We are an active vacation kind of family. We are not a sit-on-the-beach-all-day kind of family. My ideal vacation is going someplace new and seeing or doing something new each day and then ending the day relaxing at a pool or a resort somewhere – all of which sort of runs counter to our annual family beach vacation in Hilton Head. But I absolutely love our annual trip there because of the tradition, because of the time with family, and because it forces me to slow down.
Much like everything else in 2020, our Hilton Head trip would not be the same. We debated whether or not we should even go up until a few weeks before. But this year more than ever, we all needed the get away and the time to reconnect. I missed my family and I desperately needed a break. Not only had we been stuck in our house for 3+ months but I had been working 60-80 hour weeks for a good part of that time. So I headed into this trip with a completely different mindset. I was actually looking forward to having nothing to do but lay around and relax, which just so happens to be the safest vacation option in the world of Covid-19.
And yet apparently even when work-weary and quarantine-fatigued, I still cannot take a full week and do nothing. By about day 3 I felt relaxed and recharged and was looking for something to do. While a surprising amount of things were open on Hilton Head, we were still careful in where we went and selective in what we did. We didn’t eat out at all or play mini-golf or go to Harbor Town or do any of the traditional things we do on this trip. And that was fine but I was still itching to get out and do something, even if only for an hour or two.
The Sea Pines Forest Preserve seemed to fit the bill – an outdoor, socially distanced activity where we could explore a new place and be active for a bit. The preserve is a 600 acre protected area offering 8 miles of multi-purpose trails (only 2 of which are accessible for hiking) through forest and marshland.
While the preserve itself is free, if you are not a resident or renter in Sea Pines, you have to pay an $8 entrance fee to get into the community. (You can tack on a trip to Harbor Town if you want to get your money’s worth.) The trails sort of criss-crossed and went in circles so we took a picture of the map and just started walking. We figured with only 2 miles of trails, we couldn’t get too lost. The trail started out paved but was gravel, dirt, and boardwalk at various points in the preserve.
The trails were well marked and we followed signs for the Boggy Gut Trail until we got to the Rice Field Boardwalk, which we decided to follow. The boardwalk crosses the Old Lawton Rice Field, which felt surprisingly jungly for being in the South Carolina low country.
Scouring the trees and marsh from the boardwalk, we had our first wildlife sightings – a shockingly mossy (and well camouflaged) turtle and a Little Blue Heron.
Continuing past the boardwalk, we walked across a wide field on our way to Vanishing Swamp. The trees created a cool archway over the path.
The Vanishing Swamp was another elevated boardwalk trail. Again, it felt jungly with all the ferns and palm trees growing around and overtaking the path. We did have to laugh when we arrived at the Vanishing Swamp. Had it not been for the sign post stuck in the middle of a small mud puddle, we would have never known it was there. The swamp had indeed vanished.
After exiting the Vanishing Swamp, we were in the main part of the preserve. We crossed the bridge to check out Lake Joe and all the turtles swimming around in the water. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on who you ask) we didn’t have any gator spottings..
Aside from the nature and wildlife, my oldest was interested in the history of the preserve. Before we went, we read about The Shell Ring, a 4,000 year old ancient Indian ceremonial site. It sounded really interesting – hundreds of thousands of shells collected and placed in a circle measuring 150 feet across. The site was touted for its accessibility and preservation. The reality was much different unfortunately. We literally stood there reading the display about the ring, looking at the map depicting the ring around exactly where we were standing, and were unable to definitively make it out. Yes, there were some crushed shells on the ground but I never would have noted them as anything unusual and as hard as we tried, we could not make them out as forming a circle around the site. We had a very disappointed boy on our hands.
We headed back towards the lake and spotted an osprey perched high in a tree.
As we approached the lake, a Great Blue Heron swooped in and landed across the water from us. We watched it for a while and then headed back to cross over the bridge when it flew right past us and landed on the bridge ahead of us. I suppose he wasn’t ready for us to leave just yet. It was pretty amazing to see such a beautiful bird so up close.
Off to the side was a wildflower field covered with beautiful Black Eyed Susans. This field is planted with 14 different wildflower species that bloom throughout the year.
There was also a rookery and duck pond that we were hoping to check out but the kids were getting hot and fading fast so we decided to leave it for another visit. We retraced our steps to get back to the Greenwood Entrance and had one more impressive wildlife spotting along the way. The Sea Pines turtles really know how to camouflage themselves!
Overall this is an easy and enjoyable outing that is great for all ages. The trails are flat and easy and there are many opportunities to spot wildlife, which always keeps the kids entertained and engaged. We definitely want to go back and explore the rest of the area around the lakes and see what other birds and wildlife are out there.
