Hilton Head Island!

Hilton Head

Location

Click Here for an interactive map of Hilton Head

Hilton Head Island, South Carolina is a foot shaped island just off the South Carolina/Georgia coastline, 95 miles south of the historic Charleston, SC.  This “Low Country”- island encompasses 42 square miles; up to 12 miles long and 6 miles wide.

Beaches

The Hilton Head beaches are a fun and exciting getaway from the stresses of everyday life. They are comprised of wide, hard packed sand, which stretch out for the full 12 mile length of the island, and can range up to 600 feet at low tide. The island’s unique tide levels can change as much as 6 to 8 feet every 6 hours.

Some of the more popular beach activities include jogging, bicycling, sun bathing, wind surfing, and kite

surfing and observing the fantastic marine life in its natural habitat.

Weather

Hilton Head’s semitropical climate has an average temperature of 71 degrees.  The island’s guests and residents are provided with over 200 sunny days every year, creating an almost perfect atmosphere for the enjoyment of any outdoor activities.

Nature

Hilton Head, being a part of the North American Atlantic flyway, supports over 250 different species of birds during the year. In addition to the feathered friends, the island is home to deer in the woods and alligators in the lagoons. One of the more popular of the many island’s nature favorites, is the Bottle-nosed dolphin. They can be seen from the beaches, playing in the surf, strain feeding for their dinner, or just entertaining the island guests.  Another special creature that calls Hilton Head home, at least for the nesting period, is the Logger-Head Turtle.

Island Activities

One of the more popular island activities is bicycling. Whether on the beach or along the many miles of paths and trails leading through lush forests and marshlands, Hilton Head can prove to be a cyclists dream.

In addition to the miles of beach and paths for cyclists, sports lovers of all sorts can appreciate Hilton Head’s 20+ public golf courses, 300 tennis courts, helicopter tours, sunset dinner cruises, horse back riding, fishing, kayaking, canoeing, sailing, parasailing, crabbing and shrimping. There is never a dull moment on Hilton Head Island.

History

Some of the Island’s earliest inhabitants were Native Indians. There is evidence of a settlement, in the form of a 3400 year old “Indian Shell Ring” which is located within the Sea Pines Forest Preserve.

Hilton Head Island is named for the English sea captain, William Hilton, who claimed the island for England.  He “discovered” the island in 1663, but European colonization did not occur until the 1800s.

Before, the civil war, the island’s plantations prospered growing rice, indigo, and cotton.