Myrtle Beach State Park

Myrtle Beach State Park is the green surprise in the middle of the Grand Strand, a stretch of protected beach and maritime forest just south of the city's hotel towers and a few minutes from the airport. It opened in 1936 as the very first park in the South Carolina state park system, built partly by the Civilian Conservation Corps, and it still has the feel of an older, gentler beach: dunes instead of high-rises, a long fishing pier reaching into the surf, picnic shelters in the shade of the forest, and six rental cabins built by the CCC in the 1930s about 200 yards from the sand. For visitors staying on Ocean Boulevard it is the easiest escape from the crowds, and for families it is excellent value: admission is $8 for adults, $5 for South Carolina seniors, $4 for ages 6 to 15 and free for children 5 and under, with pier fishing and camping charged separately. The pier is one of the park's main attractions, popular with anglers and with walkers who come for the view back along the coast. The nature center (open Tuesday to Sunday, 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) introduces the coastal ecosystems. Park hours are 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. from March through November and 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. from December to February. One important seasonal note: all trails close from November through January for maintenance and construction, so winter visits focus on the beach and the pier.

The park's appeal is its contrast with the rest of the strand. Walk out from the parking areas and within minutes you are on a beach with no towers behind the dunes, where the main sounds are surf and the clatter of pier anglers. It is a good place to look for shells and shorebirds, and in warmer months the maritime forest gives welcome shade for picnics. The forest is one of the last stands of its kind on the Grand Strand, which is why the park schedules its trail maintenance in the quiet winter months.

Families can make a full beach day of it: arrive early, claim a shelter or a spot on the sand, spend the morning swimming and the afternoon fishing from the pier or visiting the nature center. Parking is first-come, first-served and limited, and the park may reach capacity and close temporarily on busy summer weekends and holidays, so arrive before 10 a.m. or after 2 p.m. The campground has 278 sites, 138 with full hookups, plus seasonal tent sites, and the CCC cabins are among the most charming budget stays on the coast (no pets in cabins or cabin areas).

Off-season it is a peaceful half day. In November the park is quiet, the air is mild and the pier is busy with fall fishing; trails are closed through January, but the beach and pier remain open. Horry County rules ban pets and bikes from public beaches from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. between May 1 and Labor Day, so off-season is also the time to bring a dog for a beach walk.