White Water

OK, so it's not exactly "white water", and it's no exactly one of those trips in the great big rafts, with the safety vest and the guides and the rocks and all that, but it sure is fun! Not only is this fun, but it's something you'd never expect to find on an Atlantic island.

Since the tide falls as much as seven feet, in as little as six hours, on Hilton Head; when the smaller creeks and saltwater streams and lagoons empty the water really rushes out. One really neat find is a stream that empties into the ocean at Burkes Beach. You can access Burkes Beach from either Burke's Beach Road (duh) or through Chaplin Park at Singleton Beach Road. You can either park in the parking areas at Chaplin Park, free of charge, or use one of the thirteen metered spaces at the end of Burkes Beach Road. Bring a regular ole ten dollar rubber raft and plan to be there about an hour or two after high tide.

Once you're on the beach, turn and walk south (toward the "toe" of the island), you won't go far before you will come across a place where a tidal lagoon empties into a stream that leads to the ocean. About one-hundred feet wide at the widest point, and perhaps a quarter mile long, the water rushes out of this little stream like thunder! Every falling tide cuts a brand new pathway through the sand, about a foot or two deep, and every rising tide fills it back in. Just grab your raft and follow the stream to where it makes a hard turn, near a breakwater, and slows down. The rest is simple; throw the raft in, jump in, jump on and hold tight! Its not exactly white water rafting and its not exactly surfing, but it sure is fun, especially for the younger ones in your group! If you can't swim, the water is only a foot or so deep, but you should still wear a ski vest or some sort of flotation device, because it can be pretty hard to stand against the current!