3 Best Sights in Hilton Head Island, Hilton Head and the Low Country

Located on the grounds of the former Honey Horn Plantation, this interactive museum features a butterfly enclosure, programs for children, and guided walks of the 68-acre property that includes historic buildings and barns, marsh front boardwalks, and a wide variety of magnificent trees, such as live oaks, magnolias, and one of the state's largest Southern red cedars. A Smithsonian Affiliate, the museum hosts a variety of temporary exhibits that focus on a range of interesting historic topics and artistic mediums. Animal tours, history tours, and kayak tours are also available and should be booked in advance. Informative and inspiring, the Coastal Discovery Museum lets visitors experience the Lowcountry up close.

Located within the gates of the Sea Pines Resort, the Sea Pines Forest Preserve is made up of 605 acres of protected wilderness. There are two entrances: one off Greenwood Drive, about a mile past the resort’s main gate, has a parking area; the other is located off Lawton Drive. Walking, biking, and horse-riding paths take you past a stocked fishing pond, a waterfowl pond, a 4,000-year-old Native American shell ring, a wildflower field, wetland boardwalks, picnic areas, and boat docks. Nature tours, boat tours, fishing expeditions, and wagon tours are available through Sea Pines and can be booked in advance. Nearby Lawton Stables offers a unique experience to explore the forest via a guided horseback tour.

There are walking trails, a self-guided tour, a pond, and eight distinct areas to explore on this 50-acre preserve located off Palmetto Bay Road. Native plant life is tagged and identified in the pristine forest, and many species of birds can also be found here.