SC State Park Myrtle Beach State Park

Got to Myrtle Beach this weekend for some camping and came over to check out Myrtle Beach State Park on as part of our quest to visit all of the South Carolina Parks. We were not camping here and I'm not so sure I won't to especially during the busy summer months. For those that don't know anything about Myrtle Beach or the Grand Strand as it is nicknamed, it is a very commercial beach with lots of touristy stuff along most of the 60 mile stretch of beach. It is where I grew up coming to the beach and I have a love/hate relationship with the place. The parks itself is a beautiful, heavily forested place that is interesting, but the campground is huge with over 300 campsites. Not only is it large, but the sites are all right on top of each other so there would be no privacy from your neighbors. Some RV's anwing would extend over your teardrop in some cases. The area near the park is near some of the massive commercial campgrounds so traffic nearby once you leave the park can be crazy in the summer months.

The positive thing about the campground is that is very shady and you would be protected from the wind. If I was going to camp here, I would want to be on the backside somewhere. You would be further from the beach, but you would not have campsites behind you. This is an old park and the layout of the sites was from a long time ago. And if you can go while school is in, you will likely find the campground more to your liking. Their is a nice long board walk above the dunes that is beautiful to walk. There is a pier in the park, but for now it is closed after being damaged in last year's hurricane.

Like I said this is a commercial, touristy beach with lots of golf courses, seafood restaurants (some good and some to avoid), shopping, watersports and fishing opportunities. For good seafood, I would head about 15 miles South of here to Murrell's Inlet where you have several good choices. Also, if you want to cook your own seafood go to Harrelson's Seafood Market there for good local seafood. And if you want to go deep sea fishing yourself this would be on place to look for. Georgetown, SC south of this area is a good day trip.