Looking for a place to stay in Hilton Head Island in South Carolina? Well in our opinion the closer you can stay to the beach the better. Below is a list of some quality hotels near the ocean in Hilton Head. We have them listed by proximity to the beach with a couple of hotels we especially recommend. Just click on the links to check prices and availability. Here are some additional maps and pictures of Hilton Head as well.

About Hilton Head

The Hilton Head wiki says this about the area:

“Hilton Head Island or Hilton Head is a resort town (located on an island of the same name) in Beaufort County, South Carolina, United States. It is 20 miles north of Savannah, Georgia, and 95 miles south of Charleston. The island gets its name from Captain William Hilton. In 1663, Captain Hilton identified a headland near the entrance to Port Royal Sound, which he named “Hilton’s Head” after himself. The island features 12 miles of beachfront on the Atlantic Ocean and is a popular vacation destination. The year-round population was 47,821 at the 2000 census, although during the peak of summer vacation season the population can swell to 275,000.

Approximately 70% of the island, including most of the tourist areas, is located inside gated communities. However, the town maintains several public beach access points …

Hilton Head Island offers an unusual number of cultural opportunities for a community its size, including Broadway-quality plays at the Arts Center of Coastal Carolina, the 120-member full chorus of the Hilton Head Choral Society, the highly-rated Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra, the largest annual outdoor, tented wine tasting event on the east coast, and several other annual community festivals. It also hosts the Heritage Golf Classic, a stop on the PGA Tour which is played on the Harbour Town Golf Links in Sea Pines Resort.”

Beaches of Hilton Head

The Town of Hilton Head web site says this about the beaches:

Hilton Head Island’s official beach season is April 1st through September 30th of each year.

Public Beach Accesses

All of the beach is public, from the ocean to the high water mark. Access to the beach, however, is often private. The Town of Hilton Head Island provides beach accesses at the following locations:

* Alder Lane Beach Access, off South Forest Beach Drive
* Burkes Beach Access, at the end of Burkes Beach Road
* Chaplin Community Park, off of William Hilton Parkway
* Coligny Beach Park, off Coligny Circle
* Driessen Beach Park, at the end of Bradley Beach Road
* Fish Haul Park, at the end of Beach City Road
* Folly Field Beach Park, off Folly Field Road
* Islanders Beach Park, off Folly Field Road
* Mitchelville Beach Park, off Beach City Road

Parking & Facilities

There are 23 metered spaces at Alder Lane; 54 metered spaces at Folly Field and 13 metered spaces at Burkes Beach Road. The parking fee for metered spaces is a quarter for each fifteen minutes.

Additionally, there are 207 spaces at Driessen Beach Park for long term parking. The fee is a quarter for each thirty minutes during the week.

Parking spaces at Islanders Beach Park are always reserved for annual beach passes. Parking at Driessen Beach Parks for annual beach passes is reserved from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm.

Parking is free at Fish Haul Park, Mitchelville Park and Coligny Beach Park. Handicap parking is available at no fee at all beach parks.

Designated Swimming Areas

Official swimming areas have been designated for the Alder, Coligny, Driessen, Folly Field, and Islanders beaches. The boundaries of these areas will be clearly marked on the beach and in the water.

During the beach season lifeguards are stationed in each of the designated swimming areas and other heavily populated beach areas for assistance and beach information. Please ask a lifeguard before entering the water if the yellow caution flag is flying.

Things to do in Hilton Head

In addition to spending time at the beach, the local chamber of commerce site lists the following as things to do in Hilton Head:

“Life in the Lowcountry centers on the water, the weather and the genteel ways of those who call it home. Just enough off the beaten path to retain the classic flavor of the South, this island gem of the South Carolina Lowcountry features a pristine natural environment that showcases fertile salt marshes, forests of moss-draped oaks, magnolias, palmettos and a 12-mile stretch of deep, sandy shoreline.

-Dining
With more than 250 Hilton Head restaurants, and more being cooked up every day in nearby Bluffton and Daufuskie, it’s hard to go hungry.
Culinary Resource Guide

-Sports & Outdoors
From lagoon dotted golf courses to miles of meandering bike paths to sandy beaches, the protected landscape of the area offers the perfect setting for recreational activities whether you are a landlubber or an old salt.

-Arts and Culture
The area’s splendid beauty and rich history have inspired a vibrant arts and cultural community that rivals many metropolitan areas. Hilton Head Island and Bluffton have long fostered a diversity of artists and their work.”

Local Businesses of Interest