Myrtle Beach State Park: Beautiful & Relaxing
Looking for a scenic and relaxing vacation spot? I have just the place for you – Myrtle Beach State Park on the South Carolina coast.
In January 2021 my family and I stayed at Myrtle Beach for a few days, and I highly recommend it. The cozy cabins, beautiful beach, and gentle nature trails make the park a lovely weekend getaway. We enjoyed it so much that we soon returned in January 2022!
Keep reading for quick facts and things to do at this gorgeous destination!
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Myrtle Beach State Park: Quick Facts
Myrtle Beach Location & Access
First of all, let’s orient ourselves. Myrtle Beach State Park is located in Horry County, South Carolina, and occupies part of the 60-mile stretch of coast called the Grand Strand. The park is in the city of Myrtle Beach (shocking, I know).
The area gets over 19 million visitors a year, concentrated in the summer months. The park is a bit quieter, especially in the winter. During our stay there were other visitors, but not so many that we felt overwhelmed!
Myrtle Beach is easily accessible by car. We drove up from Atlanta (around 6 hours), and Savannah, Charleston, Charlotte, etc. are only a few hours away. You can also fly into Myrtle Beach International Airport, located only a few minutes from the park.
Check for cheap flights to Myrtle Beach on Expedia!
Where to Stay at Myrtle Beach State Park
Myrtle Beach State Park has six heated and air-conditioned cabins, located a mere 200 yards from the beach. Since there were 7 of us, we chose Cabin 6 with its four bedrooms and three bathrooms.
It was an excellent experience! In addition to bedrooms and bathrooms, the cabin had a comfortable living room/dining room outfitted with all the essentials. There was also a screened front porch and – one of our favorite parts – a fenced-in back patio with a fire pit. If you have the opportunity to visit, I highly recommend the cabins at Myrtle Beach State Park!
The park also features a campground located 300 yards from the beach. RVs of up to 40 feet long can be accommodated, and there are also numerous sites for tents. Showers, restrooms, and laundry facilities are nearby. While we didn’t do any camping, we did visit the campground on our evening walks and people seemed to be enjoying themselves.
And now, here are my top ten things to do during your stay! There is also a lot to see in Myrtle Beach the city, but in this post I will focus on the state park.
READ NEXT: Top Things to Do at Huntington Beach State Park, SC
Myrtle Beach State Park: 10 Things to Do
1. Walk to the beach and admire the ocean.
The park features a mile-long beach, part of the Grand Strand. Since we were there in January, we didn’t go swimming, but we still enjoyed strolling and playing on the sand. You can walk to the beach from the cabins and the campground in around 5 minutes.
Nature lovers can spot all kinds of wildlife, from crabs to sandpipers. If you come at the right time of year, you can even see baby loggerhead sea turtles hatching. Alas, no turtles for us since it was winter, but check out my brother’s photos of birds below!
I recommend visiting the beach at night as well as during the day. There is nothing like listening to the waves roar in the darkness to make you think about the ferocity and mysteriousness of nature.
Plus you will probably have the beach entirely to yourselves and you can goof off. My siblings and I were convinced we had spotted a UFO or a drone, which led to a lot of hilarity (spoiler alert: it was an airplane).
You can also try some stargazing. The lights from Myrtle Beach block the stars to the north and south, but overhead and out over the water you can see quite a lot. I did my best to remember all the constellations I learned in my college astronomy class years ago!
2. Visit the Myrtle Beach State Park pier and spot some dolphins.
The pier stretches out from the beach into the ocean and offers a perfect spot for fishing and promenading. My family enjoyed walking up and down and reading plaques about the park’s history and nature. There were lots of gulls, terns, loons, and pelicans and one dignified egret who obligingly let me take his photo.
A highlight of our time on the pier was glimpsing dolphins leaping happily among the waves. We saw many different pods, some further out in the water and some right next to the pier.
3. Do a little hiking on the gentle nature trails.
Myrtle Beach State Park has two nature trails: the Sculptured Oak Trail and the Yaupon Trail. Each is about half a mile long and these easy paths are perfect for some relaxing hikes. On the way, you will find some fun information about local flora and fauna.
We loved seeing (and climbing!) the oaks that are everywhere on the trails and on the sand dunes along the beach. The oaks have curved in all kinds of interesting directions, and you can see that most of their branches grow on the side facing away from the ocean. Branches don’t like the salt breeze!
