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Lighthouses, Live Oaks & Dolphins: Where to Eat, Stay & Explore on Hilton Head Island, SC
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items Some links on this list are affiliate links, so I may earn a commission. I've been to every corner of South Carolina, and if you want a beach trip that feels a little upscale, Hilton Head is the place. Wide, quiet beaches, live oaks dripping with mos...
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Sections
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Things to Do on Hilton Head Island
Nature, History & Day Trips Near Hilton Head
Where to Eat on Hilton Head
Where to Stay on Hilton Head
Boat Tours Worth Booking
Things to Do on Hilton Head Island
Hilton Head's beaches are wide, flat and perfect for walking or biking at low tide. Add a red-and-white lighthouse and a couple of pretty harbors, and you've got your days covered.
If you only get one beach day, make it this one. Restrooms, outdoor showers and ice cream at Coligny Plaza just steps away. Go early, because that lot fills up fast in summer.
Coligny Beach Park
The red-and-white lighthouse from every Hilton Head postcard. Climb to the top for the view, then poke around the harbor shops. Heads up: Sea Pines charges a gate fee per car.
Harbour Town Lighthouse
The calmer side of the island, right on Broad Creek. Waterfront restaurants, shops and a big lawn, plus free concerts and fireworks on summer nights. Lots of boat tours leave from here too.
Shelter Cove Harbour & Marina
Want the beach without the elbow-to-elbow crowd? Head north to Driessen. Long boardwalk, big parking lot, restrooms and a playground. Easy-peasy with kids.
Driessen Beach Park
Nature, History & Day Trips Near Hilton Head
There's more here than beaches: maritime forest, a wildlife refuge, Gullah history and a charming little town just over the bridge.
Proof Hilton Head isn't just beaches. Trails and boardwalks through live oaks and wetlands, gators and herons, and a Native American shell ring about 4,000 years old. Bring bug spray, y'all.
Sea Pines Forest Preserve
Free, flat trails right at the bridge onto the island, with egrets and herons everywhere you look. There are no facilities past the parking lot, so bring water and bug spray.
Pinckney Island Wildlife Refuge
Free, shady and a nice break from the sun. It covers the island's Native American, Gullah and resort history, and the grounds have trails, gardens and a butterfly enclosure.
Coastal Discovery Museum
Don't skip this one. Founded in 1862, Mitchelville was the first self-governed town of freed people in the country. It's a quiet waterfront park now, with easy paths and a powerful story.
Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park
Hop across the bridge for an afternoon in Old Town Bluffton. Art galleries, cafes and cottages on the May River. Start at the Heyward House welcome center, then walk down to the Church of the Cross.
Heyward House & Old Town Bluffton
Where to Eat on Hilton Head
Fresh-caught seafood, sunset decks and Lowcountry cooking. These are well-loved spots on and around the island.
A Hilton Head classic since the 1960s, with shrimp boats docked right out front. Snag a deck table at sunset and order whatever came in fresh. You can't go wrong with the fried shrimp.
Hudson's Seafood House On The Docks
One of the best sunset views on the island. Big, lively and right on the water. Expect a wait in season, so put your name in and grab a Dr Pepper out back by the water.
Skull Creek Boathouse
Pair it with your lighthouse visit. It sits right at the foot of the lighthouse, overlooking the 18th hole. Go for lunch, or head upstairs at sunset.
The Quarterdeck
Shrimp and grits, fried green tomatoes and crab cakes in a laid-back spot near Coligny. A local favorite for breakfast and lunch, and a good way to fuel up before the beach.
A Lowcountry Backyard Restaurant
Don't let the office-park location fool you. Order at the window, grab a checkered-tablecloth table and dig into fresh fried or grilled fish at a fair price. The line out the door says it all.
The Sea Shack
Where to Stay on Hilton Head
From a small inn in Sea Pines to big oceanfront resorts, these hotels make it easy to wake up near the water.
This is the splurge. A small, upscale inn inside Sea Pines, steps from the lighthouse and golf links, with butler-style service. If you want Hilton Head at its fanciest, book here.
The Inn & Club at Harbour Town
Every room faces the ocean, and the pools step right down toward the beach. Great for families who want the beach, pools and restaurants without moving the car all week.
Omni Hilton Head Oceanfront Resort
Oceanfront in Shipyard Plantation, with a big lagoon-style pool under the palms and a short walk to the sand. Solid value for a beachfront stay, and close to Coligny.
Sonesta Resort Hilton Head Island
Want upscale but quieter? The Westin sits on a wide, calm stretch of beach in Port Royal Plantation, with a spa and ocean-view pools, away from the south-end crowds.
The Westin Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa
Stay here if you want to walk everywhere. It's right at Coligny Beach and home of the Tiki Hut, the island's only beachfront bar, with live music most nights.
Beach House Hilton Head Island
Boat Tours Worth Booking
Dolphins are everywhere in the sounds around Hilton Head. These well-reviewed boat and kayak tours get you out on the water to see them.
The tour everybody books, and for good reason. A relaxed covered boat ride where the dolphins swim right up near the boat. Easy for kids and grandparents alike.
Hilton Head Island Dolphin Boat Cruise
There's no bridge, so the boat ride is half the fun. Then you tour by golf cart past Gullah homes, one-room schoolhouses and old churches, and meet local artisans. Like stepping back in time.
Daufuskie Island Guided History Tour from Hilton Head
Kids go nuts for this one. You're on a real shrimp boat watching the crew pull up the net, then digging through shrimp, crabs and fish. Dolphins often follow the boat hoping for scraps.
Hilton Head Shrimp Trawling Boat Cruise
Go at golden hour. Dolphins feeding in the evening light, then the sun dropping over the marsh. A perfect last-night-of-vacation plan.
Hilton Head Sunset Dolphin Watching Cruise
Never kayaked? Start here. A naturalist guide leads you through calm salt marsh creeks, pointing out birds, oyster beds and dolphins along the way.
2-Hour Hilton Head Guided Kayak Nature Tour