Islanders Beach Park at 92 Folly Field Road has been closed since September 8. The Town of Hilton Head Island says it will stay closed, public restrooms included, until construction wraps up on May 31, 2027. That is nearly nine months without the north end's resident beach park. But the Town's own calendars show the closure lands lightly for most of that time. It gets hard for about thirteen weeks in spring. If you know which weeks those are, you can plan the whole off-season around them.
Why the Park Closed This September
This rebuild was supposed to begin a year ago. The Town scheduled Phase Two for September 2025, then pushed it back because Islanders was serving as a beach access point for the renourishment contractor. Once renourishment finished, the $5.1 million project went ahead. Accommodations tax dollars set aside for beach improvements are paying for it.
The Town gave two reasons for closing the whole park instead of working around visitors. Construction affects every part of the site, from the drive aisles and parking to the walkways, playground and restrooms. A full closure also lets the contractor finish before summer peak season starts. So the schedule runs on the visitor calendar. Peak season gets a finished park, and the off-season absorbs the work.
The park opened in 1999 and covers 15 acres. Phase One was completed in fiscal year 2024 and added a 12-foot-wide paver pathway through the center of the park, a raised crosswalk on Folly Field Road, more golf cart parking and new landscaping. The Town has said in its project update that it received questions and comments about the closure. It describes the goal as making the park safer and more accessible, "especially our residents."
October Through February Is the Easy Stretch
Two Town rules keep the closure mild for now.
The first is parking. The Town enforces beach meters from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. during peak season, which runs March 1 through September 7. The closure began the day after that window ended, so every month from now through February falls outside meter enforcement.
The second is dogs. From October through March, the Town's animal rules allow dogs on the beach at any hour if they are leashed or under voice control. Owners still have to pick up waste and can't let pets harass wildlife. The closure covers almost all of the months when the beach is open to dogs all day.
Walkers can still reach the sand at Islanders. The Town is putting in a temporary mulch walkway on the north side of the park that connects to the existing raised crosswalk. Anyone driving, or needing restrooms or accessible access, is directed to the two nearest Town beach parks:
- Driessen Beach Park, 64 Bradley Beach Road. Boardwalk, beach matting, restrooms, outdoor showers, a playground and picnic tables under a pavilion.
- Folly Field Beach Park, 55 Starfish Drive, off Folly Field Road. Restrooms, an outdoor shower, boardwalks, beach matting and a bike-repair station. The Town's page lists no playground or picnic area.
For families who used Islanders mainly for its playground, Driessen is the closer match. The new playground at Islanders won't be ready until the park reopens.
March 1 Is the Date to Plan Around
Two deadlines arrive back to back. Meter enforcement starts again on March 1, at $3 an hour on weekdays and $5 an hour on weekends. The resident beach parking permit is also due for renewal before March 1. Permits run from January 1 to December 31. Islanders, meanwhile, stays closed for another thirteen weeks.
The Town's construction schedule shows what will be happening at Islanders during each part of the closure.
| Months | Work at Islanders Beach Park | Resident beach calendar |
|---|---|---|
| September 2026 | Mobilization, tree protection, silt fencing, erosion control | Meters off after September 7 |
| October to December 2026 | Site prep, grading, stormwater drainage | Dogs allowed on the beach at any hour |
| December 2026 to February 2027 | Walkways, curbs, paver parking, asphalt, striping, signage | Permit renewal due before March 1 |
| Late February to May 2027 | Landscaping, furnishings, lighting, electrical, hardscaping | Meters enforced again from March 1 |
To keep the spring workable, the Town has set aside 139 resident parking spaces at Driessen and 26 at Folly Field for valid pass holders for as long as construction lasts. Pass holders can also park cars or golf carts free in any open space at any Town beach park. Those 165 spaces add up to more than the 133 resident spaces Islanders had before the rebuild. That 133 baseline comes from the Town saying the new lot will have 54 more resident-only spaces than are available now. The figure on the Town's standard Driessen parking page is smaller. It lists 27 resident spaces, which is the park's normal allocation, and the 139 count applies only while Islanders is closed.
How the Resident Permit Works
The Town's permit page lays out these rules:
- The permit is free and limited to residents of the Town of Hilton Head Island.
- Applicants provide vehicle registration plus either property tax or closing documents for a home within Town limits, or a current residential lease of at least 183 days. Short-term rentals and timeshares with fewer than 183 days of annual occupancy don't qualify.
