Savannah, Georgia, is forty-two minutes from Hilton Head Island and a city you can explore in two days. Historic River Street is one of the most famous landmarks. It opens to a waterfront where you can watch the cargo ships go past and take a dinner cruise on a riverboat. Chippewa Square is known for being the location of the bench used in the Forrest Gump movie. It is also named for the Battle of Chippewa in the War of 1812 and has a statue to commemorate the event.
Charleston, South Carolina, is one hour and 56 minutes from Hilton Head Island and is a two-day trip if you want to explore the area. Middleton Place National Historic Landmark is one of the oldest landscaped gardens in Charleston and once was a plantation. You should visit the Joe Riley Waterfront Park to see the tree-lined park with waterway vistas. It was named after the beloved former mayor, Joe Riley, and is the location of Charleston's famous Pineapple Fountain.
Charlotte, North Carolina is three hours and forty-three minutes away, and home to the Carolina Panthers. You can learn more about the city’s history at the Levine Museum of the New South. It is a history museum whose exhibits focus on life in the North Carolina Piedmont after the American Civil War. Truist Field is home to Triple-A Minor League Baseball team and is set against the backdrop of Charlotte’s skyline. You should check out our Savannah to Charleston guide to explore nearby cities.
Hilton Head Island has a population of 40,000 and is known for golf courses and Atlantic Ocean beaches. It is named after the English sea captain, William Hilton, who was hired to claim the land for England. Hilton Head Island was formed from the vision of Charles Fraser. He wanted to create a unique vacation resort that included environmental concerns in the development. Fraser created Sea Pines Resort during the 1950s, going against popular opinion.
When visiting Hilton Head Island, you must try certain foods, such as oyster on the shell, Atlantic blue crab, shrimp, gumbo, cornbread, and more. You can find these local favorites at restaurants like A Lowcountry Backyard Restaurant, Kenny B's French Quarter Café, Hudson's Seafood House on The Docks, and Skull Creek Boathouse. You can also stay active during your trip and exercise at local city parks. The Alder Lane Beach Access is a quick stroll that leads to the beach. Barker Field is a sports park with multi-use fields for baseball and softball. It has a boardwalk and an observation deck overlooking Port Royal Sound.
South Carolina has more than 90,000 acres of protected lands stretching from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the sand dunes of the Atlantic Ocean. State parks offer a diversity of landscapes, including Hunting Island State Park, Skidaway Island State Park, and Edisto Beach State Park. Congaree National Park is also near Hilton Head Island. Visiting local museums is a good way to learn about the history of the city.
The Coastal Discovery Museum consists of 68 acres of wildlife, trees, and ancient buildings. It explores the lowcountry natural history and cultural heritage of Hilton Head Island. The Gullah Museum of Hilton Head Island is a nonprofit organization that preserves the Gullah customs, traditions, language, stories, songs, and structures. If you want to find more cities to visit, check out our Columbia local guide.
Beaufort, South Carolina is forty-five minutes from Hilton Head Island and distinguished by historic streets framed with centuries-old, moss-draped live oak trees. The Reconstruction Era National Historical Park preserves and commemorates activities during the Reconstruction Era that followed the American Civil War. The Penn Center is an African American cultural and educational center in the Corners Community, on Saint Helena Island. It was the first school founded in the south specifically for educating African Americans.
80+ Restaurants
40 Gas stations
15 Rest Areas
60+ Campgrounds
3 Nearby National Forests
1 Nearby State Park
60 Nearby RV Parks
2 Dump Stations within 16 miles
Wilmington Island, Georgia is one hour and sixteen minutes from Hilton Head Island. It is an affluent suburban part of Chatham County, Georgia. Wilmington Island offers a lot of outdoor activities and is close to swampland. When using the hiking trails, you may see snakes and alligators.
20+ Restaurants
40 Gas stations
4 Rest Areas
15+ Campgrounds
3 Nearby National Forests
5 Nearby State Park
40 Nearby RV Parks
2 Dump Stations within 16 miles
Garden City, Georgia is fifty-seven minutes from Hilton Head Island and five minutes from downtown Savannah. It is also home to The Southern Roots Festival, which takes place every year in the fall. The Cathedral of the Incarnation is a beautiful historic church in Garden City. Alexander Stewart built the village of Garden City, and the Cathedral of the Incarnation was one of the first buildings.
