Coastal Discovery Museum

100 William Hilton Parkway (US 278).

(843) 689-6767

The Coastal Discovery Museum (at the foot of the Bridge, next to Crazy Crab)

Open year round, call for special tours & schedules.

Hands-on exploring of the history, wildlife and heritage of Hilton Head Island.

The Lowcountry's cultural and environmental heritage  is interpreted through interactive exhibits, tours, walks, cruises, programs and a unique Museum gift shop.

Self Family Arts Center

15 Shelter Cove Lane, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

843 686 3945

Includes an art gallery and theater for the Hilton Head Playhouse

Shelter Cove Harbour and Palmetto Dunes

Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

The following is a description of one of the “plantations” on Hilton Head Island :

Palmetto Dunes Plantation is set on a three mile stretch of white sandy beaches. This makes it ideal for a variety of watersports, including wind-surfing, sailing and beach cruising. It features three championship golf courses. The Palmetto Dunes Tennis Center has 25 courts. Convenient bicycle paths wind through beautiful Palmetto Dunes and Shelter Cove Marina. At Shelter Cove you will enjoy many boutiques, excellent dining and spectacular views.

The Beach

Five beach accesses include Alder Lane, Coligny Beach Park, Driessen Beach Park, Folly Field Beach Park and Islanders Beach Park.

Sea Pines Forest Preserve

Sea Pines Plantation,

Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

Gullah 'n' Geechie Mahn Tours

847 Sea Island Pkwy.

843/838-7516

tours are at 9:45 and 1:45.

has tours of Beaufort and sea islands such as St. Helena that focus on the traditions of African-American culture.

Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge

On US 278, 1/2 mile west of Hilton Head. 

Open daily dawn to dusk.

7.9 mile round trip.

Contains over 4000 acres of salt marsh and small islands.  14 miles of trails for walking or biking; no cars allowed past the parking lot.  

Waddell Mariculture Research and Development Center

On Sawmill Creek Road about 3 miles west of Hilton Head.

Near the intersection of 278 and SC46. 

The center researches the cultivation of marketable marine life.  Tours of  the facility and ponds by appointment only.

Grove Plantation.

Grove Plantation, Jebossee Island Rd., Edisto Island 

843/889-3084. 

Free.

Daily 7:30-4.

This 850,000-acre area, named for the rivers that bound it (the Ashepoo, Combahee, and Edisto), is one of the largest, most pristine estuarine ecosystems in North America. More than 100 bird species, sea turtles, otters, and other wildlife live here, 17 of which are endangered or threatened, including the wood stork and loggerhead sea turtle.

Harbour Town Lighthouse

The lighthouse was constructed by developer Charles Fraser in 1970 and is internationally recognized as the symbol of Hilton Head.

Audubon-Newhall Preserve.

Palmetto Bay Rd., Hilton Head Island, 

843/785-5775. 

Free.

Daily dawn-dusk.

Located in the south of the island, the preserve is 50 acres of pristine forest, where you'll find native plant life identified and tagged. There are trails, a self-guided tour, and seasonal plant walks

Edisto Beach State Park.

843/869-3396

This park has 3 miles of beach with excellent shelling, housekeeping cabins by the marsh, and campsites by the ocean (though severe erosion limits availability). Luxury resort development has begun to encroach around the edges of the park

Edisto Island Presbyterian Church.

2164 U.S. 174, Edisto Island

843/869-2326. 

Free.

Grounds and cemetery, daily 9-5; church usually locked except during services.

Though founded in 1685, the present church dates from 1830. The pink Legare mausoleum at the back of the cemetery is said to be haunted by the ghost of a young girl who was inadvertently buried alive in it.

Edisto Museum.

2343 U.S. 174, Edisto Island, 

843/869-1954. 

Admission charged.

Tues., Thurs., Sat. 1-4.

This tiny museum houses artifacts and historical items about the history of Edisto.

Henry C. Chambers Waterfront Park.

This park, off Bay Street, is a great place to survey the scene. Barbra Streisand filmed Prince of Tides here. Its 7 landscaped acres along the Beaufort River, part of the Intracoastal Waterway, include a seawall promenade, a crafts market, gardens, and a marina. Some events of the popular mid-July Beaufort Water Festival, as well as a seasonal farmers' and crafts market, take place here.

Hilton Head Beaches.

Hilton Head Island has 12 miles of ocean beach, and although the resort beaches are reserved for guests and residents, there are four public entrances to the beach. Two main parking and changing areas are at Coligny Circle, near the Holiday Inn, and on Folly Field Road, off U.S. 278. Signs along U.S. 278 point the way to Bradley and Singleton beaches, where parking space is limited.

Sea Pines Forest Preserve.

Hilton Head Island, accessible via U.S. 278, 

843/785-3333. 

Sea Pines Plantation

Cost  per car for nonguests, includes access to preserve.

Daily dawn-dusk; closed during Heritage Golf Classic in Apr.

Sea Pines is a 605-acre public wilderness tract with walking trails, a fishing pond, a waterfowl pond, and a 3,400-year-old Indian shell ring. Both guided and self-guided tours are available.

York W. Bailey Museum.

Land's End Rd., St. Helena Island, 

843/838-2432. 

Donation suggested.

Tues.-Fri. 11-4 and by appointment.

The museum was named after a Penn School graduate, the first African-American doctor to serve the Sea Islands. The collection includes photographs, arts, and crafts of the Gullah people, as well as oral histories.

Animal Life on Hilton Head Island

Wildlife abounds on land, in lagoons and in the ocean of Hilton Head Island

Birds:  Sanderlings and Sandpipers. Egrets are found more often in lagoons and marshes than on the beach. These are the large, pure white, long legged birds with a very long thin neck. The Great White Egret is the larger one, distinguished by a yellow beak. The smaller Snowy Egret has a black beak. During nesting season both these birds display beautiful, long, delicate plumes. The huge grayish blue birds similar to Egrets are Great Blue Herons. They can be seen in lagoons and marshes, but they do come to the beach at dusk and often remain until nightfall. 

The Ibis, often found on golf courses is identified by a long, curved beak. The Ibis is white when mature, but the young are mostly brown.

The Wood Stork is becoming more common on Hilton Head as they lose their habitat in Florida , due to wetlands drainage. This bird looks all white when walking, but reveals half black wings (underside) when flying. The Wood Stork is endangered, with a declining population.

Brown Pelicans glide gracefully through the air,  skimming above the water

The dark colored birds standing with their wings outstretched are either Anhingas or Cormorants. Cormorants are more common and can be identified by a hooked beak, whereas the Anhinga has a straight, pointed beak. They feed by swimming under water.

The most common bird on the beach is the Sea Gull. They are scavengers, usually eating dead things that wash up on the beach.

Hilton Head's inland birds include songbirds such as the Cardinal, Tufted Titmouse, Mocking Bird , Sparrow, Chickadee, Woodpecker and Wren. Grackles, a type of blackbird, are very common and very noisy.  The males are an iridescent black and the females are brown. Ring-necked Turtle Doves are becoming increasingly common. They are a smoky beige in color, with a black band at the back of their necks.  Finches, Warblers, Hummingbirds various Ducks and Vireos, among others, are migratory visitors. 

Other than the beach, the best places for bird watching on Hilton Head are the Sea Pines Forest Preserve and the Audubon Newhall preserve on Palmetto Bay road.

Alligators:  Alligators in Hilton Head can grow to about 12 feet in length. 

Turtles:  The turtles sunning themselves on the banks of lagoons are Diamondback Terrapins.  Count the rings on the "diamonds" on it's shell, to tell its age in years.

The sea turtle you might see will likely be a Loggerhead.  These turtles can grow up to four feet in length, weighing 400 pounds.  Only one Loggerhead egg in 1,000 will result in a hatchling becoming an adult.  Loggerhead hatchlings are guided to the ocean by the reflection of starlight on the water.  The laws that protect Loggerheads provide extremely severe penalties for anyone who disturbs a nest or interferes with the hatchlings rush to the sea and also requires lights visible from the beach to be extinguished or shielded. 

 Dolphins:  Dolphins are mammals, not fish.  Technically, they are "toothed whales" , with only one blowhole (nostril). Mothers  take care of their young during their first year. They can grow up to 12 feet in length and 800 Lbs. in weight and can swim at speed up to 45 mph. Since Dolphins are air breathing they are easily spotted when they surface for air.

Dolphins abound in the waters around Hilton Head. You can see them from the beach or from a boat. About 200 of the dolphin population is permanent, but many more are migratory. Many dolphins are friendly to humans and will come up to a boat out of curiosity.

Zodiac boats hold six people plus the captain and can go almost anywhere. You are almost certain to see dolphin when traveling in a zodiac boat.

Crustaceans:  Common crustaceans on Hilton Head are crabs and shrimp. The only edible crab here is the Blue Crab, which is actually mostly green, except for the legs. Other crabs are:

Ghost crabs, which live in holes in the sand above the tide line.

Fiddler crabs are abundant in the mud flats at low tide, They are smaller than a dime and live in holes they dig in the mud.

Hermit crabs live in discarded shells .

Stone crabs are less common. They  can grow up to five inches in width, and are reddish brown in color. 

Horseshoe crabs are  not crabs at all - they are related to spiders. Their large shells, up to 8 inches across and sometimes including legs and their spiny tail, are common on the beaches. Horseshoe crabs are fierce looking but completely harmless to humans.

The shrimp caught in the waters off Hilton Head are Brown shrimp, Pink shrimp, and White shrimp.

Side Trips

There are four main places of interest to visitors to Hilton Head:

Daufuskie Island  is accessible only by boat, is across Calibogue Sound from Hilton Head. There are golf courses, condominiums, and gated residential communities, but the charm lies in the sparsely inhabited areas. Much like Hilton Head was before the bridge, the roads are unpaved and motor vehicles are  rare. Travel is by foot or by golf cart, except for a few tour buses.

Savannah, GA  was recently made famous by the book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. You can drive (about 50 minutes to downtown) or you can go by boat (The Spirit of Harbour Town) - the time is about the same. Savannah has much history and charm. One of the best ways to tour is to take one of the ''trolley" tours.

The Riverfront is one of the most recent additions to Savannah.  All of the old factories have been turned into restaurants, boutiques, antique shops, and art galleries. What was once the  least desirable area has become one of the most popular.  The complex can be entered at the river level.  Above this are four levels of shops, etc.  At street level one emerges onto Factors Walk, a cobblestone street with markers at intervals telling the name of the city and county in which the cobblestones originated in that section of the walkway.

There are many excellent narrated tours of the city which describe its architecture and history.

Beaufort, SC is about the same distance in the opposite direction. It has much beauty and fascinating history.   In more modern times it  has been the site of several movies. It is best to tour Beaufort  by horse drawn carriage.  Highlights are the lovely antebellum mansions. 

Charleston, SC is about a two hour + drive north  There is so much to see and do in Charleston, and the distance is such that it is probably best to make that a separate trip in itself rather than trying to append it to a visit to Hilton Head.