4. Walk on the boardwalk and visit the souvenir shop.
There is a little boardwalk running parallel to the beach, and we enjoyed strolling there and breathing in the fresh sea air. The boardwalk leads to the pier and the souvenir shop.
I loved the shop so much that I went twice. It has postcards, T-shirts, and all kinds of artisanal handicrafts. Definitely worth a look! I bought some handmade copper earrings for myself and a turtle wind chime for my fiancé.
5. Make a fire and have some s’mores.
As I noted above, the cabins have fire pits out back and we loved this. We would sit out there and talk, read, or (in the case of us busy students) do the odd bit of studying. A bald eagle even came to visit and sat for a while in a nearby tree.
At night, we brought out the marshmallows and roasted them on sticks to make s’mores. Definitely a gooey, delicious end to the day!
6. Take a nighttime stroll around the campground.
As you can probably tell, my family loves to go on walks. In addition to the beach, the boardwalk, and the nature trails, we also simply explored the cabin and campground area. It was fun to wander around at night and see everyone making dinner and relaxing by their RVs and tents.
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7. Wake up to watch the sun rise on the beach.
Full disclosure: I did not actually do this. I am not an early riser. But some of my family did make it out to the beach in the wee hours, and they recommend the experience. Here are some photos that my mom took!
8. Enjoy the local restaurants.
When we visited in January 2021 and 2022, we were still being very COVID-conscious. So we didn’t eat out in any of the restaurants, but we did order food to go. Our favorites were Di Carlos Pizza Myrtle Beach (delicious calzones) and the local branch of Duck Donuts (yum!).
If we go back in a pandemic-free time, there are many more places we want to try. There is no shortage of options!
9. Lounge around the cabin and play games.
Okay, to be fair, you can do this anywhere. But the cabins create a comfortable environment that is perfect for board games and other family fun. My siblings and I spent hours and hours playing Clue, with the occasional switch to Scrabble or Yahtzee.
10. Walk to Springmaid Pier for another view of the sea.
Springmaid Pier is located just north of the park and is an easy 15 minute walk from the cabins and campground. If you want to stretch your legs and get some more scenic views, head to this pier!
The pier is part of a resort, but other visitors are welcome, too. You will probably have to pay $5 to access the pier (although this depends on the day and whether or not they enforce it).
Visit Myrtle Beach State Park!
Myrtle Beach State Park was a peaceful, beautiful place to stay a few days, and we left feeling happy and rested. I highly recommend it, especially in the winter, when there are less tourists.
In general, South Carolina state parks are amazing. For example, if you drive just 20 minutes down the coast from Myrtle Beach, you will find Huntington Beach State Park.
Huntington Beach is known for its beautiful saltwater marshes, its unique Moorish architecture, and its hundreds of bird species. It makes a great day trip – and if you are staying at Myrtle Beach, you can get in for free!
You can read all about Huntington Beach State Park here.
Want ideas for another beautiful weekend getaway? If you are a mountain person, then you will love these two options:
- Cherokee, North Carolina on the edge of Great Smoky Mountain National Park
- Cloudland Canyon State Park in the north Georgia mountains.
Photo credits: Thank you to my brother John Deitsch for letting me use his photos of a sanderling and a willet (taken at Myrtle Beach State Park). John is an undergrad studying entomology and biological sciences at Cornell University. You can follow him on Instagram at @deitsch_photography or check out his website for more nature-themed photos.
Great tips! saving this post for summer 2022!!! Beautiful photos, too!
I hope you get to go, Jennifer! I’m glad you liked the photos 🙂
I think walking on the beach is very romantic, I’m retired thinking about moving there!!!! Thanks.
Yes, walks on the beach are so lovely! We love the Myrtle Beach area so much – we actually just made reservations to visit again this winter
It’s a wonderful peaceful place to visit. I went tent camping for the 1st time in April I’m hooked! Went back with the family in last and dates for July and plan to go up until October I really love it there and it’s only 1 hr away
Hi Pearlene, I’m glad that you love Myrtle Beach! My family and I do, too, and we’re heading back next January. We live further away and so we only make it once a year. I wish we lived as close as you do 🙂
Thank you for this great information we are heading there in 2 weeks and staying in cabin 6 while my sister and brother-in-law will have their RV parked in the camp grounds. Glad to know the cabins are stocked with everything we may need. Looking forward to a wonderful vacation!
Hi Sue, I’m glad you found the post helpful. Best wishes for a lovely vacation!