Hilton Head Island is my happy place. I feel I say that about many places, but Hilton Head checks all my boxes with outdoor recreation, fascinating history, and natural wonders. The fond memories I have from many family vacations over the years adds to the nostalgia beginning when I was a teenager when my parents bought a timeshare there. Seems like it was yesterday, if yesterday was over 40 years ago.
Located just off the South Carolina coast, Hilton Head lies just 30 minutes east of Savannah, Georgia. When you first arrive, you’ll discover that the island is divided up into several communities and resorts with nautical names such as Shipyard, Sea Pines, Port Royal and Palmetto Dunes. For many years, the names were followed by the word “plantation,” but I’m happy and relieved to report that this distasteful and downright offensive word has slowly been phased out.
Some communities offer better experiences for tourists while others cater to year-round residents. Be aware that some also require you to purchase a day pass if you’re not staying at one of the local resorts, but it’s (literally) a small price to pay to have unfettered access to explore.
Biking
The first order of business for any Hilton Head visitor is to rent a bicycle and wander the 60 miles of bike paths and nature trails where cyclists get an intimate view of the island that motorists miss. My family always rents from Sea Pines Resort Bicycle Shop, but rental companies are everywhere. You can pick up bikes at a shop, and many will deliver them right to your door. Few activities are more relaxing than cruising along the winding trails past thick saw palmettos and draping loblolly pines. Just be aware that you may have to dismount while one of the island’s resident alligators lumbers across your path. All public beaches on the island also allow bikes which are fitted with fatter tires making it easy to ride over sand. Plan your beach ride for early morning or evening to avoid the crowds and for the best opportunity to see dolphins feeding just offshore.
Historical Sites
One of these bike paths lead directly to the front door the Coastal Discovery Museum. This 68-acre site houses a museum, a gift shop, boardwalks, and heritage gardens while offering an array of historical talks and guided tours that detail the island’s history. Browse exhibits that explain the important relationship between residents and the waters that surround them. Shop for locally-made jewelry and artwork in the gift shop. Head out to the boardwalks that lead over the salt marshes and tidal flats to look for osprey soaring overhead and fiddler crabs slinking across the wet sand during low tide. There are many other fascinating historical sites to explore on Hilton Head from a Native American shell ring dating back 4,000 years to the eerie ruins of the Stoney-Baynard home built by Captain John “Saucy Jack” Stoney in the late 1700’s.
Natural wonders
The pine forests, tidal creeks, and wetlands covering Hilton Head add to the island’s beauty as well as provide a home to a variety of plants and animals. You’ll be hard pressed to spend a day on Hilton Head and not see dolphins splashing in the waves, great blue herons plucking along the tidal flats, and alligators basking on the banks of the many ponds. Cruise the open ocean waters on a dolphin cruise or take a peaceful kayak tour in Broad Creek Estuary. For a truly unique view of this low country landscape, hop on the 12-passenger boat tour offered by H2Osports in Sea Pines Forest Preserve to float below palmettos and oak trees draped with Spanish moss where white ibis perch above and alligators slip through the waters below.
Fun, Fun, Fun
When you want to just have some fun, a range of adventures are at your fingertips. Little ones will love a crabbing excursion with Captain Kid Adventures. Each passenger gets a chicken neck, a basket, and a brief lesson on crabbing before casting a basket over the side to await the nibble of a blue crab. Whoever catches the most receives a T-shirt and bragging rights as a master crabber. If the thought of a club or racket in your hand gives you a special thrill, Hilton Head is your place. The island is repeatedly named one of the top golf and tennis resorts in the world. Greens and courts blanket the island so there’s never a shortage of places to play.
Be sure to check out one of the most iconic sites on the island, the towering candy cane-striped Harbour Town Lighthouse that watches over the wharf of Sea Pines Resort. Climb to the top to get an expansive view then stroll among the many shops in Harbour Town before grabbing a table at the Quarterdeck to dine on fresh seafood with a colorful boat drink in hand while watching the sun disappear over the distant waves.
