Myrtle Beach State Park Campground

Myrtle Beach, SC: Beach Access (Scale 1- bad, 5-Very good

(70 yr olds in 17’ trailer with a desire for a campsite that has at least some visual privacy - after the trailer is in the spot.)

Overall Rating: 3 Usage during visit: 85% a few days before Thanksgiving. Site Privacy: Many sites have little to no privacy. Most of the best sites are along the perimeter. Our site, 155, is close to the beach access.
Site Spacing: Close Site surface: Sand Reservations: Yes Campground Noise: Not bad along the perimeter. Road Noise: None.
Through Traffic in campground: No Electric Hookup: Yes Sewer Hookup: No Dump Station: Yes Laundry: Yes Potable Water Available: At sites. Bathroom: Yes. Flush toilets Showers: Double curtain showers.
Pull Throughs: Available. Cell Service (AT&T): 1-2 bars Setting: Under many mature deciduous trees. Weather: Warm. Mid to upper 60s Bugs: None this time of year.
Host: Plenty of volunteers around.
Rig size: Large rigs will fit in many sites. Sites: Circle 1 and 2 are pretty congested for the most part. The best chance of a good site is the perimeter sites. Among the best sites are: 188, 190, 191, 194, 196, 294 , 298, 302, 304, 307, 319, 323, 331*, 332333,334*, 336*.,237*, 240*, 241. I liked the sites near the beach access. They are not all great sites, but better than the congested area: 152,153, 154,155 (our site which was very nice), 73,64,16,17,18,19.

Myrtle Beach SP

Arrived in time to take a walk on the beach with my dogs before dark. Beach is off limits to dogs and bikes May 1 - Labor Day 10 am - 5 pm. We visited in October so no restrictions. Unfortunately some pet owners still haven’t figured out that they need to police their dogs poop from the beach :(

The campground was very close to the beach which was nice and the area is generally shaded. Surprisingly the sites are actually not tiny like in some other locations. You have a break between most sites of foliage which also helps keep the noise down. My site was on the edge of the campground with a sand dune right beside, the mosquitoes were still very active even in the 50 degree ranges. The WiFi and signal is lacking but you can go to the campground store area and pick it up….mostly, lol. The showerhouses were well maintained, no heat when I visited (maybe not on yet?)and I had crappy water pressure when trying to get any warm/hot water.

The one down side that I experienced is the proximity of the airport. It didn’t keep me up at night but the campground is on the edge of the incoming flights and you can definitely hear the out going flights. Sorta background noise after you get used to it.

Nice pavilions near the beach for large groups, reserve ahead. The trails are pretty well maintained. Wear shoes due to the copperhead population, save the flip flops for the beach. AND watch out for sand burs! Especially if you have your furry friends along. We stayed off the “grass” areas after we found the first patch and had no more problem with them.

We'd never been to South Carolina before and had no idea what to expect. We were thoroughly smitten with the coast and the city of Myrtle Beach, but we really loved camping in the state park. Everything was clean, manicured, raked, and private. You can see your neighbor's camper, but usually behind some trees. We now understand the words"Carolina pines" better. They are tall, straight as an arrow, and beautiful. There are millions of them in this park. Our site was level with easy access. It was long enough for our truck and fifth wheel. It was surprising how secluded everything was, yet the city is really closeby. People were friendly. There was a bunch of kids riding bikes, having fun. Lots of parents enjoying cooking out with friends. The park was super quiet at night though. All of the staff seemed cheerful and like they enjoy their jobs. Every camper seemed good about picking up after their dogs, which was really nice. We haven't found that everywhere. The only negative I would give this place is that arrival is a bit confusing, especially with a big rig. It wasn't real clear how far back in the woods we were going to go before we came upon the check-in building. Then, it wasn't real clear that we needed to go around the circle of the little parking lot in order to come up alongside the check-in building. Luckily, we did it right, but there needs to be more signage out there spelling it out in detail along the way. When you're pulling a 40'+ fifth wheel with a big truck, you can't just turn around anywhere. We were afraid we were going the wrong way a couple of times. That can be anxiety-inducing.

A great state park. The staff are extremely friendly and helpful. The park is well kept. My wife and I camped in site 001 for president’s day weekend. We liked how there is plenty of tree coverage but a short walk and you’re on the beach.

The facilities are nice and clean. While there were many visitors and campers it didn’t feel crowded at all. It’s away from all the hustle and bustle of the main strip but it’s only a short drive if you want to visit all that. The Myrtle airport is literally right next to the park so there are the planes coming and going but it’s not that bad and much of the time we didn’t even notice them.

If you can, visit the Crazy Mason Milkshake Bar. There are 2 of them at Myrtle but one is only a few minutes from the park. Some horse owners were there and you could ride the horses on the beach, for a few we assume, we didn’t ride them. Not sure if they’re there everyday or only certain times. They showed up in the morning.

Overall a great experience and we would definitely visit again.

Every camping adventure has a mix of upsides and downsides, right?  So I would describe my experience here at Myrtle Beach State Park as being a case of these two extremities. On the one hand, for camping purists who are looking to truly 'get away from it all' and find a nice stretch of hidden oasis to call home in the midst of nature for a few days, you will be disappointed by not being able to find any semblance of privacy in this RV parking lot. 

That said, there are a few campsite spots that might offer a few more trees or underbrush to provide for some much needed isolation, but you would be hard pressed to escape this overcrowded campground. Every campsite is connected to the main thoroughfare that itself resembles a smaller-scale stream of rush hour traffic from F150's, golf carts and RV's (and you thought you were here to escape the sounds and sites of the overcrowded nearby beach town?!). 

Apart from the sheer overpopulation, the bathrooms and shower areas are just mediocre (at best). If you can get past these two obstacles, then Myrtle Beach State Park may just be for you!  A short walk from the campground is an amazing walkway that leads you straight to the beautiful beaches that Myrtle Beach is known for, complete with it's own lifeguard (although strangely, there are plenty of signs that indicate that there are no lifeguards on duty), who when not saving lives, will offer to rent you a chair and umbrella. 

From this beachhead you'll be able to see the Myrtle Beach fishing pier and it's twin pier here in the state park, jutting out into the Atlantic ocean, offering the perfect promenade for catching a wide number of fish (flounder seemed to be the most prolific). Attached to this pier is a fantastic shop that seems to have it all (trash, trinkets, bait, snacks, etc.) complete with patio umbrellas and benches, making for a nice seaside picnic outing (along with nice, well-kept bathrooms). Nearby is a fantastic playground for the kids, which looked recently built when I was there. 

Dotted around the entire shaded state park grounds are well situated picnic tables and cabin-sized shelters that can be booked in advance. The on-site amenities also boast outdoor recreational areas that feature built-in games such as horse shoes and a bocce ball court (yes folks, you read that right, a bocce ball court in a state park!) as well as an engaging nature center that is designed to educate all on the surrounding environment and its wildlife habitat. Add to this an on-site laundry facility (yes, you read that right… again), amazingly well-kept grounds and very decent roads to drive on, there are certainly some perks offered here at Myrtle Beach State Park that this experienced camper has never come across before. 

One quick bonus alert: if the overcrowded campgrounds scare you off (and honestly, you should give real, good hard thought to this), there are 7-8 cabins that can be booked, which offer up a great deal of privacy (all but one from my view) and may deliver on those expectations of (almost) getting away from it all!  Last tip?  Be sure to get here to this State Park early - they shut down access once the maximum quote is hit!

Happy Camping!