Pawleys Island
Pawleys Island, SC
Pawleys Island calls itself arrogantly shabby, a nod to the weathered beach cottages that have stood on the island for generations instead of the newer high-rises found up and down the rest of the Grand Strand. The south end has the largest free public lot in Georgetown County, and eight more accesses spread out along the island's four miles.
The weathered, unpolished character of the island is genuinely rare on this stretch of coast, though the south end lot is popular enough to fill before the rest of the island does.
How we score beachesThe south end lot fills first because it's the biggest and the easiest to find. The smaller accesses further north almost always have room, even on a busy weekend.
Nine public accesses combine for about 141 free parking spaces, including handicap spots. Parking is permitted 6am to 11pm.
Most accesses use a boardwalk or sand path over a low dune. The south end lot has the widest, most direct route to the sand.
Dogs are allowed on the beach year-round, leashed from May 1 through September 30 between 8am and 8pm and off leash the rest of the year, though they're banned from the extreme north end near the jetty.
Water warms into the low 80s by August, during the same hurricane season, June through November, that shapes the whole Grand Strand. Locals tend to prefer the shoulder months for the same warm water without the summer crowd.
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