There’s something about Hilton Head Island that makes you want to get out and explore it. The island’s beautiful weather and flat terrain lend itself well for making discoveries wherever you roam. While many visitors’ preferred method of transportation is beach cruisers, you just can’t beat taking the island in one step at a time in true Slowcountry fashion. Walking to dinner or to the beach is one thing, but if you’re looking for some of the prettiest paths to wander, we’ve listed a few of our favorites below.
Shelter Cove’s Marshside Walking Trail
Located smack dab in the middle of the island, you’ll have a choice of starting at Shelter Cove Towne Center or Shelter Cove Veterans Memorial—both have parking lots for your convenience, but Shelter Cove Towne Center’s parking lot is much larger. The walk itself is bookended by two beautiful parks and is a combination of paved paths and boardwalks that follow the edge of the marsh along Broad Creek. The views are incredible, and you’ll get to view local art as you go. The trail itself isn’t very long and will take you just under a half hour to complete out-and-back.
Shelter Cove Towne Center and Community Park is the most popular starting point since the shopping center offers a wide array of delicious restaurants where visitors can grab a bite to eat before walking the trail. If you’re traveling with children, they will definitely want to stop at the Community Park’s children’s playground before or after your walk. This walking path is dog friendly, as long as Fido stays on his or her leash!
Coastal Discovery Museum’s Nature Trail
The best thing about the Coastal Discovery Museum is that there are plenty of ways to learn about the Lowcountry regardless if you’re inside the Discovery House or exploring the grounds of Honey Horn. If you’ve visited the museum but haven’t explored the surrounding grounds, we highly recommend you make this stop a priority, as the 2-mile trail navigates over saltmarsh, through the museum’s gardens, and along a path that brings you past local art and some of the island’s historic buildings.
The museum offers various programs throughout the week that change seasonally. While some activities on the schedule meet at other locations to better explore the island, there are many tours and activities that meet at the museum itself. During the winter season, we’d recommend the Director’s Walk and the Camellia Garden Talk and Tour if you’d like to better explore the Coastal Discovery Museum’s grounds with an expert.
Audubon-Newhall Preserve
Located right off of Palmetto Bay Rd on the south end of the island, the Audubon-Newhall Preserve is an oasis for bird watchers and those wanting to experience Hilton Head’s natural beauty within the 50 acres of the Preserve. As far as being a great place for walking, visitors are able to enjoy the series of interconnected trails that are easy to navigate from sunrise to sunset. The Preserve does offer parking, and while dogs are permitted, they must be on a leash and cleaned up after.
If you’re interested in a tour of the Audubon-Newhall Preserve, join the free guided tour held every Tuesday morning to learn from a Master Birder or Naturalist. Reservations aren’t required, but visitors hoping to join the tour should be in the parking lot by 8:30am. It’s recommended that you bring water, insect repellant, and a pair of binoculars if you’re interested in spotting any of the more than 140 bird species recorded in the Preserve.
Sea Pines Forest Preserve
It’s no secret that the Sea Pines property is like a little town in itself, offering various hubs for visitors like the iconic Harbour Town Yacht Basin, South Beach Marina, and more. Throughout the property, there are beautiful walking and biking paths for guests of both the Sea Pines Resort and visitors who have purchased a day pass for the property. However great the property as a whole is for a lovely walk, we’d like to highlight a specific area within Sea Pines that often gets overlooked.
The Sea Pines Forest Preserve technically has two entrances, but the official walking entrance (and easiest to find for visitors) is located on the left soon after entering the property from the Greenwood Gate. The preserve has developed into a beautiful sanctuary for local wildlife since its construction in 1970, and visitors can explore its paths, boardwalks, bridges, and fishing docks from sunrise to sunset. Visitors can also learn more about the 4,000-year-old shell ring on its grounds. The Sea Pines Resort also offers guided boat tours, horseback rides, wagon tours, and more on its website.
Fish Haul Beach Park
Technically speaking, this last addition to our walking trail recommendations isn’t exactly a trail, but a beach. Since Hilton Head Island has 12 miles of beaches, why are we recommending this one in particular? Because Fish Haul is the best for a relaxing walk in our opinion.
Fish Haul Beach has both a unique view and waterline. Sure, you can still bring a chair and have a normal beach day, but in our opinion there’s more to discover on your walk. The beachfront looks out onto the Port Royal Sound and offers some of the best beachcombing opportunities on the island. It’s one of the quieter beaches, and we recommend stopping by Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park and Fort Howell since both of them are close by.
