Two Hilton Head beaches open for residents during coronavirus. What they looked like
Two Hilton Head Island beach parks opened for beach pass holders on Friday, but the crowds didn’t necessarily come running.
Albeit a sunny day, cooler conditions Friday meant a slower trickle of vehicles into the Coligny Beach parking lot, assistant town manager Josh Gruber said.
“Earlier today had only a small handful of vehicles in the Coligny beach lot, and islanders (beach park) was a quarter full,” he said. “It certainly has to do with the cooler weather.”
Security guards at Coligny reported just six cars in the massive lot throughout the day. Seventeen cars without beach passes were turned away by security as of 2:30 p.m.
Hilton Head Island’s Town Council cautiously voted to reopen the two beach parks and parking lots to beach pass holders — that is, people who own property on the island. Council members shirked at reports of Florida beaches flooding as soon as they were opened, and installed manned checkpoints at both parking lots to confirm the cars entering had beach passes.
All other beach access points remain closed until at least May 12, and cars without beach passes are not allowed to park in the lots.
As of last week, the town has issued 3,500 beach passes. On Friday, there were around 625 spaces at Coligny and Islanders.
While security guards reported crowded beaches, the lots remained relatively empty. The code enforcement officers and security guards are not validating island property ownership by all occupants of arriving cars, Gruber said.
Other Beaufort County beach access points were teeming with visitors.
Photos posted to social media showed traffic backed up along Sea Island Parkway as people waited to enter Hunting Island State Park on the first day it reopened.
Gruber said warmer weekend weather is likely to increase crowds on the island. Parking lot checkpoints will be staffed from sunrise to sunset.
“We’re fully expecting there to be quite a pent-up demand,” he said.
How to get Hilton Head Island beach pass
Beach passes may be purchased for $30 by anyone who owns property or lives on the island.
The town has made changes to its beach pass program, and those seeking passes can download an application on the town’s website, fill it out, and return the application and payment by mail or at the town’s facility headquarters at 12A Gateway Circle.
The turnaround on applications is not immediate.
The town will verify application information and mail a pass to be attached to the passholder’s car.
This story was originally published May 1, 2020 at 3:31 PM.
