Huntington Beach State Park is an absolutely wonderful state park. You can pay the entry fee and spend lots of time in the park. Your entry fee includes visiting a great nature center which has lots of free programs , taking a alligator tour, hiking on the Sandpiper Trail and for an additional $2.00 visiting Atalaya the winter home of the Huntingtons. This is not to mention the walk along the causeway for great bird and alligator watching. The beach is great too. Just a good four hours or so of visiting. You can drive through the campground at no extra fee. It is great. We were there for three months last summer work camping. They have full hookup sites and a very short walk to the beach. As mentioned above your entry fee for Huntington Beach will allow you to enter Myrtle Beach State Park which has a nice pier and a nature center too.