We visited Hilton Head in November 2024 as part of our two-week Carolinas in November trip.

From Beaufort, we drove less than an hour down to the next Sea Island to the south, Hilton Head. We weren’t sure what to expect there: ritzy resorts mixed with laidback locals’ joints? Ubiquitous tennis and golf culture? Beautiful beaches and obnoxious traffic? Delicious seafood and possibly the best beer of the trip? Turned out, we experienced all those things.

Hilton Head‘s history follows a similar trajectory to that of the other Sea Islands we visited on this trip, Edisto Island and Port Royal Island. Its initial prosperity came through slavery-driven agriculture, and when it fell to the Union in the Civil War, it became a destination for ex-slaves who were declared free and offered education and housing. After the 1893 Sea Islands Hurricane, like the other Sea Islands, Hilton Head’s population dwindled, and logging, cotton, shipbuilding, and fishing drove the economy until a bridge was built from the mainland in 1956, and the island’s resort era began.

While there are massive resorts and high-dollar tourist destinations all over the island, the locals are very serious about conservation, sustainability, and maintaining the beauty of the island. Impressive examples include lighting laws and beach-clearing rules during sea turtle season; the emphasis on biking rather than driving, with over 200 miles of bike paths; the creation of preserves, wildlife refuges, bird sanctuaries, and other protected properties on and around the island; comprehensive tree ordinances, and strict town codes controlling development, signs, commercial façades, and lighting.

Campground

There are two RV campgrounds in Hilton Head. We stayed at Hilton Head Harbor RV Resort in a waterfront campsite and loved it so much we added a third night to our scheduled two. It’s a peaceful and tidy campground on the north end of the island, with on-site watersports rentals and a restaurant (we didn’t go to the restaurant–for some reason we thought it was closed–but some locals told us it’s great). Because it’s a bit off the beaten track, we had to drive around the island rather than hopping on bikes, but we appreciated being able to get away from the hubbub at the end of the day.

Our campground was very close to fantastic restaurants along Skull Creek, gorgeous trails on Pinckney Island, and a wide, dog-friendly beach on the east side of the island. Driving into the heart of Hilton Head was only about ten minutes, but we were lucky with traffic–in the high season apparently it’s a nightmare. We adored our private campsite on a quiet inlet off Skull Creek with a grassy yard and dock-side sitting area. Here’s a tip for waterfront camping: bring everything you don’t want to get dew-soaked inside at night!

The other RV camping option on the island is Hilton Head Motorcoach Resort. It’s an enormous, amenity-packed resort located in the heart of the island, so very convenient for exploring by foot or bike. We couldn’t stay there in our Airstream because they only allow Class A, Class C, and Super C motorhomes–ie, drivable RVs, not travel trailers. It’s a strange rule that we initially bristled at, but in the end we much preferred the location of our campground.

Exploring

Hilton Head Island is dotted with resort hotels, golf courses, tennis clubs, fancy gated communities, public beaches, and clusters of shops and restaurants, and we had some trouble getting our bearings. The tourist maps divide the island into eleven “plantations,” based on actual indigo, cotton, sugar cane, and rice plantations from the 1700s. Most of those so-called plantation are now private neighborhoods or semi-private resorts—70% of the island is located inside gated communities.

As non-golfers and not-anymore-tennis players, we spent most of our eating/drinking/exploring time outside the plantation network. Using the area names from the tourist maps, that means we tootled around Skull Creek, Marshland, Coligny, and an unlabled section to the east containing Fish Haul Beach, with a brief foray into Sea Pines, and a couple pops into neighboring Bluffton.

Skull Creek

The Skull Creek area is our home neighborhood–these restaurants and bars are a very short drive from the HH Harbor campground, and we loved the mellow vibe of this part of the island.

Skull Creek Boathouse: this lively creekfront restaurant with dog-friendly picnic tables was our favorite of the waterfront places we tried. We sat outside for a drink with a view, and took tasty poke bowls home to eat at our awesome campsite.

Benny’s Coastal Kitchen: Benny’s is a giant restaurant with tons of space inside, outside, and on the roof. We had a rooftop cocktail, then moved to the creekside yard for sunset and a snack while waiting for carryout–super delish Brazilian fish stew. Our snack was hush puppies with Turkish butter, because if hush puppies are on the menu we’re going to order them, and J declared them the BEST hush puppies ever.

Jarvis Creek General Store: We spotted Jarvis Creek General Store from the road and had to stop. It’s super cute inside with local goods and gifty stuff, but what caught our attention was their sweet patio tucked in the trees. They have a big outdoor TV, an interesting food menu, lots of local beers, and occasional live music.

Marshland

The Marshland section of the map is the, yes, marshy interior of the island along Broad Creek. While mostly uninhabited, Marshland is bordered by golf communities, marinas, and resorts, and ringed by commercial establishments along the main roads.

Lincoln & South Brewing Co: One of our favorite breweries of the entire trip! They have a cool taproom, a fun outdoor space with fire pits, a busy live music schedule, and they’re dog-friendly inside and out. Plus the beer and food are fab!

