Visitor guide

Plan a visit to Surfside Beach, SC

Check the town rules before you park, choose a golf cart, pack beach equipment, or bring a dog.

• Plan your stay

  • Events See upcoming events in Surfside Beach
  • Surfside Beach Library Check weekly hours.
  • Surfside Beach Police Department Find the station address and visitor services.
  • Town rules and guides Browse all town rules and guides
  • Restaurants Find restaurants for seafood, breakfast, casual meals, and waterfront dining
  • Things to do Find free activities.
  • Town of Surfside Beach jobs Find openings and the town online application.
  • Town of Surfside Beach town hall Find the town hall address and departments.
  • Hotels Find hotel addresses.
  • Churches Find church addresses and Sunday worship times.

• Reach the beach

  • Beach access Find public beach access points and amenities
  • Accessibility Find accessible beach access, parking, and facilities
  • Parks Find town parks and amenities
  • Parking Find parking lots and rates
  • Surfside Beach dog park Check hours and rules.

• Conditions

  • Tides Check Surfside Beach tide times and heights
  • High tide flooding Check the Surfside Beach high tide flooding record
  • Water temperature Check average monthly Surfside Beach water temperatures
  • Weather by month Check Surfside Beach weather by month
  • Best time to visit Compare monthly conditions to choose when to visit
  • Hurricane season Check the Surfside Beach hurricane season record by month
  • Sea turtles Check the Surfside Beach sea turtle nesting season
  • Beach water quality Check Surfside Beach swimming advisory meanings and water quality standards
  • Beach lightning safety Learn where to shelter from beach lightning and how long to wait before returning
  • Beach sun safety Learn how the UV Index changes sun protection and how to reduce UV exposure
  • Beach heat safety Learn what heat alerts mean and how to stay safe during dangerous heat

• Water safety

  • Rip currents Learn how a rip current forms and how to escape one
  • Beach warning flags Learn what each beach warning flag means and how to respond to posted conditions
  • Shorebreak safety Learn what shorebreak is and how to avoid harm
  • Wave safety Learn how to move through breaking waves safely
  • Beach emergency actions Learn how to prepare for a beach emergency, help yourself, and help a swimmer from shore
  • Child water safety Learn how to help protect a child near the water
  • Open-water swimming Learn five choices adults can make before swimming in open water
  • Beach hole safety Learn how to limit and fill beach holes
  • Shark safety Learn shark awareness and how to avoid bites
  • Stingray safety Learn why and how to do the stingray shuffle
  • Jellyfish Identify common jellyfish and learn how to avoid stings
  • Surfside Beach Fire Department Find the address.

• Beach wildlife

  • Wild dolphin viewing Learn how to view wild dolphins without feeding, pursuing, or touching them
  • Stranded whale and dolphin response Learn how to respond to a stranded whale or dolphin without handling the animal
  • Seal on the beach response Learn how to stay at least 50 yards from a seal and when trained help may apply
  • Sea turtle in distress response Learn four choices for reporting a dead, sick, or injured sea turtle without touching it
  • Injured shorebird response Learn four choices for responding to a shorebird that appears injured
  • Coastal bird viewing Learn how to view coastal birds without disturbing them

• Shore finds

  • Dune protection Learn four choices that help protect the dunes
  • Beachcombing Learn four choices for responsible beachcombing
  • Beach shark teeth Learn three choices for recognizing a fossil shark tooth at the tide line
  • Upside-down horseshoe crab Learn how to help an upside-down horseshoe crab without injuring its tail
  • Living sand dollar Learn how to identify a living sand dollar and when to return one to the water
  • Living sea star Learn how to identify a living sea star and return one gently to the water
  • Occupied seashell Learn how to check whether a seashell is occupied and leave it on the beach
  • Beach egg cases Learn how to identify common beach egg cases and leave an intact case closed
  • Beach wrack Learn what natural beach wrack is, why it matters, and how to treat it
  • Sea foam Learn how sea foam forms, when it can pose a risk, and where to check beach monitoring advisories
  • Fish kills Learn what usually causes a fish kill, how to report one, and where to check beach monitoring advisories
  • Marine debris Learn how debris reaches the coast, what harm it causes, and how visitors can help

• Nearby wildlife

  • Alligators Learn why alligators are normal in coastal South Carolina waters, how to stay safe near one, and how to report a nuisance alligator
  • Snakes Learn about snakes in South Carolina, how to stay safe near one, and why to leave it alone
  • Coyotes Learn about coyotes in South Carolina, how to stay safe near one, and why never to feed it
  • Raccoons Learn about raccoons in South Carolina, how to stay safe near one, and why never to feed it
  • Foxes Learn about foxes in South Carolina, how to stay safe near one, and why never to feed it
  • Opossums Learn about opossums in South Carolina, how to stay safe near one, and why never to feed it
  • Beach wildlife feeding Learn why feeding beach wildlife causes harm and make four better choices
  • Beach wildlife photography Learn four choices for photographing beach wildlife without disturbance

• Health

  • Urgent care Find clinic addresses.
  • Pharmacy Find the CVS address and hours.

• Local stores

  • Grocery stores Find store addresses and weekly hours.
  • Shopping Find store addresses and weekly hours.