Cherry Grove Beach unfolds along a residential stretch of North Myrtle Beach where weathered pier pilings and low-rise motels outnumber the high-rise condos that dominate the coastline to the south. The namesake pier—one of the oldest on the Grand Strand—draws anglers who bait lines for spot and pompano while you spread towels on sand that slopes gently into surf calm enough for toddlers. Salt air mingles with the scent of vinegar-dressed slaw from the pier-end grill, and the rhythmic slap of waves against barnacled pilings becomes the afternoon soundtrack.
“Cherry Grove preserves the unhurried, multigenerational beach-rental culture that defined the Grand Strand before development turned most of it vertical.”
Credit: FlickrFire Island, NY - 07, Aug - 19
Morning low tides reveal firm-packed sand perfect for bicycling, and you'll pass joggers, metal-detector enthusiasts, and families hauling canopies and coolers toward their staked-out territories. The beach lacks the manicured resort feel of neighboring strands; dune grasses grow wild, and lifeguard stands appear seasonally rather than year-round. It's this unpolished quality that keeps multi-generational vacationers returning, their week booked at the same cottage before the previous summer ended.
By late afternoon, the fishing pier casts a long shadow across the water. You'll find retirees in folding chairs watching pelicans dive, teenagers dangling legs off the pier rail, and parents wading knee-deep as the tide shifts. The beach empties earlier than its busier neighbors, leaving you room to walk the waterline as the sun sinks behind the Intracoastal Waterway and porch lights blink on in the pastel-painted beach houses.
