Lawton Stables in Hilton Head: Trail Rides, Pony Rides and Animal Farm

• Trail rides: One hour, ages 8 and up, book online
• Pony rides: Ages 18 months to 7, walk-up only
• Animal farm: $3 a person, feed included

Lawton Stables is the horse barn inside Sea Pines, at 190 Greenwood Drive, and it does three things: guided trail rides through the Sea Pines Forest Preserve, pony rides for small children, and an animal farm anyone can walk into. It is open six days a week, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and the phone number is 843-671-2586.

It is the Sea Pines Resort horseback riding option too: the resort lists Lawton’s trail rides among its own amenities. Everything below comes from the stables’ own rules and schedules, which change by season, so check its booking calendar before you plan a day around a ride time.

Sea Pines Horseback Riding: The Trail Ride

The trail ride is an hour on horseback, western-style, led by the stable’s guides. It stays at a walk the whole way, so a first-time rider and a lifelong one can go out in the same group. The route runs through the Forest Preserve’s pine woods, oak forest and lake edges, and the guides talk about the preserve and the horses as you go. For horseback riding on Hilton Head that goes into the preserve itself, this is the ride.

Ride times as posted for 2026: in summer (June to August), 7:30, 9 and 11 a.m. and 4 and 6 p.m.; in spring and fall, 9 and 11 a.m. and 2 and 4 p.m. Early morning is the coolest time in July and August. Rides are booked online, at least an hour ahead, and the stables give a full refund if you cancel 24 hours before.

Before you book a ride

• Riders must be at least 8 years old and able to ride on their own. There is no doubling up.

• The weight limit is 240 pounds, strictly enforced, and riders are weighed at check-in. There is no refund for a rider over the limit.

• A certified helmet is required for the whole ride. The stables provide one at no charge.

• Wear closed-toe, closed-back shoes. Flip-flops, sandals and Crocs are turned away.

• Arrive 30 minutes early. Late arrivals can lose their spot.

• Lawton is not a therapeutic riding facility, so call ahead if a rider needs extra support.

Pony Rides and the Animal Farm

Pony rides are for children from 18 months to 7 years old and under 65 pounds. A staff member leads the pony twice around the animal farm, and one adult can walk alongside. There are no reservations: check in at the office, sign the waiver and wait your turn. Mornings from 9 to noon are the busiest, and the ponies take a lunch break from noon to 1. Helmets are mandatory here too.

The animal farm is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Entry is $3 a person for anyone 8 months and older and includes a cup of feed; extra cups are $3. You feed the animals from your open palm, not from the cup, and outside food is not allowed. The money goes to feeding and caring for the animals.

Is There a Zoo in Hilton Head?

Not that we know of. We have not found a zoo on Hilton Head Island, SC, and if you are looking for a zoo near Hilton Head with small children, Lawton’s farm is the closest thing on the island. It is a small petting farm rather than a zoo, so treat it as a short stop, not a day out.

Families searching for a Hilton Head petting zoo usually mean this farm. It is the Sea Pines petting zoo in all but name, and it pairs well with a pony ride for the youngest and a trail ride for anyone 8 or older.

Tours, Parties and the Gift Shop

Lawton also runs private behind-the-scenes tours of the barn, covering how the horses are fed, trained and cared for, with time at the petting farm. In the quieter months it hosts pony birthday parties for young children. The gift shop sells horse-themed toys, stuffed animals, apparel and ice cream, and it is fine to stop in without riding. The stable also boards horses. Its working horses rotate out to a 24-acre property off site to rest.

Getting to Lawton Stables Hilton Head, SC

Come in through the main Sea Pines gate on Greenwood Drive; the stables are on Greenwood. Day visitors pay the gate fee, $10 per vehicle (the stables’ site still shows $9). Bicycles, trailers and RVs cannot come in through the gate with day visitors. The guest pass office page has the rest of the gate rules.

The preserve’s picnic pavilion, Fish Island, is a good place to eat before or after a ride. If you are staying in Sea Pines, the summer Red route of the free Sea Pines trolley stops at the stables in the late afternoon and evening. For more to do nearby, see the Stoney Baynard Ruins and the rest of our Sea Pines activities.