North & South Forest Beach

Better known as "Coligny Beach" and often called "Hilton Head Beach" these two beaches are actually one continuous beach; divided by Coligny Beach Park. South Forest Beach is also accessible from the Alder Lane Beach Access, on South Forest Beach Rd. A few "sneaky" folks also gain access to the beach here, then travel on foot or bicycle to Tower Beach, South Beach and the Sea Pines Beach Club (beach) at Sea Pines Plantation. By so doing they avoid paying the five-dollar gate fee charged at the two plantation entrances on, Cordillo Parkway and Greenwood Drive (assuming of course they don't get caught). There are twenty-two metered parking spaces at the Alder Lane access; the meters only take quarters, which purchase fifteen minutes of parking time each. Coligny Beach Park has a huge free parking area, but parking is supposedly reserved, between eight a.m. and three p.m., for residents with annual parking passes. Don't try to get away with parking at Holiday Inn, as all of their guests are provided parking passes and any car not displaying a pass is towed. There is a limited amount of street parking on North Forest Beach Road (free), and although there are signs posted at Coligny Plaza, which say, "beach parking is prohibited…..", lots of people do park there to use the beach; the general consensus being, how would anyone know if you were in a store or restaurant, or at the beach?

The North and South Forest Beach Areas are the busiest and most crowded on Hilton Head Island, and for obvious reasons. They are within easy walking distance of the SeaCrest and several smaller resorts (that are directly on the beach), as well as the Beachwalk, Metropolitan, Comfort Inn and Holiday Inn Oceanfront Hotels. Shopping and restaurants in Coligny Plaza and on Pope Avenue and North Forest Beach Road are also just steps away. The Coral Sands Resort is also only a ten minute walk, or less, from the main beach access area at Coligny Circle. To add to the convenience of getting back and forth in the area is a free shuttle which stops at all the hotels, several Pope Avenue stores and restaurants, several places in Coligny Plaza and at Sea Pines Circle; right at the beach access. In addition to all that, many other island hotels and resorts also offer free shuttle service to Coligny Circle!

Life guards and all Beach Patrol Services are available along all of North and South Forest Beach. A good portion of funding for the Hilton Head Island Beach Patrol comes from the rental of beach equipment and "playthings", including; Chairs and umbrellas, along with "sail cats", some crazy looking adult trikes you can ride in the sand and those really awesome tricycles; with the huge balloon tires, that you can actually pedal out onto the ocean! Alder Lane Beach Access has showers, while Coligny Beach Park has showers, restrooms, vending machines and even a Beaufort County Sheriff's "sub station". By the way; that really neat playground, that looks like it is part of the beach park, actually belongs to Holiday inn and is reserved for hotel guest only.

To find Coligny Beach on your own; exit Sea Pines Circle onto Pope Avenue (head towards the ocean). Sea Pines is the only traffic circle or "roundabout" on William Hilton Parkway (rt. 278) and marks the intersection of 278, Palmetto Bay Road (which leads to the Cross Island Parkway), Greenwood Drive and Pope Avenue. Pope Avenue is only about a half-mile long and ends at Coligny Circle: The public parking lot is on the right just before the circle and "Wild Wings"; for Alder Lane Beach access and parking, exit Coligny Circle onto South Forest Beach Road. To the left of Coligny Circle is North Forest Beach Road, Coligny Plaza, and other shopping and restaurants. Coligny Beach Access is straight ahead; to the left of the Holiday Inn.