Myrtle Beach is known both for its beach and its unabashed American brand of hedonism. Head down to the center of the developed Grand Strand beach and you will find plenty of hotels, restaurants, entertainment and places to shop. While you can stay at one of these hotels, play with your kids on the beach all day, go shopping and take in a fun family oriented musical show there is another way to experience the Grand Strand.

You can leave the hotel and wall to wall people behind by camping at Myrtle Beach State Park. This beautiful park is just south of the much busier, hotel filled heart of Myrtle Beach. It is suited on over 300 acres of property that includes a lot of things you will not find in a hotel.

A large majority of folks that visit Myrtle Beach arrive via I-95, taking a few state highways that eventual funnels traffic to a single state road, Highway 501, that ends at Myrtle Beach. The park is located off of South Kings Highway, just a bit south of Highway 501 eastern terminus. Once you arrive at the park you will need to pay a fee to get into the park. Depending on each person's age, there is a $1.50 to $4 charge per person, per day entry fee.

With over 300 campsites this Myrtle Beach campground can accommodate most visitors' camping needs. Tents, pop-ups, and all sizes of RVs can all find a place here. The campground is like a little city in itself in the summer but it is much, much more relaxed than you might expect. You don't need to rough either. You will find hot showers and of course the developed campsites (there is a smaller camping area that accommodates more tent campers than the allotment of tent sites in the main campground) all have water and electricity at each site. All of this is situated in a high canopy pine forest that is only a few hundred yards from the ocean. To make it even easier on you there is also a small camp store and free wireless internet service available throughout the camping area. Campsite cost about $25 dollars a night, but of course there is the obligatory tax and fees that are tacked onto whatever your site fee is listed as.

Just in case you are not that into roughing it, there are also a few cabins and two apartments for rent. The cabins are especially nice as they are removed from the campgrounds, offering a nice bit of privacy for about $100 a night.

Myrtle Beach State Park is a busy place for all of the summer and some of the spring and fall. It can be a challenge to find a campsite for busier weekends and holidays. Your best bet is to try and plan your camping trip to the park well in advance. If you are not that on top of things they do hold a small number of sites out of the reservation system for folks that just show up to the park. You just might get lucky and get a last minute spot but you could also get turned away.

There is a full mile of Grand Strand beach in the park. There are two differences here from what you will find in front of the big high rise hotels are less people. The second is perhaps less helpful, and that is a lack of lifeguards. It is strictly swim at your own risk when you are visiting the park. Backing the beach there is plenty of parking, picnic areas, bathrooms and playgrounds.

The ocean beach is divided in the middle by a large fishing pier. Here you can fish for a variety of species. There is a charge to fish from the pier but if you are just looking it is free to stroll out and over the ocean. The store at the beginning of the pier has some basic fishing supplies, bait, and also snacks, ice and souvenirs. No license is required but you do need to abide by state regulations concerning the size and numbers of fish you can keep.

Over half of the park is undeveloped maritime forest. You can walk the trails and experience the cooler shade created by the oaks, wax myrtles, hollies, magnolias and poplars. There are interpretive signs that identify key tree and other plant species, and also some signs that discuss local wildlife. There are two trails and both are easy to walk paths over fairly even terrain.

In addition to what you can see and learn while walking the trails, you can also learn about local area fauna and flora a number of other ways. There are park programs and hands-on-experiences that cover local marine and terrestrial organisms. You can also find signs about nature in various places around the park. The nature activity center rounds out the potential educational experiences you can have while you are studying….or relaxing, in the park.