Driessen Beach Park
The biggest lot on the north end, a long boardwalk, picnic shelters and a playground. The one to pick for a full day with children.
Where it is
Driessen Beach Park sits at the end of Bradley Beach Road, on the north-central coast of Hilton Head Island. Bradley Beach Road runs off William Hilton Parkway toward the ocean and stops at the park.
It is the middle of the three north-end accesses. Folly Field is a few minutes north, Burkes a few minutes south, and the residential stretches of Bradley and Singleton Beach sit either side of it.
Of the three, this is the one built for spending a day rather than an hour.
Driessen Beach Park
End of Bradley Beach Road, Hilton Head Island, SC 29928
Parking
The biggest lot on this end of the island
Parking here is paid, as it is at every public beach access on Hilton Head except Coligny Beach Park, which is free and consequently permanently full.
What Driessen has over its neighbours is capacity. Folly Field holds 51 metered spaces plus 3 accessible ones, and Burkes holds fewer than that. Driessen holds more than either, which makes it the fallback when the smaller lots fill on a July weekend.
If you are staying nearby, none of this applies. Walk, or take a golf cart, and the parking question disappears entirely.
| Location | End of Bradley Beach Road, off William Hilton Parkway |
|---|---|
| Parking | Paid. Largest lot of the three north-end accesses |
| Access | Long boardwalk over the dunes |
| Facilities | Picnic shelters, playground, restrooms |
| Lifeguards | Seasonal at guarded accesses. |
| Crowds | Moderate. Busier than Folly Field, far quieter than Coligny |
What it is like
The boardwalk here is long, which is a good sign rather than an inconvenience. It means real dunes, held together with sea oats, and it means you arrive at the top of the beach rather than wading through soft sand with a cooler.
Behind the boardwalk are picnic shelters and a playground. That combination is what makes this the family access on this end. You can eat lunch out of the sun, let children off the sand for twenty minutes, and go back down without packing the car.
The beach itself is the same as the rest of the island: fine sand that compacts hard at low tide, wide at low water, firm enough to ride a bike along.
Choosing
Driessen, Folly Field or Burkes?
Three accesses within a few minutes of each other, and genuinely different days out.
| Access | Lot | Facilities | Crowds | Pick it if |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Driessen Beach Park | Largest | Playground, shelters, long boardwalk | Moderate | Full day with children, or the other lots are full |
| Folly Field | 51 + 3 ADA | Boardwalk, seasonal lifeguards and matting | Light to moderate | You need the accessibility matting, or want it quieter |
| Burkes Beach | Small | Almost none | Lightest | You want empty sand and will bring everything |
The short version: Driessen for a day, Folly Field for an afternoon, Burkes for solitude. Full comparison of all seven island accesses on the beaches page.
Straight answers
Common questions
Where is Driessen Beach Park?
At the end of Bradley Beach Road, off William Hilton Parkway, on the north-central coast of the island.
Do you pay to park?
Yes. Every public access on Hilton Head charges except Coligny Beach Park.
Is there a playground?
Yes, along with picnic shelters. It is the most family-equipped access on the north end.
Is it better than Folly Field?
Different. Driessen has more facilities and a bigger lot. Folly Field is quieter and has the seasonal accessibility matting.
Can you walk there from Folly Field?
Along the beach, easily, especially at low tide. By road it is further than it looks.
Is it good for small children?
It is the best of the north-end accesses for that, because of the playground and shelters.
Staying nearby
122 Sandcastle Court
Six bedrooms, sleeps 22, heated private pool and an elevator, a short golf cart ride from here in the gated Sandcastles by the Sea community.
Four public beach accesses sit within a cart ride of the house: Driessen, Folly Field, Islanders and Burkes. You are not choosing one beach for the week, and you are not paying to park at any of them.
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