Cooler weather — In the peak summertime months of July and August, the average high temperatures on the Grand Strand climb into the high 80s. As fall sets in, though, the average high temps cool down to 83 and 75 degrees respectively in September and October — making autumn a great time to enjoy the comfortable weather conditions on the coast. (And with average ocean temperatures dropping by less than 6 degrees between July and October, the waters are still perfectly suitable for swimming and splashing in the waves during the fall, too.)

Smaller crowds — The Grand Strand sees its visitation numbers swell each year during the summer months, which is no big surprise considering that Myrtle Beach is one of the East Coast’s leading beach destinations. But as the summer fades away and the fall months set in, the numbers of visitors to the area (and as a result, the crowd sizes) decrease substantially — all while nearly all the same top attractions are available for Grand Strand vacationers to enjoy.

Reduced rates on accommodations — The Myrtle Beach area boasts enough hotels, condos, resorts, and vacation homes to accommodate the peak summer crowds. But with fewer visitors during the fall, the Myrtle Beach area sees a surplus of accommodations in the autumn — leading to higher levels of availability … and good news for offseason visitors. That’s because vacationers can often get better rates and deals on their fall stays thanks to an increased supply of available accommodations.

Abundant fall festivals and events — Further elevating the appeal of visiting the Grand Strand during the fall months, the Myrtle Beach area’s autumn events calendar is packed with fun things to do, including a range of fun festivals and events. Just a handful of examples of the exciting events on tap this fall: the SOS Fall Migration, the Atalaya Arts & Crafts Festival, the Pawleys Island Festival of Music & Art, the Little River ShrimpFest, the Myrtle Beach Jazz Festival.