Be the first to I found out about this campground when I did an online search for campgrounds along the Grand Strand. I RV camped there in October 2006.
Describe your camping trip:
The campground at Huntington Beach State Park was very nice and seemed to be well-maintained. Most of the sites had more than adequate shade, but were also accommodating for even the largest of RVs. We stayed in a pop-up camper with our two dogs, a pitbull/chow cross and a German shepherd.
Pros: The campground is laid out very well. Sites are situated such that campers are not crammed in on top of one another. There was plenty of room for our two dogs to be tied on 20 foot long tie outs without being in the way of other campers or getting tangled up in each other's lines. The campground appears to be extremely dog friendly with poop bag stations in several locations in case you forget to bring a bag with you when you walk your dog. There were many many campers there with dogs. The beach is easily accessible to everyone, including people in wheelchairs or parents with strollers, via a raised boardwalk from the campground all the way to the beach. There was a floodlight on the side of the bath house, which made me feel safe going to the bathroom during the night.
Cons: The bath house that was near our campsite needed to be updated. There were some cracked and loose tiles on the floor and green stuff growing in a couple of the faucet heads, both at the sinks and the showers. There was indication of mildew/mold on the benches at the showers themselves, and the tile grout in the showers needed to be scrubbed because it looked dirty. There was also little privacy for those taking a shower. The only curtain was for the shower itself, so you had to undress and dress either in the shower behind the curtain, or out in the open for whoever walked by to see. The toilets, countertops and sinks appeared clean. We and other campers did use our Lysol spray in the shower areas, though.
Cons: The bath house that was near our campsite needed to be updated. There were some cracked and loose tiles on the floor and green stuff growing in a couple of the faucet heads, both at the sinks and the showers. There was indication of mildew/mold on the benches at the showers themselves, and the tile grout in the showers needed to be scrubbed because it looked dirty. There was also little privacy for those taking a shower. The only curtain was for the shower itself, so you had to undress and dress either in the shower behind the curtain, or out in the open for whoever walked by to see. The toilets, countertops and sinks appeared clean. We and other campers did use our Lysol spray in the shower areas, though.
Nearby attractions: Atalaya Castle, the winter home of Arthur and Anna Hyatt Huntington, is open to the public and can be toured alone or with a guide. Brookgreen Gardens is across the street on the opposite side of Hwy 17, and it requires at least one full day to see everything there. Myrtle Beach is about 10 miles up the coast, and Georgetown is to the southwest.
Further comments:
Not directly related to the campground, I did want to say that the Sandpiper Pond trail needs some work. I was not impressed with it at all. The pond is grown up and so are the viewing sites, so we really only got to see the pond at the beginning of the trail, at the first raised viewing area. It's a fairly long trail, and is a bit confusing, because it was not well marked.
