Story and photos by Paul Grimshaw
For Weekly Surge

There's something restorative about immersing yourself in the natural world. Even if you're not a gung-ho, backcountry-camping, ultimate mountain-climbing tree hugger, a simple walk through the woods can help center your psyche and fix frazzled nerves. Trekking to a relatively secluded beach across ancient sand dunes, unchanged for millennia, is not something you need to travel far to do. Maritime forests, miles of hiking and biking trails and educational nature centers are closer than you may think.

In the midst of the condo-crazed strip-mall we call the Grand Strand, two remarkable oases of nature beckon the urban dweller and offer a respite from the hustle and bustle. While Huntington Beach State Park, in Murrells Inlet, and Myrtle Beach State Park are known to most residents and visitors, few of us locals utilize these natural wonders to their fullest extent and take the time to enjoy the camping, swimming, biking, bird watching, hiking, surfing, fishing and kayaking paid for in part by our tax dollars and the daily use fees collected from nearly two million annual visitors - most from out of the area.

S.C. PARKS CELEBRATE DIVERSITY AND HISTORY

The South Carolina Parks' System this year celebrates its 75th birthday in a yearlong celebration that began in April and will conclude April 2009. While acreage in Cheraw, north of Florence, was the first land purchased for a state park, Myrtle Beach holds the distinction of being the oldest park in the state. The gates opened July 1, 1936. To celebrate the anniversary, the S.C. Park System will offer special events, a photo contest, and myriad ways to enjoy the natural beauty and recreational opportunities it is directed to provide. This holiday weekend parks across the state, and especially those here at the beach will be buzzing with family reunions and holiday revelers.

In 1933 the Dustbowl (not a football game - Google it) and the Great Depression led to the formation of the Civilian Conservation Corps that focused manpower and funding on resource management, recreation and conservation of the natural wonders seen throughout the U.S. This federal program ultimately led the way to the formation of state programs including the 312-acre Myrtle Beach State Park. The much larger 2,500-acre Huntington Beach State Park, opened in 1960, was once the property of philanthropist Archer Huntington and Anna Huntington, of Brookgreen Gardens fame, and is home to Atalaya, the Huntington's summer home, now a National Historic Landmark. The Moorish-styled brick home and former art studio was built in the 1930s. Long since vacated (Anna Huntington died in 1973) the structure is host to countless weddings and annual events, including The Atalaya Arts & Crafts Festival, this year scheduled for Sept. 26-28.

 

The S.C. Parks' System defacto mission statement, written in a report dated 1936, still holds true today: "A state park may be defined as an area of land possessing unusual natural beauty, historical interest, educational value, or recreational importance, which has been acquired by the state, developed, and is to be preserved for the use of the people in securing wholesome recreation and education." After decades of expansion, fine-tuning and administrative reorganization, our state parks still offer the same time-honored tradition of service to the public. "Come Out and Play" is the marketing slogan adopted by the South Carolina Parks' System to help celebrate its 75th Anniversary. "We preserve, protect and open to the public, great examples of South Carolina's natural and cultural history," said Dawn Dawson-House, Public Relations Director for the South Carolina Department of Parks Recreation and Tourism. "We're the place where you can see examples of all our major eras of history from the Revolutionary War to the Civil War and we have some of the best naturally preserved areas in the state including coastal areas like in Myrtle Beach, Huntington Beach, Edisto Beach and Hunting Island State Parks. We preserve a Carolina Bay [a natural shallow lakes near the N.C./S.C. border], and some riverside and bottomland forests. We do a lot to make sure a good bit of South Carolina's past is preserved for the future."

 

Brenda Magers, Huntington Beach State Park Manager, explained some of the 75th anniversary programs at the park. "We have several Ranger-guided programs not normally offered that are geared toward visitors - like a biking and hiking program, camping, where they'll show you how to set up a tent and build a fire - things some people want to try but don't know how or how to get started. The biggest thing is probably the extra features of this year's Atalya Arts & Crafts Festival, which we're still finalizing, but we'll offer demonstrations, which we would typically not do."

