Myrtle Beach, SC, where do you recommend?

We prefer MBTP. It's closest to the things we like to do and a little calmer than the big three campgrounds to the south.

Pawz4me wrote:
We prefer MBTP. It's closest to the things we like to do and a little calmer than the big three campgrounds to the south.

We like and stay mostly at PirateLand. But I aalso like North Myrtle better. Much closer to the things I like to do. It is just harder to get into MBTP, and our friends go to PL.

We are different from others that had posted, but we do have a child. Not sure if she has anything to do with it but we are in our 40's.

I'm in my 50's and my children are grown but we have been camping in the myrtle beach area going on 15 years. We have stayed at only two campgrounds; Ocean Lakes and Pirate Land. These campgrounds are huge and golf carts are a necessity to get around so they are every where.

My wife and I prefer pirate land but some of their rules are hard to live by. Gates closed and locked at 11pm and no personal carts are two of the big ones. Most all sites the last time I camped there were back-in and dirt. Fire ants were also a problem there too.

Ocean lakes have concrete pads that are mostly level with all pull thru sites. They allow personal carts with proof of insurance and a yearly fee. We keep our cart in storage. I like Ocean lakes because they seem to cater to the visitors there. Gates are open 24 hers., trash pick up Dailey, express check in, and if the site you reserve is vacant, they will not give you any grief with arriving early. The campground is super crowded but so is everything in myrtle beach.

My advice is if you don't like crowds, I would stay out of Myrtle Beach period.

mbrower wrote:


My advice is if you don't like crowds, I would stay out of Myrtle Beach period.

:D

mbrower wrote:
I'm in my 50's and my children are grown but we have been camping in the myrtle beach area going on 15 years. We have stayed at only two campgrounds; Ocean Lakes and Pirate Land. These campgrounds are huge and golf carts are a necessity to get around so they are every where.

My wife and I prefer pirate land but some of their rules are hard to live by. Gates closed and locked at 11pm and no personal carts are two of the big ones. Most all sites the last time I camped there were back-in and dirt. Fire ants were also a problem there too.

Ocean lakes have concrete pads that are mostly level with all pull thru sites. They allow personal carts with proof of insurance and a yearly fee. We keep our cart in storage. I like Ocean lakes because they seem to cater to the visitors there. Gates are open 24 hers., trash pick up Dailey, express check in, and if the site you reserve is vacant, they will not give you any grief with arriving early. The campground is super crowded but so is everything in myrtle beach.

My advice is if you don't like crowds, I would stay out of Myrtle Beach period.

I'm just going to guess that it has been a while since you have been to PL. Because. They don't even have a gate to lock. Just a few red cones to direct traffic, and a guard house. They also pick up trash at you site every day, as all of the CGs do.

They do not allow personal carts that is true. But not a big thing, as PL is not nearly as huge as OL, and a bike is all you need to get around, Plus we stay on the beach, never more than 50 yards from a beach access, so we don't need a cart.

As for the concrete pads. We avoid them. They just make it hotter. camping on the sandy sites is 10 degrees cooler than parking on pavement. Also the Beach sites at PL are huge. We like that a lot. Also not a big fan of OL's pull thrus as every time we have stayed there. They were not long enough to get both the TV, and the TT on the pad. At PL we can stay hooked up, if we want.

I do like OLs express check in. that is very handy, and as I have said befor. OL along with MBTP has some of the nicest bath houses of any CG.

Friends of ours go to OL, just so they can take their own GC. But are rethinking because of the cost, and upkeep of the cart. According to him. After new batteries, and the upfront cost. Renting is cheaper.

However. That is why there are choices. Y'all go to OL so it will be easier for us to get into Pl, and we go to PL, and it will be easier for y'all to get into OL.

One of the smaller sites in Ocean Lakes. As you can see, out 32' + motorhome, tow dolly and car fit fine on it. There was plenty of room to have my car on the tow dolly and the entire setups was on the pad, right before we left.




We much prefer the pull through sites. Our motorhome which has a rear bedroom will not be right up next to the picnic table cover of the site behind us like at Pirateland. We drove through Pirateland last weekend. Since they do have a few paved sites, we did put them just over Lakewood. But Lakewood, Pirateland, and Myrtle Beach State Park looked really rough with the rains they had the day or so before we had arrived. We drove through on a Monday and it hadn't rained in a few days. There was a lot of water still left standing and a lot of rutting going on where the trucks in the sites that were occupied had caused. We've been on a grass site in Ocean Lakes and that was bad enough when it rained. I can't imagine the mud and muck of the other places with out concrete or grass.

wbwood wrote:
One of the smaller sites in Ocean Lakes. As you can see, out 32' + motorhome, tow dolly and car fit fine on it. There was plenty of room to have my car on the tow dolly and the entire setups was on the pad, right before we left.




