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Explore Hilton Head

Step into the Lowcountry. Salt marsh and live oaks. Twelve miles of beach. Towns that have been telling the same stories for three hundred years. You’ve arrived somewhere worth lingering.
Your bearings

A handful of worlds, all within a short drive.

Hilton Head Island Airport sits at the center of South Carolina’s coastal Lowcountry, with easy access to barrier islands, historic towns, and the Georgia coast. Everything on this map is within an hour’s drive — or a short ferry ride.

  • Hilton Head Island
  • Bluffton
  • Daufuskie Island
  • Beaufort
  • St. Helena Island
Harbour Town Lighthouse overlooking the marina at Hilton Head Island, framed by oak trees and waterfront docks on a sunny day.
Coastal & Inland

Lowcountry Life

From coastal views to inland adventures, these photos offer a glimpse into the destinations and communities that make the Lowcountry special.

Commercial fishing boats docked along a waterfront at sunrise, reflecting on calm water in the South Carolina Lowcountry.
18th hole at Harbour Town Golf Links
White horse in wooden fence
Landsacpe view of beaufort south carolina
Oysters sitting on a picnic tbale over ice
Wooden boardwalk extending over a coastal marsh, framed by palmetto trees and overlooking calm water.
Group of kayakers paddling through a calm Lowcountry marsh surrounded by grasses and coastal waterways.
Wooden boardwalk and observation deck overlooking a marsh at sunset.
Baby sea turtle making its way through shallow water across a sandy beach.
Harbour Town Lighthouse overlooking the marina at Hilton Head Island, framed by oak trees and waterfront docks on a sunny day.
Two people riding bikes on a bike path at sunset
sea turtle heading towards the ocean during sunset
Forsyth Park fountain in Savannah, Georgia, surrounded by oak trees draped in Spanish moss and illuminated by historic streetlights.
By area

Six places, one Lowcountry

South Carolina

Hilton Head Island

A foot-shaped barrier island lined with twelve miles of unbroken Atlantic beach, ringed by salt marsh and threaded with leisure paths. World-class resorts and tucked-away corners in equal measure — you can land, get to your bike, and be on the sand inside an hour.

On site          12 miles of beach          24+ golf courses

Worth a stop
  • Coligny Beach Park
  • Sea Pines Forest Preserve
  • Shelter Cove Towne Centre
  • Harbour Town Lighthouse
  • Coastal Discovery Museum
  • Pinckney Island Refuge
Visit Hilton Head Island
Harbour Town Lighthouse overlooking a marina filled with boats at sunset on Hilton Head Island, with calm water reflecting the colorful lighthouse and sky.
South Carolina

Bluffton

A village of moss-draped oaks and tin-roofed cottages perched on a bluff above the May River. Old Town’s brick streets are lined with art galleries, oyster bars, and porches where the iced tea is always sweet. Twenty minutes from HHH, but a different century.

20 min          Founded 1825          Old Town 1 sq mi

Worth a stop

  • Church of the Cross
  • Old Town Bluffton galleries
  • Heyward House Museum
  • May River Oyster Co.
  • Bluffton Farmers Market
  • Calhoun Street antiques
Explore Bluffton
Commercial fishing boats docked along a waterfront at sunrise, reflecting on calm water in the South Carolina Lowcountry.
South Carolina

Daufuskie Island

Five square miles of sandy roads, longleaf pine, and Gullah history with no bridge to the mainland. You arrive by ferry, get around by golf cart, and leave with a different sense of time. Day-trippable, but worth a night if you can spare it.

Ferry only          Population ~400          No paved roads

Worth a stop

  • Daufuskie Island Rum Co.
  • Bloody Point Lighthouse
  • Silver Dew Pottery
  • Mary Field Cemetery
  • Daufuskie Island History Museum
  • Ferry from Hilton Head
Explore Daufuskie
Tree-lined dirt road on Daufuskie Island shaded by large oak trees draped with Spanish moss.
South Carolina

Beaufort

One of the most-intact antebellum towns in the country — block after block of pastel-painted homes, wraparound porches, and centuries-old live oaks. The waterfront looks out across Port Royal Sound. Films love it. Locals love it more. About forty-five minutes north of HHH.

