End of the Line

Murrells Inlet, South Carolina

Where the fun, the view, and the music are always free!

Featured photo by Jimmy Jacobs

By Polly Dean

September 2020

Ordinarily we concentrate on one establishment in this column, but the choices were so varied at this destination, we decided to present it all instead.

Located in the heart of the historic fishing village of Murrells Inlet, the Marsh Walk is a 1/2-mile wooden boardwalk along a saltwater estuary. This scenic walkway provides visitors easy access to waterfront dining and lowcountry cuisine in the heart of South Carolina’s Grand Strand. On the other hand, it doesn’t attract the gigantic – and sometimes rowdy – crowds found to the north in Myrtle Beach.

Photo by Jimmy Jacobs.

Enjoy the salt air as it wafts across the marsh grass. Watch herons, pelicans and sea birds as they forage in the puff mud in search of delicacies. Crabs and various species of fish can be seen as one peers into the briny surroundings. Or you can look across to Drunken Jacks Island to the herd of goats that prance in the marsh.

There are places where one can purchase a refreshing cocktail while enjoying the fresh air and sunset alongside the water’s edge. In the process you can watch the place come alive and the lights appear as the darkness settles in. Lively chatter, waterfront dining and live music fill the atmosphere nightly.

Sipping a rum punch at the Mullet Hut on the Marsh Walk. Photo by Polly Dean.

Mouthwatering dishes are served up by a smorgasbord of restaurants, such as Creek Ratz, Dead Dog Saloon, Wicked Tuna, The Claw House, Bovines Wood Fired Specialties, Drunken Jacks and Wahoos Fish House. Happy Hours and outside watering holes are a popular option for swapping fish stories and lamenting the one that got away.

When the sun goes down, the fun is just beginning on the Marsh Walk. Photo by Polly Dean.

Live music can be heard year-round along Murrells Inlet Marsh Walk, too. The variety of indoor and outdoor venues near the water’s edge is plentiful any day of the week. And all of this is reachable by foot. Leave your car behind and enjoy all the Marsh Walk has to offer with an easy relaxing stroll from your doorstep at Murrells Inlet Fishing Lodge.

Visitors can also enjoy exploring water sports, charter fishing, sightseeing tours, kayaking, shopping and seasonal local events. And remember, there is never a cover charge for enjoying the fun and festivities of the Marsh Walk.