10 Best Campgrounds in South Carolina
To kick off the official website launch of Bargain Camping Equipment, we’ll show you some great campgrounds right here in our own backyard. If you love the beach or mountains, South Carolina has some great campgrounds for you to tent or RV camp at. Even if you just want to get away and still stay close to the city, Columbia’s own Sesquicentennial State Park offers 84 campsites to choose from and is minutes from downtown. Here are our choices for the best campgrounds in South Carolina:
10 – Dreher Island State Park
Located on Lake Murray, Dreher Island State Park has 97 paved campsites, 15 sites just for tent campers and 5 lakeside villas to choose from. We love Dreher Island because it is very close to our home and we can be set up and relaxing beside the water in no time.
While staying at Dreher Island State Park, take advantage of Lake Murray’s fishing opportunities. The park has 3 boat ramps if you want to bring a Jon boat or a pontoon. It’s also ok if you want to paddle around in your kayak or canoe too!
9 – Santee State Park
Santee State Park is right off of I-95 on Lake Marion and is a perfect spot for everything outdoors! Camping, hiking, fishing, boating, geocaching, almost anything you can think of to do outdoors, you can do at Santee State Park. It’s a good-sized park too, with 158 campsites (48 with 50 amp hookups), 30 cabins – these get booked up quickly so plan your trip well in advance if you want a one, and over 10 miles of hiking trails.
If you are headed to Santee State Park, we would suggest that you make a stop at the Lonestar BBQ & Mercantile. You’ll pass right by it on the road to the state park. They are only open from Thursday to Sunday, but they have some great BBQ and southern style food, plus plenty of desserts.
To book a stay at Santee State Park, click here.
8 – Calhoun Falls State Park
Calhoun Falls, located on the border of South Carolina and Georgia, is a terrific campground located on Lake Russell. What makes lake Russell stand out compared to other lakes in South Carolina is its protection from development by the federal government. Which means you get access to a lake that has very few, if any, homes on it, giving you a peaceful camping spot without a ton of traffic or noise on the water.
The state park has 86 campsites in what their website calls “one of the best campgrounds in the state park system.” My family camped there a while back and it was a very nice campground. Large lots, clean restrooms and very peaceful. We kayaked and hung out around the I-95 bridge, before exploring one of the many islands on the lake.
7 – Devils Fork State Park
Located in the upstate town of Salem, South Carolina, Devils Fork State Park gives you beautiful mountain views and crystal clear kayaking on Lake Jocassee. Another small campground with only 59 standard sites for RV and camping, and 25 tent-only sites, reserve spaces quickly during the seasons.
The park is located close to many waterfalls and hiking trails. Lake Jocassee is another park that does not have many homes on it, but it is a popular spot for boating. If you can find it, go to Jumping Off Rock and jump into the cool lake waters.
Booking at Devils Fork State Park
6 – Myrtle Beach State Park
If you want to visit Myrtle Beach, but don’t want to pay for an expensive hotel on the beach, head south to the Myrtle Beach State Park. It’s right outside of the Myrtle Beach city limits on Highway 17 Business. This park has plenty of spaces for RV’s and tents, 278 to be exact, and 30 designated tent sites. Along with a nice pier to fish off of, plenty of beaches to play in, and the Myrtle Beach nightlife right down the road, you’re sure to find just what you are looking for!
5 – Huntington Beach State Park
Only 15 miles from Myrtle Beach State Park lies Huntington Beach State Park. A beautiful park with nature and biking trails, the park also has 173 campsites and 6 rustic sites for tent camping only. Oh yeah, it also has its own castle. That’s right. A castle.
Bought in 1930 by Archer and Anna Huntington, Atalaya Castle was their winter getaway. The castle still stands today and is available for tours. If you would like to see some of the sculptures Anna Huntington created, go directly across from the entrance of Huntington Beach State Park to Brookgreen Gardens. This 9,100-acre garden was established while Atalaya was being built and still holds the beauty the Huntington’s saw when they first bought the properties.
Reserve your spot now for this great adventure!
4 – Hunting Island State Park
Camp with the beach right outside of your tent. Hunting Island State Park includes a few beachfront campsites in their 100 total sites. This is another park that gets full quickly so be sure to reserve your spot well in advance. If you walk to the point of the jetty and look across the water, you can see Edisto where our #2 favorite campsite in South Carolina is located. Although it looks close, Edisto is an almost a 2-hour drive from Hunting Island.
While you are staying at Hunting Island State Park, you can enjoy the only publicly accessible lighthouses in South Carolina. Take a climb up the 167 steps to the top for beautiful breathtaking views of the Lowcountry. You can also enjoy sunrises and sunsets while at Hunting Island.
Book at Hunting Island State Park today
3 – Oconee State Park
Right off of Highway 28, above Walhalla, South Carolina, you will find Oconee State Park. This smallish campground has 139 campsites with water and electricity, 15 rustic camping sites and 19 cabins to choose from.
Although the park is a ways away from any large city, there are plenty of activities to do – if you want. The whole purpose of camping is to get away! Follow the Oconee trail around the campsite and you can connect to the Foothills Trail, an 80-mile trail that will lead you through North and South Carolina mountains all the way to Table Rock! For non-hikers, relax at the campground and enjoy kayaking in the lake.
Click here to reserve a spot at Oconee State Park
2 – Edisto Beach State Park
Edisto Beach State Park is another great beach park that you can practically have the beach right out the front door of your tent. The park consists of 2 separate parks, one with marsh views and the other located on the beach, with 120 sites between both. As is the norm for small beach oriented parks, reserve early. Sometimes the waiting list can be up to a year!
There is nothing like sitting by a campfire on the beach, looking at the millions of stars in the night sky while the crashing of the waves melts all of your stress away. If you know where to look, you can even see satellites crossing the night sky.
1 – James Island County Park
For our #1 choice, we chose James Island State Park. This was not an easy decision because every campground in South Carolina on this list, and some that aren’t, are amazingly great places to camp!
Located on James Island in Charleston, South Carolina, the James Island County Park has a little something for everyone. With 124 camping sites, 10 cottages along the Stono River marsh, a huge climbing wall, its own water park and plenty of biking and hiking trails it will be hard to NOT do anything! Adding to everything the park offers, being minutes from downtown Charleston, named the top US city for the 8th year in a row by Conde Nast magazine, or Folly Beach and all of the scrumptious restaurants in the area, you’ll want to stay forever.
That’s it, our Best 10 Campgrounds In South Carolina! If you have a suggestion for a campground for us to try out, email us at bargaincampingequipment(at)gmail.com and we’ll give it a shot. We love finding and exploring new places in our great state (and other states too). Now if you’ll excuse me, making this list has put me in the mood to get outdoors! #AdventureAwaits
