Reserved parking available for 20% of spaces at Grand Strand state parks

Caleb McCusker
·3 min read
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MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — Newly added reserved parking at two state parks along the Grand Strand will be available for 20% of all parking spots, according to South Carolina Parks.

The Myrtle Beach State Park and Huntington Beach State Park recently announced plans to add reserved parking starting next month. It will start May 16 and go until Sept. 2.

Parking will cost $5 per spot, per day. All other spots are available for visitors on a first-come, first-serve basis.

The $5 fee does not include admission to the park and is required for all reservations, even if the visitor has a park passport, according to the release. Reservations can be made up to one month in advance and must be made at least three days before the desired date.

The reservation is valid from 6 a.m. until noon. Visitors with a reservation can leave and re-enter the park during those hours, even during a park closure. After noon, re-entry is no longer guaranteed.

“It is so tough to close the gates on a busy weekend, when a park is completely at capacity, and to hear from folks still stuck in the line to get in that their family or friends are already inside the park for a cookout or beach day,” South Carolina State Parks Director Paul McCormack said in a news release. “Thanks to the new reserved parking option, if a group will be traveling in more than one car for their beach day, they can all reserve a parking spot in advance to guarantee their entry, worry-free. Locals and visitors from all over will benefit from this ability to plan ahead and enjoy the park.”

While McCormack may be excited, others, like Horry-Georgetown Technical College professor and Myrtle Beach resident David Holmes, are not.

“Everybody seems to enjoy themselves, no conflict,” Holmes said. “You add conflict when you add reserved spaces.”

Holmes said he goes to the Myrtle Beach State Park every day and that the change will be inconvenient for him and others.

“Imagine this, you’re here in July and you’re looking for a space and you got kids in a van, they’re all screaming, ‘right there, right there,’ oh, why is that? Why can’t I park there?” Holmes said. “You know, the kids are going crazy, and you park there, so what happens if I park there? Do they arrest them or tow them out? You know, you’re just going to have conflict.”

Sam Queen, an official with South Carolina Parks, said they’ve heard from plenty of locals and that there’s been a good amount of confusion and misinformation, but that the change is supposed to be beneficial.

“This is a solution to say, ‘OK, if you know you’re planning to come to Myrtle Beach State Park on a Saturday in July, go ahead and book that Saturday online,'” Queen said. “Pay that five dollars to ensure that whatever time you show up to that gate, you’ll be able to get into the park as long as it’s before noon and the reservation window has closed.”

There are about 146 reservable spaces at Myrtle Beach and 81 at Huntington Beach. Reservations can be made online using this link starting on Tuesday. For a full list of frequently asked questions, click here.

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Caleb is a digital producer at News13. Caleb joined the team in January 2023 after graduating from Liberty University. He is from Northern Virginia. Follow Caleb on X, formerly Twitter, and read more of his work here.

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Jackie LiBrizzi is a multimedia journalist at News13. Jackie is originally from Hamilton, New Jersey, and was raised in Piedmont, South Carolina. Jackie joined the News13 team in June 2023 after she graduated as a student-athlete from the University of South Carolina in May 2023. Follow Jackie on X, formerly Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram, and read more of her work here.

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