Beach Guidelines: How to Care for Our Coast
Learn how to travel responsibly in North Myrtle Beach. Our beach guide walks you through the key rules and local laws that help keep our shoreline safe, clean, and thriving. From proper trash disposal to protecting wildlife and dunes, every small action makes a big difference.
- Mind the Dunes: Always use designated beach accesses and boardwalks when coming to and from the beach to protect our sand dunes.
- Watch the Tides: Keep an eye on your beach essentials as the tides change every six hours and can quickly wash your belongings out to sea.
- Shady Solutions: Lifeguards need to see the water clearly, so only single use pole beach umbrellas with a circular shade of nine feet or less are allowed on the beach between May 15 through Labor Day. Plus, no tents, cabanas, or smaller structures are allowed.
- Lights Out: Between the months of May to October, turn beachfront lights off at dusk and close blinds and curtains so the lights don’t confuse young sea turtles.
- King of the Castle: To protect sea turtles and unsuspecting beach walkers, fill in holes and knock down sandcastles before leaving.
- Do Not Disturb: Opt out of housekeeping during your stay to save water and energy, reduce chemicals in the air, and potentially receive lodging discounts.
- Take Five: It’s the law to throw your trash away before leaving but if you can find any other trash left behind by others, try picking up five additional pieces of litter to help keep the coast clean.
- Shores that are Yours: Help us protect and keep our shoreline clean by not driving on the beach, not using grills or open fires, and not possessing glass containers or any alcoholic beverages on public beaches or accesses.
- Beach Paws-itivity: Keeping dogs leashed and picked up keeps our beaches looking pristine. Dogs are prohibited on the beach between the hours of 9 am to 5 pm, May 15 to Labor Day.
Pro Tip: How to Care for Our Community. To move towards a plastic free future, North Myrtle Beach no longer uses “single-use” plastic bags. Businesses within city limits aren’t allowed to use single-use plastic bags, so BYOB (bring your own bag) or pick one up at a local shop.
