Audubon Newhall Preserve
Managed by Audubon
46 acres0.9 mi of trail
North Woods TrailSouth Woods TrailPond TrailBranch Woods Trail
Dogs usually not allowed
Directionsto the trail signWebsite ↗
Photo: Locust member · CC BY 4.0A−Outdoors
Outdoors in Hilton Head Island
Hilton Head Island has 72 miles of mapped trails, 1.7 for every square mile of land
1,597 acres are parks and preserves, 42 per 1,000 residents. The biggest trail networks: Audubon Newhall Preserve (0.9 mi). 7% of Hilton Head Island’s land is conserved, about 1,925 acres.
Ahead of 85% of U.S. towns · #4 of 169 in South Carolina. What drives it
Conserved land
7%
1,925 acres · of 41.4 sq mi of land
Trails
72 mi
1.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,597 ac
42 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
63%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
76 mi
0.2 mi lanes · 75 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
14
5 beaches · 1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Hilton Head Island?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Hilton Head Island have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Hilton Head Island is ahead of 85% of U.S. towns, #4 of 169 in South Carolina. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A−
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Hilton Head Island’s overall grade.
Conserved land7% of the land · typical SC town 1% · U.S. 4%B+Trails1.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (72 mi) · SC 0.2 · U.S. 0.4APark land42 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,597 acres) · SC 6 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to home63% of residents within a half mile of a park · SC 52% · U.S. 72%B−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 85%
LessMore
South Carolina towns of 2,500+ (169)Ahead of 98%
Few South Carolina towns conserve much land (a typical one, 1%; the U.S., 4%), so Hilton Head Island’s 7% is ahead of 89% of South Carolina towns, while its trails per square mile lead 96% of them.
Water is 40% of Hilton Head Island’s area (28 of 69 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 4%.
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B+ to A. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Audubon Newhall Preserve, with 0.9 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Chaplin Park
Park
54 acres0.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park
Park
36 acres0.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Jarvis Creek Park
Park
34 acres
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 15 parks & preserves
Audubon Newhall Preserve46 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · Audubon
DirectionsChaplin Park54 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Lowcountry Celebration Park10 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Hilton Head Island
DirectionsHilton Head Baseball Association8 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park36 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Baynard Ruins6 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBarker Field Extension5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Shelter Cove Park5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsJarvis Creek Park34 acres
Islanders Beach Park12 acres · Hilton Head Island
DirectionsBarker Field10 acres
Cross Island Boat Landing5 acres
Green Shells Park2 acres
Compass Rose Park1 acres
DirectionsColigny Beach Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
1,925 conserved acres
7% of Hilton Head Island’s land. Water is left out: Hilton Head Island has 41.4 square miles of land and 27.8 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Hilton Head Island’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city1,080 ac
Private owners584 ac
State natural resources183 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits125 ac
County19 ac
Local Conservation Area · 784 acLocal Park · 439 acLocal Other or Unknown · 366 acState Conservation Area · 180 acLocal Recreation Area · 92 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 10 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 3 of 112 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sea Pines Forest Preserve Local Conservation Area | Private owners | 584 | Open |
| Joiner Bank Seabird Sanctuary State Conservation Area | State natural resources | 180 | Restricted |
| Hilton Head Island Preserved Land 2 Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 78 | Restricted |
| Hilton Head Island Preserved Land 3 Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 67 | Restricted |
| Ashmore Tract (Port Royal) Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 66 | Open |
| Honey Horn Local Park | Town or city | 65 | Open |
| Burkes Beach Dunes and Marshland Local Park | Town or city | 64 | Open |
| Audubon Newhall Preserve Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 50 | Closed |
| Crossings Park Local Park | Town or city | 47 | Open |
| Wook Lake Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 42 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
37 places to go in Hilton Head Island
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Hilton Head Island
Bradley Beach
DirectionsDisney's Hilton Head Island Resort
DirectionsHilton Head Island Beach & Tennis Resort
DirectionsMitchelville Beach
DirectionsPlus 1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Public pools in Hilton Head Island
Plus 6 public pools without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Hilton Head Island
Gregg Russell Harbour Town Playground
DirectionsShelter Cover PlaygroundIn Shelter Cove Park
DirectionsPlus 9 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Hilton Head Island
1 boat launch without a name on the map.
Picnic areas in Hilton Head Island
10 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Community gardens in Hilton Head Island
Heritage Farms
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 14 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 8.2 miHorses · 0.9 miUnpaved · 10.1 mi
Fish Island Trail1.1 mi
Bridle Trail0.9 mi
Shell Ring Trail0.5 mi
Rice Dike Trail0.4 mi
Boggy Cut Trail0.4 mi
Jungle Boogie0.4 mi
Underdog0.4 mi
Southern Rim0.4 mi
Hilton Head Resort Boardwalk0.3 mi
Little League0.3 mi
15 more trails
Rookery Point Trail
0.3 miWestern Rim
0.3 miOver the Hill Trail
0.3 miNorth Woods Trail
0.2 miPublic Beach Access path
0.2 miAnhinga Trail
0.2 miRice Field Boardwalk
0.2 miCrosstown Traffic
0.2 miSouth Woods Trail
0.2 miObservation Deck Trail
0.2 miPond Trail
0.2 miJah Love
0.1 miFisherman's Point
0.1 miMiddle Run
0.1 miHome Run
0.1 miBiking & sports
76 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
0.2 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
75 mi
off-road bike paths
0.3 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
188Tennis
55Golf
54Pickleball
9Baseball
8Basketball
3Soccer
2Football
1Beach volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →6 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 10 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Rear Lighthouse of Hilton Head Range Light StationStructure · listed 1985
About itStoney-Baynard PlantationSite · listed 1994
About itFort HowellStructure · listed 2011
About itCherry Hill SchoolBuilding · listed 2012
About itFort MitchelStructure · listed 2017
About itSt. Luke's Parish Zion Chapel of Ease CemeterySite · listed 2017
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Hilton Head Island: April and May
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 10.3 | 11.0 | 11.9 | 12.9 | 13.8 | 14.2 | 14.1 | 13.3 | 12.3 | 11.3 | 10.5 | 10.0 |
| High (°F) | 60 | 63 | 69 | 76 | 83 | 88 | 90 | 89 | 85 | 78 | 69 | 62 |
| Rain (in) | 3.4 | 3.2 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 3.3 | 5.4 | 5.7 | 6.6 | 4.9 | 4.2 | 2.4 | 3.1 |
November is the driest month (2.4 in) and July the warmest (highs of 90 °F). 6.6 inches fall in August, the wettest month. Summer highs reach 90 °F, too hot for the outline. The climate in Hilton Head Island →
Next door
Hilton Head Island and its neighbors
Hilton Head Island has the most mapped trails of the 2 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hilton Head Island | 7% | 1.7 | 42 | 63% | A− |
| Daufuskie Island | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Hilton Head Island
Where can I hike in Hilton Head Island?
The longest trail networks: Audubon Newhall Preserve, 0.9 miles; Chaplin Park, 0.2 miles; Historic Mitchelville Freedom Park, 0.1 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Hilton Head Island is conserved land?
7% of its land, against a typical 1% for a South Carolina town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Hilton Head Island’s trails?
Audubon Newhall Preserve and Chaplin Park don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Hilton Head Island?
76 miles of bike routes are on the map: 0.2 of painted or protected lanes, 75 of off-road paths and 0.3 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Hilton Head Island?
13,788 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Hilton Head Island or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,597 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Hilton Head Island have?
Ahead of 85% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #4 of 169 in South Carolina. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Hilton Head Island neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →