Rules To Know Before You Go To Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
Ahhhh…a beach trip to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. I have made that drive plenty of times in my 53 years. As a kid, my parents had a condo at ‘A Place At The Beach’ when it was relatively new in the late ’60s/early ’70s. As a teenager, I went to North Myrtle Beach and Cherry Grove every summer. From the time I was 13, in 1983, til I graduated high school in 1988, I was at the beach every summer. From 1986-1988 I was there for a week as soon as school was out for the summer. Man, we had some serious fun on our beach trips!
When I was married, I went to North Myrtle every summer with my husband and step-kids. His mom had a condo at ‘A Place At The Beach’ so we’d spend a week there with the kids. I still try and go to North Myrtle or Cherry Grove every year. I’m lucky enough to still be close friends with the girls I went to high school with, and we go on a ‘girls’ trip’ every year. Usually, it’s only for a long weekend, but I love that we’re still making memories at the beach.
Now, I won’t lie to you. When I saw the headline on WSOC’s website I had to check out the story. Their headline is ‘Bikinis, Booze & Bikes: Myrtle Beach Rules To Know Before Summer’. It cracked me up! Seasonal rules began Monday, May 1 so it’s good to know what you can and can’t do at the beach until the end of summer.
If you like to bring your dog with you on vacation, from now until Labor Day, dogs are only allowed on the beach before 10 a.m. and after 5 p.m. However, regardless of the time of year, dogs must be on a leash seven feet or shorter at all times. Pet owners also must pick up and properly dispose of any waste.
From Memorial Day through Labor Day, only circular umbrellas, up to seven-and-a-half feet in diameter, are allowed. Umbrellas must be in line with or behind the lifeguards’ line of umbrellas or landward of the mean high tide line.
And here are other rules, and these are the ones Phil and I were laughing about. These rules are in effect year-round but I take exception to the first one, which is alcohol is not allowed on the beach. WHAT?! Alcohol isn’t allowed on the beach? Come on! We’ve been drinking on the beach since the 80’s! Of course, we always have cups and don’t take glass out to the beach. I had no idea it was a rule!
The bathing suit styles that aren’t allowed made Phil and I laugh too! The ‘dental floss’ style sounds hurtful! Ugh! You can read more about the regulations here. Be careful, have fun, and don’t forget to turn so you don’t burn!
- Glass containers and bottles are not allowed on the beach.
- Items may not be set up on the beach before 8 a.m. and must be removed from the beach by 7 p.m. daily.
- “Thong” style bathing suits are not allowed on the beach or in public. G-strings, T-Backs, “dental floss” style, and thongs are prohibited in public.
- It is illegal to disturb or damage the dunes, sand fencing or sea grass oats.
- Aquatic activity (swimming, surfing, etc.) is not allowed within 75 yards of a pier.
- Digging holes deeper than two feet is prohibited. All holes must be filled before leaving the beach. Metal shovels are not allowed for recreational digging.
- All fires are prohibited on the beach, including barbecues and bonfires.
Violations of these ordinances are misdemeanors and are subject to a fine of up to $500 and/or 30 days in jail, upon conviction.
