Beaufort County will join the Town of Hilton Head Island and the Hilton Head Chapter of the Archeological Society of South Carolina in celebrating the grand opening of Ford's Shell Ring Park.

The celebration will be Friday, October 16, beginning at 10 a.m., and will be held at the park site at 273 Squire Pope Road. Please be advised: no parking is available on-site. Shuttle service will be available for attendees, beginning at 9 a.m. Please park at 133 Squire Pope Road (map) and carpool if possible.

Shell rings are deposits of discarded shell created by Indigenous People in coastal areas and barrier islands during the Late Archaic Period. Unlike shell middens, shell rings form concentric shapes. Ford’s Shell Ring was the first discovered instance of two adjoining shell rings, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The event will be followed by a docent-led tour of the park, marking the significance of shell rings and sharing more about the site's history.