Hilton Head Scenic Highway
Hilton Head Scenic Highway is a State Scenic Byway in South Carolina. Within South Carolina it covers roughly 8 miles. The map below shows its route. Use “Plan a drive” to open it in the Road Sorties route planner — already routing along Hilton Head Scenic Highway with scenic roads turned on, ready to add your own stops.
Hilton Head Scenic Highway carries US 278 for 22 miles across South Carolina's Lowcountry, from the mainland near Okatie onto Hilton Head Island. The road begins at its junction with SC 170, then runs through Bluffton and over wetlands and tidal creeks before crossing the causeway onto the island itself, ending at Sea Pines Circle. Though it's a busy, multi-lane commercial corridor rather than a quiet back road, local ordinances have kept it heavily landscaped, with live oaks draped in Spanish moss shading the median and shoulders for much of its length. An extensive network of paved multi-use paths runs alongside the highway, making it a popular route for cyclists and pedestrians as well as drivers. The scenic designation reflects Hilton Head's decades-long effort to manage growth and preserve its natural setting even as traffic volumes rose; the route offers glimpses of salt marsh and maritime forest between the shopping centers and gated communities that line much of the way onto the island.
- US 278, 22 miles
- Okatie to Sea Pines Circle
- Bluffton
- live oak canopy medians
- multi-use paved paths
- Hilton Head Island
Plan a drive on Hilton Head Scenic Highway →
What is a State Scenic Byway?
State Scenic Byways are roads a state has formally recognized for their scenic, natural, historic or cultural value — each state's own curated collection of drives worth taking slowly.
Where to Stay along Hilton Head Scenic Highway
1 campground or RV park sits within about 5 miles of Hilton Head Scenic Highway.
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