What's on in Hilton Head Island, United States through the year

Busy — Winter / Christmas break in United States, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in January.

Quiet — one of its worst months for weather

Nothing new starts in February.

Busy — Spring break in United States

Nothing new starts in March.

Busy — RBC Heritage

• Festival

  RBC Heritage

  13–19 AprMajor festivalCrowdedBook early

  The PGA Tour's stop the week after the Masters, played at Harbour Town for the plaid jacket. Rentals go to week minimums and the two-lane bridge onto the island backs up from Thursday. Source ↗

Busy — one of its best months for weather

• Nature

  Loggerhead nesting

  1 May – 31 OctTurtle nesting

  A couple of hundred loggerhead nests a season, laid from May and hatching through October. A volunteer patrol walks the twelve miles of beach at first light marking the new ones.

• Rule

  Beachfront lights-out rule

  1 May – 31 Oct

  Any light visible from the sand has to be shielded or off between 10pm and 6am through nesting season, which is why oceanfront rentals come with blackout blinds and no torches on the beach after dark. Source ↗

Peak crowds — School-holiday season, Summer break in United States

• Season

  Sea warm enough

  1 Jun – 10 Oct · usually

  The Atlantic here is swimmable from June and stays that way well past Labor Day. What changes in early autumn is the number of people on the sand, not the water.

• Hazard

  Atlantic hurricane season

  1 Jun – 30 Nov

  Direct hits on this stretch of the South Carolina coast are rare, but the island is flat, low and reached by one causeway, so evacuation orders come early and often. September is the month that matters. Source ↗

• Season

  School-holiday season

  5 Jun – 20 AugSchool holidaysCrowdedBook early

  The island runs on the school calendar: bike paths busy by nine, beach clubs full, and rentals let by the week from Saturday to Saturday, which is why every road on and off jams on the same morning.

Still on: Loggerhead nesting (1 May – 31 Oct), Beachfront lights-out rule (1 May – 31 Oct)

Peak crowds — School-holiday season, Summer break in United States

Nothing new starts in July.

Still on: Loggerhead nesting (1 May – 31 Oct), Beachfront lights-out rule (1 May – 31 Oct), Sea warm enough (1 Jun – 10 Oct (usually)), Atlantic hurricane season (1 Jun – 30 Nov), School-holiday season (5 Jun – 20 Aug)

Peak crowds — School-holiday season, Summer break in United States

Nothing new starts in August.

Still on: Loggerhead nesting (1 May – 31 Oct), Beachfront lights-out rule (1 May – 31 Oct), Sea warm enough (1 Jun – 10 Oct (usually)), Atlantic hurricane season (1 Jun – 30 Nov), School-holiday season (5 Jun – 20 Aug)

Busy — Summer break in United States

Nothing new starts in September.

Still on: Loggerhead nesting (1 May – 31 Oct), Beachfront lights-out rule (1 May – 31 Oct), Sea warm enough (1 Jun – 10 Oct (usually)), Atlantic hurricane season (1 Jun – 30 Nov)

Busy — one of its best months for weather

Nothing new starts in October.

Still on: Loggerhead nesting (1 May – 31 Oct), Beachfront lights-out rule (1 May – 31 Oct), Sea warm enough (1 Jun – 10 Oct (usually)), Atlantic hurricane season (1 Jun – 30 Nov)

Busy — Thanksgiving break in United States

Nothing new starts in November.

Still on: Atlantic hurricane season (1 Jun – 30 Nov)

Busy — Winter / Christmas break in United States, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in December.