Pawleys Island

Compared to South Carolina’s larger, tourist-focused areas like Myrtle Beach and Charleston, Pawleys Island, offers residents and visitors more of a getaway feel. The town has beautiful beaches, fresh seafood, gorgeous golf courses, and plenty of solid surf drawing laid-back South Carolinians and beach lovers from across the country to one of our area’s lesser-known treasures.

We asked our employees who live there what makes the Town of Pawleys Island so unique—and they had plenty to share. Here’s our list of the top five things to do in and around Pawleys Island.

Enjoy Surf, Sand, and Sunshine

Pawleys Island offers nine public beach access points with more than 140 parking spaces (as well as roadside parking within 500 feet of each access). Although the biggest parking lot is at the south end of Pawleys Island, the other eight are scattered along the beachfront—making it easy to find your perfect location. Surfing is permitted from sunrise to sunset on all Pawleys Island beaches except within 100 yards of the Pier. 

Hit the Links

With a whopping 10 golf courses in town, we might have to compile a second set of rankings that’s solely focused on Pawleys Island’s most outstanding holes. Litchfield Country Club, which opened in 1966, was the Island’s first course. Since then, some of the country’s best course architects—from Jack Nicklaus and Greg Norman to Tom Jackson and Ron Garl—have added their own designs to increase the potential for daily play that’s unique in both layout and appeal. 

Play at the Park

Can’t decide how to spend your days outdoors? Huntington Beach State Park, located just north of Pawleys Island on the Atlantic coastline, may be right for you and your family. With hiking, biking, swimming, fishing, boating, and animal-watching opportunities, Huntington Beach offers something for almost everyone—and at just $8 per adult admission, it’s a great value, too.

Live and Learn

Thanks to some of the nation’s premier botanical gardens, zoos, and art housed in a single location, Brookgreen Gardens draws a steady stream of visitors to the Carolina Coast all year long. The Brookgreen grounds are home to the most extensive collection of American figurative sculpture in the nation, nestled amongst thousands of acres of native plants and animals. At the same time, the Lowcountry Zoo allows guests to see a variety of animals in their native environments. 

Fish for Fun—Or for Dinner

No matter if you prefer surf or pier fishing, plenty of coastline awaits your first cast. For the best surf fishing, head for the jetty or to Huntington Beach State Park. If you’d rather not deal with casting into the tide, drop tackle from The Pier at Garden City, where lucky anglers have landed flounder, mackerel, and drum. You can even rent gear from a bait shop on site. 

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