents only and are not available to non-residents. source
• The Town runs a free seasonal Breeze Trolley, 7 days a week, 1 pm to 10 pm (until 11 pm Friday and Saturday), early April through Labor Day, roughly every 30 minutes. source
• Dogs on the beach, October through March: anytime, on leash or under voice control. source
• Dogs on the beach, April through the Thursday before Memorial Day: 10 am to 5 pm on leash; 5 pm to 10 am on leash or under voice control. source
• Dogs on the beach, Friday before Memorial Day through Labor Day: not allowed 10 am to 5 pm; 5 pm to 10 am on leash or under voice control. source
• Dogs on the beach, Tuesday after Labor Day through September: 10 am to 5 pm on leash; 5 pm to 10 am on leash or under voice control. source
• The Town says a new dog-restricted area near Fish Haul Creek (protecting shorebirds) takes effect once Town Council adopts the code change, and will be signed. source
• The Town's beach rules list glassware, littering, fires and fireworks, motor vehicles, and harming or removing live beach animals as not allowed; fines can reach $1,092.50 per offense. source

Pathways and Sights

• The Town says it provides over 72 miles of public pathways and nature trails. source
• The pathway page lists motor vehicles, golf carts and Class 3 e-bikes as prohibited; Class 1 and 2 e-bikes are listed as allowed. source
• Most pathways are not lit; bikes ridden at night need a red rear reflector and a headlight, per the Town. source
• The island's visitor site separately says Hilton Head has more than 60 miles of leisure pathways. source
• The Coastal Discovery Museum, 70 Honey Horn Drive, lists hours Monday to Saturday 9 am to 4:30 pm and Sunday 11 am to 4:30 pm, with free admission. source
• Harbour Town Lighthouse has 114 steps to the top with museum-style displays on the island's history; hours are 10 am to 7:30 pm daily at 149 Lighthouse Road, phone (843) 671-2810. source
• Sea Pines says a gate pass is required to enter the Sea Pines community and visit restaurants, and the gate is run by Sea Pines Community Service Associates, not the resort. source
• Sea Pines lists dining reimbursement of a gate pass with a check over $30 at Sea Pines Resort restaurants. source

Daufuskie Island by Ferry

Daufuskie has no bridge. Fares and times below are the operators’ own.

• Daufuskie Island has no bridge to the mainland and is reached only by boat or passenger ferry from Hilton Head Island or Bluffton, per the island's visitor site. source
• The visitor site says golf carts are the main way to get around Daufuskie and should be arranged ahead through your ferry or boat service. source
• Island Head runs ferry service from Broad Creek Marina on Hilton Head to Freeport Marina on Daufuskie; one-way fares are $30 adult (13+), $25 child (3-12), $10 infant (2 and under). source
• Island Head asks passengers to arrive 30 minutes before departure; its one-way page gives about 1 hour of ferry time, and its day-trip page says about 45 minutes each way. source
• Island Head's round-trip day package with golf cart is $55 adult, $45 child 3-12, $10 infant; March to November departures are listed at 9am-4pm, 11am-6pm and 1pm-8pm seasonally, and December to February 9am-5pm and 11am-5pm. source
• Island Head lists overnight 4-seat electric golf cart rental at $120 per cart per day. source
• The visitor site names May River Excursions as a ferry from the dock at the end of Calhoun Street in Old Town Bluffton, daily in daylight, reservations required. source
• The Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber visitor office is at 1 Chamber of Commerce Drive, Suite A, phone (843) 785-3673. source

Our Hilton Head Island guide, things to do and 2 Days in Beaufort and Hilton Head go deeper.

What We Could Not Confirm

Sources

1. Island Head – Daufuskie Day Trip Package
2. Island Head – Hilton Head to Daufuskie
3. Coastal Discovery Museum
4. Hilton Head Island visitor site – Contact Us
5. Hilton Head Island visitor site – Getting to Daufuskie
6. Hilton Head Island visitor site – Getting Here
7. Town of Hilton Head Island – Animals on the Beach
8. Town of Hilton Head Island – Public Beach Parks & Access
9. Town of Hilton Head Island – Parking for Beach Parks
10. Town of Hilton Head Island – Resident Beach Parking Permit
11. Town of Hilton Head Island – Beach Regulations
12. Town of Hilton Head Island – Public Pathways
13. Sea Pines – Harbour Town Lighthouse
14. Sea Pines – FAQs

Official pages read on November 3, 2026. How we check: editorial standards; spot a mistake? Tell us.