Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

About Hilton Head

Hilton Head is a large barrier island located in Beaufort County. Isolated until the mid-20th century, electricity came to the island in 1950 and a two-lane swing bridge made the island accessible to cars in 1956. Today, Hilton Head is such a popular golfing and vacation destination that the population as much as quadruples during the summer months.

Hilton Head is known for its Heritage Golf Tournament, held each year. It also offers lots of shopping and plenty of good places to eat. Its location on the Atlantic Ocean means there are plenty of beautiful beaches to enjoy, including Folly Field Beach and Coligny Beach. If you like history, you won't want to miss these historic plantations on Hilton Head.

Bluffton is the closest town to Hilton Head. It is immediately across the Intra-Coastal Waterway on US 278. Here is a map of Hilton Head Island.

Be sure to check out Hilton Head in the South Carolina Picture Project as well as Hilton Head web cams.

Things to Do

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Hilton Head Accomodations

Hotels in Hilton Head

Hilton Head's most popular draw is, of course, its beach, which stretches roughly 14 miles from Port Royal Sound at the north end of the island to Calibogue Sound at the south end. While technically the entire area is one long beach, there are seven public-access points along the coast, and these points are popularly referred to as seven different beaches: Burke's Beach, Coligny Beach (Forest Beach), Dreissen Beach Park (Singleton Beach), Folly Field Beach, Fish Haul Creek Park (also called Mitchelville Beach Park), and Islander's Beach. There are also several "private" beaches on Hilton Head Island, accessible primarily to residents and guests, including South Beach and Sea Pines. However, all beaches in South Carolina are publicly-owned, and even if they do not provide public parking, they can be accessed by anyone via foot or boat.

The first list of hotels below covers all hotels in Hilton Head, while the links after it focus on hotels, condos, and vacation rentals near specific beaches – or shopping destinations. Shopping, after all, is Hilton Head's second most popular draw!

Hotels in Hilton Head

A great guide to the many hotels on Hilton Head Island! Explore Hilton Head hotel photos, videos, room rates, amenities, reviews, and then book your Hilton Head hotel reservation online.
Hotels near Palmetto Dunes

Located near the middle of Hilton Head's coast, Palmetto Dunes offers three miles of sun-kissed Atlantic Ocean beachfront between Burkes Beach and Coligny Beach Plaza. The Palmetto Dunes resort also features three world-class golf courses, various condo and vacation home rentals, a full service marina, an award-winning tennis center, and an 11-mile lagoon. Please note that Palmetto Dunes does NOT have its own full-service hotel, but both the Marriott Resort & Spa Hilton Head Island and the Omni Hilton Head Oceanfront Resort are located within the Palmetto Dunes property.
Hotels near Shipyard Plantation

Covering approximately 800 acres, Shipyard Plantation is conveniently located in the scenic heart of the south end of Hilton Head Island. This residential/resort community offers a first-class resort hotel, championship golf and tennis, trails for biking and jogging, a health spa, and most importantly – the beach. Shipyard Plantation is also located between Burkes Beach and Coligny Beach Park, just south of Palmetto Dunes.
Hotels near Forest Beach

North and South Forest Beach are accessible via Coligny Beach Plaza. South Forest Beach is also accessible via the Alder Lane access point; it is the last beach on Hilton Head with public parking and segues into Sea Pines and South Beach.
Hotels near Tanger Outlets Hilton Head

As mentioned above, shopping is a big ticket item in Hilton Head, and the Tanger Outlets are particularly popular. If shopping is high on your list of things to do while in Hilton Head, you can use this guide to find the most convenient accommodations – those closest to Tanger.

Hilton Head Attractions

Hilton Head Island is home to so many wonderful and unique attractions, from grand plantation ruins to one of the most important Freedmen's villages in South Carolina. Use our guide below to find out which destinations you won't want to miss.

Braddock's Point Plantation

The tabby structure ruins are comprised of a foundation and the outer structure or shell of the home. Now part of the Sea Pines Plantation property and listed on the National Register of Historical Places, the thousands of oyster shells create a unique, honeycomb texture.

Coligny Beach

Coligny Beach is located at the end of Pope Avenue off Coligny Plaza on Hilton Head Island. The Town of Hilton Head Island purchased five acres in 1988 to create Coligny Beach Park, which includes showers, changing stalls, umbrella rentals, and handicapped access to the ocean. Coligny Beach has lifeguards in the summer.

Folly Field Beach

Folly Field Beach, a favorite among surfers, is located on the "Mid-Island" section of Hilton Head. The first beach cottages were built on Folly Field Beach in 1953 to attract more visitors to Hilton Head Island. It has since become one of the most popular family beaches on the island, offering a boardwalk, playground, and picnic areas.

Harbour Town

While not historic, the Harbour Town Lighthouse is nevertheless an iconic image of Hilton Head. This 90-foot tower was built in 1970 – the first privately-financed lighthouse to be constructed since the early 1800s. Many visitors enjoy the beautiful view the lighthouse offers of Hilton Head, Daufuskie Island, and the Calibogue Sound.

Leamington Lighthouse

Also known as the Hilton Head Rear Range Light, this tower served as part of a lighthouse system that was constructed in 1880 to guide ships into the Port Royal Sound. Located on the former Leamington Plantation, the front and rear range lights replaced a set erected by the federal government in 1863.

Mackay Creek

Separating Hilton Head Island from the mainland is Mackay Creek. The creek is also one of the waterways surrounding the Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge, along with Skull Creek and the Port Royal Sound.

