Sea Pines Plantation Overview
Sea Pines Plantation, located at the tip of the "shoe" the is Hilton Head
Island, is the original planned residential resort community designed by
Charles Frazer and recipient of many awards for integrating natural surroundings
with residences.
Sea Pines is heavily forested and homes are tucked into the surrounding
landscape unobtrusively. Leisure trails (bike paths) wind their way throughout
the community.
There are several focal points of interest to visitors. Two marinas provide
access to water sports, boating, para-sailing and fishing. Harbour Town is the
best known and is often pictured with it's signature candy-striped lighthouse.
Harbour Town marina is also home to several
restaurants, shops and art galleries and is the venue for Gregg Russell and his
famous entertainment under the Liberty Oak for kids.
The other marina in Sea Pines is the South Beach Marina, renown for its quaint reproduction of a New England fishing village and for the famous Salty Dog restaurant and outdoor bar on the docks. It too has several shops and restaurants as well as water sports, fishing, nature cruises, wave runner rentals, kayaks, etc.
Sea Pines is home to three 18 hole golf courses, including the PGA Tour
Harbour Town links, Heron Point and
Ocean courses and several miles of
beaches, and the popular beach venue, the Sea Pines
Beach Club. The Sea Pines center is a shopping location with shops,
restaurants, bike rentals, a bank and a post office.
Tennis is available at Sea Pines Racquet Club Stan Smith facility or the South Beach Racquet Club. Swimming pools are located near Harbour Town, the South Beach Marina, and Plantation Club golf clubhouse.
Lawton stables provides horseback riding and a petting zoo, and the horses always enjoy apple or carrot treats brought by children.
For nature lovers, the Sea Pines Forest Preserve, a 605 acre wilderness sporting two lakes provides fresh water fishing, hiking, alligators, a Heron rookery, a wild flower field, a historic Indian shell mound and picnic grounds.
If you are not a guest in Sea Pines, admission is via a one-day pass sold at the gates for $5. Parking in summer at the marinas and beach club can be a challenge, but is easily solved by parking just inside the main gate at the parking lot on the left (look for a left turn lane) and free trolley shuttle to the marinas, beach club and other locations.