45 min          Founded 1711          300+ historic homes

Worth a stop

  • Henry C. Chambers Park
  • John Mark Verdier House
  • Hunting Island State Park
  • Beaufort Historic District
  • Bay Street shopping
  • Carriage tours of downtown
Visit Beaufort SC
Landsacpe view of beaufort south carolina
South Carolina

St. Helena Island

The cultural heart of Gullah-Geechee country — descendants of West African enslaved people who built a vibrant Sea Island tradition still alive in food, language, and craft today. Penn Center, founded in 1862 as one of the first schools for freed slaves, anchors a story that runs deep.

50 min          Penn Center est. 1862          64,000 Sea Island acres

Worth a stop

  • Penn Center & York W. Bailey Museum
  • Chapel of Ease ruins
  • Fripp Island beaches
  • Gullah Heritage tours
  • Red Piano Too gallery
  • Gullah Grub restaurant
Visit Penn Center
Ruins of the historic Chapel of Ease on St. Helena Island, framed by large oak trees draped in Spanish moss.
Things to do

Pick a pace, find your day

From dawn casts in the creeks to slow oyster lunches, here are some ways to spend it. Swipe to browse.
Wooden boardwalk leading through lush trees to a covered observation deck overlooking a scenic salt marsh under a clear blue sky.

Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park

A defining landmark in American history and a cornerstone of America 250.
Ice cream sundae with vanilla ice cream, hot fudge, and whipped cream in a glass cup

Old Fashioned Ice Cream Parlor

Homemade waffle cones, milkshakes, floats, and plenty of classic flavors. Great stop after exploring downtown.
Group of kayakers paddling through a calm Lowcountry marsh surrounded by grasses and coastal waterways.

Dolphin Watch by Kayak

Paddle Broad Creek and meet the bottlenose pod that calls it home.
Wooden directional signs on Daufuskie Island pointing to local landmarks, surrounded by lush Lowcountry vegetation.

Golf Cart Island Day

Ferry over, rent a cart, find the rum distillery and the Bloody Point lighthouse.
Picnic table beneath live oak trees draped with Spanish moss in a peaceful park setting.

Sea Pines Forest Preserve

This protected nature area has walking paths, boat tours & an archaeological site made of seashells.
Woman shopping at an outdoor market while carrying a tote bag, with vendors and shoppers in the background.

Old Town Gallery Crawl

Half a dozen artists’ studios within a few walkable blocks.
Sailboat anchored on calm water at sunset with golden reflections across the water and a glowing sky.

May River Sunset Cruise

Glass of wine, pod of dolphins, golden hour over the marsh.
18th hole at Harbour Town Golf Links

Tee off at Harbour Town

The home of the RBC Heritage — Pete Dye’s masterpiece on Calibogue Sound.
Sunrise over a sandy beach with gentle waves, colorful clouds, and reflections stretching across the wet shoreline.

Sunrise Beach Walk

Twelve miles of unbroken sand — bring coffee and start at Coligny.
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Travel with care

Keep Hilton Head Island beautiful.

The marsh, the maritime forest, the loggerhead nests on the dark beach at night — what makes the Lowcountry feel timeless is also fragile. Every visitor who treats this place gently keeps it that way for the next.

Take the pledge. Tread lightly. Then go enjoy every square mile of it.

Make the promise
The Promise

"I promise to leave this island better than I found it."

  • Stay off the dunes. They hold the island together.
  • No artificial light on the beach after dusk during turtle season.
  • Pack out what you pack in, including fishing line.
  • Yield to wildlife — alligators, dolphins, and shorebirds were here first.
  • Support local: the family-run, the small, the homegrown.

Information Provided By · Visit Hilton Head Island · Explore Bluffton · Daufuskie Island · Visit Beaufort SC · Penn Center 

Hilton Head Island Airport
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