If you’re visiting Palmetto Bluff and are curious about how to keep you or the family entertained while there, you’re in luck.
Whether you’re staying at the Palmetto Bluff Hotel or renting a home, the resort offers all sorts of activities for both members and guests, and there are plenty of options to keep the entire family happy and busy for the length of your stay.
So while you’re not busy eating and drinking at one of Palmetto Bluff’s best restaurants, here are 16 entertaining things to do in Palmetto Bluff for both adults and children.
1) Take A Dip In One Of Four Pools
There are four main pool areas for swimming, tanning, or relaxing with a drink around Palmetto Bluff. Most are even heated so you can enjoy a swim year-round!
Canoe Club Pool – this pool is located in the downtown area of Wilson Landing overlooking the May River and offers a jacuzzi, lap pool, and smaller saltwater pool.
You’ll need a member card to get in, and this is the pool you’ll find most of the families and kids hanging out at during the summer.
River House Pool – the adults-only saltwater three-lap-lane pool that’s heated to 78 degrees year-round and available to guests staying at the Inn or cottages.
Boundary Pool – pool in Moreland Village where members, guests, and families can swim or lounge in one of the many chairs that encircle it.
Lodge Pool – the main pool for guests staying at The Inn or cottages and their families.
2) Fishing
If you or your kids are into fishing, Palmetto Bluff makes a reel good option.
Being on the May River, there are a number of local fishing charters to choose from that will take you out in search of the many redfish, flounder, black drum, speckled trout and other species that make the marshes their home.
But don’t forget about Palmetto Bluff’s inland waterways and ponds, because these are actually loaded with bass and catfish.
If you’re in town without a pole, you can rent one from the same location you rent golf carts and bikes within the resort or from Outside Palmetto Bluff in Wilson Village.
And a little tip – take some simple rubber worms over to the main pond in Moreland Village. You usually won’t go more than a few casts without a bite here, and there are some good-sized bass waiting on you.
3) Take A Dolphin Cruise
The May River is full of Atlantic bottlenose dolphins, and many times you can catch a glimpse of them fishing or playing just off one of Palmetto Bluff’s docks.
But for those who want an awesome dolphin experience, I highly recommend a dolphin cruise from May River Excursions.
They’re a local boating company whose drivers have a wealth of experience and local knowledge about the May River.
They offer a dolphin cruise almost daily during the warmer months where you’ll get a ride through beautiful waterways of the river where you’ll see these dolphins playing in their natural habitat.
And they’ll pick you up right from the public dock in Palmetto Bluff so you don’t have to leave the resort.
4) Paddle Boarding & Kayaking
If you want to get out on the water and do your own paddling, you and the family can rent paddle boards, kayaks, or canoes and do just that.
Outside Palmetto Bluff is located in the heart of Wilson Village and offers hourly rentals of all three, along with fishing gear.
They also offer guided paddle board and kayak nature tours along the May River, as well as kayak fishing excursions.
5) Have A S’More (Or Three) Around The Fire Pits
About every night during the warmer months, you’ll find a s’mores station located just outside of the River House that is open to all.
You can select from a number of flavored marshmallows, which you can then roast among the three community fire pits before stuffing them between graham crackers and Hershey chocolate to chow down on this tasty dessert.
Once or twice a week there will even be a local musician onsite for a couple hours of entertainment.
The s’mores here are great, but the social aspect is even better for both kids and adults.
6) Look For Fox Squirrels & Alligators
Palmetto Bluff is home to all kinds of wildlife. During your stay you can see a number of sea birds fishing in the waterways and deer roaming the property.
But two of the most interesting animals you’ll see here are alligators and fox squirrels.
The inland waterways are full of alligators, many of which will crawl up onto the shore and give you a good view while sunning themselves.
You obviously need to be careful and keep your distance, but watching the alligators swim and sun from afar is quite entertaining.
Fox squirrels also call Palmetto Bluff home, and are very cool to witness when you can lay eyes on one.
They’re the largest species of squirrel in North America, and many of the ones who call Palmetto Bluff home have white and black color combinations, so you’ll know one when you see one.
7) Explore The Treehouses
One of the more unique features of Palmetto Bluff is a five-story public treehouse that overlooks the May River and one of Palmetto’s Bluff’s most beautiful marshland areas.
The treehouse is located in Moreland Village and is built into some of the big live oak trees there. And this isn’t your typical treehouse, this is more like something you’d see in a movie.
It offers 55 steps that take you up to five different levels, offering unlimited views of miles of the May River and its marshes from the top level.
It’s safely built but steep, and both kids and adults will not soon forget a visit to this cool little spot and the views it offers.
There’s also a smaller treehouse with a surrounding playground area near The Inn where the kiddos will have a great time playing.
