North Forest Beach & South Forest Beach, Hilton Head Island, SC

Forest Beach isn’t one park — it’s the stretch of public beach along North Forest Beach Drive and South Forest Beach Drive, the two streets split by the Coligny Circle traffic circle. There’s no park building, lifeguard stand, or public lot here the way there is at Coligny down the road; the beach itself is lined with vacation-rental villas and condos, and most people walking onto the sand here are staying in one of them rather than driving in for the day.

• Location: North & South Forest Beach Drive, split by Coligny Circle, Hilton Head Island, SC 29928, USA
• Status: Public beach — no town park building or dedicated lot
• Nearest full-facility park: Coligny Beach Park, 1 Coligny Circle

North Forest Beach

North Forest Beach Drive runs north from Coligny Circle toward Shipyard and the Sonesta Resort, about a mile of oceanfront lined with condo complexes and vacation-rental villas rather than any single named property. It’s the quieter half of the two — a residential run of beach a short walk from Coligny Plaza’s shops and restaurants, without Coligny Beach Park’s own crowds right at the access point.

South Forest Beach

South Forest Beach Drive runs the other direction from Coligny Circle, south toward Sea Pines’ Ocean Gate entrance. It’s the more built-up of the two streets — Forest Beach Villas, a condominium complex set back in palms and palmettos across from the sand, is the best-known landmark along it, alongside several other villa and condo communities. Like North Forest Beach, it’s a short walk to Coligny Plaza.

Parking at Forest Beach

Neither North nor South Forest Beach Drive has its own public parking lot — this is public beach fronting private rental streets, not a town park with a lot built for day visitors. Guests staying at a Forest Beach villa or condo typically walk to the sand. If you’re not staying on either street, the closest place to park is Coligny Beach Park at 1 Coligny Circle — a free lot with ADA-accessible spaces, plus overflow parking a short shuttle ride away, right where both Forest Beach streets meet.

Is Forest Beach public?

Yes. Like every beach on Hilton Head, the sand from the water to the high-tide line is public, even where it fronts private vacation rentals the way it does along both Forest Beach streets. What’s private is the land above the high-tide line and the rental properties themselves — the beach in front of them is open to anyone.

Nearby

For restrooms, a free lot, and a livelier scene, Coligny Beach Park is right where North and South Forest Beach Drive meet. For the full list of Hilton Head’s public beaches, start at the Hilton Head beaches guide.