The Four Beaches of North Myrtle Beach: Which One Is Right for You?

Stand at the waterline in Cherry Grove at sunrise and the only sound is the wash of foam over your ankles and a pelican folding its wings into a dive. Walk four miles south to Windy Hill the same morning and you’re dodging jet ski trailers, smelling sunscreen, and hearing reggae from a tiki bar before 10 AM. Same city limits. Completely different world.

That’s the thing most visitors never realize: North Myrtle Beach isn’t one beach — it’s four distinct communities, each with its own personality, merged into a single city in 1968. Our condo at 601 Hillside Dr N sits in the Crescent Beach section, right in the middle, with easy access to all four. This North Myrtle Beach beaches guide will help you find the one that fits you.

1. Cherry Grove Beach — The Quiet One (Northernmost)

Vibe: Old-school beach charm, nature-focused, peaceful

Cherry Grove is where you go when you want the beach without the bustle. It’s the northernmost section of North Myrtle Beach and it feels like a step back in time — quiet residential streets, a historic fishing pier, and some of the most serene shoreline on the Grand Strand. At dawn, the only footprints on the sand are yours and the ghost crabs’, and the air smells like salt marsh and pluff mud — that earthy, low-tide sweetness that tells you you’re somewhere real.

What makes it special:

• Cherry Grove Pier — The historic pier where a world record tiger shark was caught in 1964. Great for fishing (pole rentals available) and sunset watching.
• Cherry Grove Point — NMB’s best-kept secret. A secluded sandy tip at the north end with sandbars at low tide and views of uninhabited Bird Island. This is where locals go to escape the crowds.
• Heritage Shores Nature Preserve — A 7-acre preserve with walking trails through maritime forest and salt marsh.
• Hog Inlet — The natural inlet at the north end, perfect for exploring at low tide.
• Surfing without restrictions — Cherry Grove has no restricted surfing hours and great conditions with smaller crowds.

Cherry Grove is unique because it sits on a tidal salt marsh — you get both ocean and marsh experiences in one visit. Kayaking through the salt marshes here is an experience you won’t find at the other three beaches — paddle through corridors of spartina grass so tall it blocks the wind, with fiddler crabs scattering off the mud banks and great blue herons lifting off ten feet ahead of your bow.

The 4th of July fireworks are launched from Cherry Grove Pier — arrive early, because it gets packed.

Best for: Families wanting quiet beaches, fishermen, nature lovers, sunrise watchers, and surfers.

2. Ocean Drive Beach — The Lively One (“O.D.”)

Vibe: Historic, walkable, nightlife and culture hub

Ocean Drive — locals call it “O.D.” — is the heart and soul of North Myrtle Beach. This is where The Shag was born in the 1940s and 50s — South Carolina’s official state dance, a laid-back version of the jitterbug — and the shag culture is alive and well today.

What makes it special:

• Main Street — Runs from Highway 17 straight to the ocean, lined with restaurants, shops, beach clubs, and live music venues.
• Fat Harold’s Beach Club & Duck’s — The legendary shag clubs on Main Street where the dance lives on every night.
• The Horseshoe — Where Main Street meets the ocean, featuring a permanent stage for free concerts.
• “Sounds of Summer” & “Music on Main” — Free live music concerts weekly throughout the summer.
• O.D. Pavilion — Free outdoor concerts and live music where Main Street meets the ocean.

O.D. is where you go when you want walkable restaurants, live entertainment, and a beach with personality. By late afternoon, the smell of fried shrimp and chargrilled burgers drifts down from the Main Street restaurants, beach music leaks from the open doors of Fat Harold’s, and the boulevard hums with flip-flops and laughter. You can spend the day on the sand, walk to dinner, catch a shag show, and stroll home along the boulevard — all without starting your car.

Best for: Couples, nightlife seekers, shag dancers, and anyone who wants restaurants and entertainment steps from the sand.

