Camping in Myrtle Beach: The Best RV Parks and Campgrounds on the Grand Strand

Myrtle Beach is the busiest RV camping destination on the East Coast, and it is not close. The Grand Strand — the 60-mile arc of beach from Little River down to Georgetown — is home to a cluster of oceanfront mega-campgrounds that each run to hundreds of full-hookup sites, plus two of South Carolina’s most-loved state park campgrounds. If you want to park your rig within a walk of the Atlantic, with a water park, golf carts and a boardwalk of pancake houses within reach, this is the place.

That scale is also the trap. “Camping in Myrtle Beach” covers everything from a quiet live-oak site at Huntington Beach State Park to a 45-foot concrete pad in the 2000 section at Ocean Lakes with a golf cart parade rolling past at dusk. Pick the wrong one and you will either be bored or overwhelmed. This guide compares the seven Myrtle Beach RV parks and campgrounds we would actually book, with the numbers we could verify from the operators and honest notes on what each one is like to stay in.

For the wider picture of camping along the Carolina and Georgia coast, start at our South Carolina hub, and compare these parks with the national picks in our best beachfront RV parks in the USA roundup.

Quick answer: The best camping in Myrtle Beach for most RVers is one of the four oceanfront resort campgrounds south of town — Ocean Lakes Family Campground (859 full-hookup sites, oceanfront in the 2000, I, H, HH and K sections), Lakewood Camping Resort, Myrtle Beach Travel Park and PirateLand — all of which put you on the beach with full hookups and resort amenities. If you would rather have trees and quiet than a water park, Myrtle Beach State Park (138 full-hookup and 140 water/electric sites, RVs up to 40 feet on some sites) and Huntington Beach State Park (107 water/electric and 66 full-hookup sites) are the two public campgrounds. Book summer oceanfront sites many months ahead; Ocean Lakes takes reservations up to 18 months out.

Myrtle Beach RV parks compared#

Campground	Location	Hookups	Sites (as listed)	Beach access	Reservations
Ocean Lakes Family Campground	South Myrtle Beach	Full (20/30/50 amp, water, sewer, cable)	859 transient sites	Oceanfront sections	Direct, up to 18 months ahead, 50% deposit
Lakewood Camping Resort	South Myrtle Beach	Full (verify amperage with operator)	Large resort; check operator	Oceanfront	Direct with operator
Myrtle Beach Travel Park	North Myrtle Beach area	Full (verify with operator)	Check operator	Oceanfront	Direct with operator
PirateLand Family Camping Resort	South Myrtle Beach	Full (verify with operator)	Check operator	Oceanfront	Direct with operator
Myrtle Beach State Park	South Myrtle Beach	138 full hookup + 140 water/electric	278 RV/tent sites + 30-site tent overflow	Walk over dunes	SC State Parks, 1-866-345-PARK; 2-night minimum
Huntington Beach State Park	Murrells Inlet	66 full hookup + 107 water/electric	179 sites + 6 tent	Walk to beach	SC State Parks
Myrtle Beach KOA	Central Myrtle Beach	Full and partial (verify with KOA)	Check operator	Short drive/walk	KOA.com

Rates at every park here vary sharply by season and site type. We have not printed nightly prices because none of the operators publish a single flat rate; check the current rate sheet for your dates.

Ocean Lakes Family Campground#

Ocean Lakes is the one people mean when they say “camping in Myrtle Beach.” It is a self-contained beach town with its own paved streets, a golf-cart culture, and a full-blown water park (Sandy Harbor Family Fun Center) with pool, slides and mini golf. The scale is hard to convey until you drive in.

• Location: South Myrtle Beach, on the ocean side of Kings Highway (US-17 Business)
• Hookups: Every site has 20/30/50-amp electric, water, sewer and 64-channel cable, with free Wi-Fi at all sites
• Sites: 859 transient campsites; concrete pads on 722+ sites, generally about 18 feet by 45 feet
• Max rig length: Most sites take up to a 40-foot camper plus two vehicles; some sites accommodate 45-foot rigs
• Rates: See operator’s current rate sheet (varies by section and season)
• Reservations: Direct with Ocean Lakes, up to 18 months in advance, 50 percent deposit at booking
• Best feature: Genuinely oceanfront campsites in the 2000, I, H, HH and K sections

The oceanfront sections are the ones everybody wants, and they go first. If you want a quieter stay, Ocean Lakes itself points to the 3000 and 4000 sections as the calmer end of the park. Golf carts are the primary transport inside the park; rentals and sales are on site, and you will feel underdressed without one.

