Looking to Get Outdoors? Check out These 6 Great Grand Strand Parks

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While the Grand Strand offers an impressively long list of family-friendly indoor activities, when most vacationers head for our stretch of the Carolina coast, the great outdoors is usually the main attraction. And even beyond its famous beaches, the Myrtle Beach area has plenty of outdoor escapes on tap when visitors want to get outside and soak up some scenery.

So, the next time you and your vacation crew are looking for a great place to enjoy the outdoors during a Grand Strand vacation (or if the kids in your party just need to burn off some of that extra energy), consider one of these six public parks and playgrounds located in the area:

Myrtle Beach State Park: Encompassing 316 acres of land primarily occupied by maritime forest, and offering a full mile of wide and undeveloped white-sand beaches, Myrtle Beach State Park was the inaugural park opened in the South Carolina State Parks system. It offers an array of outdoor activities for visitors, including camping, hiking, fishing, picnicking, horseback riding and nature education. Visiting the park requires an entry fee of $5 per adult/$3 per child age 6-15.

Huntington Beach State Park: There’s plenty of adventure on tap for nature lovers at Huntington Beach State Park, which features 2,500 acres of coastal preserve and large swaths of undeveloped beaches. While in the area, visitors can also explore the nearby Atalaya Castle, a 30-room mansion that boasts amazing Atlantic Ocean views and was inspired by the architecture of the Spanish Andalusian coast. To learn more about the park, visit southcarolinaparks.com, and find out more about the circa-1930s castle at atalayacastle.com.

North Myrtle Beach Park & Sports Complex: A regular host to athletic tournaments on its array of state-of-the-art soccer/lacrosse and baseball/softball fields, this North Myrtle Beach complex also features walking and biking trails, three playgrounds, a 3-acre dog park, a 25-acre lake for water activities, a 10-acre meadow, and more. Learn more at nmbpark.com.

Savannah’s Playground: Found at The Market Common’s Grand Park, the multi-acre Savannah’s Playground Enabling Park provides children of all abilities the opportunities for play and social interaction with a collection of ADA-approved playground equipment and structures, all alongside a lake encircled by a fitness trail. Among the on-site attractions are a music park, an interactive playground, an early childhood playground, a school-age playground, a picnic area, challenge ropes, ziplining and more.

McLean Park: Sitting on 10 acres in the heart of North Myrtle Beach, this facility offers a pair of playgrounds, a half-mile paved walking path/fitness trail, tennis courts, a youth baseball field, picnic shelters, a meditation garden, a lakeside gazebo and more. Visit parks.nmb.us for more info.

Palmetto Adventure Land: Found in Myrtle Beach’s Carolina Forest district, this volunteer-built community playground features slides, swings, seesaws, monkey bars, games and more for the kids in your crew to play on. There are also picnic shelters on-site, and the Carolina Forest Library and Carolina Forest Recreation Center (which offers a public gym and fitness center) are located next door.

After getting your share of fresh air on the Grand Strand, head back to the comfortable accommodations and wide-ranging amenities at Ocean Reef Resort to rest up for another day of adventure in the Myrtle Beach area. Book your beach getaway today — and start planning to make some lasting memories on the Carolina coast!