Sea Pines Forest Preserve

The Sea Pines Forest Preserve is one of the best places on Hilton Head to slow down and really experience the island’s natural side. The trail system is well maintained, with a mix of shaded hiking paths, long boardwalks over wetlands, and quiet picnic areas tucked throughout the preserve. Highlights include the Shell Ring Ruins, Fish Island, and the open freshwater lakes where you’ll often see turtles, birds, and other wildlife. There are also guided horseback tours that take you deeper into parts of the preserve most visitors never see. Whether you’re walking, biking, or just looking for a peaceful place to spend a few hours, this area feels worlds away from the busier parts of Sea Pines and is worth setting aside time to explore fully. Note: There is also a driving entrance accessed by entering Fish Island into a GPS

The forest preserve was very nice and peaceful. There is a driving entrance and a walking entrance. The driving entrance allows you to drive your car around the preserve. The walking entrance allows you to park your car so you can get out and walk along the trails and boardwalks. From what we saw, it looks like you can also rent bikes and book a horse ride. It is $9 to enter the Sea Pines area.

Trail numbered but maps not. Parking ok but not great and no restrooms so be prepared. Some paved and traveled trails and boardwalk. Heard many birds didn't see but 2 or 3. Great views of nature and island vegetation. Definitely need better maps and markings to follow.

A very nice hiking trail. There is a boardwalk that takes you through a swampy area. We saw quite a few turtles as we walked this area. The hiking trails are not very long and it was not too hot, so it made for an enjoyable walk.

Lovely place to walk. The trees and marsh and water was all so beautiful and peaceful. The weather was perfect. We brought the dogs and they loved it also.

These were really nice trails in the woods, very peaceful and nice. Families, people walking dogs there. Can get a little desolate. Spotted lots of turtles and an alligator. Really liked it, great place to walk off a meal. $9 per car to enter the area. Were no restrooms by trails we were at, may have been some elsewhere in the area.

Went during the week day. Very nice and beautiful! Saw alligators and lots of other wildlife! We had a Sea pines pass to get in not sure what protocol is used if you don't have a pass.

We just had the most amazing alligator tour in Hilton Head with Anthony, our incredible guide! He’s a 6th grade science teacher, a master naturalist, and even wrote a book about the local nature—which shows in every part of the experience. The tour takes you out on a very safe boat where you get up close with the area’s wildlife. We saw alligators, turtles, birds, and even snakes (we got to hold a small one!). Anthony’s knowledge and enthusiasm made it fun and educational for everyone. It’s the perfect adventure for families—we brought our 8-year-old niece, and she was fascinated the entire time. Can’t recommend this tour enough!

Absolutely Great. We do not object to the price increase to this preserve. Lots and lots of bikes - so be very careful. May be better to use GPS for objectives rather than wander. Expect popular areas to have very tight parking. Currently some road construction with stopped traffic Enjoy

The large section of the island cordoned off as a private community is open to visitors for a $9 charge, which was not as apparent as I would have liked (really, I just turned down this road because the nearby traffic circle was backed up). Paying that fee entitles you to visit some shopping centers and things, but not the beaches. The trails here, however, are reasonably well-maintained, save for some weathered informational plaques, and give you a nice sense of atmosphere. Bug spray is advised. Listening to the birds is a large part of the experience. A couple of boardwalks through a swamp and a rice field make this a relatively easy journey for anyone who can walk in South Carolina weather. There is a stop on the entrance road to walk into the area, or you can drive around and take your car well into it. I didn't really see a ton of advantage having done the latter, given that walking into the area is the entire point anyway. While I'm not a fan of exclusive island communities, it's at least to their credit that they keep a good part of it in this natural state, and that it's available for visitation, as not all island communities in the region can say that.

Spent the day in this amazing forest preserve. The Sea Pines Forest Preserve is gorgeous with plenty to do and see. We enjoyed beautiful nature walks. The vanishing swamp trail has boardwalks over the swamp area and we were able to see turtles, some incredible birds, and tons of luscious green. The rice field trail has a similar boardwalk and we were able to see similar sights. The boggy gut trail takes you through the trees and areas that have a higher chance of seeing alligators (they also warn of snakes, but we didn't see any). We did see some alligators and a few pretty big turtles sunning themselves on the creek bank. Beyond the trails, there's several small lake/ponds where we saw people fishing. We also saw a group horseback riding on one of the larger trails. And, of course, there's golf! We also went to the harbor town lighthouse, which is in the preserve area. There are lots of little shops and eateries in harbor town area as well. All in all--a really fun day awaits at the Sea Pines Forest Preserve. Get to it!

This takes you deep in the woods. I'm pretty sure this is where they filmed a little bit of Forrest Gump. Normally, we would park and walk, but this time we rode our bikes through here which was really fun. It's a bumpy ride in spots but totally worth it. Before you know it, you're in the middle of the woods and it's so serene. This is also close to the stables where you can see all the horses and they have activities for kids there. There is a lake on the ride, so always be cautious of alligators. The trail rides from the stables take you through here also, so you might see some riders. This is a great place to go and relax.

This would be the perfect trail except for the ten minutes when the path was covered in horse poop. We saw turtles, a variety of birds, and some gators. $9/car.

This is a really beautiful area. Lots of trails to explore and also a driving option too. We have a baby so we did the driving route and that was really enjoyable for us. Beautiful greenery. Nice to see so many trees and nature.

Sea Pines Forest Preserve at Sea Pines on Hilton Head Island is a great place to go for all things nature and trails. I really like the location and the variety of different trails that they have available here. It is very quiet and plenty of room to run around and get some fresh air. I also like all of the water and fishing spots that they have here.

Enjoyable walk or bike through 400 acres of swampy marshland. See wildlife and beautiful plant life as you explore. We saw an alligator!