Nestled along the Grand Strand, just a few miles south of the late nights and bright lights of Myrtle Beach, sits quiet Surfside Beach. The town’s landmark mural depicting a relaxed beachgoer was painted by local artist Tommy Simpson and graces the corner of Surfside and Poplar Drives. The community originally was known as Roach’s Beach, and it barely survived the hurricane of 1893. The land changed hands over the decades following the storm until it finally became Surfside Beach in 1952.
Two years later the area was again decimated, this time by Hurricane Hazel. Rather than seeing razed houses, developers saw opportunity. They rebuilt the area and marketed it as the “Family Beach.” Incorporated in 1964, Surfside Beach remains a popular vacation spot for families. In January of 2016 Surfside Beach Town Council designated the seaside town as the nation’s first autism-friendly travel destination. The designation means that the town will host events designed for people with autism as well as provide support and resources to visiting families affected by autism.
More Pictures of Surfside Beach
Reflections on Surfside Beach
Contributor Andy Hunter shares his experience capturing the photo below at Surfside Beach: “During my recent vacation, I stayed in a condo just south of the Surfside Pier. This was the morning of my first full day at Surfside. You can see the pier in the distance. This was one of my favorite sunrises of the week.”
Our family has a home in Surfside Beach just 50 yards from the ocean. We live in Charlotte, NC, during the school year and in Surfside during the summer and breaks. We love the family-friendly, laid back vibe, and beach town atmosphere. Friends and family, who come to visit, just rave about the town and always want to come back. We like that Surfside is close enough to Myrtle to do the touristy things if we want to, but far enough away that we are not in the thick of it all the time. We couldn’t be happier with our choice to live in Surfside Beach and plan to retire here!
Any chance you could add the town’s websites to the page? http://www.surfsidebeach.org and http://www.visitsurfsidebeach.org
Debra E. Herrmann, CMC
Town Clerk
843.913.6333 direct #
843.913.6111 main #
Absolutely, we have it added, thank you!
My family used to vacation every year in Surfside back in the mid 1970’s to 1980’s. There used to be an amusement park there with rides and games but I cant find any old pictures of info about it. Does anyone have any pics or info?