Start at the Conway Riverwalk, drive west to Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge’s Cox Ferry Lake Recreation Area for the trail, then make the run down US-501 to Myrtle Beach State Park before the light goes. The 2026 Chevrolet Tahoe makes that day easier in ways that matter around here. You get seven or eight seats, 122.7 cubic feet of cargo space with the rows folded, and a 10-speed automatic that doesn’t stress when you’re hauling bikes, kayaks, or a loaded cooler. That’s the bottom line.
Let’s walk the route.
What’s the Plan at a Glance?
| Stop | What to Do | Best Time | Parking Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conway Riverwalk | Walk, jog, or cycle along the Waccamaw River; shaded benches and river views throughout | Morning, before heat and humidity build | Street parking and small lots along the downtown waterfront; the Tahoe’s 211.3-inch length fits standard spaces without trouble |
| Cox Ferry Lake Recreation Area (Waccamaw NWF) | Yellow/Blue Loop trail (2.7 mi, easy, kid-friendly); cypress swamp boardwalk; birding near Otter Lake | Late morning through early afternoon | Gravel lot at 1403 W Cox Ferry Rd, Conway; handles full-size SUVs with room for a bike rack |
| Myrtle Beach State Park | Coastal nature trail through maritime forest, picnic shelters, beach access | Afternoon | Day-use entry fee required; wider pull-through spaces available for longer vehicles |
The Conway Riverwalk: A Low-Key Start That Earns the Day
The Riverwalk earns its spot as the opener because it runs flat and dog-friendly along the Waccamaw River through downtown, and an early start catches cooler air before Horry County’s fall humidity sets in. For families with young kids who need to burn energy before the longer trail at Cox Ferry, it makes a smart first leg.
The Tahoe’s 211.3-inch length is long, but it’s not a Suburban. Parallel parking in downtown Conway is manageable, and the front-pull lots along the waterfront give you easy in-and-out.
Cox Ferry Lake: Where the Cargo Space Actually Matters
Cox Ferry Lake Recreation Area is the real anchor of this route, and it’s where the Tahoe’s cargo numbers start pulling their weight. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service manages this public-use area inside Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge, which spans Horry, Georgetown, and Marion counties. Right near Conway on West Cox Ferry Road, the trailhead gives you a canoe and kayak launch, a boardwalk winding through cypress swamp, and two easy looping trails. The Yellow and Blue Loop covers 2.7 miles of flat, well-marked terrain past Otter Lake. The Red Trail keeps things to a compact 0.6-mile loop, a good call when you’ve got smaller kids.
The practical part is where the Tahoe earns it. Picture bikes in the back, a stroller, a cooler, kayaks on the rack, and a third row that still needs to seat people. Chevrolet lists the 2026 Tahoe at 25.5 cubic feet of cargo behind the third row, 72.5 cubic feet behind the second row, and 122.7 cubic feet when both rear rows are folded. You get the load capacity to make a day like this work without leaving half the gear at home.
Keep your Tahoe ready for days like this with a service appointment
US-501 to Myrtle Beach State Park: The Drive Back That Tests the Transmission
US-501 is the main corridor between Conway and the coast, and even in October you’ll find beach-season traffic patterns near the Myrtle Beach interchange. The Tahoe’s 10-speed automatic transmission handles stop-and-go well. It stays smooth because the gearbox always has the right ratio ready, and after a long trail morning, smooth counts for a lot. Older three-row SUVs with fewer gear ratios hunt and lurch in traffic. The Tahoe stays settled.
If your family runs closer to nine seats regularly, the Chevrolet Suburban is worth a side-by-side look. It adds rear legroom and cargo depth, though it’s a longer vehicle to manage in tighter spots.
Myrtle Beach State Park sits on SC-73. The coastal nature trail through maritime forest is shaded and pleasant in the afternoon, the picnic shelters are solid, and the beach access is there if anyone wants to end the day in the water. Pull-through spaces handle the Tahoe without a five-point turn.
The 2026 Tahoe and Horry County Families: An Honest Match
The Tahoe fits a lot of Horry County families, but we’ll put the honest tradeoff first, and it’s fuel economy. The EPA rates the 2026 Tahoe’s standard 5.3L V8 at 15 city and 20 highway miles per gallon with rear-wheel drive. Those aren’t crossover numbers. If you’re running beach trips several times a week all summer, the fuel cost is real. The available 3.0L Duramax turbo-diesel improves things at an EPA-estimated 22 city and 26 highway miles per gallon (RWD), but it costs more up front and makes more sense for high-mileage families who also tow regularly.
Where the 2026 Tahoe fits Horry County families is in the combination. Properly equipped, the 5.3L V8 tows up to 8,400 pounds (RWD, Max Trailering Package; always confirm against your door-jamb label). That’s enough for a 21-foot center console on a trailer to the Intracoastal Waterway, a camper, or a pair of PWCs. Seven or eight seats across three genuine rows. And it does all of it in a package shorter than the Suburban, which makes downtown Conway and the narrower beach-access lots around the Grand Strand manageable.
The families we work with at Palmetto Chevrolet who choose the Tahoe over a three-row crossover are usually combining a tow rating and a full passenger load in the same week. If the trailer hitch never gets used and the main priority is fuel economy and parking ease, a Traverse gives you three rows with a smaller footprint and better efficiency numbers.
Explore Financing Options for a 2026 Tahoe
For a county where a good week includes a trail run, a beach day, and a boat ramp, the Tahoe earns its place in the driveway. Come see what we have on the lot.
