Pinckney Island
Bluffton, SC 29910
Plan Your Visit
Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge is open every day from sunrise to sunset. Overnight use, including camping, is strictly prohibited. The refuge offers a variety of opportunities to explore and enjoy the great outdoors from sunrise to sunset every day. You can play in the surf, observe and photograph wildlife, go fishing, or during the season, hunt white-tailed deer. There are also miles of wooded trails perfect for hiking and bicycling. See "Activities" section below for more details.
Know Before You Go
- Vehicles are only allowed as far as the parking area. All other movement on the refuge is restricted to hiking or bicycling. The first wildlife viewing pond is approximately 2 miles round-trip from the parking area.
- Staff presence is limited; visitors should come prepared and call 911 in case of emergency.
- Drinking water and restrooms are not available.
- There are no shelters for visitor protection from the sun or inclement weather.
- Insect repellant and sunscreen are recommended.
- Alligators may be encountered on the refuge; it is potentially dangerous and a violation of state and federal law to feed or harass this reptile in any way.
- Tell a friend or relative where you are going and when to expect your return.
Pinckney Island is a back-barrier island located between the mainland of Bluffton, SC and Hilton Head Island.
From I-95: Take SC Exit 8 towards Hilton Head Island approximately 16 miles to the entrance gate on the left.
From Hilton Head Island: Exit the island via U.S. 278 West and the refuge entrance will be on your right in approximately 1/2 mile.
Activities
About
Established on December 4, 1975, Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge was once part of a plantation belonging to Revolutionary War veteran Major General Charles Cotesworth Pinckney. The 4,053-acre refuge consists primarily of salt marsh and tidal creeks, supporting a wide variety of bird and plant life including large concentrations of white ibis, herons, and egrets. It is the largest of the islands in the refuge complex and the only one open to the public for wildlife-dependent recreation.