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Events and things to do in South Carolina, with prices, dates and drive times checked at the source.

2 Days in Beaufort and Hilton Head

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Itineraries › 2 Days in Beaufort and Hilton Head

2 Days In Beaufort And Hilton Head: a 2-day plan with 8 stops, with hours, costs and closed days from each operator's page and the date we read it. No drive times, because no official page gives them.

  • Days2plan, then adjust
  • Stops8each with a source
  • Free2as the operator states
  • Indoors0for a rainy slot

Trip Kit

Plan It With Your People

Pick a start date, then send the plan to your group chat, put every day in your calendar, or open each day as a route in Google Maps.

 
  1. Day 1 Beaufort and the Sea IslandsReconstruction Era National Historical Park (Beaufort visitor center) Beaufort Waterfront Park Penn Center (St. Helena Island) Hunting Island State Park (lighthouse)Route
  2. Day 2 Hilton Head IslandHistoric Mitchelville Freedom Park Coastal Discovery Museum at Honey Horn Harbour Town Lighthouse (Sea Pines) Hilton Head Island public beach access (Town of Hilton Head Island)Route
Whole Trip on One Map

Day 1 Beaufort and The Sea Islands

A river town, a free National Park Service site, and a state park beach.

  1. Reconstruction Era National Historical Park (Beaufort Visitor Center)

    NPS: park headquarters and visitor center in the Old Beaufort Firehouse. Park grounds open sunrise to sunset every day; visitor center hours vary by location. Beaufort County's Fort Frederick Heritage Preserve (601 Old Fort Road, Port Royal) is open daily sunrise to sunset. source

    Cost
    No park admission fees to the visitor center, Brick Baptist Church, or Darrah Hall; some activities at the independently operated Penn Center may charge.
    Where
    706 Craven Street, Beaufort, SC
    Read
    October 26, 2026

  2. Beaufort Waterfront Park

    Seawall promenade, gardens and views of the Beaufort River in downtown Beaufort. source

    Read
    November 3, 2026

  3. Penn Center (St. Helena Island)

    Penn Center says its campus is the former Penn School, one of the nation's first schools for formerly enslaved people, and the only African American National Historic Landmark District in South Carolina. York W. Bailey Museum includes the Education for Freedom exhibit and a self-guided walking tour of 25 historic buildings. source

    Hours
    York W. Bailey Museum Tues-Sat 10:00am-4:00pm (docent-led tours daily at 10:00 am, 12:00 pm, 3:00 pm); Welcome Center Tues-Sat 9:00am-4:00pm; Administration Office Mon-Fri 9:00am-5:00pm
    Cost
    Self-guided tour $10; docent-led tours and documentary daily $15; campus map $5; ages 5 and under free. Parking free.
    Where
    16 Penn Center Circle, St. Helena Island, SC 29920 (from NPS REER search listing; mailing P.O. Box 126 on Penn Center page)
    Read
    October 26, 2026

  4. Hunting Island State Park (Lighthouse)

    Park page: lighthouse built 1859, rebuilt 1875; the only publicly accessible lighthouse in South Carolina; 167 steps to the top with views of the barrier island, Atlantic Ocean and marshlands. Page notice: bridge to Little Hunting Island/Boneyard Beach temporarily closed due to high tides; Nature Center closes Dec 2, 2026 at 1pm. source

    Cost
    Park: $8/adult; $5/SC seniors; $4/child 6-15; free for children 5 and younger
    Dogs
    Pets not allowed in the cabin area, on the pier or inside the lighthouse complex; dogs not permitted on the tip of North Beach past posted markers; leash no longer than six feet elsewhere.
    Where
    2555 Sea Island Pkwy, Hunting Island, SC 29920
    Read
    October 26, 2026

Day 2 Hilton Head Island

Heritage first, then the beach and the lighthouse.

  1. Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park

    Free

    Town of Hilton Head Island: location of the first freedmen community established during the Civil War; park has historic exhibits, interpretive signage, trails, beach access, picnic pavilion, observation gazebo, restrooms, and a Toni Morrison bench placed in 2013. source

    Hours
    Monday-Sunday 6 am-9 pm; winter hours (after Daylight Savings Time ends) 6 am-6 pm
    Cost
    Free parking
    Where
    40 Harriet Tubman Way, Hilton Head Island, SC 29926
    Read
    October 26, 2026

  2. Coastal Discovery Museum at Honey Horn

    Free

    70-acre property with exhibits and trails; guided tours and programs available. source

    Hours
    Monday-Saturday 9 am-4:30 pm; Sunday 11 am-4:30 pm; gates lock 30 minutes after closing; call for holiday hours
    Cost
    Admission free; free parking
    Where
    70 Honey Horn Drive, Hilton Head Island, SC 29926
    Read
    October 26, 2026

  3. Harbour Town Lighthouse (Sea Pines)

    Climb 114 steps through island-history displays to views from the top. source

    Hours
    10 am-7:30 pm daily
    Where
    149 Lighthouse Road, Hilton Head Island
    Read
    November 3, 2026

  4. Hilton Head Island Public Beach Access (Town of Hilton Head Island)

    Town beach parks with public access; all beach below the high water mark is public. source

    Hours
    Beach parks open daily 6 am-10 pm
    Cost
    Parking $3/hour Mon-Fri, $5/hour Sat-Sun, March 1-Sept 7, 7 am-5 pm (not at Coligny Beach Park, which lists free parking)
    Dogs
    Seasonal: not allowed 10 am-5 pm from the Friday before Memorial Day to Labor Day; other times leash or voice control per the Town schedule
    Where
    Coligny Beach Park, 1 Coligny Circle (one of eight Town beach parks)
    Read
    November 3, 2026

FAQ

Where do I park at the Hilton Head beach?

Visitors pay for parking at Town beach parks from March 1 through September 7, except Coligny Beach Park, per the Town. See the Hilton Head page for rates.

Are the hours current?

Each stop shows the date we read the operator’s page. Hours and prices change by season, so use the source link before you go.

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.

  • Driving and walking times between stops: we give none, because no official page states them. Each day links a route button for current directions.
  • Hours and prices change by season. Each stop shows the date we read it and links its source; confirm before you go.
  • Parris Island Museum: we could not read the Marine Corps site, so it is not in this plan. See the Beaufort page for the gap.
  • Beaufort Waterfront Park: hours are not confirmed, and the City reported a 2025 closure of part of the park. Check the City of Beaufort.

Sources

  1. Reconstruction Era National Historical Park (Beaufort visitor center)
  2. Beaufort Waterfront Park
  3. Penn Center (St. Helena Island)
  4. Hunting Island State Park (Lighthouse)
  5. Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park
  6. Coastal Discovery Museum at Honey Horn
  7. Harbour Town Lighthouse (Sea Pines)
  8. Hilton Head Island public beach access (Town of Hilton Head Island)

Read on October 26, 2026. Stops dated October 26, 2026 were read on that day; stops dated November 3, 2026 were read this session. How we check: editorial standards; spot a mistake? Tell us.

Cite this page: It's South Carolina, “2 Days in Beaufort and Hilton Head”, itssouthcarolina.com/itineraries/2-days-beaufort-and-hilton-head/ (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.

Printed from itssouthcarolina.com on . Hours, prices and dates can change, so check with the venue before you go.