Running isn’t usually the reason people come to Myrtle Beach, SC, but it’s often one of the reasons they leave wondering why they don’t do it more often. After months of staring at the same gym wall or neighborhood streets, it’s surprisingly easy to find yourself lacing up before breakfast with the Atlantic keeping you company.
The Grand Strand happens to be an excellent spot to rack up a few miles. The routes are fairly easy and vary between paved beachfront and forested dirt trails. It’s not unusual to spot pelicans gliding overhead, egrets strolling the marshes, or dolphins doing their thing offshore.
Staying at Landmark Resort puts you within easy reach of many of Myrtle Beach’s best running trails. Whether you prefer a paved path beneath live oaks or a long stretch of sand with the tide lapping the shore beside you, these are the best routes worth setting an alarm for.
Running Trails in Myrtle Beach
Ask ten local runners where to go, and you’ll probably get ten different answers. Fortunately, in this case, they’re all right! These are some excellent options within Myrtle Beach.
1. Horry County Bike & Run Park
- Distance: 7 miles of trails
- Soft dirt trails winding through pine forest
Known to locals as “The Hulk,” Horry County Bike & Run Park is tucked into the woods just west of Myrtle Beach. Seven miles of narrow winding trails snake through pine forest cover (you’ll be thankful for the shade if your run falls midday!). This area has some moderate trail running sections if you’re looking to get the heart rate up.
If you like to mix up terrain, you’ll be happy to find dirt paths mixed with a few sandy patches and wooden bridges. This spot stands out for its ‘run-only trails’, giving runners a chance to stretch their legs without sharing every section with bikers.
A nice touch with amenities here: the park has a free gravel parking lot at the trailhead and nearby restrooms. The Hulk offers some spectacular scenery and probably a good reminder of a few muscles you forgot you had.
2. Myrtle Beach State Park
- Distance: Up to about 5 miles using park roads and trails
- Paved roads, trails, boardwalks
For a relatively small state park compared to Huntington Beach State Park (next on the list), Myrtle Beach State Park can pack a surprising amount into a morning run. One mile you’re beneath a canopy of live oaks and pines, and the next you’re crossing a boardwalk toward an open stretch of Atlantic shore. It’s a South Carolina sampler of nature!
The park has two short nature trails. The Yaupon Trail (around 0.3 miles) and Sculptured Oak Nature Trail (around 0.5 miles) wind through one of the last remaining maritime forests on the Grand Strand.
These link up with paved park roads, a fishing pier, and some handy beach access paths. Combined, it’s easy to put together a relaxed 3 to 5 mile route without doubling back.
Note: The park is open daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. from March through November and 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. from December through February. There is also a small admission fee.
3. Market Common Area Paved Loop
- Distance: 2–6+ miles
- Surface: Wide sidewalks and paved paths
Sometimes you just want an easy route where you can settle into a rhythm without worrying about traffic, uneven footing, or where you’ll park. The Market Common delivers this with a side of window shopping.
The heart of this popular route is a 2-mile paved loop that circles the shopping district, Grand Park, and the lakes and green spaces. Fun fact, the latter were previously part of the Myrtle Beach Air Force Base.
The paths here are comfy, wide, well-maintained, and almost completely flat, making them a fantastic route for stroller jogs! If two miles isn’t enough, you can add on some mileage through surrounding neighborhoods or nearby Valor Park.
4. Ocean Boulevard, the Beach & Myrtle Beach Boardwalk
- Distance: As far as your legs are willing to go
- Sand, boardwalk, and paved sidewalks
If there’s a classic Myrtle Beach run, this is it. Start on Ocean Boulevard as the sun begins to rise, cut over to the beach, and finish with a lap along the 1.2-mile Myrtle Beach Boardwalk, passing the sleeping SkyWheel and arcades before beach revelers start waking up. You can make it three miles or thirteen, depending on your willpower.
Early morning is one of the best times to experience Myrtle Beach. The beach is quieter, the air is cooler, and you’ll have long stretches of shoreline almost entirely to yourself before the day’s umbrellas, volleyball nets, and boogie boards start popping up.
Nature Running Trails Outside of Myrtle Beach
Photo Credit: Laura Bergeron
Some of its most rewarding trails aren’t actually in Myrtle Beach proper. A short drive opens up a much quieter side of the South Carolina coast. These are some options worth a drive.
5. Huntington Beach State Park
- Distance: 3–8 miles
- Paved roads, trails, beach
- 25–30 minutes from Myrtle Beach
If Myrtle Beach State Park is about the ocean, Huntington Beach State Park is its larger salt marsh cousin. The ocean is still there with uninterrupted coastline views, but it’s framed by marsh grass, live oaks, and freshwater ponds.
Runners love the Sandpiper Pond Nature Trail, a 2 mile loop that winds through a maritime forest before opening into freshwater ponds and salt marsh. The route is mostly flat and easy, with boardwalk sections that are great for gazing at the wetlands. Early in the morning, you’ll find herons, egrets, ibis, and wood storks patrolling for breakfast.
For a quieter stretch, the Kerrigan Nature Trail is a 0.3 mile loop through dense maritime forest. It’s short enough that many runners combine it with other trails to make a longer route.
To extend your stroll or run, you can continue from the park to the beach and head south toward the Murrells Inlet jetty. You’ll find more dirt trails and some hard-packed sand, and the jetty views make for a well-earned reward at the end!
Note: The park is open daily from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. (extended to 9 p.m. during Daylight Saving Time). Like Myrtle Beach State Park, there is a small entrance fee.
6. Vereen Memorial Gardens
- Distance: Around 2 miles of trails
- Packed dirt, boardwalks
- 35–40 minutes from Myrtle Beach
If your ideal run involves hearing more birds than people, Vereen Memorial Gardens is hard to beat. Despite its name, this is not a manicured botanical garden. It is a preserved piece of the Carolina coast with wooded trails, marsh overlooks, and tidal waterways, and best of all, famously uncrowded and winding trails.
The trail system includes around two miles of scenic pathways that meander through the maritime forest and elevated boardwalks that cross tidal marshes and creeks.
Note: Fair warning – you won’t find many bathroom or water fountain stations here.
7. Lewis Ocean Bays Heritage Preserve
- Distance: 2–11 miles, depending on your route
- Sandy roads, dirt paths, and natural trails
- 30–35 minutes from Myrtle Beach
This one is a destination run located 30 minutes northwest of Myrtle Beach. Lewis Ocean Bays Heritage Preserve will bring you mile after mile of pine forest, sandy roads, and enough quiet to hear a woodpecker hammering somewhere off in the trees.
The preserve covers more than 10,000 acres. While there isn’t as much of an official running loop, there is a collection of old forest roads and trails that you can easily stitch together a quick two mile run. The terrain is flat, but be forewarned of those with wobbly knees – the soft sand in parts can make for an extra challenge!
Bring your South Carolina wildlife bingo card with you. Common sightings include fox squirrels, white-tailed deer, wild turkey, turtles, and a remarkable variety of birds.
Note: Like Vereen Historical Gardens, come self-sufficient as you won’t find many bathroom or water refill stations here.
Stay Close to Myrtle Beach’s Best Running Trails
Staying nearby these trails makes it easier to slip out to rack up some steps before the family wakes up and still be back in time for breakfast.
At Landmark Resort, you’re just minutes from several of the area’s best running routes, including the oceanfront along Ocean Boulevard and the Myrtle Beach Boardwalk. After your run, cool off in the pool, relax in the lazy river, or grab a well-earned coffee with an ocean view. See you on the trails!