Sea Pines Forest Preserve, Hilton Head

• Hours: Dawn to dusk, daily
• Size: 605 acres
• Sea Pines gate fee: $10/day per vehicle (as of March 1, 2026), Greenwood or Ocean Gate

The Sea Pines Forest Preserve is 605 acres of forest, freshwater lagoons, and marsh boardwalk inside Sea Pines Plantation, and it is the largest stretch of undeveloped land left on Hilton Head Island. It is a walking place first: a couple of miles of easy nature trails, a wildflower field, a shell ring that is more than 4,000 years old, and a picnic spot called Fish Island beside a lake where alligators live in the water.

It is also searched for as the Sea Pines preserve or the Sea Pines nature preserve, and it is the same place. You do not have to be staying in Sea Pines to visit, since the trails are open to the public, but you do have to get through the gate. That means the visitor fee for anyone who is not a Sea Pines property owner, resort guest, or renter with a reservation. See Sea Pines for the rest of the plantation.

Hilton Head Nature Preserve: What 605 Acres Holds

Sea Pines founder Charles Fraser planned the preserve into the resort from the start, working with landscape architect Hideo Sasaki to set aside about a quarter of the land as open space. The 605 acres you can walk today are protected by covenants, which is why a place this size still exists on an island this developed. Most people who search for a nature preserve on Hilton Head Island end up here, and it remains the largest undeveloped tract on the island.

The ground is a mix: pine and hardwood forest, lakes and lagoons, an old rice field opening onto marsh, and a meadow that the preserve keeps as native wildflowers. It is a good place for birdwatching, photography, and a slow walk, and it is a very different half day from the beach.

Sea Pines Forest Preserve Trails

The trail network adds up to roughly eight miles by the South Carolina trails site’s count: about two miles of walking nature trails and six miles of multi-purpose trails, on natural ground, boardwalk, and dirt road. It is rated easy. The named walking trails are marked from the parking area, and trail maps are kept at the entrance, so there is no need to print a Sea Pines Forest Preserve map or trail map before you go.

Two boardwalks are worth the detour. The Vanishing Swamp boardwalk goes into a shaded, secluded stretch of forest, and the Old Lawton Rice Field boardwalk looks out over marsh and wildlife. The Warner W. Plahs Wildflower Field is at its best in spring.

Bikes are not allowed on the walking trails. The preserve has designated bike parking, so the usual move is to ride to the entrance, lock up, and walk. For riding itself, see biking in Hilton Head Island.

The Sea Pines Shell Ring

The Sea Pines Shell Ring is a circle of discarded shell left by people who lived on the island thousands of years before any plantation. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Sources disagree on its age: the resort and the trails site say about 4,000 years, the Sea Pines community association and the Forest Preserve Foundation say 4,800, and “more than 4,000 years” is safe either way. Stay on the trail when you visit, and leave every shell where it is. Collecting plants or wildlife anywhere in the preserve is not allowed. For another piece of Sea Pines history, see the Stoney Baynard Ruins, and for more of the island’s past, see history in Hilton Head Island.

Fish Island and Lake Joe

Fish Island sits between the wildflower field and Lake Joe, and it is the preserve’s picnic and gathering spot. It has a covered pavilion, picnic tables, grills, running water, and portable toilets, which makes it the one place in the preserve with facilities. You can reach it on foot along a raised wooden path beside the lake, by bike, or by car. The pavilion rents for $50 to Sea Pines property owners and $100 to everyone else. Group outings need a permit; call 843-671-1343 for that, or 843-671-3299 for pavilion rentals.

Sea Pines Forest Preserve Tours and Other Activities

Sea Pines Forest Preserve activities and attractions come in two kinds: what you do on your own, and what you book. On your own that is walking, birdwatching, picnicking, and photography. The tours, from the resort’s own list, are boat, horseback, and wagon tours, plus fishing.

Alligator tour. H2O Sports runs a one-hour guided tour on the preserve’s freshwater lakes, leaving from Fish Island in a quiet 12-passenger electric boat. As of September 2026 it is $34 for adults (13 and up) and $22 for children 12 and under, and you book through H2O Sports’ online booking page, so check the schedule for your dates. It gets you close to the alligators without walking up to the water’s edge.

Horseback riding. Lawton Stables’ guided trail rides run through the preserve, which is the way to see it from a saddle rather than on foot.

Fishing. Fishing in the preserve is reserved for Sea Pines property owners, their guests, and resort guests. A permit is required, sold for a fee at the Sea Pines Community Services Association office at 175 Greenwood Drive, and minnow bait is not allowed.

The Bonfire. In 2026 The Sea Pines Resort is holding a Bonfire evening at the preserve on November 13, from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., with cocktails, a Lowcountry menu, live music, and a fire, to raise money for capital projects in the preserve. Tickets go on sale in October. Outside an event like that, open fires are not allowed.

Hours, Address and Parking

The preserve is open daily from dawn to dusk and closes after dark. The Sea Pines Forest Preserve address is 175 Greenwood Drive, Hilton Head Island, SC 29928. The main walking entrance is on Greenwood Drive, about a mile inside the front gate, and there is a second entrance off Lawton Canal Road, with parking at both.

The Sea Pines Forest Preserve cost is nothing for the trails themselves: neither the resort nor the Sea Pines community association lists an admission charge. What you pay is the Sea Pines gate fee, $10 per day for a standard two-axle vehicle as of March 1, 2026, at the Greenwood Drive gate or the Ocean Gate. Property owners, resort guests, and anyone with a Sea Pines rental reservation skip it.

Rules, Dogs and Alligator Safety

Dogs are welcome but must be on a leash at all times, and you pick up after them. Stay on the trails and boardwalks. There is no swimming, smoking, or open fire. Alligators live in the lagoons and ponds, and both feeding and harassing them is illegal. The Sea Pines community association asks visitors to keep at least 60 feet away.

Nearby

The preserve is on the inland side of Sea Pines. For the beach after the trails, see the Sea Pines Beach Club and South Beach. The rest of the Sea Pines activities are in one guide, and for more to do around the island, see things to do in Hilton Head Island, and for another wildlife spot, see Pinckney Island.