Traveling with Kids: What to Do in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Planning a family vacation to Hilton Head, South Carolina? Here are our top kid-friendly activities, best beaches, day trips, and expert tips for an awesome trip!
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Our family LOVES to travel. Over the past 15 years, we’ve been to Seattle, San Francisco, Boston, Florida, Colorado, San Diego, Arizona, and more! But whenever I’m talking to people about my favorite places to travel, the absolute TOP of my list is…Hilton Head, South Carolina.
Are you surprised? Honestly, I was too. Hilton Head was never on my radar of places to travel until a few years ago when my husband had the opportunity to go to South Carolina for a work conference. In the end, we didn’t even go to the conference, but we all fell in love with Hilton Head!
Why Hilton Head is a Perfect Family Vacation Destination
There are plenty of other beach destinations to choose from. So why does Hilton Head have my heart? Here are a few reasons:
- Awesome family-friendly resorts and rentals: We stayed in a condo that had multiple bedrooms, a full kitchen, several pools, and direct access to the beach. Our unit even had a beach umbrella and toys for the kids. It was everything I could have asked for to serve our family of five!
- Endless bike trails: There are over 60 miles of bike trails that will take you all over the island. Rent bikes (they’ll even deliver them to you) and take your time exploring!
- Lots of outdoor activities for families: Beyond the beach (which is pristine!), there are fabulous playgrounds, dolphin cruises, and other fun ways to get outside together.
Top Things to Do in Hilton Head with Kids
Relax at the beach
The beaches in Hilton Head are gorgeous…and the water is so warm! I grew up in California where the ocean is frigid, so it still surprises me sometimes when I go to a beach where I can just waltz into the water without gasping at the cold.
I highly recommend choosing a place to stay that has direct access to the beach. There are lots of places, like our resort, where you can walk a few minutes on boardwalks (over the dunes) and step right out onto the sand. It was so nice to not have to worry about parking. Also, with little kids, it was convenient to be able to play at the beach for an hour or two, head back to our room for naptime, and then hit the beach again in the evening.
P.S. – These are my favorite travel beach toys! The buckets collapse down and the shovels are small but sturdy, so they’re perfect for tossing in your suitcase or car. I’ve taken them on multiple trips now, and they’ve been so great.
If you are looking for public beach access, the most well known is Coligny Beach. We didn’t actually go there (it looked pretty busy), but it seemed to have a lot of parking and plenty of restaurants and shops nearby. Here are some other beach options on Hilton Head.
Rent Bikes and Explore the Trails
One of my favorite parts of the trip was riding bikes all over the island. There are more than 60 miles of trails, so you can get almost anywhere on the island without ever hopping in the car. Winding along the tree-lined trails was magical, and taking the bikes out on the hard packed sand of the beach felt like a scene out of a Hallmark commercial or something…in the best way.
We rented bikes (including a little trailer for my toddler) from Pedals at Coligny Beach, and they delivered them right to our condo! It was so convenient and made for some awesome memories.
Adventure Playground & Discovery Trail
Right across from Coligny Plaza is such a fun playground! It’s pirate-themed, with a big ship to explore, a river-style splash pad, and a fun trail to wander. My boys loved racing along the boardwalk-style path, spotting the little “discovery stations” tucked along the way. There are musical instruments to play, climbing structures, and plenty of shaded benches for parents.
Brunch & Play at Shelter Cove Park
One morning, we rode our bikes down to Shelter Cove Community Park because I had read about the French Bakery there. We picked out an assortment of pastries and took them across to the park to eat while the kids played at the playground. The pain au chocolat was quite possibly the best I’ve ever had (including when I was in Paris), and it was a great, low-key way to spend a couple of hours in the morning. The slow pace was part of what I loved about Hilton Head. We spent a lot of our time just exploring trails, playing at parks and the beach, and eating good food.
Visit Harbour Town in Sea Pines
One of our favorite days in Hilton Head was spent at the south end of the island in the Sea Pines Resort area. Be aware that to access Sea Pines you have to pay a daily fee ($9 when we were there) if you’re not staying within the boundaries. For that reason, we decided to combine all the things we wanted to do in the area into one day.
