A Day Trip to Beaufort, SC from Hilton Head Island
Beaufort, SC is 32 to 42 miles from Hilton Head, under an hour’s drive from most of the island: a waterfront town of antebellum houses, live oaks and carriage tours, with Penn Center and Hunting Island beyond it.
Going the other way? Beaufort to Hilton Head
How Far Is Beaufort from Hilton Head?
From the bridges at the north end of Hilton Head it is about 32 miles to downtown Beaufort, under 50 minutes without traffic; from Coligny, at the south end, it is about 42 miles and an hour. So Beaufort is 32 to 42 miles from Hilton Head, SC, and about an hour or less from anywhere on the island.
Take US 278 west off the island, then SC 170 east across the Broad River into Beaufort, and follow the signs downtown to Bay Street and the waterfront.
What to See on a Beaufort Day Trip
The promenade along the Beaufort River behind Bay Street: porch swings, a playground and the shops and restaurants of downtown a few steps away.
On St. Helena Island, 15 minutes past downtown: the Penn School, founded in 1862 for freed people, now a museum of Gullah Geechee history.
The brick shell of a church built in the 1740s and burned twice, in 1779 and 1865, among moss-hung oaks north of Beaufort. Free.
About 17 miles past downtown on US 21, 25 minutes: a wild beach, a lighthouse you can climb and a salt-marsh boardwalk.
Downtown Beaufort is small and walkable, and the whole historic downtown is a National Historic Landmark district. Start at the waterfront park and walk Bay Street’s shops and galleries, then turn inland into the Point, the neighborhood of antebellum houses with deep porches under live oaks and Spanish moss. St. Helena’s Episcopal Church, with its old walled churchyard, and the Beaufort Arsenal are a few blocks up.
The easy way to see the houses is a horse-drawn carriage tour: the Sea Island Carriage Company leaves from Bay Street, in front of the waterfront park, through the day when the weather allows. From the park you can watch the Woods Memorial Bridge swing open to let boats through on the Intracoastal Waterway.
Parking in Downtown Beaufort
Downtown is compact enough to park once and walk. There are public lots along the waterfront park, behind the Bay Street shops, and street parking on the blocks around it. Read the posted signs for time limits and payment.
A Day in Beaufort from Hilton Head Island
Morning on Bay Street and a carriage tour, lunch downtown, then out to Penn Center on St. Helena Island in the afternoon. Stop at the Old Sheldon Church Ruins on the way home if you have the light.
An early walk around the Point, then on to Hunting Island State Park for the lighthouse and the beach, and back into Beaufort for dinner on the water.
Coming the other way, from Beaufort for a day on the island? See Beaufort to Hilton Head. Other day trips from Hilton Head: Savannah and Charleston, and the rest on day trips from Hilton Head.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far is Beaufort from Hilton Head?
About 32 miles from the bridges at the north end of Hilton Head and 42 from Coligny: 50 minutes to an hour by car, on US 278 and SC 170.
Is Beaufort, SC worth a day trip from Hilton Head?
Yes. It is under an hour away, the historic downtown is walkable, and Penn Center and Hunting Island State Park are close enough to add to the same day.
What is there to do in Beaufort for a day?
Walk the waterfront park and Bay Street, take a carriage tour of the antebellum houses in the Point, and drive out to Penn Center on St. Helena Island or on to Hunting Island.
How far is Hunting Island from Beaufort?
About 17 miles past downtown Beaufort on US 21, across Lady’s Island and St. Helena Island: about 25 minutes.
Local guides like this come standard for Guests of Partner Properties — one small part of what a Partner Property gives every guest.
Book Partner Properties