60+ Restaurants
60 Gas stations
6 Rest Areas
50+ Campgrounds
1 Nearby National Forests
5 Nearby State Park
80 Nearby RV Parks
3 Dump Stations within 16 miles
The 35th Annual Hilton Head Wine and Food Festival occurs at The Sea Pines Resort from March 21 – 27, 2022.
The Hilton Head Island Seafood Festival occurs at the Omni Hilton Head Oceanfront Resort from February 21 – 28, 2022.
The Gullah Celebration occurs at Historic Mitchellville Freedom Park from February 1 – 27, 2022.
South Carolina has some of the best RV parks and campgrounds near the beach and near golf courses. The Hilton Head Harbor RV Resort & Marina is right on the water and offers activities like dolphin tours, swimming, and kayaking. Amenities include a marina, hot tub, swimming pool, full hookups, 30/50 amp, back-in sites, and showers. Hilton Head Island Motorcoach Resort is an RV park for motorhomes and provides accommodations for big rigs. Amenities include full hookups, Wi-Fi, cable TV, scenic lakefront sites, private shaded forest sites, and clubhouse sites. Parris Island RV Park is on a military base in Beaufort, South Carolina, and is only open to military veterans. Amenities include full hookups for water, sewer, and electricity, a bathroom, showers, coin-operated laundry facility, and picnic tables.
Congaree National Park is 26,276-acre that preserves the largest tract of old-growth bottomland hardwood forest left in the United States. It is two hours and twenty-eight minutes from Hilton Head Island. The Boardwalk Loop is one of nine hiking trails and is a flat boardwalk that loops through the forest. Visitors can also enjoy picnicking, fishing, nature photography, and birdwatching.
Great Smoky Mountain National Park is five hours and eighteen minutes from Hilton Head Island. It is near the Tennessee-North Carolina border and offers the opportunity to see roaming wildlife. Clingmans Dome is the highest point in the national park at 6,643 feet. The hike is only a half-mile from the Clingmans Dome parking area. When you reach the top, you will enjoy magnificent views.
Shenandoah National Park is eight hours and eight minutes from Hilton Head Island and extends along the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. On the Southern Appalachian Mountains side, visitors can enjoy road biking, fishing, and hiking. This national park is also 90 minutes from Washington, DC, and Skyline Drive, a 105-mile road, cuts through the park.
Hunting Island State Park is 5,000 acres of marsh, beach, and maritime forest. The 130-foot Hunting Island Lighthouse is a fixture at the park and open to the public. This state park is also beachfront, and you can swim in the saltwater lagoon.
Skidaway Island State Park is near Savannah and borders the Skidaway narrows, part of Georgia’s Intracoastal waterway. It is a scenic campground nestled within a wooded area mostly shaded with a mix of hardwoods and pines. Campers also have access to a boat ramp, and seven miles of trails for biking and hiking. The park’s office has bicycle rentals as well.
Edisto Beach State Park is one of four oceanfront state parks in South Carolina. It has handicapped accessible hiking and biking trails that provide a tour of the park. The park also has an environmental education center, which is a “green” building with exhibits that highlight the natural history of Edisto Island and the surrounding ACE Basin.
South Carolina has its own unique place in the history books, marked by the state’s must-see landmarks. The Baynard Plantation Ruins is one of these landmarks and is the remains of a plantation house that dates to the 1800s. It is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The ruins of several buildings are made from oyster shell materials and surrounded by Spanish moss trees.
Motorhomes are divided into Class A, B, and C vehicles. On average expect to pay $185 per night for Class A, $149 per night for Class B and $179 per night for Class C. Towable RVs include 5th Wheel, Travel Trailers, Popups, and Toy Hauler. On average, in Hilton Head Island, SC, the 5th Wheel trailer starts at $70 per night. Pricing for the Travel Trailer begins at $60 per night, and the Popup Trailer starts at $65 per night.
Do you need to be a certain age to rent an RV in Hilton Head Island?Yes. The minimum age is 25 to be eligible to get an RV Rental in Hilton Head Island from RVshare.
Does RVshare have emergency roadside assistance?Yes. Every RV rental booked through RVshare receives 24/7 emergency roadside assistance.
Does RVshare offer one way RV rentals in Hilton Head Island?Yes. Prior to renting any RV, check with the owner since not all will offer this particular option.