- A golf cart permit also requires a valid SC DMV golf cart registration, and each address can register up to two vehicles.
- Applications are accepted online or at PCI Municipal Services, 32 Office Park Road, Suite 108, which serves permit holders Tuesday through Thursday. Town Hall and Facilities Management don't issue permits.
The permit is digital and covers metered parking at the Town's public beach-access lots.
What Reopens on June 1
The rebuilt Islanders lot will have permeable pavers and 213 vehicle spaces. Of those, 187 will be resident-only and 26 will be metered public spaces near the Folly Field Road entrance. The plan also includes 24 resident golf cart spaces. Other planned improvements:
- A new path along the park's southern edge, starting at Folly Field Road, to connect the surrounding neighborhood and give cyclists and pedestrians safer crossings into the park.
- More paths to the boardwalk entrance, better lighting, new plantings and a redesigned drive aisle.
- Improved stormwater drainage to manage runoff and reduce erosion.
- A beach-themed accessible playground with STEM features, including interactive panels, Braille and sign language panels, nonverbal visual imagery and musical elements.
- Bike racks, seating and picnic areas.
The Town has named Scott Harris, Senior Project Manager, as the contact for questions and posts progress updates on its Islanders project page.
The Same Off-Season Is Finishing One Park and Starting Another
Islanders isn't the only Town park being built on this winter's schedule. The Island Packet reported in August that Taylor Family Park, a $3 million project in the historic Squire Pope neighborhood, was nearly finished. The Town's communications director said it was expected to be done by the end of October. Town review documents list the park at 252 Wild Horse Road. The land was donated to the Town in 1991 on the condition that it become a Native Islander-themed park. Town Council approved funding in 2022, and the Island Packet's August story reported that construction began in December. The 4.9-acre site will have a playground designed to look like a wooden boat and fishing net on a sandy shore, plus a pavilion, walking trails and an open lawn. Our research found no opening announcement as of early October, so the end of October is still a target.
Off Marshland Road, Patterson Family Park broke ground on September 21. Plans call for a playground inspired by Gullah farming, a covered pavilion, paths and a marsh viewing platform, with completion estimated for July 2027. The Town bought the land in 2001.
The park's neighbor is the busiest thing on that stretch of road. Beautiful Island Square, at 15 Marshland Road, is a food truck court with covered seating and restrooms. Its current lineup includes Tacos Las Brisas and Veny's Kitchen for tacos and breakfast plates, Bocados for Venezuelan empanadas, cachapas and arepas, Mar y Tierra for Mexican seafood, and the newest arrival, Padama Fusion, which serves Indian-Italian pizza, lasagna, pita pockets and gelato. Each truck keeps its own schedule.
A few doors down, at 70 Marshland Road, Good Soul Southern Kitchen soft-opened on Juneteenth in the former Mikki's All American Cafe building. It held its official ribbon cutting on September 5. The menu includes Aunt Judy's fried chicken, Aunt Hattie's seafood rice with shrimp, crawfish, crab and conch, and po' boys named for Mattie Lou. A whole roasted suckling pig is available with at least 24 hours' notice. The restaurant is closed Sundays and Mondays.
Fall Events That Still Get You to the Beach
The Town's 10th annual Crescendo celebration runs October 9 through November 22 and includes more than 100 events. Symphony Under the Stars is October 16 at Lowcountry Celebration Park. The festival closes out its beach events with the Lantern Parade on November 14, which follows South Forest Beach and ends back at the park. On the north end, the free, pet-friendly Music & Taste series at Shelter Cove, 13 Harbourside Lane, wraps up on Thursday, October 15, with Deas Guyz from 6 to 9 p.m. Organizers are collecting canned goods.
Near the south end, the Town is installing sand fencing near Coligny, Palmetto Dunes, Singleton, Burkes and Fish Haul by the end of October. It says current beach access routes will stay open during that work. Separately, Tanglewood Drive and its pathway at South Forest Beach Drive closed October 5 for about four weeks, with access to the north-side communities and businesses still available from Nassau Street.
Our team keeps track of island logistics like this one, from permit deadlines to which lot is open in which month, because they shape daily life for the full-time residents and second-home owners we work with. If you want help planning a Hilton Head routine around the island's calendar, Mitchell Coastal Collective Team is happy to talk it through. Make coastal living a reality.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