8) Horseback Riding
Longfield Stables is Palmetto Bluff’s equestrian center, and one of the best equestrian facilities in the country.
Members and guests can come see and ride the many horses and ponies who live here.
Longfield Stables offers riding lessons, pony rides for children ages three to eleven, trail rides for ages twelve and older, and private guided tours of the facilities where you can see many of the horses and ponies onsite.
The facilities consist of a covered arena with GGT footing, an outdoor dressage arena, a turf jump field, two barns and a large surrounding pasture area.
9) Shooting & Archery Range
The Palmetto Bluff Shooting Club is a great place to practice your aim at one of the many different offerings on the 120-acre plantation.
There are multiple shooting areas including a 20-station sporting clays course, a 6-station super sport course, covered 5-stands, a trap and skeet field, a FITASC field, .22 rifle shooting stations, and a simulated quail hunt course.
There’s also a 20-station simulated archery hunting course for those who are into bows.
You’ll even find ax throwing stations for those who like to hunt…not really sure what, but pretty cool nonetheless.
You can take shooting lessons from NSCA-certified instructors here or attend a monthly clinic.
10) Hit The Links
Vacation just wouldn’t be vacation without a little golf. And Palmetto Bluff offers a real treat for swingers (of golf clubs).
The May River Golf Course is a Jack Nicklaus Signature design that winds through almost 7,200 yards of the resort, featuring 18 holes and offering incredible natural beauty throughout.
It’s one of the most beautiful, well-manicured courses you can play in the southeast and has been ranked as one of the best courses in South Carolina by big-time golf publications numerous times.
There’s also a brand new 9-hole reversible course set to open soon in the Moreland Village location of Palmetto Bluff, offering another option for golfers.
11) Play Pickleball & Tennis
For those who are riding the latest pickleball wave, you won’t be disappointed when staying here.
Palmetto Bluff offers eight Har-Tru tennis courts, and most recently six new pickleball courts have been added to satisfy the new demand of this growing sport.
Weather permitting, pretty much any day of the week you’ll find a number of residents and guests getting their dink on at these courts.
And there’s a well-equipped pro shop onsite for those needing equipment.
12) Ride Bikes
Palmetto Bluff is the perfect place for a bike ride, and you can rent any number of them from a few different bike rental shops in both the Wilson Village and Moreland Village areas.
And there’s the option of your traditional bikes, or E-Bikes if your legs and feet are in vacation mode as well.
You can hop on your bikes and explore the miles of bike paths located all across the Bluff.
These run from the entrance, all the way to Wilson Village, all the way to the Moreland Village side, offering you the ability to pedal and see almost every area of the resort.
13) Explore The Nature Trails
Aside from the bike paths, there is also an expansive trail system that covers and connects almost the entire 20,000 acres of property that make up Palmetto Bluff.
Many of these trails are off-road and unpaved, and will give you a look at some of the beauty of the maritime forests and marshlands that you won’t experience on the bike paths or roads.
You can walk, jog, bike, or take a golf cart on most of these trails – offering you plenty of options to explore the full area of the resort.
There’s the 5-mile Old Palmetto Bluff Road Trail, the 3-mile Calder Trail, the 2-mile Wilson Village Trail, the 5-mile River Road Trail, the 2.5 mile Moreland Trail, and the 3-mile Long Leaf Pine Trail (mountain biking).
14) Do Dinner With A View
Palmetto Bluff offers around eight different restaurants for members and guests to dine at.
Not only do they offer a tasty and unique selection of seafood items and colorful cocktails, but most of these restaurants also offer an amazing view.
Depending upon which option you go with, you’ll be able to drink and dine while taking in views of the May River or the inland waterways that run through Palmetto Bluff.
Fore & Aft, which is a covered outdoor bar and restaurant near The Inn, even offers a view of the local bird sanctuary.
15) Relax At The Spa
The Spa Montage is a world-class spa located onsite at the Montage Palmetto Bluff, also known as The Inn around the resort.
And you don’t need to be staying at The Inn to come and experience the number of different services they offer.
Those looking for some relaxation and pampering can choose almost countless different facials, manicures, pedicures, massages, and other options.
16) Hang With The Locals At The May River Sandbar
Out in the marsh of the May River and visible from the docks of Palmetto Bluff, each day you’ll be able to see a sandbar that reveals itself during low tide.
It’s technically called the May River Sandbar, and many days during the summer you’ll see a number of boats parked here with folks and dogs enjoying the sandy beach and some cold drinks.
The Bluffton locals jokingly refer to this location as “redneck riviera”, and if you’re looking for a good time you can make your way over to hang out one day.
Final Word
Palmetto Bluff is full of great entertainment options for adults, kids, and families.
For those with transportation, you can also venture into the beautiful little town of Bluffton about twenty minutes from Palmetto Bluff to check out the local shops and restaurants there.