Hilton Head shell rings park set to open this summer

June 18, 2026

1–2 minutes

Summary

Ford’s Shell Rings Park on Hilton Head Island is set to open later this summer after construction began in March 2026.

Why this matters

The park will open public access to a protected archaeological site while preserving evidence of Native American life on Hilton Head Island. It also highlights local efforts to prevent development on historically significant land.

A park built to protect a Native American archaeological site on Hilton Head Island is set to open later this summer after several months of construction.

Ford’s Shell Rings Park contains two shell rings built by the island’s Native American inhabitants about 4,000 years ago. The park will allow visitors to view the rings and learn about their history.

The Town of Hilton Head Island and Beaufort County bought the 6.8-acre site in 2003 to prevent development, according to a town news release. In 2020, Beaufort County Council voted to build a park there to protect the shell rings and inform the public about them. The park is named for former landowner Henry Ford.

Construction began in March 2026. It will add parking and road access to the park.

The town said the work used “low-impact” construction methods aimed at minimizing damage to the rings.

According to the news release, the shell rings contain hundreds of thousands of discarded oyster, clam, and mussel shells, along with animal bones. The two rings form a figure-eight shape. One is larger and older, while the smaller ring partially overlaps it. They were first excavated in the 1960s.

Hilton Head Island has multiple shell rings, according to the Archaeological Society of South Carolina. Similar rings have been found from North Carolina to Florida.

The rings are buried under soil and are identified using ground-penetrating radar. Archaeologists have not determined their purpose, though theories include religious sites and village walls. Researchers have used them to learn about the diet and lifestyle of the people who built them.

Town ordinances protect the rings from damage.

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Defense Minister Antti Häkkänen said the amendment to the Nuclear Energy Act passed with a two-thirds majority. According to Euronews, 125 lawmakers supported the proposal, 61 voted against it, and 13 abstained.

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