Broad Creek by paddle, and the beach everyone already knows
Hilton Head Island, South Carolina · 3 nights · Oct · Nov · Mar · Apr · May
Hilton Head is a resort island built around a marsh, and the two halves of that don't always get equal time. Broad Creek is the tidal side — flat water, oyster beds, dolphins that feed by pushing fish up onto the mud — and a morning paddle there is a different island than the one on the beachfront brochures. Save the dolphin cruise for early evening, when the boat traffic thins, and treat the beach itself as the last stop rather than the first: it's the one thing here you don't need a guide for.
The ending
A wide public beach with a boardwalk crossing the dune, where the sand runs flat in both directions and the evening crowd is other people out for the same reason you are. This is the island's main public beach access, not a private stretch, so the setting is open rather than secluded.
That is Coligny Beach Park. See how private it is and when it’s open, or build the rest of the trip around it.
Do
- Kayak or Paddleboard Tour — Broad Creek
- Sunset Dolphin Cruise
- Spa Day — Faces Day Spa or Sea Pines Spa
- Daufuskie Island Day Trip
Eat
- Hudson's Seafood House on the Docks
- Old Oyster Factory
Stay
- Omni Hilton Head Oceanfront Resort
- The Inn & Club at Harbour Town
Is the beach ever quiet?
Not really, and that's worth knowing before you count on privacy. It's the busiest public access point on the island. Go for the light rather than the solitude.
Best time of year?
Spring and fall. Summer on the island means afternoon storms and a crowd that arrives with the school break; the shoulder seasons keep the water warm enough without either.