Have you ever just wanted to get away from it all? School, hectic schedules, bickering, fighting, and just life in general can wear a person down. My family was in need of some good family building time during our vacation on Pawleys Island. We needed some time to spend together and bond. And guess what? My family and I recently took some time to get away from it all and it was incredible! You may be wondering where we headed to do this. Well, I am so excited to introduce you to Black River Outdoors Center.
Check Out the Close Location
The best part of Black River Outdoors Centers is it is literally just 15 minutes from downtown Myrtle Beach and just a short drive from our resort located in Pawleys Island. If you’re not familiar with this area, the outdoors center is on the beautiful Waccamaw River. This river is super beautiful with all sorts of natural beauty just floating in the water and on the banks of the river. My family was super happy with the location of everything!
Guided Kayak Fishing
My son is very interested in fishing and wanted to fish on our trip this year. My son actually spent most of the days just fishing on the Waccamaw River. Black River Outdoors Center actually offers something known as Guided Kayak Fishing Tours. Yes, it’s just amazing as it sounds. He had a blast and I think he is hooked on kayak fishing! The tour guide by the way phenomenal!
Kayak fishing gives traditional fishing a whole new experience. Since power boats can’t go in the shallow waters, kayaking is the best way to get those big juicy fish. He caught a few awesome fish, but there are all kinds of sweet fish in that river. You can expect to catch red fish, flounder, speckled trout, weakfish, mackerel, spot, croaker, whiting, blue fish and more in salt water. If you are fishing in fresh waters then largemouth bass, bluegill, catfish, and crappie.
Guided Kayak Eco Tour
My daughters, husband and I chose the four hour guided kayak eco tour down the Waccamaw River, through some small creeks, and Cypress Swamps, to finally the Sandy Island Nature preserve. We chose a tandem kayak, which is a kayak for two, because we were not comfortable with our daughters kayaking alone. I had only kayaked once before and for my younger daughter, this was her very first time. The tour guides were fabulous with ensuring we were given proper training prior to getting in the kayak. They made us feel welcome and not uncomfortable in the fact that we were just beginners.
Learning to work together with your partner in the kayak was a little tricky. We had to paddle in sync and the person in the back of the kayak was responsible for navigating and turning left or right. A few times I ran us into some brushes but the tour guide was with us or close by to help us when needed. In fact, one tour guide would always stay in the back of the group and the other would lead the way.
Sandy Island Nature Preserve Tour
Something we really enjoyed on our kayaking tour was stopping at the Sandy Island Nature Preserve . You may be wondering what this entailed! Sandy Island is an undeveloped fresh water island over 9000+ acres home to many wildlife and endangered species. The tour guides take you on a 45 minute walk around this beautiful island. Not everyone gets to see Sandy Island so up close and personal, so I loved every minute of this guided tour. You may even see a few snakes up close and personal. The tour guides had no problems gently catching them for you to experience an up close view.
So Much Natural Beauty
I think one of the best parts of the Black River Outdoors Center is the fact that there is so much natural beauty. Everywhere you looked, it was simply beautiful. Whether you want to rent a canoe, kayak, or just go exploring, the possibilities are endless. You can take a Guided Eco Tour, a Guided Kayak Fishing Tour, and so much more.
I’d say this was the most unforgettable part of our vacation. My kids, husband, and I are still talking about! We have even talked of purchasing a couple of kayaks now. If you are ever in the area of Myrtle Beach or Pawleys Island then make time for a morning of kayaking or fishing with Black River Outdoors. You won’t regret it! Thanks Black River Outdoors Center for the family memories, can’t wait to “catch” ya’ll soon!
You can watch this short video of our kayaking experience on YouTube:
Location:
Mailing address
1229 38th Ave N #109
Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
Brett Beyer says
That looks just gorgeous! I’ve always wanted to travel down south to explore the swamps and wetlands. I can’t imagine a better way to explore than a guided kayak tour! I’m super jealous, and now that’s on my bucket list, too!
Clarissa says
Wow! I never even heard of this place before but it looks like the perfect place for some kayaking adventures. Thank you for sharing!
Wendy @ ABCs and Garden Peas says
What a beautiful place to take the family! I would love to go kayaking sometime this summer.
Mistee Dawn says
No, I have never been there. But it looks gorgeous and like a ton of fun. We’ve been discussing doing some kayak fishing this summer!
Brandy says
Wow there looks like a lot to do there, I would love to visit a place like that this Summer!
janis says
That’s a pretty big fish, congrats! This place looks like a lot of fun.
Crystal says
I haven’t been kayaking since before my kids were born. I used to love it! Now that they’re older, we would love doing it together as a family. Looks like you guys had a blast!
Sarah says
What a fun trip! I’d love to go kayaking again, it’s fun and peaceful. I just love being out on the water, something tranquil about it.
Clo says
How much fun! I love spending time with the family outdoors. Not only is it god for our health it’s also educational.
Nancy at Whispered Inspirations says
Sounds like a such a fun place! WOW, I would love to kayak!