It’s no secret that Hilton Head Island is beautiful. While keeping the island clean and looking nice is always a priority, the main reason the island always looks pristine and natural, is due to its start as the United States’ first eco-planned community. Preserving natural habitats as Hilton Head grew into what it is today was the main goal from the start. That’s why visitors won’t see flashy neon signs or even many lights at all, and why everything just seems to blend into the natural landscape.
Being such a big part of the island’s identity that appeals to locals as well as visitors, learning about Hilton Head Islands’ wildlife, local habitats, and conservation efforts is extremely fascinating and definitely worth your time on your next visit. To help get you started, we’ve come up with a list of the best eco-tours to take, be it on land, water, and even by air!
LAND
Coastal Discovery Museum Walking Tours
Coastal Discovery Museum
Website | (843) 689-6767
70 Honey Horn Dr, Hilton Head Island, SC 29926
The Coastal Discovery Museum is an immersive experience for visitors who want to learn more about the Lowcountry’s cultural history and ecology. Inside the museum, you can view various exhibits that tell Hilton Head Island’s story across its wildlife, Gullah heritage, fishing industries, and more. In addition to the museum, there are historic buildings, native gardens, and scenic trails that are all free to explore. The museum offers a seasonal calendar that includes both free and ticketed events and activities, some of which we’d like to highlight for the purposes of this article:
- The Explore Honey Horn Walk is a guided tour around the museum’s grounds. Visitors will see and learn about the Honey Horn property’s past as well as its natural history.
- $15 Adults, $7 Ages 4-12 | 1.5 Hours
- The Director’s Walk is led by Museum Director, Rex Garniewicz, and is 90-minutes and covers two miles of the property’s shell pathways and other trails.
- $25 | Ages 13+ | 1.5 Hours
- The Salt Marsh Discovery Tour is open to all ages and is a great way to learn about the island’s salt marsh and why it’s so vital to the region’s ecosystem. While children under 3 are free, it is not recommended for their age group.
- $15 Adults, $7 Ages 4-12 | 1.5 Hours
Eco Discovery Tour
Hilton Head Segway
Website | (843) 800-6004
70 Honey Horn Dr, Hilton Head Island, SC 29926
$95 | 90 Minutes | 10+ years | Book Online
Explore the trails surrounding the Coastal Discovery Museum and at Jarvis Creek Park on a fun Segway ride with friends and family. The Eco Discovery Tour is guided and narrated, allowing riders to stop and learn more about the different features of the Coastal Discovery Museum like the Live Oaks and Spanish moss, Camellia Gardens, Marsh Tacky Horse, tidal changes in the nearby salt marsh, Butterfly House and more. This tour is perfect for those who are looking to explore at a relaxed pace.
Eco Fun Ride
Hilton Head Segway
Website | (843) 800-6004
70 Honey Horn Dr, Hilton Head Island, SC 29926
$95 | 90 Minutes | 12+ years | Book Online
This guided, but non-narrated tour, is a faster-paced version of the Eco Discovery Tour, allowing riders to ride in a beautiful 70-acre nature preserve complete with Live Oaks swathed in Spanish Moss, an expansive Camellia Garden, boardwalks over the salt marsh, and other features of the Coastal Discovery Museum like the Butterfly House, resident Marsh Tacky horse, and more.
WATER
Guided Paddleboard Tour
Island Head HHI
Website | (843) 686-4386
43 Jenkins Rd, Hilton Head Island, SC 29926
$40 | 1 Hour | All Ages | Book Online
Have you ever wanted to try paddleboarding? Or, are you just looking to explore the island’s surrounding waterways on a guided tour? Your friends and family will love Island Head’s Guided Paddleboard Tour through the beautiful and calm waterways of Skull Creek. Whether this will be your first time on a paddleboard, or you’re an advanced paddler, everyone will have a great time navigating through the Lowcountry marsh. Paddlers will be able to spot many indigenous wildlife species, and they will have a great chance of seeing an Atlantic bottlenose dolphin.
Guided Kayak Tour
Island Head HHI
Website | (843) 686-4386
43 Jenkins Rd, Hilton Head Island, SC 29926
$40 Single, $75 Tandem | 1.5 Hours| All Ages | Book Online
What better way to experience the island’s surrounding waterways and rich marshland ecosystems than a Guided Kayak Tour? There’s no experience necessary to reserve your group’s kayaks—single and tandem (two-person) kayaks are available! Kayakers will be able to explore Skull Creek and learn more about the area’s history and wildlife from an expert tour guide. Spot indigenous bird species like the brown pelican, egrets, herons, osprey, bald eagles, and more. You’ll also be able to see one or two of the many resident Atlantic bottlenose dolphins in person.
Other recommended tours include Island Head HHI’s Sunrise Guided Kayak Tour as well as the Sunset Guided Kayak Tour.
AIR
Hilton Head Eco-Tour
Hilton Head Helicopter Tours
Website | (843) 977-3380
38 Gateway Cir, Hilton Head Island, SC 29926
$269+ | 45 Miles | All Ages | Book Online
All tours given by Hilton Head Helicopter Tours give riders the experience to see the island from an entirely new perspective. Each tour allows for incredible birds’ eye views of the island’s natural landscape, but the Hilton Head Eco-Tour is designed specifically for the nature lovers out there. During the flight, you’ll be able to see remote beaches and undisturbed shorelines that can’t be reached by car. Spot the Hunting Island lighthouse and old fishing cabins, as well as the chance to see local wildlife in and around Port Royal Sound, Fripp Island, Parris Island, and other nearby areas.
