Family Vacation GuideMyrtle Beach

Find alligators, snakes, and egrets in the area's largest state park. Explore the old mysterious mansion at Atalaya Castle or just hang out on the calm beach.

It's the safest way to watch 15-foot gators leap from the water to devour their dinner. This reptile sanctuary features gators, snakes, and other animals.

Stroll through the world's largest outdoor sculpture collection amid beautiful gardens.

Great for families with older kids, you'll get to traverse ropes courses and fly down ziplines.

It's an enchanting mansion, once the home of famous philanthropists, Archer and Anna Huntington. Explore the ruins and have a picnic in the surrounding state park.

In this quiet maritime forest behind the dunes, you'll find picnic benches and a few trails. Admire the wildlife, and come for the kid-friendly nature classes.

People come here to take wedding photos. This breathtaking boardwalk path weaves past oak trees, historic buildings, and the glass-like reflection on the river.

The battle at Ft. Fisher helped seal the Confederacy's fate, cutting off the last supply line to Robert E. Lee's Army.

You can get up close to the area's majestic dolphins, on a boat cruise or guided jet ski tour.

Starting at a plantation, you ride to the beach for a stroll along the ocean. Come during the day or a romantic sunset.

It's a day on a farm from the early 1900's. Watch blacksmiths hammer out tools and farmers plow the fields. It's a great educational activity for the kids.

The Grand Strand's best zoo – you get to see otters, foxes, eagles, and more. Then take a pontoon boat ride to see gators and native animals in their natural habitats.

You just can't get the same experience with wildlife in a motor boat. Paddle close to egrets and seals, as you explore the rivers and inlets of the Grand Strand.

Paddle with the family through calm, glass-like waterways or explore the small islands of Murrells Inlet.

Myrtle Beach boating is unique. You can rip through the ocean on a speedboat, or take it easy on a leisurely pontoon boat cruise.

Take a ferry to this uninhabited barrier island to explore 16 miles of trails. The highlight is Boneyard Beach with it's skeletonized trees, jutting out of the sand.

These two 18th century lighthouses stand at an impressive 65-ft and 150-ft tall. A ferry will takes you there where you'll wade through the marsh to reach them.

Set in the 23,000-acre Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge, this relaxing getaway features three miles of walking/biking trails and a scenic boardwalk, perfect for a picnic and family photo.

It's the launching point for fun ocean adventures including dolphin tours, kayaking, paddle boarding, parasailing, and jet skiing.

This vast wildlife refuge is home to forests, wetlands, and old plantation. They offer several tours that show you the history and ecology of the Grand Strand.

Not well-known to visitors, the gardens here line the scenic Intracoastal Waterway. It's a great place to watch the sunrise, stroll along the river or fish, and a must for bird watchers.