If you have been reading my suggestions for pet friendly destinations, you are probably starting to notice a pattern. I travel a LOT for work. And since my pets are my family, I take them with me as often as possible.
In the fall of 2006, I had business in Savannah, GA. So, I decided to hit the road with my dogs, Angel (may he rest in peace) and Sunny (pictured) in order to stop off and explore Hilton Head on my way to Savannah. Let me just say it was love at first sight. What a magical place for pets.
We stayed in a pet-friendly, ocean front hotel with direct access to the island's white, sandy coastline which stretches almost 14 miles. We stayed for 3 nights and spent most of our time on the sprawling pet-friendly beach. We were there in March, which is considered off-season, so most days, we had the beach to ourselves! It was simply magical, I tell you. The sunrises we enjoyed are forever burned into my brain. So beautiful.
Even though Hilton Head is very pet-friendly and dogs are welcome on the beach, there are quite a few rules and regulations you need to know when you visit. For your convenience, an overview is provided below.
Hilton Head Beach - Rules and Regulations for Dogs:
- October – March: No leashes required at any time. The animal IS required to be under positive voice control
- April – May: Animals must be on a leash between 10 A.M. – 5 P.M.
- The Friday before Memorial Day until Monday of Labor Day weekend: NO animals allowed on the beach between 10 A.M. – 5 P.M.
- Tuesday after Labor Day – September: Animals must be on a leash from 10 A.M. – 5 P.M.
- On the beach or not, local law requires owners to clean up after their pets.
The pet-friendly hotels and pet friendly vacation rentals on Hilton Head Island are plentiful. But, some of the hotels only allow pets between October and March, so be sure to double check their pet policies. And if you find pet-friendly lodging that is not ocean front, you will need to find public access to the beach for you and your pooch.
All of the beach is public, from the ocean to the high water mark. Access to the beach, however, is often private.
Town of Hilton Head Island provides beach access at these locations:
- Alder Lane Beach Access, off South Forest Beach Drive
- Burkes Beach Access, at the end of Burkes Beach Road
- Chaplin Community Park, off of William Hilton Parkway
- Coligny Beach Park, off Coligny Circle
- Driessen Beach Park, at the end of Bradley Beach Road
- Fish Haul Park, at the end of Beach City Road
- Folly Field Beach Park, off Folly Field Road
- Islanders Beach Park, off Folly Field Road
- Mitchelville Beach Park, off Beach City Road
One day during our visit, we tore ourselves away from the beach long enough to walk up to the Coligney Plaza at One North Forest Beach Drive at Coligney Circle to discover that dogs were allowed at most of the outdoor restaurant patios. We stopped in at Steamer Seafood and enjoyed a couple of cold beverages and a bucket of steamed oysters with Sunny and Angel at our feet.
There are many more pet-friendly places to explore on the island and we hope to return soon to dig them up IF we can bring ourselves to venture off of the magnificent beach. Hilton Head is definitely one happy place for hounds!