Winter Guide to Hilton Head

Hilton Head Island is subtropical and that means winter isn’t exactly frigid. It’s quite pleasant with the occasional stormy day and cloud cover. Overall, the temperature is quite comfortable with daytime highs in the 60’s and 70’s and night temperature being cool but not freezing. This means you might use the heater in a motorcoach, but it won’t require much to hit a nice inside temperature. The outdoors is still wide open to explore and there are plenty of ways to fall in love with winters on Hilton Head Island.

Golfing During Winter

The numerous world class golf courses on Hilton Head are wide open for play throughout the entire winter. The day temperatures are comfortable and preferable to the hottest part of summer for some people. Bring a light jacket or raincoat just in case but many days are still great in t-shirts or a lightweight sun shirt. There are very few days where the weather is not good for a day on the course and winter golfers enjoy lower crowds and easy to book tee times.

Take a Spa Day

Watch the weather and plan your indoor activities when a storm approaches. Get a massage or hit the spa and pamper yourself when it’s dark and stormy outside. There are plenty of nice places to explore on the island. Get your hair done, hit the shops and boutiques and take advantage of the local culture and wonderful spa options available.

Winter Offers Great Fishing

Sport fishing is fantastic during the winter months on Hilton Head. Redfish are especially active and available for fly anglers and gear anglers with artificial lures. You will find them feeding in flooded grass and shallow waters where they are visible and fun to target. It’s the best time of year for this species. It’s also a great time for speckled trout which are a local favorite because they are excellent eating. If the hot inshore fishing for redfish and speckled trout isn’t enough, head offshore to find sheepshead, sharks, sea bass and dogfish. Migratory offshore species can also arrive and offer random chances at big gamefish.

Fresh Seafood

The winter season is peak harvest for a wide variety of seafood and shellfish. If you love Oysters, this is the season for fresh daily batches. They even have a Seafood Festival to celebrate the abundance of fresh fish and shellfish on Hilton Head. Attend the festivals in February and March and stuff yourself with the local catch. You can’t go wrong hitting the seafood market and planning a big meal.

Explore Outdoors

The sunsets, wild spaces and wildlife are all wonderful during the winter. It’s the perfect time to visit the preserved spaces and walk the hiking paths. Better yet, take a ferry to Daufuskie Island and walk the beaches. Keep your eyes peeled for alligators in the backwaters. Dolphin sightings are very common as well. Locally, the Sea Pines Forest Preserve has 400-acres with trails and tons of wildlife to see. It’s the perfect place to spend a winter day on Hilton Head Island. Folly Field is a wonderful beach park to visit year-round and the island has a network of bike trails that are ideal for cruising on bicycles. If you want to go off-road, try riding a bike down the beaches to find the perfect secluded spot for a picnic or fishing outing.

Holiday Season

The Hilton Head community doesn’t hold back during the holidays. From Halloween to New Years, the holidays are hopping on Hilton Head. You can have Thanksgiving at your motorcoach or eat dinner at one of the numerous restaurants on the island and enjoy a mellow evening. The Christmas Festival is a blast, and you will see lights strung across houses and businesses. Santa is available at Coligny Plaza, and you will find festivities all around the island. Where else can you golf a world class course in the morning and see Santa in the evening? You might not have a true white Christmas with snow but the white sand beaches more than make up for that and you watch the waves roll in before the new year hits.