Free or paid? Your Grand Strand guide to summertime parking at the beach
Every year, millions of visitors and thousands of locals head to the Grand Strand’s beaches to bask in the sun and dive into the ocean. But, before any of that can happen, one must find a place to park.
Finding a spot to park at the beach is one element of the nightmare before the daydream of finally reaching the Atlantic’s golden sands. There are so many other hiccups standing between vacationers and the salty waves.
Is the parking free or paid? If it’s paid, is it by-the-hour or an all-day rate? How many spots are available? Are dogs allowed on the beach?
We have answers to all of these questions for Grand Strand beachgoers. Here are the rules for parking at the beach in each of the local cities and counties across the region’s 60 miles of sand.
Horry County
Horry County beach access points are scattered all over the place, from Arcadian Shores to Myrtle Beach State Park to Garden City (not a real city, actually).
Here are the major rules to know.
Parking is free, year-around, at most of the county-owned beach access points. (Four, located in Arcadian Shores, are pay lots.)
Golf carts are only allowed on the beach from Nov. 1 through Feb. 28 and must have a valid state permit.
Animals are not permitted on the beach from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. from May 1 through Labor Day. (Service dogs are allowed. Reptiles and exotic animals are completely banned.)
No bicycles are allowed on the beach from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. from May 1 through Labor Day
North Myrtle Beach
North Myrtle Beach charges visitors for parking near the beach both at beach access points and at several city-owned parking lots from March 1 through Oct. 31. Parking for residents is free and managed through the city’s parking registration system. For cars, the free parking for locals is tied to the license plate. Golf carts require a city-issued decal. The city has an interactive online parking map with details about paid and free parking.
Here are the other major rules to know.
Visitors to North Myrtle Beach can pay for parking either at a nearby kiosk or through the Passport app on their phones.
The cost for parking at city-owned lots or beach access points is $2 per hour from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. After hours, parking is free all year.
There are two free parking lots on the north and south sides of Main Street near Hillside Drive.
Animals are not permitted on the beach from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from May 15 through Sept. 15. (Service dogs are allowed.)
Surfing is only allowed in specific locations from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. all year. The full list of legal surfing spots is available online.
Myrtle Beach
Myrtle Beach, with all of its entertainment, restaurants and bars packed together near downtown, can be one of the hardest places to find parking. Along with the city-managed beach access points, there are dozens of privately-owned paid parking lots scattered around town, including the Pavilion Parking Garage at the corner of 9th Avenue and Kings Highway.
Here are the major rules to know.
Paid parking runs from March 1 through Oct. 31, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Locals can get free parking at publicly-owned spots scattered throughout downtown and at the beach access points through the resident decal program. (This does not include the privately-owned Pavilion Parking Garage.) Nonresidents can also pay $100 for a parking decal that can be used in certain public parking spots all year.
Visitors to Myrtle Beach can either pay at the nearby parking kiosk or through the Park-Mobile app or Text-2-Park on their phones. Directions can be found on nearby parking kiosks or signs.
Animals are not permitted on the beach from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. from May 1 through Labor Day. (Service dogs allowed.)
Parking rates vary by location.
Beach accesses & street ends: $3.00 per hour or $15.00 daily.
Core Business District: Cost is $2.00 per hour (no all-day rate). This area covers metered parking on 6th to 16th Avenues North, in between Ocean Boulevard and Kings Highway.
Other locations: $2.00 per hour or $10 daily. This includes, according to the city’s website, “All metered or signed parking on streets from 29th Avenue South to Sixth Avenue North, between Ocean Boulevard and Kings Highway. All metered or signed parking on streets from 16th Avenue North to 67th Avenue North, between Ocean Boulevard and Kings Highway.”
Surfside Beach
Most parking near the beach is paid parking, including at beach access points and several town-owned parking lots. Some street parking farther from the ocean is free.
Here are the other major rules to know.
Parking rates are $2 per hour and $10 per day.
The parking lot at 4th Avenue North and Ocean Boulevard is always paid parking, for everyone, including residents.
Locals can get free parking through the resident decal program. Nonresident property owners are also eligible for two free parking decals and can buy more for $40 each. Other nonresidents can purchase a $200 parking decal for the whole year, but they are sold out for 2022.
Visitors to Surfside Beach can either pay at a nearby parking kiosk or through the Park-Mobile app or Text-2-Park on their phones. Directions can be found on parking kiosks or signs.
Animals are not permitted on the beach from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. from May 1 through Labor Day. (Service dogs are allowed.)
Smoking is prohibited on the beach and at beach access points.
Georgetown County
Georgetown County stretches from Charleston all the way up to the salt marshes of Murrells Inlet. The beaches near Litchfield and Pawleys Island are some of the quietest around. For those looking for a calm beach trip, Georgetown County just might be the place to go.
Here are the major rules to know.
All of the county-owned beach access points are free. The town of Pawleys Island also has a large free parking lot on the south end of the island at the south end of Springs Avenue.
Rules for pets: “Dogs must be leashed from 9 am to 7 pm. Dogs that are not leashed during other hours must be under voice control and owners must be able to demonstrate voice control to a law enforcement officer if asked.”
Huntington Beach State Park is also in Georgetown County. Here are the rules for visiting.
Admission rates per person: $8 for adults, $5 for seniors, $4 for children age 6-15 and free for children 5 and younger. (Free admission also is available with a South Carolina Park Passport.)
During times of high traffic, the park may close temporarily during the day to new visitors until existing visitors leave.
Dogs are allowed year-round but only on the south end of the beach and must be on a leash at all times.
Know before you go
Some rules are the same across all of the beaches. Here are a few of the top ones.
No vehicles allowed on the beach.
Most of the above towns, cities and counties ban drinking alcohol on the beach in some form. Check before going, as they can ticket violators.
Anyone with a “handicap placard, Purple Heart, Disabled American Veterans or Medal of Honor license tag, or a valid and official handicapped hang tag” can park for free at any public parking meter in the entire state, according to the Horry County Government’s website.
In most places, fires, including grilling, are not allowed.
No overnight sleeping on the beach.
Also, there are some fluctuations in the rules within each jurisdiction. Before heading out, check out this detailed map of every single beach access point across the Grand Strand. Each point on the map shows all of the rules for that beach access point, including the number of spots, amenities (restrooms and such), public transit access, handicap access and concessions.