Make a reservation at a state or private beach campground. Decide if you want to stay in a state park or private resort. Families with children might appreciate the swimming pools and recreation rooms that many of the private parks have. Reservations are especially important during the high season for camping. The state charges lower rates for camping during the off-season, from late fall to early spring.
Set up your campsite by pitching your tent or leveling your RV or trailer. You might consider putting down a tarp or old towel in front of the entrance to your shelter since sand will be tracked inside, which could be an annoyance. If the campground has a picnic table at your site, clean it off with a wet cloth and a cleaner. If you didn't bring firewood from home, you can buy it locally or at the campground.
Keep your perishables in an ice chest inside your tent or trailer, where it may be cooler than in your vehicle. The sun creates heat inside vehicles, which can speed up the melting of the ice inside the cooler. If the weather is very warm, unrolling your sleeping bags and putting them over the cooler will help retain the ice or cooling packs during the day.
Put your pets on leashes. Pets are welcome in private and state parks on the beach, although some beaches restrict when they can be on the beach. For example, Myrtle Beach is in Horry County, where pets cannot be on the beach between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. The maximum leash length for dogs is six feet.
Ask the camp host what the quiet hours are, especially if you use a generator in your RV to supply electricity or charge the batteries. If you are tent camping with a pet, make sure your pet is quiet at night and in the early morning hours.