We started the morning at the Gregg Russell Harbour Town playground, which has a fantastic tree house-style fort tucked under big shade trees that my boys couldn’t get enough of climbing all over.
Pirates of Hilton Head Cruise
The only way we convinced them to leave the playground above was because we told them it was time for our Pirates of Hilton Head Cruise. Oh my goodness. We had a ball! Yes, it was touristy (and we knew it would be), but it was also incredibly fun. Each child got a pirate name and costume, and then boarded The Black Dagger ship for an adventure on the water.
Twin “pirates” Scurvy and Sparrow led the kids through a whole storyline that included taking the pirate oath, raising the Jolly Roger flag, and searching for Stinky Pete, the scallywag who stole the key to our treasure. The grand finale? The kids firing real water cannons at Stinky Pete until he fell out of his little boat in defeat.
The boys were grinning from ear to ear, shouting “Arrr!” at the top of their lungs, and proudly showing off their pirate treasure at the end. It was a bit of splurge, but I think it was totally worth it!
Note: If you want a more traditional dolphin cruise, this is not it. We did spot some dolphins at a distance on the way out to sea, but the focus of this cruise was just on giving the kids a grand adventure.
After our pirate cruise we just wandered around Harbour Town for a bit, shopping and eating ice cream.
Bonus Tip: Grab a quick lunch (or snack) at the Harbour Town Bakery and Cafe across from the playground. The food was delicious and the relaxing atmosphere of eating outdoors under the Live Oak trees was so quaint. Plus, how cute are those kid-sized picnic tables?
Lawton Stables
On our way out of Sea Pines we stopped by the small animal farm and petting zoo at Lawton Stables. It used to be free, but now they charge a small $5 entrance fee per person. However, that includes a cup of animal feed, which is really fun for the kids. You can also schedule horseback trail rides here, which I think would be so fun if you have older kids.
Day Trip Idea: Explore Savannah and Tybee Island
If you’re up for a little adventure off the island, Hilton Head makes a great jumping-off point for a day trip to nearby Savannah, Georgia and Tybee Island.
We packed ourselves a picnic lunch and drove the 45 minutes to Savannah. I had seen gorgeous pictures of Savannah and I really wanted to explore some of the historic charm of the city. Honestly, while Savannah is beautiful, we didn’t find it especially kid-focused. Our boys had fun running around Forsyth Park, but beyond that, we didn’t feel the need to linger. (That said, if you have older kids or history buffs, you could easily spend a full day here exploring the squares and historic sites.)
We opted to continue on to Tybee Island to grab some ice cream for dinner (vacation rules!) and play at the beach before the highlight of the day:
Beach Ecology Tour with Dr. Joe.
This two-hour guided walk near the Tybee Lighthouse was arguably the best part of our entire trip. Seriously, we all agreed it was amazing. We spent two hours on the beach with Dr. Joe near the Tybee lighthouse exploring the creatures that live there. He showed us how to:
- Set tiny coquinas on the sand and watch them wiggle their way back down.
- Use a tool he brought to suction ghost shrimp right out of their tunnels.
- Spot olive snails and hermit crabs scuttling through tide pools.
- Discover anemones, moon snails, and even tiny fish hiding in shallow water.
It was the perfect mix of education and hands-on fun. The kids (and adults) were completely absorbed the entire time—digging, asking questions, and proudly showing off their discoveries. If you do one off-island activity during your Hilton Head trip, I can’t recommend this tour enough.
Pro Tip: Book in advance—tours fill quickly in spring and summer. (P.S. – Don’t let the very basic website deter you. It’s legit, and really reasonably priced). Check out Dr. Joe’s Facebook page here for examples of what people have found during recent ecotours.
Final Thoughts
Hilton Head gave us a week of relaxing adventure I’ll always remember. If you’re looking for a place that blends outdoor fun with family-friendly charm, Hilton Head is it. I would go back in a heartbeat, and I can’t recommend it enough.
Have you been to Hilton Head? What were your favorite things to do with kids?
