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1986 Map of Myrtle Beach

Name: 1986 Topographic Map of Myrtle Beach
Creator: U.S. Geological Survey
Published: 1986
License: https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/

USGS Topo · Published 1986

About this map

The Grand Strand of South Carolina and the southern Brunswick County coast of North Carolina meet in this mid-1980s survey, illustrating a region defined by its shifting relationship between tourism and military infrastructure. Myrtle Beach Air Force Base stands as a massive anchor on the coast, adjacent to the preserved shoreline of Myrtle Beach State Park. The map documents the dense string of coastal communities including North Myrtle Beach, Atlantic Beach, and Surfside Beach, all connected by the inland path of the Intracoastal Waterway and the Seaboard System railroad tracks.

Inland, the landscape transitions into a complex network of wetlands and small agricultural crossroads. Swamps and bays such as Cawcaw Bay and Withers Swamp dominate the interior, punctuated by settlements like Socastee and Little River. The map meticulously tracks the coastal barrier islands, from Waties Island to the developed strands of Sunset Beach and Ocean Isle Beach, showing the intricate inlets where the Shallotte River and Lockwoods Folly River meet the Atlantic Ocean.