If you need a break from the sand and surf or an overcast day comes along on your Myrtle Beach vacation, Huntington Beach State Park is close by in Murrells Inlet and has a variety of activities to keep you busy. Whether it's you and your sweetheart, you and the kids or you and your fur babies, it's easy to spend an entire day (sunny or not!) at this diverse coastal state park and never even step foot on the beach!
1. Tour the Salt Marsh by Kayak
Just one mile from the park entrance, you'll find Oyster Landing, a launch point for boaters and fisherman within Huntington Beach State Park. Black River Outdoors Center offers guided, two-hour salt marsh kayak tours every Monday at 10 a.m., and if you're there another day they have kayaks, canoes and jon boats for rent anytime.
2. Go on a Geocaching Adventure
There are more than 2 million geocaches all over the world, and several of them are hiding in Huntington Beach State Park. If you're new to geocaching, all you need is a GPS or the Official Geocaching app, and a free account from the official Geocaching website to get started.
3. Take a Guided Segway Tour
One of the best ways to explore all the wildlife, history and beautiful scenery at Huntington Beach State Park is by Segway. The park offers guided Segway tours that provide an up-close-and-personal look at the area's native plant life; wildlife, including alligators, loggerhead turtles and a wide variety of birds; and Atalaya Castle. If you've never ridden a Segway before, don't worry! Every tour comes with a training session to get you going.
4. Bird Watching
Huntington Beach State Park is known for its wildlife viewing opportunities. While viewing gators lurking in the causeway on the way into the park is a popular attraction, many people don't know that this South Carolina state park is revered as one of the Southeast's best birding locations. More than 300 species have been recorded along the trails and boardwalks here, and there's even a South Carolina birding checklist available for download on the park's website.
5. Seining at Oyster Landing
Take the kids to try their hand at seining in the shallow waters at Oyster Landing, and watch as they discover the excitement of dragging a net in the water to catch minnows, crabs and other unusual creatures. The park offers hour-long Salt Marsh Seining events every Tuesday at noon from June 1 through August 31 as part of their Children in Nature program. For more information, contact the park at 843-237-4440.