3. Crescent Beach — The Sweet Spot (Where We Are!)

Vibe: The “Goldilocks zone” — peaceful but perfectly positioned

Crescent Beach runs from roughly 13th Ave S to 28th Ave S, and it’s where our vacation rental sits inside the Ocean Keyes community. I’m biased, but Crescent Beach genuinely is the ideal middle ground — quiet enough for relaxing beach days, but close enough to everything that you’re never far from the action.

What makes it special:

• Wide beaches — Especially at low tide, the sand stretches out generously. Plenty of room to spread out.
• Family atmosphere — A mix of classic beach cottages and modern communities, with none of the party-beach energy of the main tourist strips.
• The walk to everything — This is the real selling point.

From 601 Hillside Dr N to the sand: The walk is about 0.65 miles, and most of it is a pleasant stroll through the Ocean Keyes complex — past landscaped paths where lizards dart between the hedges, the turquoise glint of the community pools, and palmetto palms rustling overhead. You come out right at 3rd Avenue North, cross North Ocean Blvd, and your toes hit warm, packed sand. No fighting for parking, no driving in circles.

The real bonus: From where you hit the beach at 3rd Ave N, Ocean Drive’s Main Street is less than half a mile up the beach or along the boulevard. Spend the morning on the sand at Crescent Beach, walk up to O.D. for lunch at one of the Main Street restaurants, catch some live music at the shag clubs, then stroll back to your quiet stretch of beach for the afternoon. All on foot. It’s the best of both worlds.

Insider tip: The public beach access at 17th Ave S & Ocean Blvd has outdoor showers and bathrooms. From there you can walk directly onto the back porch of Molly Darcy’s Irish Pub for drinks and food — sandy feet welcome.

Best for: Families, multi-generational trips, golfers (close to Beachwood Golf Club and other NMB courses), and anyone who wants calm beaches during the day with easy access to Ocean Drive or Barefoot Landing at night.

4. Windy Hill Beach — The Entertainment Hub (Southernmost)

Vibe: Residential feel meets major attractions

Windy Hill is the southernmost section of NMB and sits closest to the big entertainment destinations. The beach itself has a laid-back residential feel — wide, gently sloping sand where the waterline barely reaches your knees thirty yards out, perfect for toddlers splashing in the shallows. The afternoon sun warms the sand until it’s almost too hot for bare feet, and the sound of jet skis buzzing offshore mixes with music drifting from the restaurants across the boulevard.

What makes it special:

• Barefoot Landing — A massive dining, shopping, and entertainment complex built along the Intracoastal Waterway. Alabama Theatre, House of Blues, and Alligator Adventure are all here.
• Wide, gently-sloping beach — Perfect for young kids and families who want shallow water.
• Dining everywhere — Greg Norman’s Australian Grille, Joe’s Bar & Grill, Hamburger Joe’s, and dozens more.

The history: Legend says Windy Hill got its name from George Washington himself. The story goes that he stood on a hill at a local inn and declared, “This is a windy hill!” And here’s a fun one for history buffs: White Point Swash — where Barefoot Landing stands today — was reportedly used by Blackbeard as a hiding spot during the golden age of piracy.

Best for: Families wanting resort-style entertainment plus beach, shoppers, foodies, and anyone who wants Barefoot Landing at their doorstep.

A Note About Atlantic Beach

Between Crescent Beach and Windy Hill sits Atlantic Beach, a small independent town with a proud history as a historically Black beach community from the 1930s. It remains a separate municipality — not part of North Myrtle Beach — and has its own unique character and heritage worth respecting and learning about.

Quick Comparison

Four Beaches, One Sweet Spot — And You’re Already in It

Cherry Grove for the sandbars at dawn. Ocean Drive for shag dancing after dinner. Windy Hill for a family evening at Barefoot Landing. And Crescent Beach — your beach — for the morning walk through Ocean Keyes, across North Ocean Blvd at 3rd Ave N, toes in the sand, half a mile to Main Street for lunch. Our 3BR/2BA condo at 601 Hillside Dr N sits in the Goldilocks zone: quiet when you want quiet, walkable to everything when you don’t.

You don’t have to choose one beach. You just need one home base.

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