When I was a kid, camping meant tents, bugs and an open camp fire. Camping has evolved dramatically even when you camp in a tent. Tents have become fabulous little sanctuaries that don’t mean sleeping on the ground in a sleeping bag. Camping today is much more luxurious with fancy tents, RV’s and cabins at the campgrounds. Camping equipment can be high-tech. Campgrounds are full of water-parks, general stores, movie screens, beautiful bathrooms and more. Camping has been turned into glamping.
Last year I “camped” at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground and admit that I prefer glamping over camping. I like my amenities and clean bathrooms and the amenities of a large RV.
Whether you are a fancy glamper with a big RV looking for all the amenities of home or a plain ordinary tent camper, these Myrtle Beach campgrounds are the place to be!
Ocean Lakes Family Campground
Ocean Lakes features 859 campsites and 2,566 annual lease sites on 310 oceanfront acres. The campground offers almost a full mile of beachfront and five bathhouses. During the busy camping season there are more than 500 employees. Ocean Lakes is the largest campground on the east coast and one of the largest campgrounds in the United States.
The campground features large playgrounds, workout stations and outdoor recreation games like volleyball in the sand, shuffleboard, basketball and bicycle rental. Sandy Harbor Family Fun Center includes the pool area with sun decks, water park, tube slide, lazy river, kiddie pool, splash zone for kids, a Game Center, Mini-Golf Course and an indoor/outdoor Cafe.
The Camptown Center is in the heart of Ocean Lakes where you will find the store for necessities, Sandy Mart, laundromat Sandy’s Soapy Suds and Fluff n’ Fold, Center Stage and Sandy’s Meet n’ Eat. As you’re digging your toes into the sand you may discover an interesting shell, but you’re not sure what it is…bring it into the Ocean Lakes Nature Center Discovery Lab, where there are more than 10,000 shells and fossils! The Recreation Building along the ocean and features many activities, including Worship Services every Sunday at 9 AM.
Pirateland Family Camping Resort
Pirateland Family Camping Resort has hundreds of RV sites to rent, as well as rental homes on the property. Pirateland is located along the oceanfront just outside of the Myrtle Beach city limit and offers full hook up RV campsites, shaded campsites for tents, and fully furnished vacation rentals, The on-site water park, Pirate’s Oasis, includes a lazy river, Olympic size pool, and a Pirate Ship Splash Pool. The campground has a fully stocked Camp Store to provide with all the essentials you may need during your stay. The store also offers many gift and souvenir items, beach supplies, all fishing necessities, groceries, camping supplies, toys, and more.
Other Amenities:
- Indoor Pool – The heated Indoor pool is open year-round. There is also an indoor Jacuzzi.
- Blackbeard’s Mini-Golf – Located near the outdoor pool area the course features Pirate and animal figurines nestled among palms and banana trees.
- Paddle Boat & Kayak Rentals – PirateLand boats may cruise around certain areas of Long Bay Lake.
- Captain’s Galley Arcade/ Snack Bar – Located right off PirateLand Trail is a snack bar and arcade. The menu includes pizza, burgers, ice cream and more.
- Basketball Courts & Playgrounds – There are four half-courts, two play areas for children; one playground across from the Camp Store and another play area near the indoor pool.
- Recreation Room – This climate controlled room is located between the Laundromat and Camp Store and will accommodate up to about 40 to 50 people. Many activities like Pot-Luck Dinner, BINGO, crafts, and other games take place in the Recreation Room.
- Pirate’s Cove – an outdoor covered Pavilion Picnic Area will hold up to about 130 people and is located next to the Indoor Pool. It features a fireplace and picnic tables.
Lakewood Camping Resort
Lakewood Camping Resort is an award winning, pet friendly coastal resort with over 200 acres of oceanfront. The park includes hundreds of RV sites and 1-4 bedroom rental villas. Family friendly amenities include pools, mini-golf, a trading post, delicious pizzeria, and a coffee house.
Lakewood offers a full-featured Water Park, indoor and outdoor pools, basketball courts, a Mini Golf course, beach volleyball courts, live shows in a beachfront amphitheater, organized activities for kids and teens and more. You’ll never go hungry or thirsty with oceanside food truck options, the Sand Castle Creamery ice cream parlor, a Sub Shop, Coffee House, and Trading Post restaurant.
Resort amenities include things like a Play & Pay Wristband system, a MyLakewood guest portal, and Loyalty Program, as well as resort-wide Wi-Fi access, golf cart rentals, a Trading Post, RV storage, and the beachfront amphitheater all help make camping at Lakewood more of a glamping experience!
From the basic tent to the most modern, large and luxurious RV, Lakewood Camping Resort has a site to fit your needs. The various sites include oceanfront sites, lakefront sites, open sunny sites, or nice shady sites. All sites offer full hook-up (20, 30, and 50 amp service), with free Wi-Fi service, free cable television service, a picnic table, water, sewer, and daily on-site trash removal.
Get Back to Basics
Do you love to camp but just want a serene, quiet camp site? If all you need is somewhere to pitch your tent or hook-up your camper Myrtle Beach also offers some great spots for the simple campers.
Both Myrtle Beach State Park and Huntington Beach State Park offer camp sites for tent camping, as well as camper hook-ups. They both offer cozy sites tucked away under the towering trees while giving you beach access and simple general merchandise stores just in case you need something.
Whether you’re looking for a campsite to set up your tent underneath the stars, a site hook up for your camper or prefer a more comfortable stay in a cabin, South Carolina’s state parks have you covered. The state parks offer more than 3,000 campsites and 220 cabins and lodging facilities from the mountains to the sea and you’ll be comfortable wherever you decide to venture.
