Myrtle Beach State Park trails are closed through January: where to hike instead

Every trail at Myrtle Beach State Park is closed from November through January for maintenance and construction, per South Carolina State Parks as of Nov. 2, 2026. The park itself stays open, with its beach, pier and campground. For a walk in the woods until February, the closest options are the two trails at Huntington Beach State Park in Murrells Inlet and, on days with no hunt, the trails of Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge near Conway.

Is Myrtle Beach State Park open in November?

Yes. Only the trails are closed. The park is open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. through November and 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. from December through February, per the park. Admission is $8 for adults, $5 for South Carolina seniors 65 and older, $4 for ages 6 to 15, and free for children under 6.

Where can I hike near Myrtle Beach instead?

Huntington Beach State Park, in Murrells Inlet in Georgetown County, has two short trails, per South Carolina State Parks:

• Sandpiper Pond Trail, 1 mile one way from the north parking lot, the park’s best birding walk.
• Kerrigan Trail, a quarter mile one way from the gift shop lot.

The Marsh Boardwalk is closed for construction. Admission is the same as at Myrtle Beach State Park, and the park is open 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. now that Daylight Saving Time has ended. Hunting is not allowed in either state park.

Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge lists 11 open trails with their lengths, per the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, from the 4.26-mile Red Trail to the Yauhannah Bluff visitor center boardwalk (1.43 miles). No entrance fee is listed.

When are Waccamaw’s trails closed for hunting?

The refuge closes trails in hunt areas on hunt days, under its 2026-27 hunt regulations. In November:

• Units 2 and 3 hold deer hunts through Saturday, Nov. 14.
• Unit 1 holds deer hunts Monday, Nov. 16, through Saturday, Dec. 5.
• There are no deer hunts on Sundays.

Neither the trails page nor the hunt rules say which trail sits in which unit, so the safest plan is a Sunday visit, or a weekday after Dec. 5. Check the refuge’s hunting page and map before you go. Hog hunts start again in February.

What about Lewis Ocean Bay Heritage Preserve?

Lewis Ocean Bay Heritage Preserve in Horry County is open during daylight hours year-round with no fee, per SCDNR. It has no marked hiking trails; SCDNR suggests parking and walking the preserve’s roads. It is also a public hunting preserve, with deer still-gun season running Oct. 21, 2026, through Jan. 1, 2027, per the South Carolina hunting regulations. If you go, wear blaze orange and put some on your dog.

Can I bring my dog?

At Huntington Beach State Park, dogs on a 6-foot leash are welcome year-round, but only on the south end of the beach and not in buildings. At Myrtle Beach State Park, dogs on a 6-foot leash are allowed in most outdoor areas but not in cabins. At Waccamaw, dogs must be leashed and under control when not hunting.

When do the Myrtle Beach State Park trails reopen?

The park’s notice covers November through January, so the trails are expected back in February. We will confirm the date with the park and update this story.

Who do I contact?

Myrtle Beach State Park’s alerts are on its FAQ page. Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge posts trail and hunt notices on its U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service page.

Found a trail open or closed when the signs said otherwise? Email our newsroom through the Contact link at the bottom of this page.

More Outdoors & Recreation guides and local services ›

Live in the Grand Strand? Write for us as a Community Contributor and share what you see in your town.