Thoughtfully preserved and protected, Hilton Head Island’s beautiful natural landscape provides an inspiring backdrop for an array of outdoor activities. The island’s 12 miles of coastline has long drawn those who enjoy swimming in the surf, walking along the shore or riding bikes on the hard-packed sand.
Along with the beach, Hilton Head is world-renowned for its championship golf courses, including the legendary Harbour Town Golf Links, which is home of the RBC Heritage Presented by Boeing, South Carolina’s only PGA TOUR event. There are more than 40 courses in the Hilton Head Island-Bluffton area.
The island’s tennis facilities are equally impressive with more than 300 tennis and Pickleball courts, six major tennis centers, world-class instruction and tennis clinics and tournaments offered every week of every season.
In recent years, the island has gained acclaim for its 64 miles of paved public pathways, twice earning gold status as a “Bicycle Friendly Community” by the League of American Bicyclists. You can take the extensive network of trails virtually anywhere you want to go on the island.
Those who prefer a boat to a bike will enjoy kayaking through Broad Creek, in the surrounding saltwater marshes or along Bluffton’s beautiful May River. The local waters also are a favorite destination for stand-up paddle boarding, water sports and fishing.
A $14.4 million expansion and renovation of the Island Recreation Center in 2019 has substantially enhanced the area’s recreational amenities with a full-size gymnasium, second-floor running track, exercise areas, climbing wall, new basketball and tennis courts and an eight-lane short course pool.
In 2021, the Lowcountry Celebration Park opened on the south end of the island, capping off a 20-year improvement project of the Coligny area. It boasts a football field sized open lawn, pavilion, walking trails and the iconic playground modeled after the ship Adventure, which explorer WIlliam Hilton sailed when he discovered the island.
The island also boasts footgolf and disc golf courses, a skate park and roller hockey rink, and community parks with an array of sports facilities, playgrounds and recreational fields.
Bluffton also offers an array of passive and active parks. The DuBois and Oscar Frazier Park are popular for families, while the Martin Family Park now serves as the site for its popular weekly Farmers Markets. The new Wright Family Park offers unparalleled views of the May River as well as a glimpse into the town’s past.