Camping in South Carolina

Combining history, art, and family-friendly community activities, Andrew Jackson State Park is one of the most popular places to spend the day when in South Carolina. Visitors are invited to go walking, hiking, boating, fishing, camping, or simply come enjoy a picnic. There’s even a cool museum filled with artifacts from the Revolutionary War as well as on the life of Andrew Jackson. People love to paddle around the 18-acre lake and observe the many migratory birds or try to catch a fish. You’re also welcome to walk the Garden of the Waxhaws Trail, which is a beautiful 1-mile-loop around the lake.

196 Andrew Jackson Park Rd, Lancaster, SC 29720, Phone: 803-285-3344

A part of the Francis Marion National Forest in South Carolina, the Buck Hall Recreation Area is a premier location to spend the day relaxing surrounded by natural beauty. The site is located right along the Intercoastal Waterway and has various tidal creeks, beaches, and marshland to explore. Fishing and shrimp baiting are extremely popular in the area, and anglers can expect to catch a huge variety of fish, from bass and flounder to shrimp and clams. Amenities include showers and toilets, designated picnic areas, a basketball court, a boat ramp, campfire rings, a fishing pier, grills, a horseshoe pit, event pavilions, and parking.

Buckhall Landing Rd, McClellanville, SC 29458, Phone: 843-336-2200

Open all year round, visitors are invited to come explore and have fun at Burrells Ford Campground for free. From the designated parking area, visitors will have to walk a quarter mile along the scenic Chattooga River to get to the campgrounds. The gravel surface makes it an extremely easy hike and is the perfect place for first-time campers. Facilities at the riverside campground include picnic tables, fire rings, lantern posts, and pit toilets. While there, you should definitely take the time to walk to the picturesque King Creek Falls Trail or the Foothills Trail.

Mountain Rest, SC 29664

One of the most coveted parks in South Carolina, Calhoun Falls State Park is fitted with several amenities and surrounded by stunning natural beauty. There are 86 standard campsites offering forested shoreline views of the lake as well as spacious RV sites and walk-in tent sites. Visitors are invited to spend time in the day-use area and have a picnic, go swimming, or play basketball or tennis. There is also the Cedar Bluff Nature Trail, which is a 1.75-mile loop through the park. Other activities include fishing, boating, hiking, birdwatching, or traveling on the 10-mile equestrian trail.

46 Maintenance Shop Rd, Calhoun Falls, SC 29628, Phone: 864-447-8267

Romantic Camping Ideas

Explore historic Charleston and the Lowcountry during a trip to the Campground at James Island County Park. The 643-acre private retreat offers an amazing campsite complete with 24-hour seating, an activity center, ceramic bathhouses, free Wi-Fi, and a full-service campground store as well as laundry facilities, picnic tables, fire rings, and much more. There are even wheelchair-accessible sites for those who may need it. Activities you can partake in while there include walking the open meadows or the paved trails, biking and skating, fishing on the freshwater lakes, pedal boating, kayaking, or playing in the playground area or the seasonal Splash Zone Waterpark.

871 Riverland Dr, Charleston, SC 29412, Phone: 843-795-4386

You'll be just 14 min (6.8 mi) via SC-30 E from Downtown Charleston.

Camping at Cheraw State Park is one of the best outdoor experiences in South Carolina. There are 17 gravel-packed campsites situated on the shore of Lake Juniper, each of which have individual water and electrical hookups; the site can also accommodate recreational vehicles up to 40 feet. Camping reservations at Cheraw must be made for a minimum of two nights, and site amenities include hot showers, restrooms, and waterfront views. Activities at the park vary, and visitors can go fishing, boating, canoeing, kayaking, pedal boating, swimming, birdwatching, biking, and hiking on the 4.5-mile Turkey Oak Trail loop.

100 State Park Road, Cheraw, SC 29520, Phone: 843-537-9656

Open from April to October, Cherry Hill Campground gives you the opportunity to set up camp right beside the Chattooga Wild and Scenic River. There are many campsites, some of which need to be reserved in advance and some that don’t. Use of the site requires a small fee and includes access to amenities such as restrooms, showers, a bath house, centrally located drinking water, a dump station, fire rings, garbage cans, and sites that are a short distance from the parking area. While there, you’ll be able to drive the scenic route, go hiking, go fishing, and even visit the fishing hatchery.

SC-107, Walhalla, SC 29691, Phone: 864-638-9568

Family Camping Ideas

Croft State Park is a 7,000-acre land that has a rich history, including having been a former army training base. The park has space for picnicking, fishing, boating, biking, hiking and, of course, camping. There is a boat ramp with access to Lake Tom Moore Craig and there are non-motorized fishing boats, canoes, and kayak rentals during the day. There are 50 campsites for both RV or tent camping, each of which is packed with gravel and has electric and water hookups. The entire campground is convenient to restrooms with hot showers. The park store is a great place to pick up necessities such as firewood, ice, fishing gear, or snacks.

450 Croft State Park Rd, Spartanburg, SC 29302, Phone: 864-585-1283

Devil's Fork State Park has beautiful landscapes surrounding 9,000-acre Lake Jocassee and several mountain streams and waterfalls. There are two campgrounds located near the park’s shores, both of which are conveniently near to restrooms and hot showers. The main lakeside campground is paved and comes with electric and water hookups. Check in is at 2:00 p.m. while check out is at noon, and there are two vehicles permitted per campsite. There is a two-night minimum when reserving space; during peak months, reservation minimums may go up to three or more nights. Visitors there can spend their time hiking the Oconee Bell Trail, the Bear Cove Trail, or driving up to Jumping Off Rock for stunning views of the lake and the Jocassee Gorges.

161 Holcombe Cir, Salem, SC 29676, Phone: 864-944-2639

One of South Carolina’s four oceanfront state parks, Edisto Beach State Park is a beautiful camping location rich with Native American history. While there, visitors can hike or bike through the trails or head to the park’s environmental education center to learn about the island’s natural history. Overnight accommodations include rental of furnished cabins or one of the 112 campsites. All the campsites can accommodate tents or RVs, are beside the ocean or the salt marsh, and are conveniently located near hot showers and restrooms.

8377 State Cabin Rd, Edisto Island, SC 29438, Phone: 843-869-2156