Myrtle Beach: Trails and Nature Walks
Set expectations first: Myrtle Beach is not a hiking destination, and nothing here is a mountain trail. What it does have is flat, walkable ground worth covering on foot, from a beachfront promenade to genuinely good birding trails, and that’s a fair trade for a beach vacation.
The Boardwalk
The simplest walk on the Strand is also the most central: the Boardwalk & Promenade runs 1.2 free miles from the 2nd Ave Pier toward 14th Ave N. It’s flat, paved, and crowded by design, so treat it as an evening stroll rather than exercise, and remember it’s a 2010 rebuild, not a century-old original.
Huntington Beach State Park
This is the closest thing to real hiking near Myrtle Beach. Trails through maritime forest and dunes connect the park’s beach, marsh, and inland sections, and the park is a serious birding destination, 300-plus species recorded, so pack binoculars if you’re the type to notice. Admission runs around $8. Atalaya Castle, the 1930s Moorish winter home on the grounds, sits along the walking route and is worth building the trip around either way.
Brookgreen Gardens
Across US-17 from Huntington Beach, Brookgreen Gardens offers walking paths through its sculpture garden and Lowcountry habitat rather than backcountry trails, more a slow art-and-nature walk than a hike. Admission is around $25 and the ticket stays valid for 7 consecutive days, so you can split the walking across more than one visit if you’re staying nearby.
Myrtle Beach State Park
Back in the city, Myrtle Beach State Park has a nature trail alongside its pier and campground, around $5 to get in. It’s a shorter, easier walk than Huntington Beach’s trails, useful if you want a quiet nature break without leaving town.
Conway’s Waccamaw Riverwalk
About 15 miles inland, 25 to 30 minutes, Conway’s Waccamaw Riverwalk is a walkable stretch through a historic downtown rather than a nature trail proper, but it’s a genuine change of scenery from sand and surf if you need one.
None of these require more than a morning. Fold one into a longer trip using the nature spots guide for the fuller picture of Brookgreen and Huntington Beach, or check the itineraries for where a half-day of walking fits without crowding out beach time.