Explore Murrells Inlet

Things To Do

Paddle the tidal creeks, find sculpture beneath live oaks, or spend an evening beside the MarshWalk's seafood tables and music. Huntington Beach brings the Atlantic into the picture.

Dinner, music & tidal creeks

The Marsh Walk

Along this half-mile waterfront, seafood restaurants, tiki bars, and live music share the edge of the tidal marsh. The appeal is not just a table with a view: the boardwalk makes the creek part of the evening, whether you stay for dinner or come for the walk.

Look beyond the restaurant decks to the dock pilings, pelicans, and spartina grass. This is the inlet waterfront, not an ocean promenade; the changing tide is as much a part of the scene as the boats.

Explore the Marsh Walk guide →

Outdoor sculpture & Lowcountry history

Brookgreen Gardens

Sculpture and live oaks draped in Spanish moss give Brookgreen its distinctive pairing of art and landscape. The grounds occupy a former rice plantation, bringing Lowcountry history into an outing centered on the outdoor collection.

Give the gardens an afternoon rather than treating them as a quick photograph stop. The sculptures are the reason to linger; the trees and planted grounds are part of how you encounter them.

Location: 1931 Brookgreen Drive, Murrells Inlet. Check current admission and opening times before visiting.

Atlantic shoreline, birding & Atalaya

Huntington Beach State Park

Three miles of undeveloped Atlantic shoreline give Huntington Beach a different scale from the inlet's tidal creeks. Sea oats, loggerhead nesting grounds, and a freshwater lagoon make the park more than a stretch of sand; birding can be the outing in its own right.

Inside the park, Atalaya adds architecture and art history to the beach day. The Moorish Revival home and studio of Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington belongs here in the plan, alongside the shore and wildlife, rather than as a separate waterfront stop.

Before visiting: Check current park entry and Atalaya access information; do not assume they share the same admission or hours.

Paddle the marsh

Kayaking & Eco Tours

A kayak brings the tidal creeks and spartina grass close to the paddle. Guided eco-tours explore the backwaters, where herons and egrets wade among the spartina grass.

Rentals offer another way onto the inlet. Ask the operator about the route, tide, wind, and your experience before choosing a departure; high water alone does not establish suitable paddling conditions.

Inshore, nearshore & offshore

Charter Fishing

Inshore charters target redfish, flounder, and speckled trout in the tidal creeks. Offshore fishing changes both the water and the quarry, with trips targeting species such as grouper, mahi-mahi, and king mackerel. Choose the fishing you want rather than treating every boat departure as the same outing.

The fishing guide compares trip types, seasonal species, and questions to ask a captain, including time spent running versus time spent fishing.

Compare fishing trips →

Watercolor view of shrimp boats, docks, and marsh beside the Murrells Inlet waterfront

Near Morse Park Landing

The working waterfront

Shrimp boats, charter docks, oyster shells, and tidal creeks are part of the village, not just a seafood-restaurant motif. From the public waterfront near Morse Park Landing, give the changing creek some attention. The boats and docks connect the inlet landscape to the seafood houses along Business 17 without requiring a boat trip of your own.

Beyond the attraction list

Atlantic sand or sculpture beneath the oaks?

Huntington Beach and Brookgreen Gardens offer different reasons to leave the inlet waterfront. At Huntington, the Atlantic shoreline and birding are the draw; Atalaya adds the home and studio of Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington to the outing. Brookgreen turns the attention toward sculpture and live oaks draped in Spanish moss. Choose the beach for the open coast, the gardens for art among the trees.

Give either place room to be more than a stop before dinner. The MarshWalk offers a different ending: restaurants and live music beside tidal creeks rather than Atlantic surf. A beach day followed by the boardwalk lets you see both waters; a garden visit followed by an inlet meal pairs sculpture with the village's seafood waterfront.

See a weekend connecting the MarshWalk, beach, and gardens →

Bookable experiences

Cruises, fishing listings, and dinner entertainment

Browse the provider listings below for inlet cruises and water experiences, plus a Myrtle Beach dinner show and an Intracoastal dinner cruise. These are alternatives to the beach, gardens, kayaking, and waterfront outings above—not one combined itinerary. Check the specific trip and departure location on the provider's page before booking; a sightseeing cruise is not a fishing charter.

These are affiliate links; we may earn a commission when you book.

Marsh Walk

Murrells Inlet MarshWalk sunset cruises

Browse options for sunset cruises, MarshWalk-adjacent boat outings, and evening waterfront experiences.

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Things To Do

Murrells Inlet dolphin cruises and fishing charters

Browse options for dolphin cruises, fishing charters, and on-the-water experiences in Murrells Inlet.

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Things To Do

Myrtle Beach Polynesian Fire Luau

A two-hour Polynesian dinner show featuring a buffet, live music, hula dancing and a finale with Samoan fire knife performers.

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Things To Do

Barefoot Queen Dinner Cruise

A two-hour Intracoastal Waterway cruise aboard a paddle wheel riverboat, with dinner, dessert, live entertainment, and indoor and outdoor decks.

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