The ruins of the old Baynard estate, the main house as well as attendant slave quarters, are permanently preserved within six-acre Baynard Ruins Park. The Baynard house, which overlooked the Calibogue Sound near the south end of the island, was built by Captain Jack Stoney as part of Braddock's Point Plantation around 1793. The house remained in the Stoney family for several decades until, it is believed, the plantation was lost by a Stoney heir in a late-night poker game. The new owner was William Edings Baynard, a highly successful cotton planter who occupied the former Stoney home from 1840 until his death in 1849.

The Stoney-Baynard Ruins are the remnants of a grand antebellum plantation home built 1793-1810 by Captain John "Saucy Jack" Stoney. The original house was 1885 square feet, built of timber and tabby; a mixture of oyster shells, lime, and sand. In 1837, the Stoney family declared bankruptcy and William Baynard acquired the property from the bank. The home was raided during the Civil War and Union forces made it their headquarters. It burned down shortly after the Civil War. Listed on the National Register of Historic Sites, the Stoney-Baynard Ruins have captivated guests and residents with its mystery and beauty.

Directions: Located off of Plantation Drive, Baynard Ruins Park is on your right just after you pass Baynard Cove Road and Marsh Drive. If you wish, park your car at the entrance, and explore the ruins of the pre-Civil War home of William E Baynard.

The Sea Pines Forest Preserve has a long and colorful history. Its landscape of sand ridges and long wetlands was sculpted by changing sea levels over the past 15,000 years. The first inhabitants, 4000 years ago, were semi-nomadic Native Indians who hunted and gathered shells in salt marshes that are freshwater wetlands today. They constructed a 150-foot diameter ring during their annual Fall migration. The ring or midden, is refuse from food sources that were thrown outside of their circular encampment, it is one of only twenty shell rings still in existence. The ring is comprised of oyster, mussels and clamshells with fragments of animal bones and deer antlers. Since 1700, the area has been used for growing rice, indigo, cotton and for hunting and harvesting timber.

The lighthouse was completed in 1970, the brainchild of Sea Pines founder Charles Fraser as a landmark for Hilton Head Island. The concept of building a private lighthouse just for show was dubbed "Fraser's Folly" by critics, but since then, it's become synonymous with the Heritage golf tournament and the island itself. Although not intended as a navigational lighthouse, a flashing light at the top can be seen for nearly 15 miles. The lighthouse marks the entrance to the Harbour Town Yacht Basin and also serves as a museum. The lighhouse's interior is now a climb through thousands of years of Hilton Head Island's history and displays a range of past events and people of the island, from the nomads who once walked the coast, to the first bridge from the mainland that helped usher in Hilton Head Island's modern era. The top of the lighthouse showcases panoramic views of Calibogue Sound, Daufuskie Island and Hilton Head Island.

The Harbour Town Lighthouse is open from 10 AM to 8:30 PM, Monday through Sunday. Admission is $3.50 while kids under five can climb for free. For more information, call 843-671-2810 or visit Harbour Town Lighthouse.