Hilton Head is a barrier island featuring twelve miles of beautiful beachfront in Beaufort County, South Carolina. Located close to both Savannah and Charleston, the island offers pristine white sand beaches, more than a dozen championship golf courses, 64 miles of bike trails, and over 250 restaurants. That’s a lot to pack in to a 5 by 12 mile island!
Hilton Head Island is divided into 11 gated communities known as plantations. Some of these communities are private (year-round residents only), but many are public or semi-private and offer resorts and activities for vacationers. We have been coming to Hilton Head for over 12 years (first for long weekends and now for a week-long trip every summer for the past 5 years), and we always stay in Palmetto Dunes.
Palmetto Dunes is located in the middle of the island. It has two major hotels (the Hilton Head Marriott Resort and the Omni Hilton Head Oceanfront Resort), as well as condos and houses for rent. Featuring 3 golf courses, more than two dozen tennis (and pickleball!) courts, miles of trails for biking or walking/running, and miles of lagoons for canoeing or kayaking, there is plenty to keep you busy. And don’t forget about the beach! Its 3 miles of beaches are wide and beautiful – the perfect spot for collecting sea shells, playing paddle ball, or jumping in the waves.
Palmetto Dunes has a section open to the public and then two gated areas that are accessible only to residents or renters of houses or condos in that section. The public section outside the gates has lots to offer – restaurants, shops, golf courses, tennis courts. Hilton Head Outfitters offers all sorts of rentals – bikes, kayaks, canoes, paddleboards, surfboards, fishing gear, and beach umbrellas and chairs. We love to rent kayaks and meander through the 11 miles of lagoon. The water is calm – kids can help paddle or parents can easily manage on their own. The scenery is gorgeous and you’ll have lots of opportunities to spot wildlife – primarily low country birds, such as egrets, herons, and osprey, but you’ll have the occasional reptile sighting too (mostly turtles but gators are always a possibility).
There are nearly 5 miles of paths in Palmetto Dunes for biking, walking, or running. The path is wide and flat and mostly follows the road. It is shady in many spots, which is welcome in the summer heat. The path crosses the lagoon several times, offering beautiful views of peaceful waters.
Beyond the North Gate in Palmetto Dunes, there are a few condo complexes and then private residences. For the past five years, we have taken a multi-generational trip including my parents and my siblings and their families. Palmetto Dunes has many houses capable of fitting large groups. We have rented 3 different 6 bedroom houses over the years, although we have returned to the same one for the past three years because it has been perfect for our group.
Mooring Buoy is the main road through this section of Palmetto Dunes, and the streets off of it are named alphabetically (Armada, Brigantine, Cat Boat, etc.) and are all T shaped. There is a beach access path from Mooring Buoy in between each of the streets so no matter where you stay, you are never far from a path. The paths go between the houses on the ends of the two surrounding streets and ultimately lead to a ramp over the dunes to the beach. The paths are paved and the ramps are wooden, making it easy to bike, push strollers, or pull wagons of beach gear all the way from the street to the sand. (We especially love the ramp between Armada and Brigantine because it is one of the few that does not end in steps to the beach.)
The beach itself is beautiful. Like many vacation places, it is especially enjoyable in the morning and late afternoon, when the temperatures are cooler and the crowds are lower. The sunrises and sunsets are amazing, although I admittedly saw more sunsets than sunrises. I was on vacation after all!
The beaches in Palmetto Dunes have soft white sand. I grew up on the Jersey shore but have lived in the south for more than half my life now and have to admit that I have grown accustomed to and prefer the south’s beaches to the rocky, hard-sand beaches of the north. The beaches here are wide and never get too crowded. My husband joked that the beaches are an optical illusion because if you look down the beach in either direction, it can appear to be packed with people. But if you look immediately around you there is hardly anyone there. You can stake your spot early for convenience sake but no matter what time of day you come, there will be plenty of room for your family to set up.
The surf on Palmetto Dunes is calm and great for children. We rented a surfboard last year for the kids to try out, but boogie-boarding is more appropriate here most of the time. The waves are high enough to be fun for the kids but not so high that they are at constant risk of being knocked down. The water stays shallow for a good distance so kids can wade far out and still stand comfortably.
And one of our favorite things about the beach here is the tidal pools that form in the morning at low tide. These are incredible for toddlers and pre-schoolers. The giant shallow pools give the youngest kids a safe place to splash and dig and play, which gives their parents a much-needed chance to relax. Even at 8 and 10 years old, my boys still love to come out of the ocean and play around in the tidal pools for a bit, chasing fish and splashing around.
For us, Palmetto Dunes offers the perfect mix of activity and relaxation. When we want quiet and relaxation, we head to the beach or lounge by the pool. It is quiet and peaceful and the perfect place to unwind. When we are looking for a little more action, we head to the public resort area to take advantage of the many activities offered there, including biking, tennis, and kayaking. And then beyond Palmetto Dunes, Hilton Head itself has even more to offer. From mini-golf courses to lighthouses to museums, there is no shortage of adventures to be had on Hilton Head.