Up the Creek: We took Bugsy to Up the Creek for lunch with a water view. It’s next to Fishcamp, which we first spotted in Beaufort, seemigly fancier with live music and cushy chairs. We were happy enough with Up the Creek’s simple menu and dog friendly patio by the Broad Creek Marina, although the fish tacos and hush puppies were just average.

Corner Perk: This spacious brunch cafe has lots of seating for relaxing with wifi, a coffee, and yummy breakfast and lunch options.

Coligny

Coligny Beach: The town of Hilton Head operates several public beach access points, and the most popular is Coligny Beach Park. Apparently, it’s best to avoid Coligny Beach during the high season as it’s impossible to park and then impossible to find a spot for your towel. But in November, it’s lovely. The park has showers and changing rooms and rocking chairs, and is dog-friendly (with restricted hours between Memorial Day and Labor Day). Coligny Plaza is a big shopping and dining area across the street from the beach access.

The Bank: The Bank is so cool! Except! No dogs allowed! We grabbed a table at the very edge of the beer garden and stationed Bugsy in the mulch just outside the turf area and were able to hang out with her there. Not sure that’s legal, but nobody said anything. It’s an old Bank of America building repurposed into a food and drink hall, with a huge yard where you can watch the big game and let your kids (but not dogs boo) run wild. Side Hustle Brewing operates out of The Bank, and I really liked their sour beer.

Fish Haul Beach

We wanted to take Bugsy to the beach to play in the water, and we found this list of dog-friendly Hilton Head beaches a great help in choosing where to go. Fish Haul Beach is on the eastern side of the island, about fifteen minutes from home, with easy parking (again, we were there in November) and a wide, hard-packed beach with shallow water. It wasn’t crowded at all and we loved walking there.

Sea Pines

Sea Pines Resort covers a third of Hilton Head Island. A third! We figured we should check it out and visit the Harbour Town commercial district since they’re such a big part of Hilton Head. We did not realize that Sea Pines charges a $9/car entrance fee! Annoying, but we went ahead and paid it. I guess if you’re going to spend a bit of time in Harbour Town, maybe have lunch or climb the lighthouse (for an additional fee), go on a sightseeing cruise, or explore the Sea Pines Forest Preserve, the $9 is worth it. We, however, did a quick walk through the harbour, got coffees from Harbour Town Bakery & Cafe (the treats in the case looked incredible) and skedaddled. Our friend who’s a part-time local said Harbour Town restaurants will often reimburse your $9, but I couldn’t find anything concrete about that online, so enter at your own risk! Or you could just stay at the resort–I bet lots of people stay in Sea Pines and don’t ever bother leaving Sea Pines!

Bluffton

Bluffton is a quaint and historic town just north of Hilton Head, easily walkable (here’s a walking tour) and home to cute shops and restaurants.

Nectar Farm Kitchen: We came for lunch shortly after dropping the Airstream off at the campground, and without doing any research, we landed at Nectar because of the dog-friendly patio, live brunch music, and healthy options. Great spot! Later, we discovered that Nectar is part of the same restaurant family as Skull Creek Boathouse.

Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge: The refuge‘s address is Bluffton, but it’s just minutes from our campground on Hilton Head. What a gem! Over 14 miles of gravel and grass trails lead past bustling bird habitats, and we saw an armadillo! Leave your pupper at home for this excursion–no dogs allowed.

To do

Before getting to a list for the future, two posts ago I promised a report on the key lime pie I bought on my solo night in Charleston: J proclaimed it the BEST key lime pie he’s ever had! And that’s after eating every key lime pie in Key West! He’s on a roll with these proclamations.

We did a lot of research before we got to Hilton Head, and picked up some more info while there. Here’s what’s on the list for next time–and we plan to return!

• Alexander’s – J’s colleague said it’s the best food on the island
• Bluffton BBQ – pick it up on the drive in or out
• Bad Biscuit – give me all the biscuits please. I learned while researching this post that the chef at Jarvis Creek General Store started Bad Biscuit, so
• Jarvis Creek General Store – we had a drink there, we should try their food too
• Sundown Saloon – L&S bartender recommendation, highly rated burgers etc
• Hudson’s – waterfront restaurant next door to Skull Creek Boathouse
• Local Legend Brewing – unclear if it’s a real thing, but we’ll look at it again
• Crazy Crab – waterfront dining close to home on Jarvis Creek, same restaurant group as Benny’s and Fishcamp
• Sea Shack – fresh no-frills seafood from a window in the Coligny area
• Sunset Grille – the restaurant at our campground
• Shelter Cove – walk around the shops and restaurants in the harbor area
• Rent a kayak or paddleboard from our campground marina
• Farmers markets – Tuesdays close to home, several options in Bluffton
• Coastal Discovery Museum – learn more about Lowcountry nature

After a delightful nine days along the South Carolina coast, we turned inland, driving 2.5 hours north to Columbia, and our 44th national park, Congaree!