Hilton Head IslandHilton Head Island, SC

Visibility is an estimate — wind, rain, tide & water alerts.

Getting in

Shore access, walk in off the sand

Best conditions

Hilton Head's official beach season runs April 1 through September 30, when lifeguards staff Coligny's designated swim area. Shore Beach Services flies the town's red, yellow and purple warning flags from March through October: red for rough conditions, yellow for moderate to light, purple for jellyfish, stingrays or other dangerous marine life.

Getting through the gate

Open daily 6 am to 10 pm in season, 6 am to 6 pm after daylight saving time ends, with no fee to enter the beach. The town's free beach wheelchair program keeps three chairs at Coligny, reserved online with a $25 refundable deposit, for up to two days in any seven, and beach matting runs out to the hard sand at the high tide line.

Parking

Free at the main lot off Pope Avenue, the only town beach park with no parking fee; 8 ADA spaces there and 8 more at the 1 Coligny Circle lot. Every other town beach park charges $3 an hour on weekdays and $5 an hour on weekends.

On site

restrooms, rinse showers, lifeguard on duty, parking lot, gear rentals nearby

Watch for

Rip currents form along this coast; swim near a lifeguard and ask before entering the water under a yellow, red or purple flag, Fishing, surfcasting, surfboards, boogie boards, frisbees, ball games and stunt kites are barred inside the marked swim area from sunrise to sunset, April through September, Alcohol, glass containers, fires and fireworks are all banned on the beach and dunes, holes deeper than 12 inches may not be dug, and violations of the town's beach ordinance carry fines and court costs up to $1,092.50 per offense, Sea turtle protection rules run May 1 through October 31: oceanfront lights must be off, or blinds closed, by 10 pm if visible from the beach, and beach umbrellas, chairs and other gear, plus any holes or sandcastles, must be cleared before leaving for the day, Dogs are barred from the beach 10 am to 5 pm from the Friday before Memorial Day through Labor Day, must be leashed 10 am to 5 pm the rest of April through September, and may otherwise be on leash or under voice control, including all of October through March

Checked 2026-08-28. Sources: Town of Hilton Head Island: Coligny Beach Park, Town of Hilton Head Island: public beach parks and access, Town of Hilton Head Island: beach parking, Town of Hilton Head Island: beach accessibility, Town of Hilton Head Island: beach regulations, Town of Hilton Head Island: animals on the beach, Town of Hilton Head Island: sea turtle protection, Town of Hilton Head Island: designated swimming areas, Town of Hilton Head Island: rip current awareness.