A photo contest, part of the park's state-wide 75th anniversary celebration, has generated some pretty impressive photos in four divisions: Professional, Amateur, Student and Employee. "The photo contest is really getting hot," said Dawson-House. "People are going to the parks, taking pictures, submitting them on-line and we give out prizes each month." The contest runs until April 30. Prizes are small, but include bragging rights and unspecified prizes with a "cash value of $50." Details, as well as monthly winners and current submissions, can be viewed at www.comeoutandplay.net.

LEARN AND EXPLORE

Education is a big part of the state park system's offerings and all of the larger parks have an Education and/or Activities Center with interactive displays describing the local flora and fauna as well as the area's history. Many parks, including Myrtle Beach State Park and Huntington Beach State Park, offer guided field studies which are led by naturalists and rangers and may include kayaking through salt marshes, hikes through the forest, identifying loggerhead turtle nests and a slew of family-friendly activities. "We're using the occasion of the 75th Anniversary to bring attention to these great places," continued Dawson-House, "and to ask people to rediscover the parks that they may have visited as children or haven't been to in a while."

 

Recently, Assistant Ranger Todd Bryson and Ranger 1, Katie Mastenbrook, of Huntington Beach State Park, were busy with the day's activities including posting a bright orange warning sign to "keep away" from a nearby loggerhead turtle nest. "This is one of the worst seasons we've had," said Bryson, commenting on the lower than usual number of nests. "There's been a lot more activity around the Murrells Inlet Jetty and I think boat props are getting them and the boats scare them away." Mastenbrook, a recent Marine Science graduate of Coastal Carolina University, is in her second month as a Park Ranger and is enjoying the challenges of her first assignments working for the State. "I moved down here from Ohio to go to school," said Mastenbrook. "I really loved the area and after I graduated I applied on-line and was eventually hired."

Huntington Beach State Park Naturalist, Rachel Harrington, also a CCU Marine Science graduate, recently led a program at the park's causeway, which separates the saltwater marsh to the north from the freshwater, brackish marsh to the south. She and others host a program entitled "Alligators" at 10 a.m. Tuesdays and 6 p.m. Fridays where they point out the resident alligators who feed or sun themselves near the water's edge. Great White Egrets, Snowy Egrets and Blue Heron ply the waters for small fish. The birds, some with 6-foot wingspans, soar through the air looking like pre-historic pterodactyls while park visitors oooh and ahhh and snap pictures. Harrington answered questions from a group of 15 or so ranging in age from six to 70. "Dennis is our resident big gator," she said, "and he could be anywhere today." The alligator, known to regulars of the park, is approximately 20 years old and 15 feet long. "In the wild they can live up to 45 years. The best time to see him is early in the morning or around dusk," she said. Dennis was a no-show that day but a half-dozen smaller gators slithered and swam slowly by to the delight of those on the tour, which is free with park admission. Other programs, including Coastal Kayaking, require a $30 fee, which covers kayak and life vest rental, and instruction for the two-hour guided trip through the salt marsh.

Both area parks have small activities centers and education centers with activities geared toward children. At the Huntington Beach State Park Educational Center, children gather around the large, floor-level, opened topped aquarium to watch the fish feeding demonstrations while their parents read the informational and historical placard at each of the dioramas. Myrtle Beach State Park also has an Educational Center offering a variety of activities kids seem to enjoy.

BIKE, HIKE, KAYAK, BIRD WATCH

Patty Wright from Surfside Beach and Kate Bibb from Pawleys Island, both teachers at Seaside Elementary School in Garden City Beach, love to kayak through the salt marshes of Huntington Beach State Park and have gone on the guided trips before, but now go solo. The launching point, the Oyster Shell Recycling area off U.S. 17, a mile or so north of Huntington Beach State Park's entrance, is free to use for kayakers. "This is our first time out together," said Wright. "We love this spot. We see birds mostly, crab, fish, shrimp. We just love it."

