Exclusive: Cherry Grove Pier to open after two years. When you can walk and fish on it

The Cherry Grove Pier in North Myrtle Beach will finally open to the public after nearly two years of repairs.

Pier Manager Edgar Stephens said the pier would open at 11 a.m. Friday for walking and fishing. He said the benches are still being worked on so people may want to bring a chair.

The pier will be about 2/3 of the way out, Stephens said, adding that this will be a soft opening until the rest of the pier can be repaired.

“I’m so excited,” Stephens said. “Everybody around here are jumping up and down for joy. We’re ready to have it all ready to go in the future.”

The pier has been closed since it was split in half during Hurricane Ian in 2022, which brought powerful storm surges, winds and rain to Horry County.

The pier was set to open in September, but Stephens said earlier that construction was taking longer than originally expected, and that the pier wouldn’t open until this spring.

This is not the first time the Cherry Grove Pier has been rebuilt. Since opening in the 1950s, it has survived several hurricanes and, as a result, has had several repair projects.

The Surfside Beach Pier also opened last week after being closed for seven years.

The pier was damaged when powerful winds from Hurricane Matthew in 2016 sheared off half of its 800-foot-long walkway and closed it indefinitely.