Piers are the Grand Strand's front porches, and Apache Pier is the one built to be the longest. It opened in 1994 as part of the Apache Campground complex on Lake Arrowhead Road in north Myrtle Beach, and Visit Myrtle Beach describes it as the longest wooden fishing pier on the East Coast, running 1,206 feet out over the surf. A full-service bait and tackle shop makes it a working fishing pier, so you will see anglers lining the rails at all hours, but the pier is as much a place to walk and watch as a place to fish. Halfway out, a large yellow pagoda shelters a center stage where live music plays from Memorial Day through Labor Day, which turns the pier into a summer evening hangout with the ocean on both sides. Back near the entrance there is an arcade with current video games, NASCAR racing games, skee ball and air hockey, a snack bar, and Croakers, a restaurant serving seafood, burgers and salads. The pier is open every day of the year, so it is one of the few oceanfront attractions that works as well in January as in July, when a walk out over winter surf is a quiet and unusually peaceful way to see the Atlantic. Its position at the north end of Myrtle Beach puts it close to Barefoot Landing and Tanger Outlets.
Getting onto the pier
The access is through the Apache Campground entrance at the corner of Kings Road and Lake Arrowhead Road, and the front gate is part of the experience. Stop at the gate and tell the attendant you are going to the pier, and they will direct you to parking.
That quirk catches first-time visitors off guard, so do not drive past thinking it is a private campground. Fishing requires a per-rod pass, and the cost of walking onto the pier itself is something to confirm at the gate, since pier fees on this coast vary from pier to pier.
Hours and season
The pier is open 365 days a year, but the printed opening hours on the Visit Myrtle Beach page are unclear about the closing time, so call ahead to confirm, especially off-season. Live music runs only from Memorial Day through Labor Day, so winter visits are about the walk, the fishing and the view.
The arcade and restaurant follow their own schedules. Bring a light jacket even in warm months, because the wind out at the end is stronger than on the sand, and carry a camera at sunrise and in the early morning, when the pier is quiet and the light is clean.
How it fits
Apache Pier overlaps in spirit with Cherry Grove Pier farther north, but the two feel different. Apache is longer, tied to a campground community and built around live summer music and a restaurant, while Cherry Grove is quieter and known for birdwatching and dolphin sightings. If you want one pier on the north end of Myrtle Beach for a casual evening, Apache is the better-equipped choice.
It is also close to the Carolina Opry and Pirates Voyage, so it combines well with a show night, and a walk out on the boards before dinner is an easy, low-cost addition to a family evening.
What to expect
The experience
A 1,206-foot wooden pier with a bait and tackle shop, arcade, snack bar, Croakers restaurant and a center-stage pagoda for live music from Memorial Day through Labor Day.
Best time
Summer evenings for live music; sunrise and winter for quiet walks and fishing.
How long
One to two hours, longer if you fish or dine.
Tips
Enter through the Apache Campground gate at Kings Road and Lake Arrowhead Road and tell the attendant you are going to the pier. Call ahead to confirm hours and fees. Bring a jacket for the wind at the end.
Quick picks
- Best for
- A casual oceanfront walk, fishing or a summer-evening music stop.
- Families
- Good: arcade games, snacks and space to roam.
- Couples
- A relaxed sunrise or sunset walk over the surf.
- Pair with
- Barefoot Landing, the Carolina Opry or Pirates Voyage.
- Time needed
- One to two hours.
Good questions
Where is Apache Pier?+
On Lake Arrowhead Road in north Myrtle Beach, reached through the Apache Campground entrance at Kings Road.
How long is the pier?+
1,206 feet, and it is described as the longest wooden fishing pier on the East Coast. It opened in 1994.
When is the live music?+
From Memorial Day through Labor Day, on a center stage under a large yellow pagoda about halfway down the pier.
Is it open in winter?+
Yes. The pier is open 365 days a year, though live music runs only in summer. Call ahead to confirm hours.
Can I fish there?+
Yes. There is a full-service bait and tackle shop and fishing requires a per-rod pass.