In addition to kayaking, biking is a perfect outdoor activity at both parks with miles of designated trails through a variety of habitat and natural surroundings with one very important distinction - the trails are flat as a pancake. They're perfect for casual bike riders who are more interested in easy-going meandering vs. extreme mountain trail riding, though with a little effort, a helmet and caution regarding others on the trail, the rides can be as strenuous and exciting as a rider wants to make them.

Newlyweds Doug Fankhauser and Shelia Fankhauser, married June 14, have been visiting Huntington Beach and Myrtle Beach state parks for years and are annual pass holders. "We love it here," said Doug Fankhauser, an area musician who had the day off recently because of a rain out, which never materialized. "We love camping here in the fall," added Shelia Fankhauser, "and we like Myrtle Beach State Park, too." "We love to walk on the beach, go swimming, walk down to the jetty," said Doug Fankhauser. "I like this one (Huntington Beach) better," he continued. "It's so quiet in the winter and it's more rustic."

At Huntington Beach State Park on a recent sunny afternoon Kevin Ritter from Myrtle Beach, along with his visiting family, enjoyed a hike through the forest stopping at various lookout posts to watch for birds. Even though deep in the woods, the relentless pounding of the waves could easily be heard through the thick forestation, reminding you of the proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, just a few hundred yards away. They meet Danny Porter from Kingston, an avid bird-watcher who was making his first trip to Huntington Beach State Park. He pointed out a small multi-colored bird called a Painted Bunting, which was gone in a flash. "This is supposedly the best bird-watching spot in the Southeast," he said, quietly satisfied with his bunting hunting.

MILLIONS VISIT THE PARKS

In the fiscal year 2006-2007 more than 1.1 million paid attendees visited Myrtle Beach State Park and at Huntington Beach State Park during the same period, the attendance was close to 700,000. Some seven million visitors spent time at one or more of the 47 parks that make up S.C.'s entire state park system and Dawson-House hopes for that number to increase. "We think that the big information push about our 75th anniversary will help increase attendance and, anecdotally, gas prices may keep residents closer to home. Plus the discounts and special events should help bring more people in."

Most of the total system's operating funds, 71 percent according to Dawson-House, come from the combined gate, campsite and other rental facilities, which make the state parks remarkably self-sufficient. Daily adult ticket prices vary slightly at our two area state parks ($4-$5). Discounts for children and S.C. seniors are available, as is a $50 annual pass, good for an entire carload, up to 15 people. Horry County residents may save even more (see our tips to enjoying our state parks on page 14).

GRAND STRAND CAMPING

Giant, quarter-million-dollar land-yachts weave left and right on the roads leading to the campsites, avoiding low-hanging branches. Many of these behemoth RVs are equipped with full kitchens, multiple bathrooms, master bedrooms, satellite HD TV, and more of the comforts of home than most of us have at our actual non-movable homes. They share the campgrounds with smaller RVs, pop-up campers and tiny $20 Wal-Mart two-man tents. Camping rates vary between our two local parks with full RV-ready sites, including water and electricity, between $23-$25 per night and tent sites between $10-$17 per night.

 

Speaking with random campers at either state park you'd think they were describing paradise. Tim Coniff, of North Carolina, was visiting Huntington Beach State Park with his family and towing a "fifth-wheel" camper, the type requiring a pickup truck with a special hitch. His camper was loaded down with mountain bikes and swim floats. "We love this park and Edisto Beach, too. We like Myrtle Beach [State Park] some, but usually come here. I love to bike on the trails and we go look at the gators, and of course the beach. And all the restaurants are close by - it's perfect, really. We've been coming for 15 years." High gas prices didn't seem to bother Coniff as he pointed out the $25 per night fee, when compared to $150 - $200 per night for condo rentals or hotel rooms, make the trip affordable. "We love to build our fire at night and it's way more fun than a hotel."

