We are planning a family trip to Hilton Head this summer and are wondering how Sea Pines and Palmetto Dunes copare/differ. We have heard that both are nice...how do the beaches compare? What about bike trails in each area? We will likely be renting an oceanfront house or condo. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

I do not know rhe answer but we are also trying to decide b/t these 2 so I am bringing this one to the top.

TTT

Can't believe no-one can help these folks! Everyone too busy watching the games yesterday?

Anyway, it's been several years since my wife & I have been back to HH, but certain characteristics do not change.

Palmetto Dunes is a resort, and a very nice one. Sea Pines is more like a traditional beach neighborhood (with individual beach cottages/houses in a grid extending from the ocean back). The beach should be great in either location, except that you don't want to get too far west in Sea Pines because the ocean gives way to inlet, and the "beach" is not as nice.

I guess to sum up the major differences I know of:
Sea Pines has more of an open feel
Sea Pines will have individual houses/cottages (more choices?)
Palmetto has more amenities (e.g., tennis, canoeing, golf.

You can't go wrong with either.

Have a great time!

I vote for Sea Pines, but then again, my family has had timeshare there for more than 10 years! I think that Sea Pines has the most variety of any of the plantations on the isalnd - more golf courses, they have nature trails and a whole nature preserve, several different points of beach access, and three different shopping/restaurant areas - including the one you always see in pictures with the lighthouse. Plus, everyone else has to pay to get in. Also, Sea Pines has a little bit of everything - hotels, condos, timeshare, private homes--- if you have timeshare, most of those come with bikes now so it's easy to get around the plantation. Also, there is a riding stable if you are interested in that sort of thing.
Either way, have a great time, one of my favorite places on earth.

Sea Pines is quite large and if you are in the back (towards South Beach) you could be very far- 10 minute drive- from all the restaurants. If you are near one of the gates you'll be fine. Palmetto Dunes is known for great beach and the same beach extend into Sea pines...but the above fodorite was correct...if you go too far (close to S. Beach) it is not as good. Palmetto Dunes is really pretty and better if you want to be centrally located to shopping/rests/bars. But if you just want bikes and beach you'll be fine in S.P. Don't forget any trip to Hilton Head warrants a trip to 2-11 park wine bar & bistro awesome tuna, lobster, sea bass, and 75 wines by the glass!

We stayed at Palmetto Dunes years ago and it was really nice. The beach was one of the widest I've ever seen at the time. The only problem we had was our condo was back in the trees and we had a lot of trouble with bugs. We had to keep everything in the fridge and every night after we turned the lights out, the kids would go on a roach raid. I think that was the highlight of their trip. LOL Be sure to take a can of RAID.

We are known for "Palmetto Bugs"...look like large brown roaches...they stay near water and are usually found in kitchen or bath. Of course residents have their houses sprayed and I might see 2-3 a year usually in the height of summer. But since "vacationers" aren't known for being clean...the bugs come out. People rent the condos for weekly stays and usually turn away the pesticide sprayers...because they don't want to be bothered on vaca. So if a condo is booked back to back ...week to week...it may not get sprayed all summer.

I resent your inference that we are not clean people. The sprayers were there, and they were not turned away. They told us it was due to the trees. You have a lot of balls making false assumptions about someone you don't know.

Sea Pines! You will be a short bicycle ride from Habourtown and South Beach. The beach in Sea Pines is hard enough to ride bikes on and is quite wide (less so at low tide). I would not stay anywhere else on Hilton Head.