The Grand Strand’s Most Nature-Immersive Residential Community

There is a moment, turning off Highway 17 Bypass into the Forest at Briarcliffe, where the Grand Strand’s commercial energy completely disappears. The tree canopy closes in. Spanish moss sways from branches that have grown here for a hundred years. The ICW glints through the tree line. It feels like you’re miles from everything — and you’re minutes from Barefoot Landing, Tanger Outlets, and one of the most activity-rich stretches of coastline in the Southeast.

This is The Forest at Briarcliffe’s fundamental promise: genuine natural seclusion without geographic sacrifice. Located just west of Highway 17 Bypass, directly across from the exclusive Briarcliffe Acres community, this established ICW neighborhood sits between Myrtle Beach Mall and Barefoot Landing on the northside — equidistant between Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach, with direct waterway access, golf cart beach access, and some of the lowest property taxes of any established community this close to the coast.

The community was developed with its natural character as the primary asset. Mature trees were preserved throughout, and many of the neighborhood’s 100-year-old live oaks remain the dominant visual feature of every street. As one listing agent described it: “The Forest at Briarcliffe is one of the few communities left along the Grand Strand that actually has mature trees.” On a coastline increasingly dominated by cleared-lot developments, that distinction is not small.

Your Private Dock on the Intracoastal Waterway

The defining physical advantage of The Forest at Briarcliffe for a significant portion of its homes is direct frontage on the Intracoastal Waterway — with private boat docks, floating dock access, gazebos, and unobstructed waterway views that make sunset the main event of every evening. ICW-front homes here represent some of the most competitively priced direct waterway access on the entire Grand Strand.

Not every home in The Forest at Briarcliffe sits directly on the waterway — interior lots along the tree-lined streets offer the neighborhood’s woodland character and mature landscaping at lower price points, while still providing easy community access to the ICW and boat ramps nearby. The community functions as a complete waterway neighborhood regardless of lot position: the ICW is the orientation point for how residents navigate daily life here.

Wide Price Range. Consistent Demand. Rare Inventory.

The Forest at Briarcliffe offers one of the widest price ranges of any established community on the northside — from updated 3-bedroom inland homes to custom 5-bedroom Mediterranean estates sitting directly on the ICW. This range reflects the community’s diversity: modest well-maintained single-stories alongside multi-million-dollar custom waterway builds, all sharing the same spectacular tree canopy and coveted address.

ICW Frontage and Forest Interior — Two Experiences, One Address

School District Choice — A Unique Advantage

The Forest at Briarcliffe sits at the boundary of Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach, which gives families a genuinely unusual option: the ability to choose whether to attend Myrtle Beach or North Myrtle Beach school districts within the Horry County Schools system. Both are Niche-rated highly, and both are within easy reach of the community.

The Hub Between Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach

The Forest at Briarcliffe’s position just west of Highway 17 Bypass, between Myrtle Beach Mall and Barefoot Landing, gives residents one of the most strategically positioned addresses on the northside. Every highway hub — 17, 22, 31, and 90 — connects within minutes, making both Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach equally accessible.

The Briarcliffe Acres community across Bypass 17 — and its private beach cabana and boardwalk — is directly adjacent. Several community sources note that residents of The Forest at Briarcliffe have access to the Briarcliffe Acres private beach access as part of the broader neighborhood relationship, though buyers should verify this specifically. The beach itself via Shore Drive is approximately one mile.

Life Here: Water, Trees, and the Full Grand Strand at Your Doorstep

Dining: Barefoot Landing, Restaurant Row, and Shore Drive — All Within Minutes

The Forest at Briarcliffe’s position between Barefoot Landing and the Restaurant Row corridor gives residents exceptional dining access in both directions. The neighborhood’s immediate proximity to Barefoot Landing in particular — with multiple acclaimed restaurants on the waterway — makes fine dining as simple as a 5-minute drive.

Moving Into The Forest at Briarcliffe — What to Know First

Who Is The Forest at Briarcliffe For?

The Forest at Briarcliffe attracts a buyer who has done enough research to understand that the combination it offers doesn’t exist anywhere else on the Grand Strand at this price point.

Boaters and waterway lifestyle buyers who want a private dock on the Intracoastal Waterway — boat-out-to-the-Atlantic access from their own backyard — without paying the premium of ICW-front properties in Grande Dunes or Barefoot Resort. The direct waterway access here, combined with no city taxes and low HOA, delivers the ICW lifestyle at genuinely competitive cost. For buyers who know what private dock access on the ICW typically costs, Forest at Briarcliffe is immediately compelling.

Nature-first buyers who have visited every community on this list and keep coming back to this one because nothing else feels like this. The 100-year oak canopy, the Spanish moss, the quiet interior streets, the birdsong at 7am — these are not things that can be manufactured in a new development. This canopy took a century to grow, and it belongs to the people who live here now.

Families with school-age children who appreciate the unusual flexibility of school district choice, the quiet residential streets, and the combination of natural environment with extraordinary proximity to everything the Grand Strand offers. Half-acre lots with mature trees — rare anywhere on the Grand Strand — give kids genuine outdoor space.

Northeast buyers relocating from New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, or New England who are selling waterfront or water-view properties for $600,000–$1.2M and want to find something with the same character in South Carolina. ICW-front properties in The Forest at Briarcliffe — private dock, waterway views, mature trees, one mile to the ocean — are exactly what this buyer is searching for. And at $650,000–$900,000, they can often purchase here and bank the difference while cutting their annual tax burden significantly.