Historic Horry County

Waccamaw River

Scenic, historic Waccamaw River flows across Horry County from its northern boundary of North Carolina to its southern boundary at Georgetown County where it empties at the end of its 140 miles journey. Stately live oak trees draped with Spanish moss border the banks of the black water that has served Horry citizens from beginning days of Native American settlements, Revolutionary battles, Civil War skirmishes and African-American communities to the present.

Pre-Civil War rice plantations flourished along its southernmost shores. It was the aorta of the transportation lifeline of initial commerce, indispensable to the rice fields, turpentine and logging industries. Boat traffic made its way up and down the Waccamaw, with ferries connecting the east and west sides of the county.

Today the Waccamaw is an integral link of the Intracoastal Waterway that winds its way from Maine to Florida. Through the centuries, the river has been a means of the county's livelihood and pleasure, including boating activities, cruises, fishing, hunting, while providing a home for bountiful wildlife, waterfowl and fish. The dark waters of the Waccamaw guard centuries of activity and intrigue.