Your Myrtle Beach CME conference.

Myrtle Beach after your study day

Study days finish at 2:00 PM Myrtle Beach time. For an easy afternoon, choose one outing: a ride on the SkyWheel, a walk on the beach, or a drive south to the MarshWalk in Murrells Inlet. Leave time for coastal weather.

Travel, accommodation and attraction admission are arranged separately. Your conference follows your specialty and interests on your own phone or laptop; the beach is simply the setting you choose for it.

Boardwalk, SkyWheel and the beach

Visit Myrtle Beach describes the Grand Strand as 60 miles of sandy shores with 14 communities, nine on the coast and five inland. In the city of Myrtle Beach, the Boardwalk and Promenade is listed among the things to do beyond the sand, alongside the SkyWheel, Ripley’s Aquarium, theaters, mini golf and amusement parks.

The SkyWheel is on the Boardwalk and Promenade, stands 187 feet tall and has 42 glass-enclosed, temperature-controlled gondolas, so a ride is sheltered from the weather. It runs year-round, and the tourism board calls it the first observation wheel of its kind in the United States. The area also has more than 90 golf courses and over 30 mini golf courses if you would rather play than walk. Broadway at the Beach is also named among the area’s attractions, and the tourism board lists a Beer Trail with more than 40 craft brew spots.

Marsh, castle and gardens at Murrells Inlet

Murrells Inlet is a fishing village with roots in the 1700s that calls itself the Seafood Capital of South Carolina. The MarshWalk is a trail of restaurants about half a mile long, with live music and marsh views, and the area is a launch point for dolphin cruises and fishing charters. Several of its restaurants are known for live music, so ask about the schedule before you choose one.

Huntington Beach State Park is at 16148 Ocean Highway in Murrells Inlet. Its centerpiece is Atalaya, the Moorish-style winter home of Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington, a National Historic Landmark. The park has 3 miles of beach, 300 or more bird species and a freshwater lake the park calls a sure-fire place to see alligators. Its marsh boardwalk was closed for construction when checked, so confirm current status.

Quieter beach time and trails

Myrtle Beach State Park offers 1 mile of undeveloped beach in otherwise developed Horry County. It has a fishing pier for fishing, crabbing or watching wildlife, a nature center and a setting among oceanfront maritime forest. Its trails are scheduled to close from November through January for maintenance, so check current status if you visit in that stretch.

Surfside Beach is described as family-focused, with seven public parks, daily beach cleaning and lifeguards. Litchfield Beach has more sparsely populated beaches, golf courses and a 26-mile bikeway, and Garden City Beach is known for watersports, fishing and crabbing.

North Myrtle Beach, shag dancing and waterways

North Myrtle Beach is a nine-mile coastal town founded in 1968 and called the birthplace of shag dancing. Ocean Drive is known for shag dancing and beach music, Barefoot Landing is among the area’s attractions, and Cherry Grove has a pier and outdoor adventures by land and water.

For a change from the coast, boat tours run on the Waccamaw River, and dolphin-watching cruises leave from Murrells Inlet. Conway, inland, is one of the oldest towns in South Carolina, with a historic district of oak-lined streets and the Conway Riverwalk on the Waccamaw River. Little River, at the north end, is a fishing village with deep-sea charters. Atlantic Beach is a four-block oceanfront community founded by Gullah Geechee families and Black entrepreneurs, and Pawleys Island, at the southern end, is a historic resort community with shops, restaurants and twelve residences dating from the late 1700s to the mid-1800s. Socastee, inland, is known for its 1935 swing bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway, one of only 10 swing bridges in the state.

When to visit Myrtle Beach

Visit Myrtle Beach summarizes 30 years of data: July is the warmest month with highs averaging 91.4 degrees Fahrenheit, and January is the coldest with highs averaging 57.2. Water is warmest in July and August at about 84 degrees and coolest in January at 50. August and September are the wettest months, and May and November the driest. The area averages 215 sunny days a year. Use the local forecast when you plan outdoor time.

Getting to Myrtle Beach and your study setting

Myrtle Beach International Airport (MYR) is the arrival point shown in this guide, on the Grand Strand. Choose your accommodation and ground transport with both your study setting and your plans outside study hours in mind.

The map shows straight-line distances from Shift’s designated center. These are orientation distances, not driving distances or travel-time estimates. Check your exact address against the conference’s check-in area before booking.