Both parks offer a limited number of primitive tent sites without electricity or water, which can offer a bit of the backcountry experience, though in reality you'll still be less than 100 yards from showers, bathrooms, and the park grocery store. Myrtle Beach State Park also offers two and three bedroom cabins with screened porches and central heat and air from $79 - $124 per night - this is not "Survivor Man" stuff, but it's still camping...sort of. Camping reservations may be made up to 11 months in advance, which is recommended, as all cabin and camping sites are fully reserved with "NO VACANCY" posted at the entrance to each park virtually from March to October. If you don't have a reservation and want to do a little last minute camping, here's the trick - don't believe the "NO VACANCY" signs or the toll-free phone reservationists, as last-minute sites are frequently available due to cancellations. To find out for sure you must visit the park camping check-in desk personally - the only downside to this stealthy operation - it requires a paid admission.

THE BEACH AS IT ONCE WAS

 

If you think one Grand Strand beach is like the next - you're wrong. A visit to the North End area at Huntington Beach, devoid of lifeguards and hordes of people, is more akin to a visit to the Outer Banks of North Carolina, only without the five-hour drive. Some of the dunes are 20 feet high and roll away from the beach and are 100 yards wide or more, which is in stark contrast to the puny dunes of the Grand Strand's commercial districts, bull-dozed to within an inch of their usefulness. Myrtle Beach State Park's beach offers the same sense of being somewhere other than in Myrtle Beach, only to a slightly lesser degree. Here the oceanfront condos are never too far from sight and the flight path of the Myrtle Beach International Airport takes planes, day and night, directly overhead. Both parks have a main day-use beach, which does have seasonal lifeguards and the typical rules and regulations. Along the North End of Huntington Beach, anglers, surfers, bathers and dogs on leashes all share the sand, which leads to the rock jetty at the mouth of Murrells Inlet. Fishermen in ridiculous looking sun hats bicycle up the hard-packed low-tide sand toward the jetty with an assortment of gear attached by bungee cords, making them look like one-man bands. The fishermen, the ones who know what they're doing, return with buckets full of flounder, spottail and whiting. Anglers will find the Myrtle Beach State Park meeting their needs as well with fishing gear rentals, fishing permits, bait, tackle and a 750' pier, complete with cleaning stations and plenty of exciting action. Fishing Permits run $4.50 per day with rod and reel rentals $4 per day.

TREAT YOUR SELF TO A MINI-VACATION

 

It's easy to get caught up in the day-to-day activities of work and life and forget that abundant natural and recreational resources sit under our noses. How about this perfect vacation weekend that uses less than one gallon of gas and costs less than $60 per person? On any given Friday after work, you and your significant other, or a buddy, or whoever, go to either local state park ($5) rent a campsite for two nights ($20) set up camp ($0, borrowed supplies), hike around, and get the lay of the land. If you're staying at Myrtle Beach State Park, hop in your car, head out to The Market Common (less than two miles from Myrtle Beach State Park - gas $1) catch a quick dinner ($15), and an early movie ($8). Huntington Beach State Park is similarly close to the Murrells Inlet Marshwalk, where you can catch dinner, and right down the road from Regal Cinemas at Inlet Square Mall. Then hightail it back to your campsite (the parks close and lock their gates at 10 p.m.), start your campfire ($4 for wood), have late-night s'mores ($3), crash, wake up early with the birds, spend the day at the beach, grab lunch from your cooler ($5), hike some more, maybe go on a guided field trip, cook dinner on your grill ($10), meet your neighbors, play cards 'til the wee hours of the morning, crash again, pack up the next morning and go home.

That may just be one of the least expensive mini-vacations and the best-kept secrets of enjoying an urban/outdoor weekend on the Grand Strand. The state parks are for the people and as people, we should use the resources in our own backyard.

Go to www.southcarolinaparks.com for a wealth of information and details about creating your own outdoor adventure.

 

 

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