Sunset and waterfront views
Piers, boardwalks, marsh-side docks and oceanfront decks are the best places on the Strand to watch the light change. Pick a spot, check the hours, and plan to arrive a little before sunset.
A note on direction: the Grand Strand beachfront faces southeast, so the ocean is the place for sunrise rather than sunset. For sunsets, head to the west-facing marsh and river side, such as the Murrells Inlet MarshWalk or the Georgetown Harborwalk. The piers and beaches below are best at sunrise or in the golden light just after.
18 places
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Central Myrtle
Apache Pier
Nightlife & clubs · Live music
An oceanfront pier with summer bands playing hits from every decade. Family friendly.
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Surfside
The Pier at Garden City Beach
Nightlife & clubs · Live music
A no-frills pier party with karaoke and dancing to classic rock and more.
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Conway
Conway Riverwalk
Nature & eco · Boardwalk
The Conway Riverwalk is a scenic promenade of roughly a mile along the dark Waccamaw River in downtown Conway. Along the way are historic markers, public artwork, a public park, a marina and a playground, so it works well for a family stroll after a visit to the Horry County Museum.
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Georgetown
Georgetown Harborwalk
Nature & eco · Boardwalk
A riverfront walk along Front Street with boat tours, museums and a marina.
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Murrells Inlet
Huntington Beach State Park
Nature & eco · State park
A beach, marsh boardwalk, birding and nature center, home to Atalaya Castle. Three miles of beach have a dog-friendly south end, a freshwater lake is a good spot for seeing alligators, and birders can look for more than 300 species. There is a campground too. The nature center's marsh boardwalk was closed for construction when we last checked the park's site, so confirm before you go.
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Murrells Inlet
Murrells Inlet MarshWalk
Nature & eco · Boardwalk
A waterfront boardwalk along the marsh, lined with live-music venues.
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Central Myrtle
Myrtle Beach Boardwalk
Nature & eco · Boardwalk
An oceanfront promenade with piers, rides and summer live music.
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Surfside
Myrtle Beach State Park
Nature & eco · State park
A beach park since 1935 with a fishing pier, trails and camping. It has a mile of undeveloped beach, a pier for fishing, crabbing and wildlife watching, a nature center open most days, and a campground with hundreds of sites plus a few cabins built by the Civilian Conservation Corps. The nature trail closes from November through January, and pier fishing and camping cost extra.
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North Myrtle Beach
Cherry Grove Pier
Fishing & piers · Fishing pier
Rebuilt after Hurricane Ian, this long Cherry Grove pier is a favorite for king mackerel and sunset strolls. A tackle and gift shop rents rods and sells bait, and the Driftwood Restaurant sits on the pier.
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Central Myrtle
Pier 14
Fishing & piers · Fishing pier
Fish or just stroll out over the surf from this pier in the middle of the oceanfront Boardwalk. A restaurant and lounge sit at the foot of the pier.
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Central Myrtle
Second Avenue Pier
Fishing & piers · Fishing pier
A classic south-end fishing pier just off Ocean Boulevard, with The Wicked Tuna restaurant at its base. Cast for whiting and spot or walk out for wide ocean views.
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Surfside
Surfside Beach Pier
Fishing & piers · Fishing pier
Surfside's town-owned concrete pier reaches 814 feet into the Atlantic and is known as "The Family Pier." It's free to walk and has an elevator, restaurants and an ice cream shop. Fishing passes, rod rentals and bait are sold at Perry's Bait & Tackle, and no separate state fishing license is needed.
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Surfside
Garden City Beach
Beaches · Family beach
A laid-back family beach where the inlet meets the ocean, great for fishing, crabbing, surfing and watersports. The Pier at Garden City is the hub, free to walk, at the end of walkable Atlantic Avenue with arcades, beach shops and casual eateries. Days are calm and evenings get livelier near the pier.
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Murrells Inlet
Litchfield Beach
Beaches · Quiet beach
Quiet, upscale and less commercial than the central Strand, Litchfield Beach has been a low-key beach town since 1978 and takes its name from an 18th-century rice plantation. Pair the beach with kayaking, paddleboarding and birdwatching, or a ride on the 26-mile Waccamaw Neck Bikeway. Brookgreen Gardens and Huntington Beach State Park are minutes away.
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Central Myrtle
Myrtle Beach
Beaches · Lively beach
The heart of the 60-mile Grand Strand, with wide sandy beaches, the oceanfront Boardwalk and Promenade, and the SkyWheel steps away. Shows, mini golf, aquariums, museums and more than 90 golf courses are all close by. Summer is busiest, so spring and fall bring thinner crowds.
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North Myrtle Beach
North Myrtle Beach & Cherry Grove
Beaches · Lively beach
Cast a line off Cherry Grove Pier, catch beach music at Ocean Drive, and watch the shag on Main Street, in the town known as the birthplace of shag dancing.
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Murrells Inlet
Pawleys Island
Beaches · Quiet beach
One of the oldest resort areas on the East Coast, dating to the 1700s as a summer retreat for rice-plantation families, and proudly "arrogantly shabby." Quiet beaches, historic cottages and a slow pace suit couples and nature lovers. Across the causeway, Hammock Shops Village is home to the original rope hammock shop.
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Surfside
Surfside Beach
Beaches · Family beach
"The Family Beach" since the town was incorporated in 1964, with a residential, small-town feel. Beaches are cleaned daily and supervised by lifeguards, and access points offer showers, restrooms and accessible ramps. In 2016 it was named the first autism-friendly travel destination, and the Pier Village adds shops, food and a fishing pier.
