Myrtle Beach State Park RV & Campground Guide

Myrtle Beach State Park is a prime fishing spot for anglers or crabbers. You can fish for flounder, king mackerel, whiting, trout, spots, Spanish mackerel, sheepshead, drum, and blues from the pier or surf. The park’s fishing pier extends out into the Atlantic Ocean. You do not need a fishing license to fish from the pier, but you must pay for a pass at the pier gift shop. If you want to surf fish, you will need to have a South Carolina saltwater fishing license, which you can purchase online at the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. Fishing is not allowed on the beach while lifeguards are on duty.

Myrtle Beach State Park participates in the South Carolina State Park Geocache Challenge, which spans 47 parks in four regions. The park’s cache features an ammo can and a micro container, which you can find if you have a smartphone or a hand-held Global Positioning System (GPS). Once you find the treasure, you should leave something behind for the next adventurer.

Whether you hit the beach, venture into the woods, or spend a few hours at the Nature Center, you’ll find plenty of ways to see the plants and animals situated in their natural habitats. The Nature Center hosts exhibits that feature everything from sharks to tiny sea creatures. You can also check out the saltwater aquariums, live reptile displays, or watch the birds and squirrels that live outside. If you’re visiting the beach in the summer, you may be fortunate enough to see hatchling sea turtles making their way to the ocean. You can also view sea oats and wildflowers from the boardwalk. The trails will take you into the maritime forest, where you can enjoy oak, poplar, and magnolia trees and the animals that make their home in the woods.

The park's maritime forest is a Heritage Trust Site that is filled with wax myrtle, holly, oak, poplar, and southern magnolia trees. In the fall, you can view Atamasco lilies and a large variety of plants in the grasslands. The forest is home to many birds and mammals, including red fox, coyote, southern flying squirrels, raccoons, Brewer’s blackbirds, bald eagles, and Canada geese. As you comb the beach, you may also encounter loggerhead sea turtles, least terns and royal terns, great black-backed gulls, brown pelicans, and great egrets. Harbor seals and grey seals have been known to make their way to shore, and bottlenose and common dolphins sometimes hunt for fish in the evenings.

Myrtle Beach State Park offers hikers the opportunity to experience its undeveloped natural maritime forest and natural coastal habitat. The short, flat, interpretive trails that go through the forest include the half-mile-long Sculptured Oak Nature Trail and the 0.4-mile-long Yaupon Nature Trail. As you walk, you can visit an overlook at a pond or head toward the beach.

You may take your bicycle on the trails and throughout the park, with some restrictions on beach riding between May 1 and Labor Day.

Myrtle Beach State Park is a perfect place for swimming. From mid-May until mid-September, lifeguards are on duty north of the pier.