Hilton Head Range Rear Light

Hilton Head Range Rear Light is a 27-meter cast-iron skeleton tower on Hilton Head Island with a hexagonal base supported by six concrete piers. The structure was built to guide ships through Port Royal Sound.

This rear range light was completed in 1880 following Congressional funding in the 1870s for two lighthouse structures at Port Royal Sound. It operated as a navigation aid until 1932 and was later used as a military observation post during World War II.

The structure served both as a maritime navigation aid until 1932 and as a military observation post during World War II at Camp McDougal.

The structure sits on Arthur Hills Golf Course at hole 15, where you can observe the tower's construction and metal framework. Access requires awareness that the site is part of an active golf course.

The original wooden exterior that covered the metal frame was replaced with sheet metal, which has since been removed to expose the bare iron skeleton beneath. This progressive stripping reveals the tower's true skeletal construction.

Location: Beaufort County

Inception: 1879

Height: 27 m

GPS coordinates: 32.16420,-80.74000

Latest update: December 14, 2025 11:04