Mitchelville

The Civil War changed the lives of both planters and slaves on Hilton Head Island. Gradually a plan was formulated for the education, welfare, and employment of the blacks, combining both government and missionary efforts. The Department of the South, headquartered on Hilton Head, became a "Department of Experiments."

Museums in Hilton Head

Hilton Head Island is home to two museums - including one that encourages the exploration of the natural history and cultural heritage of the island - and there are even more in surrounding Beaufort County. Be sure to check each of them out with this helpful directory to Hilton Head area museums.

Pinckney Island Wildlife Refuge

Located in beautiful Beaufort County near Hilton Head Island and bounded by the Intracoastal Waterway, the Pinckney Island Wildlife Refuge includes former plantation land once owned by Major General Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, Revolutionary War veteran and delegate to the Constitutional Convention.

Shopping in Hilton Head

Hilton Head is a shopaholic's mecca, and this guide to boutiques, shopping centers, and outlet malls will help you find all the best stores near and on the island.

Stoney-Baynard Plantation

The ruins of this unusual mansion on Hilton Head Island date to the late eighteenth or early nineteenth century. An anomaly among Hilton Head plantation houses, it was built with tabby – a combination of crushed oyster shells, whole oyster shells, water, and lime.

Hilton Head Arts, Entertainment, Dining

Hilton Head Events

Hilton Head Recreation, Sports, Clubs

Hilton Head Maps, Transportation

Hilton Head is located at the southernmost tip of South Carolina, about 20 minutes from I-95 via Exit 8.

Hilton Head Maps

Hilton Head Transportation

Hilton Head Jobs, Careers

Jobs in Hilton Head

Our exclusive Hilton Head job board organizes jobs by type of employer, company name, and area within Hilton Head.

Hilton Head Businesses

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Hilton Head Businesses

For a full guide to businesses located in and around Hilton Head, please see our South Carolina Business Directory.

Photographers in Hilton Head

If you are looking for a wedding, portrait, commercial, or nature photographer in Hilton Head, please use this guide:

Photographers in Hilton Head

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Real Estate in Hilton Head

Hilton Head Island's beautiful beaches and many activities makes it an attractive location for year-round residents. The following guides will put you in touch with the resources you need to help you buy, sell, build, or move.

Other Hilton Head Businesses

Restaurants in Hilton Head

Hilton Head Economic Development

Hilton Head's economy is overwhelmingly tourism-driven, and its main economic development organization is its joint chamber and visitors bureau.

Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce

The mission of the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton Chamber of Commerce is to advance the interests of its 1,600+ members while stimulating the Hilton Head area's economy. The chamber also operates a Visitor & Convention Bureau for Hilton Head.

Hilton Head News & Media

Hilton Head has one daily paper, the Island Packet. Other Hilton Head newspapers and magazines can be found here:

Hilton Head newspapers, magazines

Hilton Head lies within the Savannah, Georgia service area, and most of its television and radio stations are located there:

Hilton Head Government

Hilton Head is located in Beaufort County. Although Beaufort is the county seat, Hilton Head has a larger population – the ninth largest in South Carolina, with just under 40,000 residents according to the 2010 census.

Town of Hilton Head

Beaufort County

Hilton Head Area Towns, Communities

Other towns and cities near Hilton Head Island, SC include:

Beaufort

Chartered in 1711, Beaufort (pronounced "BYOO-fort") is the seat of Beaufort County. This is where Jean Ribault and his fellow Huguenots established Charlesfort in 1562 making the town the second oldest in South Carolina, with only Charleston being older. In French, "beau" means beautiful, handsome, lovely, or fine ... and after even the shortest of visits, you'll know both the city and county are aptly named.

Bluffton

Bluffton is Hilton Head Island's closest mainland neighbor. In the early 1800s, rice and cotton planters from the "Low Country" built summer houses on this "High Bluff" overlooking the May River. Away from the heat, mosquitoes, and malaria, they enjoyed the weather, the water, and the abundant fish, clams, oysters, and shrimp. These features are still enjoyed by Bluffton's residents today.

Daufuskie Island

Daufuskie Island is a sea island located at the southern tip of Beaufort County. Savannah, Georgia is one hour to the east, separated by the Intracoastal Waterway and the Savannah River. People can reach Daufuskie Island only by boat, with the ride from Hilton Head Island being about 30 minutes. The Gullah culture is alive and well on many South Carolina's sea islands, including Daufuskie.

Okatie

Okatie is an unincorporated area located in southcentral Jasper County and continues into western Beaufort County midway between I-95 and SC 462. It is pronounced OH - kuh - tee. This one-room school house, the Old Barrel Landing School, is the second one to sit on this property in Okatie. The first was built prior to the Civil War, but it burned by the end of the nineteenth century.

Other communities near Hilton Head are Bull Island, Callawassie Island, Daws Island, and Pritchardville.

Hilton Head Schools, Colleges, Libraries

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Hilton Head Libraries, Archives

Hilton Head Churches, Nonprofits

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Hilton Head Churches

Hilton Head Nonprofits

Hilton Head Senior Citizen Organizations

Hilton Head History, Genealogy

Hilton Head has a surprisingly rich history, ranging from an abundance of antebellum plantations to the remains of a post-war African-American community called Mitchelville. As noted above, Hilton Head was once a flourishing Gullah community. Gullah is a unique culture present only in the sea islands of South Carolina. This community was largely destroyed beginning in 1956 when the James F. Byrnes Bridge opened, connecting then-rural Hilton Head to the mainland and an onslaught of tourists, hotels, and housing developments. (This two-lane swing bridge was replaced by a four-lane bridge in 1892.) Hilton Head is named for Captain William Hilton, who discovered the island in 1663.