Beach Scapes - Spring in Myrtle Beach
It’s almost spring and though the temperature is not quite right for swimming in the Atlantic, it’s darn near perfect for enjoying the 10 miles of unspoiled beach protected by South Carolina’s coastal state parks...Myrtle Beach, Huntington Beach, Edisto Beach and Hunting Island. These coastal gems boast over 800 campsites and 26 cabins inside the nearly 9,000 acres of protected marshland and maritime forest.
Since 1935, a trip to the beach has meant a stay at Myrtle Beach State Park for hundreds of thousands of families across the United States and Canada. The park is a natural retreat, home to one of South Carolina’s last stands of easily accessible, oceanfront maritime forest. The wide open beach, oceanfront campgrounds and fishing pier full of anglers and stories make the park memorable any time of year...but springtime finds its 312 acres alive with abundant bird and plant life. The wind may still carry a slight chill this time of year, but America’s most popular and diverse vacation destination is always warmed by the South Carolina sun.
It’s almost spring and though the temperature is not quite right for swimming in the Atlantic, it’s darn near perfect for enjoying the 10 miles of unspoiled beach protected by South Carolina’s coastal state parks...Myrtle Beach, Huntington Beach, Edisto Beach and Hunting Island.
Apparently the bird life is even more abundant at Huntington Beach State Park where for years, birders have been coming in the spring to see some of the more than 300 species recorded there, giving the park a reputation as a “top spot” on the East Coast. Over the years, birders have created this birding checklist to help track the many colorful inhabitants of the protected marshland, one of the world’s most productive eco-systems. The marsh is registered under the South Carolina Heritage Trust Program in hopes of preserving its unusually pristine nature.
Art lovers, meanwhile, flock by the thousands to Atalaya Castle, the picturesque, Moorish-style winter home of Anna Hyatt and Archer Huntington inside the park. The Huntington’s left the park and adjacent Brookgreen Gardens as their legacy, and each September the prestigious, juried Atalaya Arts and Crafts Festival is held in and around the castle. Atalaya, a National Historic Landmark, stands as a monument to the creativity of Anna Hyatt Huntington, a noted sculptress in her own right.
From March to November, the park’s Coastal Exploration Program allows visitors to join staff educators on field trips to view alligators, explore the marsh and nature trails, and for a close-up look at the history and mystery of Atalaya. Nature lovers will also enjoy the park’s Environmental Education Center and wide variety of programming that begins in the spring, including a chance to see loggerhead turtles and other endangered plant and animal life...up close. Perhaps “spring” is the best time to enjoy South Carolina’s Coastal State Parks and miss the heat of summer, not to mention the crowds. If you’re a nature lover, you’ll love the nature of these pristine parks as they awake from a winter’s sleep and begin the bloom of spring. 
