Does a horseback ride on SC beach sound dreamy? It does to us too. Here’s where
It’s a scene right out of a romantic movie: Riding horseback along the sandy dunes as the ocean waves crash onto the beach.
Such a scene may be hard to imagine along the Grand Strand’s beaches, which are usually crowded with visitors during the summer, unless you know where to look.
Just minutes from North Myrtle Beach is a 4,000-acre plantation that offers visitors the chance to saddle up and explore a secluded island or coastal wilderness with breathtaking views.
The Inlet Point Plantation, situated along a sandy dirt road just off Little River Neck Road, is a hidden gem – a pristine area that has been carefully preserved over the years.
“It’s so well hidden,” said employee Darby Dugan. “It’s not one of (the places) you’re just gonna stumble across.”
Historic island kept natural
The Inlet Point Plantation stables opened in 1996 and are located near Waties Island – a barrier island that is only accessible by boat or kayak and is between the Cherry Grove area of North Myrtle Beach and Little River, near the North Carolina state line.
The land was once home to Fort Randall, a Confederate fort from 1861 to 1863. The property was also once home to Billy the Kid, and even Blackbeard was said to have used the island as a safe haven, according to the plantation’s website.
The property still contains archaeological finds that date back to 600 B.C., including Native American burial grounds and the remains of a cannonball.
Because Waties Island is so secluded, there are very few, if any, people on the beach.
A portion of the island was allocated to Coastal Carolina University for research and land monitoring. The land that houses the stables is owned by Riverstone Properties of Virginia.
Riverstone has kept the acreage in a wilderness state. That means that riders have a chance to travel through pecan groves, where they will see birds and possibly deer or even a bear. The beach ride takes riders across a bridge to the more than 1,000-acre Waties Island, which is home to shore and songbirds.
And because the island is private, the company is able to provide horseback rides year round.
That’s different from other Horry County beaches, which only allow horses on the beach in certain areas and at certain times during the year.
‘Something special about it’
There are about 48 horses at Inlet Point Plantation, but only about 35 are working horses, Dugan said.
Workers try to match the horses’ personality to the riders’ skill levels, which can go from beginner to advanced.
But all of the horses are sweet, Dugan said.
Dugan grew up with horses, working with the ones her mother owned. Now the 30-year-old Calabash, North Carolina, resident is using her animal knowledge at the plantation, where she’s been for nine years.
On a hot day in July, riders of all ages gathered to climb atop a horse and head out to the island for a one-hour oceanfront horseback ride.
Phil Davis, who brought his cowboy hat for the ride, purchased the horseback ride as a surprise for his wife, Alexandra. The two are traveling along the East Coast after selling their home in Colorado.
They are trying to do as many things as they can during their “post-kids” years, the couple said. The North Myrtle Beach area, and horseback riding on the beach, is just one of their stops.
It costs $150 a person during the summer months – March through October, and then $120 per person from November through February.
There are sunset beach rides as well, which cost anywhere from $200 to $250 depending on when it is booked.
And just to add to the romance, the plantation also offers private proposal rides.
Dugan said she never gets tired of the island, or taking people out for rides.
“There’s something special about it,” she said.
