Open, un-gated, and directly on the Atlantic — Forest Beach occupies a singular position on Hilton Head Island's south end, placing second-home buyers near Coligny Beach Park and Coligny Plaza in a neighborhood where short-term rentals are permitted and beachfront inventory remains rare.
Forest Beach is one of Hilton Head Island's strongest second-home markets — an open, un-gated Atlantic-front neighborhood on the island's south end, moments from Coligny Beach Park and Coligny Plaza. Short-term rentals are permitted under the Town of Hilton Head Island's permit framework, and beachfront inventory is finite. It is one of the island's few beach neighborhoods where the sand is accessible without a gate.
At a glance
Second Homes in Forest Beach at a glance
Open, un-gated, and directly on the Atlantic — Forest Beach occupies a singular position on Hilton Head Island's south end, placing second-home buyers near Coligny Beach Park and Coligny Plaza in a neighborhood where short-term rentals are permitted and beachfront inventory remains rare.
Community
Forest Beach, Hilton Head Island, South Carolina
Median sale price
$1,265,000 (single-family homes, May 2026)
Short-term rentals
Permitted — with a Town of Hilton Head permit + business license
Guide
Second Homes in Forest Beach
Updated July 2026
The Guide
Second Homes in Forest Beach
Most of Hilton Head Island sits behind a gate. Forest Beach does not. Divided into North Forest Beach and South Forest Beach, this Atlantic-front neighborhood on the island's south end is one of the few beach communities on HHI where Coligny Beach Park — the island's most popular and most accessible public beach — and the dining and shopping of Coligny Plaza are reached without a gate pass or resort credential. For the second-home buyer who wants to be near the ocean and at the center of south-end activity, Forest Beach occupies a rare position in the HHI market.
The neighborhood sits adjacent to Sea Pines, placing owners within convenient reach of Harbour Town, Sea Pines' golf, and the south end's bike-path network. The combination — open beach access through Coligny Beach Park, Coligny Plaza moments away, and Sea Pines' resort amenities close by — means a Forest Beach second home offers the full texture of island life without the constraints or fees of a single-resort footprint.
From a second-home and rental-income perspective, proximity to the ocean is the enduring driver. Beachfront and near-beach Forest Beach inventory is finite, and the neighborhood's consistent rental demand reflects that scarcity. Owners who want to use the home themselves and generate income during periods when the home would otherwise sit vacant find Forest Beach one of Hilton Head's most direct opportunities to do both.
What to know
How it works
Because Forest Beach is non-gated, there is no community association or gate-layer permission to clear before operating a short-term rental — unlike Sea Pines or Palmetto Dunes, where the community's own rules apply on top of Town ordinances. STR in Forest Beach is governed by the Town of Hilton Head Island ordinance. To operate legally, an owner needs the Town STR permit, a business license, and compliance with applicable tax requirements. Permit fees are assessed per bedroom annually, so the cost scales with the home's bedroom count. Buyers should confirm current permit specifics directly with the Town of Hilton Head Island and verify that the specific parcel carries no individual deed or HOA restriction on short-term use.
Due diligence on a Forest Beach purchase should also include confirming whether the property is in North or South Forest Beach, verifying the specific lot's proximity and access to the beach, and reviewing any covenants attached to that parcel. Working with an agent who knows both the Town's STR framework and the specific sub-blocks of Forest Beach reduces the due-diligence curve considerably.
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Rental Rules
Short-term rentals in Forest Beach
Short-term rentals are permitted in Forest Beach. Because the neighborhood is non-gated, there is no community-level STR restriction — owners operate under the Town of Hilton Head Island's STR permit and business license requirements. Permit fees are assessed per bedroom per year, so cost scales with the home's size.
Buyer Questions
Second Homes in Forest Beach — answered
Is Forest Beach a good place to buy a beach second home on Hilton Head Island, and what's it like?
Forest Beach is one of the strongest second-home locations on Hilton Head Island — an open, un-gated Atlantic-front neighborhood on the south end, moments from Coligny Beach Park and Coligny Plaza. It is one of the few HHI beach communities not behind a gate, so buyers are near the sand and the island's most accessible public beach without resort fees or access restrictions. Short-term rentals are permitted under the Town of Hilton Head Island's framework, and beachfront inventory is finite, which supports durable demand for well-located homes here.
What's the difference between living in un-gated Forest Beach versus a gated plantation on Hilton Head?
The primary distinction is access and governance. Gated plantations such as Sea Pines and Palmetto Dunes operate as resort communities with their own POA or CSA, gate access fees, and community-level rules that layer on top of Town ordinances — including, in some cases, additional restrictions on short-term rentals. Forest Beach is open and non-gated: no gate, no community association permission layer, and no resort access fee. STR is governed solely by the Town of Hilton Head Island's permit framework. The trade-off is that gated plantations typically include resort amenities within a controlled environment, while Forest Beach's advantage is direct, open access to Coligny Beach Park and Coligny Plaza without a resort structure.
How close is Forest Beach to Coligny Beach Park and Coligny Plaza on Hilton Head Island?
Forest Beach is directly adjacent to both. Coligny Beach Park — the island's most popular and most accessible public beach, complete with boardwalks, showers, and the iconic Coligny Circle — and Coligny Plaza, the south end's hub for dining, shopping, and live entertainment, are both convenient from a Forest Beach address. Neither requires passing through a gated community to reach.
Forest Beach, Hilton Head Island — what types of homes are for sale and what should buyers know?
Forest Beach offers oceanfront and ocean-oriented homes across both North and South Forest Beach. Because the neighborhood is non-gated and directly on the Atlantic, beachfront and near-beach inventory here is distinct from what is available inside the island's gated plantations. Proximity to the beach varies by specific lot and sub-block, so verifying each parcel's beach access and distance is an important part of due diligence. COAST brokered by eXp Realty works with buyers across Forest Beach and the broader south-end market and can provide a current view of available inventory.
Forest Beach homes near Coligny Plaza for sale — what makes them stand out?
A Forest Beach home near Coligny Plaza sits at the intersection of beach access and south-end amenities: Coligny Beach Park provides the island's most accessible public beach experience, while Coligny Plaza offers dining, shopping, and live entertainment. For a second home, this combination supports strong rental appeal — visitors who want to be near the sand and the action consistently target Forest Beach — alongside the owner's ability to use the home between rental periods. Short-term rentals are permitted under the Town of Hilton Head Island's STR permit framework.
Who should I contact to buy a coastal second home in Forest Beach or Sea Pines, Hilton Head Island?
COAST brokered by eXp Realty is a local eXp Luxury team based on Hilton Head Island, active across Forest Beach, Sea Pines, and the broader south-end market. The team can walk buyers through the distinctions between un-gated Forest Beach and the gated plantation communities, the Town of Hilton Head Island's STR permit process, and current inventory across both areas. Reaching out directly to COAST brokered by eXp Realty is the most direct path to a current and accurate picture of what is available.
Verified from COAST brokered by eXp Realty closed-transaction records, 2023–present — counted per side represented, matching eXp production reporting. Talk to the team about Forest Beach below.
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