The Myrtle Beach sand is mostly hard-packed and the color of brown sugar, to which it's often compared. The main action is around the Myrtle Beach Pavilion Amusement Park at Ocean Boulevard and Ninth Avenue North. If you'd like more seclusion, head north of 79th Avenue for several miles.
The beach has lifeguards and plenty of fast-food joints. Amazingly, there are no public toilets. South Carolina law, however, obligates hotels to allow beach buffs to use their facilities. (Many male beachgoers don't bother to go inside the hotels but use walls instead -- a habit that has provoked endless local-newspaper comment.)
At the southern tier of the beach, Myrtle Beach State Park (tel. 843/238-5325) offers 312 acres of pinewoods and a sandy beach. Admission to the park is $3 adults, $2.50 seniors, free for ages 15 and younger. It has toilets, along with pavilions, picnic tables, and a swimming pool. It's possible to fish from the pier for $4.50. The park is full of nature trails and offers 302 campsites. You can either reserve a campsite in advance (winter $18, summer $24) or take your chances on a first-come, first-served site (winter $17, summer $23). The park is open daily from 6am to 10pm.