Honest take: Ocean Lakes is spectacular for families with kids and for anyone who wants activity within a few hundred feet of the awning. It is not for people who want a quiet fire and a dark sky. Summer weekends are loud in the best and worst senses.

Lakewood Camping Resort#

Lakewood sits next door to Ocean Lakes on the same stretch of south Myrtle Beach oceanfront and offers a similar formula: full-hookup sites, oceanfront rows, pools, a lake in the middle of the property that gives it its name, and a heavy summer family season.

• Location: South Myrtle Beach, Kings Highway corridor
• Hookups: Full hookups (confirm amperage on the specific site when booking)
• Sites: Large resort — check the operator’s site map for current counts
• Max rig length: Big rigs are common; confirm the pad length of the specific site
• Rates: See operator’s current rate sheet
• Reservations: Direct with the resort
• Best feature: Oceanfront sites and the freshwater lake for paddling and fishing

We treat Lakewood as the slightly more relaxed sibling of Ocean Lakes. It is still a busy resort in summer, but the lake side of the property is a real change of pace from the beach rows, and it works well for people who want to be near the Ocean Lakes energy without living inside it.

Myrtle Beach Travel Park#

Myrtle Beach Travel Park is the northern counterpart to the south-side resorts — an oceanfront campground with full-hookup sites, a lake, pools and direct beach access, sitting closer to the North Myrtle Beach and Barefoot Landing side of the Strand.

• Location: North end of Myrtle Beach on Kings Highway
• Hookups: Full hookups on RV sites (verify amperage with the park)
• Sites: Check the operator’s map for current site counts and oceanfront rows
• Max rig length: Confirm with the operator for the specific site
• Rates: See operator’s current rate sheet
• Reservations: Direct with the park
• Best feature: The only large oceanfront campground on the north end, closer to Barefoot Landing and Cherry Grove

If your Myrtle Beach itinerary leans north — Barefoot Landing, the North Myrtle Beach shag clubs, Cherry Grove pier — the Travel Park saves you a lot of Kings Highway traffic compared with the south-side resorts.

PirateLand Family Camping Resort#

PirateLand is the fourth of the oceanfront big four, again on the south end near Ocean Lakes and Lakewood. The formula is familiar — full-hookup sites, oceanfront rows, a lazy river and pools, a lake — with a slightly smaller footprint that some campers find easier to navigate.

• Location: South Myrtle Beach, Kings Highway corridor
• Hookups: Full hookups (confirm amperage on booking)
• Sites: Check operator for current counts
• Max rig length: Big rigs accepted on many sites; confirm the specific pad
• Rates: See operator’s current rate sheet
• Reservations: Direct with the resort
• Best feature: The lazy river and a somewhat more compact layout than Ocean Lakes

Myrtle Beach State Park#

If the resorts sound like too much, Myrtle Beach State Park is the answer, and it is only a few miles up the road from Ocean Lakes. The campground sits in a maritime forest behind the dunes, with a fishing pier, a nature center and a swimming beach that is far less crowded than the public beaches downtown.

• Location: South Myrtle Beach off US-17 Business, a few minutes from Myrtle Beach International Airport
• Hookups: 138 sites with full hookups (electric, water, sewer); 140 sites with electric and water
• Sites: 278 RV/tent sites plus a 30-site tent-only overflow area (Easter through Labor Day)
• Max rig length: Some sites accommodate RVs up to 40 feet, others up to 30 feet
• Rates: Vary by season and demand; not published as a flat rate — check the reservation system
• Reservations: South Carolina State Parks online or 1-866-345-PARK (7275); two-night minimum; bookings less than a day ahead go through the park directly at 843-238-5325
• Amenities: Hot showers, restrooms, laundry, dump station, free Wi-Fi throughout the campground
• Admission: $8 adults, $5 South Carolina seniors 65+, $4 ages 6–15, free under 6 (in addition to camping fees)
• Best feature: A shaded, wooded campground within a short walk of a quiet beach and pier

Check-in is no earlier than 2 p.m. and the park notes that early arrivals may be asked to leave if there is nowhere to park — worth knowing if you are timing a long drive.

