Islanders Beach Park closed on September 8, one day after Hilton Head's paid beach-parking season ended. The Town plans to keep the park at 92 Folly Field Road closed through May 31, 2027, and expects to reopen it June 1. Because of that timing, you lose very little right now. Through the end of February, every Town beach park lot charges nobody. The closure starts to cost something on March 1, and your 2026 resident pass expires before then.
Until February 28, any Town lot works
The Town's beach parking page limits paid parking to the peak season, March 1 through September 7. Fees are enforced from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. during those months and not at all outside them. Between now and February 28, 2027, the lots at Driessen, Folly Field, Fish Haul and Burkes are free for everyone, pass or no pass. Beach parks are open daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Walking in still works too. The Town is putting in a temporary mulch walkway on the north side of Islanders. It connects to the existing raised crosswalk on Folly Field Road, so if you live within walking or biking distance, you can still reach the same stretch of sand. The parking lot, playground and restrooms are part of the closure.
Dog owners get the island's loosest rules in these months. The Town's animals on the beach schedule allows dogs on the beach at any hour from October through March, either leashed or under voice control. The one exception is on the Port Royal Sound side. Town Council adopted Ordinance 2025-08 on June 3, 2025, amending the beach chapter of the Town's municipal code. The ordinance bars dogs and other animals from a designated stretch near Fish Haul Creek at all times, all year. The boundaries are marked with "Animals Prohibited Area" signs. The Town describes the zone as about the size of two football fields, starting roughly 600 feet from the Fish Haul public access point. The restriction protects threatened shorebirds that stop over and spend the winter on that shoreline. One part of that Town page still says the rule takes effect once Council adopts it. Council did adopt it, so follow the signs.
The pass expires before the crunch starts
The resident beach parking permit is free and runs January 1 through December 31. The Town says to renew it each year before March 1. That means the 2026 pass on your car expires on New Year's Eve. Renewal is due before March 1, which is the day the meters start running again.
According to the Town's beach parking permit page, permits are for Town residents only. They're limited to two vehicles per address and valid only on the vehicle they're issued to. You apply with your vehicle registration and proof of in-town residency, such as a property tax bill, closing documents or a residential lease of at least 183 days. Short-term rentals don't qualify. You can apply online through ParkLync or bring your documents to PCI Municipal Services at 32 Office Park Road, Suite 108. Posted hours there are Tuesday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Wednesday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4 to 6 p.m., and Thursday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Town Hall does not issue passes. This is general information, not legal advice. Check your own eligibility with the Town before you count on a pass.
March 1 through May 31 is when the closure matters
On March 1, 2027, the meters come back at $3 an hour on weekdays and $5 an hour on Saturdays and Sundays. For the next three months, the Islanders resident lot is gone at the same time that the metered lots at Driessen, Folly Field and Fish Haul charge anyone without a pass. Coligny is exempt from the fees, and Burkes stays free until May 18. To cover that gap, the Town designated 139 resident spaces at Driessen Beach Park and 26 at Folly Field Beach Park for the length of the construction. Passholders can also park free in any available space at any Town beach park.
Driessen holds 139 of those 165 temporary resident spaces, so most of the displaced Islanders parking ends up on Bradley Beach Road.
| Driessen Beach Park | Folly Field Beach Park | |
|---|---|---|
| Address | 64 Bradley Beach Road | 55 Starfish Drive |
| Temporary resident spaces | 139 | 26 |
| Paid spaces in the Town inventory | 168 | 51 |
| On site | Restrooms, boardwalk, beach matting, playground, picnic pavilion | Restrooms, outdoor shower, boardwalk, beach mat, bike repair station |
The parking inventory page still lists Driessen's old count of 27 permit spaces. The 139 figure comes from the Town's construction notice and applies until Islanders reopens. If you need restrooms or an accessible route while Islanders is closed, the Town points you to Driessen or Folly Field.
Burkes Beach runs on a different calendar. Its parking is at Chaplin Community Park, 35 Castnet Drive, with 246 spaces, plus 136 more at 2 Castnet Drive off Singleton Beach Road. Fees there start May 18, after youth sports season ends, so it stays free for anyone through most of the spring crunch.
The dog schedule also changes on April 1. From then until the Thursday before Memorial Day, dogs must be leashed between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Before 10 a.m. and after 5 p.m., leash or voice control is fine. In 2027, the Thursday before Memorial Day falls on May 27. The next day, dogs are no longer allowed on the beach from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Labor Day.
Coffee and lunch near Driessen and Folly Field
If your beach trips now start or end on the Folly Field Road side of the north end, a few places to eat are close by. Plantation Café & Deli has a breakfast-and-lunch location at 95 Mathews Drive in Port Royal Plaza. The Hilton Head Island Beach & Tennis Resort, at 40 Folly Field Road, lists two spots on its dining page. Jamaica Joe'z is a beachfront spot open daily 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., weather permitting. CocoNutz Sportz Bar opens at 4 p.m. on weekdays, 11 a.m. on Saturdays and noon on Sundays, and its kitchen closes at 10 p.m. The resort's coffee shop runs on a weekend-only seasonal schedule, so check winter hours before you count on a cup after a morning walk.
What reopens on June 1
The Town is spending $5.1 million on Phase Two, paid for with accommodations tax dollars set aside for beach improvements. The work was originally set to start in September 2025. It was pushed back because the park served as a beach access point for the renourishment contractor. The Island Packet covered the closure when it was announced in August.
According to the Islanders Beach Park project page, the rebuilt lot will have 213 spaces on permeable pavers. Of those, 187 will be resident-only, which is 54 more resident spaces than before. The other 26 will be metered public spaces near the Folly Field Road entrance. There will also be 24 resident golf-cart spaces and new bike racks. The plan adds a pathway along the park's southern edge from Folly Field Road, plus better lighting, drainage and seating. It also includes an accessible, beach-themed playground with STEM play panels, Braille and sign language panels, and musical elements. So when Islanders reopens on June 1, 2027, if the schedule holds, it will have more resident parking than when it closed, just as the summer season gets going.
If you're thinking about how a north-end beach park fits into your own week on the island, or how it might affect a property you own or plan to buy nearby, Willow & West knows these details. Book a tailored consultation and we'll go through the local specifics with you before the meters come back in March.
