A quiet kayak trip near busy Myrtle Beach

Condo towers with ocean views. King Kong hanging off a mini-Empire State Building. A zipline, escape room and helicopter rides.

Myrtle Beach is all of this and more. But just a few miles from the city's busy boardwalk and roadside attractions, a different type of thrill awaits.

Here, the Waccamaw River meanders through a cypress swamp in a wildlife refuge. Spanish moss drapes the trees, turtles sun themselves on stones and spider lily plants bloom with bright white flowers.