Between dolphin sightings and sunset cruises, there’s a whole island waiting to be explored. If you’re looking for things to do on Hilton Head Island beyond the beach, this list covers ten of our favorite nearby spots: old-growth forest trails, tabby ruins, local museums, a working horse stable, and a handful of Harbour Town dining rooms worth building your day around. Most are just minutes from the water, so they pair easily with a morning or sunset cruise out of Harbour Town.
1. 600 Acres of Untamed Lowcountry: Sea Pines Forest Preserve
Open sunrise to sunset
If you only have time for one nature stop on Hilton Head Island, make it this one. The Sea Pines Forest Preserve is 600-plus acres of maritime forest, freshwater lakes, and marsh — the largest undeveloped tract left on the island — and it’s crisscrossed with easy trails for walking or biking. Visitors consistently describe it as a peaceful, almost secret escape hiding in plain sight, with a payoff that goes well beyond scenery: deep in the trees sits a 4,800-year-old Indian Shell Ring, one of the oldest human-made structures on the Atlantic coast. Spring brings a wildflower field worth timing your visit around, and the lakes are home to enough resident alligators that a little distance (and a lot of bug spray) go a long way.
2. Saddle Up for the Lowcountry: Lawton Stables
Mon–Sat, 8am–6pm
Tucked inside the Forest Preserve, Lawton Stables has been putting guests on horseback since 1971, and it’s consistently ranked among the most family-friendly things to do on Hilton Head Island. Guided trail rides wind through the same woods and lakes mentioned above, with guides who double as local historians, weaving in stories about the preserve along the way. Riders regularly come back raving about how well cared-for the horses are. Littler kids who aren’t ready for a full trail ride can start with the pony rides and animal farm instead, making this an easy stop for multigenerational groups.
3. A Quiet Brush with History: Stoney Baynard Ruins
Open daily, 6am–8pm
Easy to miss and worth seeking out, the Stoney Baynard Ruins are the remains of a tabby-built plantation house dating to the late 1700s, the only structure of its kind ever built on Hilton Head Island. Union troops used it as a headquarters during the Civil War before it burned in 1869, and what’s left today (portions of the main house, an old chimney footing, and the foundation of an enslaved family’s dwelling) takes about fifteen to twenty minutes to see on foot from a small roadside parking area. It is a nice change of pace and a quiet, low-key way to get a sense of Hilton Head Island’s history between beach days.
4. Free, Fascinating, and Family-Friendly: Coastal Discovery Museum
Mon–Sat 9am–4:30pm, Sun 11am–4:30pm · Free admission
Set on 70 acres at Honey Horn, the Coastal Discovery Museum is one of the best free things to do on Hilton Head Island, and one of the few attractions that appeals equally to history buffs, garden lovers, and kids. The self-guided grounds are packed with walking trails, historic outbuildings, a butterfly garden, and gallery exhibits covering the Lowcountry’s natural and cultural history. Seasonally rotating programs (critter meet-and-greets, a Tuesday farmers market, guided walks) give repeat visitors plenty of reasons to come back. Budget an hour or two to do it justice.
5. Bring Your Binoculars: Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge
Open sunrise to sunset, 7 days a week · Free admission
For birders and casual walkers alike, Pinckney Island is routinely called one of the best free things to do near Hilton Head Island. Over 4,000 acres of salt marsh and maritime forest sit just across the bridge, with flat gravel trails open to both hikers and cyclists. The main draw is Ibis Pond, a rookery that fills with herons, egrets, and wading birds most of the year, with alligators sunning at the edges often enough that spotting one is more of a certainty than a surprise. There are no restrooms or drinking water on site, so plan for a two-mile round trip with supplies in hand, but for the price of admission (nothing), it’s hard to beat.
6. Hilton Head Island’s Oldest Story: The Gullah Museum
By appointment, Mon/Wed/Fri · $25
Long before resorts and golf courses, Hilton Head Island was Gullah land, home to descendants of enslaved West Africans whose language, food, and traditions still shape the Lowcountry today. Founded in 2003 by Louise Miller-Cohen, this small, personal museum tells that story through roughly 500 artifacts and a handful of original structures, including the well-loved “Little Blue House.” It’s a hands-on, firsthand way to hear the island’s history from the community that actually lived it. Tours run by appointment only, so a call ahead is non-negotiable, but for anyone genuinely curious about the roots of Hilton Head Island, it’s worth the planning.
7. Sunset, Seafood, and 270-Degree Views: Quarterdeck
Lunch 11:30am–4pm, Dinner 4–9pm
Quarterdeck has been a Harbour Town institution for decades, and the reason keeps coming up in the same breath: the view. Steps from the Harbour Town Lighthouse, the wraparound deck and rooftop oyster bar look out over Calibogue Sound and the 18th hole of Harbour Town Golf Links, making it one of the better sunset spots tied to any restaurant on Hilton Head Island. The food holds its own too with a menu featuring a full raw bar, charcoal-roasted seafood, and Southern classics. Folks frequently call out the whole spread as a highlight of their trip.
8. Burgers on the Marina: Harbourside
Daily, 11:30am–8pm
For something more casual, Harbourside sits open-air right on the Harbour Town marina, with the lighthouse practically in frame from every table. It’s the kind of low-key, walk-in-only spot where the draw is as much the setting as the menu: burgers, hot dogs, snow crab, cold drinks, and live music most evenings. The perfect place to sip a cold one and soak in all the sights and sounds of the Harbour Town Yacht Basin.
9. Fresh-Baked Mornings: Harbour Town Bakery & Cafe
Breakfast 7am–2pm, Lunch 11am–2:30pm
Housed in a 19th-century lighthouse keeper’s cottage, this bakery has quietly become the island’s go-to breakfast stop! Stop in for pastries baked fresh each morning, a dog-friendly patio under the oaks, and quick takeout for anyone headed straight to the water. The most common piece of advice from anyone who’s been: get there early. It’s popular enough to have a line most mornings, and the regulars agree it’s worth the wait.
10. Toes in the Sand: Coast, Oceanfront Dining
Lunch 11:30am–4pm, Dinner 4–9pm
Right on the sand at the Sea Pines Beach Club, Coast is where locals send anyone asking about oceanfront dining on Hilton Head Island. A rotating raw bar, a seafood tower built for sharing, and frozen cocktails make it an easy favorite. Find out why Southern Living named it one of the South’s best beach bars in 2025. Dogs are welcome on the patio, and reservations are worth making.
Make It a Full Day on Hilton Head Island
Most of these stops sit within a few minutes of Harbour Town, which makes it easy to build a full day around them: a morning trail ride at Lawton Stables, an afternoon walking the Forest Preserve or Pinckney Island, and dinner at the water’s edge to close things out. If dolphins are on your list of things to do on Hilton Head Island too, a Vagabond Cruise sightseeing trip out of Harbour Town pairs naturally with any of the stops above — book your spot and ask our crew for their own recommendations when you’re aboard.