We much prefer the pull through sites. Our motorhome which has a rear bedroom will not be right up next to the picnic table cover of the site behind us like at Pirateland. We drove through Pirateland last weekend. Since they do have a few paved sites, we did put them just over Lakewood. But Lakewood, Pirateland, and Myrtle Beach State Park looked really rough with the rains they had the day or so before we had arrived. We drove through on a Monday and it hadn't rained in a few days. There was a lot of water still left standing and a lot of rutting going on where the trucks in the sites that were occupied had caused. We've been on a grass site in Ocean Lakes and that was bad enough when it rained. I can't imagine the mud and muck of the other places with out concrete or grass.

you are correct. that is a tiny little site. about a third of the size of my site at PL this summer. Looks like the one I had at OL several years ago where the TT, and TV would not fit hooked up. they would not fit that site either.

Terryallan wrote:

Friends of ours go to OL, just so they can take their own GC. But are rethinking because of the cost, and upkeep of the cart. According to him. After new batteries, and the upfront cost. Renting is cheaper.

Golf cart batteries should last around 7 years if properly maintained (which means keeping the water level correct - no additional cost except for a jug of distilled water every so often). Batteries are around $100/each. With 6 to 8 of those, you are looking at upwards of $800. To rent a golf cart at Ocean Lakes during the busy season (may 21-august 31), then it will cost you $52/day or $329 for a week (7 days). If you go a week once a year for 7 years (about time your batteries should last), then it would of coast you $2300... I did forget to mention that there is a $25/year registration fee ($175 for 7 years). And you have to have insurance. I can only go by what we paid ($125/year). So for 7 years of insurance, that would be $875. So if you add up the batteries ($800), Insurance ($875), registration ($175), and distilled water ($10)...that would put your upkeep costs for 7 years at about $1860. So that is saying about $500 over 7 years. If you decide not to go every year, then you can knock off about $150/year (for the insurance and registration). If you have a 36 volt with only 6 batteries, then your savings is even more. Just saying....

This why we bought a used cart from OL. The batteries were only a year old. We paid a little less than $2000 for it. I did put another $800 or so in it for a lift kit and wheels/tires. But that waspersonal preference. We use it at home in the neighborhood all the time (except cold and rainy days). It's great to take to the bus stop and the dog loves riding on it.


Right after we bought it...


After lifting and new wheels/tires...


Both pics at Ocean Lakes...First one right outside Rec Center...2nd on grass site in 4000 section (huge site).

wbwood wrote:

Terryallan wrote:

Friends of ours go to OL, just so they can take their own GC. But are rethinking because of the cost, and upkeep of the cart. According to him. After new batteries, and the upfront cost. Renting is cheaper.

Golf cart batteries should last around 7 years if properly maintained (which means keeping the water level correct - no additional cost except for a jug of distilled water every so often). Batteries are around $100/each. With 6 to 8 of those, you are looking at upwards of $800. To rent a golf cart at Ocean Lakes during the busy season (may 21-august 31), then it will cost you $52/day or $329 for a week (7 days). If you go a week once a year for 7 years (about time your batteries should last), then it would of coast you $2300... I did forget to mention that there is a $25/year registration fee ($175 for 7 years). And you have to have insurance. I can only go by what we paid ($125/year). So for 7 years of insurance, that would be $875. So if you add up the batteries ($800), Insurance ($875), registration ($175), and distilled water ($10)...that would put your upkeep costs for 7 years at about $1860. So that is saying about $500 over 7 years. If you decide not to go every year, then you can knock off about $150/year (for the insurance and registration). If you have a 36 volt with only 6 batteries, then your savings is even more. Just saying....

This why we bought a used cart from OL. The batteries were only a year old. We paid a little less than $2000 for it. I did put another $800 or so in it for a lift kit and wheels/tires. But that waspersonal preference. We use it at home in the neighborhood all the time (except cold and rainy days). It's great to take to the bus stop and the dog loves riding on it.


Right after we bought it...


After lifting and new wheels/tires...


Both pics at Ocean Lakes...First one right outside Rec Center...2nd on grass site in 4000 section (huge site).

His cost considerable more than 2k. But that don't really matter. No more than I use one rental is cheap as we have only rented one for 2 days in 15 years.

However, with a permit you can use them inside the city limits of our town. And we were thinking about getting one just for that. But not sure I want to put all that much into one.