Myrtle Beach State Park stretches along the Grand Strand coast within a coastal maritime forest. Its setting brings together coastal and forest landscapes; its opening also marked a special moment in South Carolina’s park history: in 1936, it became the first park in the state park system. Horry’s landscapes, then, are not defined by the beach alone.
Coastal Forest, Wetlands and River
Lewis Ocean Bay Heritage Preserve offers a different perspective on nature. It contains the largest concentration of Carolina bays in South Carolina and includes pine savannas, blackwater swamp forests and a section of Socastee Swamp. These varied landscape features give the preserve more than one character. Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge is another natural area in the region: in Horry County, it includes the lower stretches of the Waccamaw River. Coastal forest, savanna, blackwater swamp forest and river stand side by side as distinct themes, without needing to be blended into a single landscape.
Horry County Bike & Run Park is located along the Intracoastal Waterway near River Oaks Drive in Carolina Forest. The park’s parking lot serves as the first official starting point of the East Coast Greenway in South Carolina. This precise designation makes the parking lot’s role as the route’s starting point clear. Another place where landscape and history come together is Vereen Memorial Historical Gardens in Little River. The gardens lie along the Intracoastal Waterway on more than 115 acres of forest and wetlands. A section of the original Kings Highway, a colonial route between Boston and Charleston, is also preserved there. Both the natural setting and the historic route are integral to the description of the site.
Coastal History and Regional Culture
Atlantic Beach tells an important story about access to the coast. The community was founded around 1934 for Black people who were barred by segregation from accessing other beaches in the region. Atlantic Beach is one of the few coastal communities in the United States founded and governed by Black people. Visitors interested in regional history will encounter a coastal community whose origins are closely tied to the exclusions of that time.
Another cultural thread leads to the shag: this dance grew out of dancing at the pavilions in Myrtle Beach and other pavilions, and was declared the state dance of South Carolina in 1984. The history of the beach pavilions also has its own timeline: four pavilions stood in Myrtle Beach or its immediate vicinity in succession between 1902 and 2006. They were built by Burroughs & Chapin Co. or Myrtle Beach Farms Co. In Socastee, the production and distribution of wood-resin industry products was significant in the 1870s; these products included turpentine and tar. Socastee Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002.
History and Nature at the Museum
Horry County Museum explores the history, prehistory and natural history of Horry County. Exhibitions, educational programs and events bring these subjects to life. Its natural history exhibits include American alligators, American black bears, snakes and birds of prey. The Freshwater Aquarium illustrates life in local rivers and lakes, adding a perspective on freshwater habitats to the nature themes found in the protected areas.
L. W. Paul Living History Farm recreates life on a one-horse farm between 1900 and 1955. Visitors can experience life in a farming community of that era and observe activities typical of traditional family farms. Together with the museum exhibits on regional history, the farm offers a glimpse into different ways of life in Horry: from the farm community it depicts to the landscapes and communities shaped by the area’s natural and coastal history.
Discover more destinations
Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Surfside Beach, Little River, Longs, Loris, Nichols, Cherokee County
For the broader travel overview: South Carolina.