The mix of 40-foot and 30-foot sites means big rigs need to filter carefully when booking. This is one of the best-value stays on the Strand for anyone who wants trees, a pier and beach access without resort pricing or resort noise.

Huntington Beach State Park#

Twenty minutes south of Myrtle Beach at Murrells Inlet, Huntington Beach State Park is where Grand Strand campers go when they want nature to win. The park pairs three miles of undeveloped beach with the salt marsh causeway that makes it one of the best birding spots on the East Coast, and the Atalaya castle ruin gives it a story no other campground here has.

• Location: Murrells Inlet, US-17 south of Myrtle Beach
• Hookups: 66 full-hookup sites, 107 water/electric sites, six tent sites (as listed by the park)
• Sites: 179 RV/tent-capable sites plus tent sites
• Max rig length: Varies by site; filter in the reservation system
• Rates: See South Carolina State Parks for your dates
• Reservations: South Carolina State Parks online or 1-866-345-PARK (7275)
• Best feature: The causeway birding and a wide, uncrowded beach

We covered Huntington Beach in more depth in the best beachfront RV parks in the USA roundup, where it ranks as one of the top East Coast public campgrounds. Murrells Inlet’s seafood restaurants along the MarshWalk are a five-minute drive.

Myrtle Beach KOA#

The Myrtle Beach KOA is the option for people who want the KOA booking system, cabins for the non-camping relatives, and a central location without paying oceanfront resort rates. It sits in the middle of the Strand near the main attractions rather than on the beach itself.

• Location: Central Myrtle Beach
• Hookups: Full and partial hookup RV sites (verify the specific site type on KOA.com)
• Sites: Check KOA for current site inventory
• Max rig length: Big-rig sites are typically flagged on the KOA site map
• Rates: See KOA.com for your dates
• Reservations: KOA.com or the KOA app
• Best feature: Central location and predictable KOA standards; cabins for mixed groups

Choosing between the resort campgrounds and the state parks#

The Myrtle Beach decision usually comes down to one question: do you want the beach to be at the campground, or near it?

Priority	Best pick
Kids, water park, golf carts, oceanfront rows	Ocean Lakes
Oceanfront with a slightly calmer feel	Lakewood or PirateLand
North Strand base (Barefoot Landing, Cherry Grove)	Myrtle Beach Travel Park
Shade, pier, full hookups, close to town	Myrtle Beach State Park
Nature, birding, quiet beach	Huntington Beach State Park
Cabins for relatives, central, KOA booking	Myrtle Beach KOA

Best time for camping in Myrtle Beach#

Summer (Memorial Day through Labor Day) is peak. Water is warm, everything is open, and the campgrounds are full and loud. Rates are highest and oceanfront sites at the big four are the hardest reservations on the South Carolina coast.

Shoulder seasons are the sweet spot for most RVers. Late April to early June and September to October bring warm water, open restaurants, and far more availability. Fall is our favorite: the ocean is still swimmable well into October, hurricane season is a real but occasional risk, and the campgrounds settle down.

Winter is quiet and cheap. The private resorts pivot to long-term monthly stays, many attractions cut hours, and the beach is for walking rather than swimming. Snowbirds who find Florida too crowded and expensive increasingly wind up on the Grand Strand; the big resorts publish winter monthly rates, and Myrtle Beach State Park stays open year round.

Big rigs in Myrtle Beach#

The private oceanfront resorts are the safest bet for 40-foot-plus motorhomes and fifth wheels — Ocean Lakes states most sites accept a 40-foot camper and some take 45 feet, and the other three resorts are built for the same market. At the state parks, filter carefully: Myrtle Beach State Park has a mix of 40-foot and 30-foot sites, and Huntington Beach’s site lengths vary. Kings Highway (US-17 Business) is a wide multi-lane road, but summer traffic between the south-side resorts and the downtown boardwalk crawls; time your arrival outside the afternoon check-in rush if you can. See our big-rig-friendly RV parks guide for general sizing advice.

Beyond Myrtle Beach#

Camping on the Grand Strand pairs naturally with the rest of the Southeast coast. Head south for the Lowcountry and Beaufort in our Hilton Head and Lowcountry RV parks guide, or continue north to the Outer Banks and North Carolina’s state park campgrounds. Further south still, Jekyll Island’s campground on Georgia’s coast is the antidote to Myrtle Beach’s scale.

For a wider look at what full hookups actually get you and why sewer-at-site matters on a week-long beach stay, read what is a full hookup RV site.