If you’re riding into Myrtle Beach for the 2026 Spring Rally (May 8–17), you’ve got two main arteries to get you where you need to go: Highway 17 and Highway 501. Locals argue about which one is worse. Out-of-state riders often pick based on whichever GPS spits out first. Neither is a great strategy.
Both roads have their own hazards, and both see serious motorcycle wrecks every rally season. Here’s an honest breakdown of what you’re dealing with on each — and which one makes sense depending on where you’re going and when you’re riding.
The Quick Answer
- Highway 17 (the scenic coastal route)
More intersections, more pedestrians, more stop-and-go traffic, more left-turning vehicles. Higher volume of low-to-moderate speed collisions. - Highway 501 (the main inland artery from Conway to Myrtle Beach)
Faster speeds, longer stretches of wide-open highway, more fatigued out-of-state drivers, and some of the deadliest crashes in Horry County happen here.
Neither one is “safe.” Both require your full attention. The right choice depends on what kind of ride you want and when you’re making it.
Highway 17: The Coastal Grind
Highway 17 runs the full length of the Grand Strand — from Georgetown in the south all the way up through Murrells Inlet, Surfside, Myrtle Beach, Atlantic Beach, and North Myrtle Beach before crossing into North Carolina. During rally week, it’s where most of the action is. Suck Bang Blow, the Beaver Bar, Harley-Davidson of Myrtle Beach, Barefoot Landing — they’re all on or just off 17.
What makes it dangerous during Bike Week:
- Heavy pedestrian traffic — tourists crossing mid-block, especially near the beach access points and restaurants
- Constant left-turn hazards — drivers pulling out of hotel lots, restaurants, and strip mall entrances every few hundred feet
- Tourist drivers in rental cars who don’t know the area and make sudden lane changes
- Stop-and-go congestion that breeds rear-end collisions, especially when a group of bikes stops short
- Bypass vs. Business confusion — Highway 17 Bypass and Highway 17 Business split around Murrells Inlet and Surfside, and out-of-town riders regularly end up on the wrong one
The worst stretches during rally week tend to be around Murrells Inlet, the Highway 17 Bypass/Business split, the stretch through Restaurant Row in Myrtle Beach, and around Barefoot Landing in North Myrtle Beach.
When 17 actually makes sense:
If your destinations are on the coast — bars, hotels, the rally venues themselves — you’re going to end up on 17 no matter what. Taking it during off-peak hours (early morning, mid-afternoon) is manageable. Riding it between 5 p.m. and midnight during rally week is a different animal.
Highway 501: The Speed Corridor
Highway 501 is the primary connection between inland South Carolina and the beach. It runs from the North Carolina border down through Aynor, Conway, and into Myrtle Beach. If you’re flying into Myrtle Beach International and renting a bike, or riding in from Columbia, Charleston, or anywhere inland, you’re almost certainly taking 501.
What makes it dangerous during Bike Week:
- Higher speeds — posted limits of 55-65 mph, and actual speeds often higher
- Long, straight stretches that lull tired riders and drivers into inattention
- Heavy truck traffic — 501 is a major commercial route, and riding next to an 18-wheeler at 65 mph is no joke
- Serious head-on and run-off-road crashes — Highway 501 sees some of the deadliest collisions in Horry County, including multiple pedestrian fatalities and single-vehicle crashes that wouldn’t survive on a slower road
- Fatigued out-of-state drivers pushing through the final leg of a long drive to the beach
- The Conway-to-Myrtle Beach stretch bottlenecks hard during rally arrivals and departures
Trouble spots include the stretch between Conway and the Highway 31 interchange, the area around the Tanger Outlets near the 22 interchange, and the Aynor-to-Conway section where speeds are high and shoulder space is limited.
When 501 actually makes sense:
If you’re coming from inland and heading to the rally, 501 is usually your best option — there’s no real alternative for most of the route. Just treat it like the highway it is, not like a cruising road.
Alternative Routes Worth Knowing
- Highway 544 — connects Conway to Surfside and runs parallel to 501 for part of the way. Less congested, slower, more residential. Good option for getting to the southern end of the Strand.
- Highway 9 — the northern inland route, good for accessing North Myrtle Beach without fighting Highway 17 traffic
- Highway 31 (Carolina Bays Parkway) — a limited-access highway that runs parallel to 17 and bypasses most of the Myrtle Beach sprawl. Faster and safer if you’re trying to get from north to south without stopping.
- Highway 707 — connects Murrells Inlet to Socastee, a slower alternative to 17 on the south end
Locals use these roads for a reason during rally week. Learn them before you need them.
The Real Answer: It’s Not the Road, It’s the Timing
Both highways get more dangerous the later you ride. Both get more dangerous the more congested they are. And both get significantly more dangerous after dark, especially after last call.
The single biggest safety decision you’ll make during Bike Week isn’t which highway to take — it’s when to ride it and how you ride it. A rider on Highway 17 at 10 a.m. Tuesday is in a completely different situation than the same rider on the same road at 11 p.m. Saturday.
Some rules of thumb for rally week:
- Rush hour (7-9 a.m. and 4-7 p.m.) — expect heavy congestion on both roads
- Friday and Saturday nights — the most dangerous riding of the entire rally; avoid if possible
- Weekday mid-mornings — the safest windows for getting around
- Sunday mornings — generally lighter traffic as riders recover from the night before
If You’re in a Wreck on Either Road
Motorcycle crashes on both of these highways tend to cause serious injuries. The speeds on 501 mean severe trauma is more common. The intersection crashes on 17 mean complex liability questions — who had the green, who was turning, whether the driver actually looked.
A few things to know if it happens to you:
- Call 911 from the scene and let law enforcement file a report. South Carolina Highway Patrol handles 501; depending on the stretch of 17, it could be SCHP, Horry County Police, or a municipal department like Myrtle Beach PD or North Myrtle Beach PD.
- Get medical attention immediately, even if you think you’re fine. Adrenaline hides injuries, and a gap in your medical record is something insurance companies use against you later.
- Document everything — photos of the scene, the vehicles, road conditions, and your injuries. Get contact info from every witness before they leave.
- Don’t talk to the other driver’s insurance company until you’ve talked to a lawyer. Not one word. Not even a recorded statement that “you’re doing okay.”
Motorcycle wreck claims on Grand Strand highways almost always involve out-of-state drivers, rental vehicles, multiple insurance policies, and — during rally week — the added complication of tourists who’ve left the state before the case even gets going. These are not cases to handle alone.
Ride Smart. Pick Your Moments. Know Your Routes.
Highway 17 and Highway 501 aren’t safe or unsafe — they’re tools. Use them at the right times, in the right conditions, with the right level of attention, and you’ll be fine. Use them carelessly, and the rally ends at Grand Strand Medical Center.
Plan your routes before you roll out. Know your alternatives. And ride like every driver around you is looking at their phone — because half of them probably are.
If you or someone you love was injured in a motorcycle accident on Highway 17, Highway 501, or anywhere else on the Grand Strand during Bike Week 2026, the Morris Law Firm is available 24/7 for a free consultation. No fee unless we win.
Call +1 843-891-6771 or visit https://jeffmorrislawfirm.com/