Francis Marion National Forest

My grandchildren and I went for traveling time there the first night there was a flash flood so the second day when we got there the people next to us were drunk and they had dogs. Well the people were drunk, they curseI have an also have just lost a love one trying to have peace of mind there was impossible you can hear the dogs howling from the shower stalls it was the first time ever going there and I will not go back to that location again it’s very disappointing the beach was phenomenal the ice cream store that they have there was great.

I have my grandchildren for the end of summer before they started back to school and we went on camping for a little over a week it was great the children had a chance to go swimming and they love that the they learned a lot of things about nature and did some life skills people were very friendly and in all of the areas of congaree national park. we went to Congaree national Park , and the people are extremely nice and helpful. very family friendly.

I love this spot. Its right on the trail, it also allows for you to drive right up to the campground and park your car, set up camp and then head out for a hike. It has some spots closer to the parking area and others back away from it by a couple hundred feet. There used to be water available but that spicket is well past it "sell-by-date". The closest store is a 10-minute drive. Hiking is great. There are some areas where after rain it becomes "pools" of water making staying dry a bit difficult. The trail is being added to. At some point in the future, you can start at the ocean and walk across the state to the border of North Carolina and Georgia. The low country side is going to be flat walking with some minor up and over terrain. Hills don't show up until you get more west. Snakes are probably the worst thing you'll come across, however most want to get away from people unless they feel a need to defend. So, keep your eyes open, I've stumbled across a couple laying on the trail just trying to get sun and warm up. Once my presence was recognized they get away as fast as possible. Stay safe and keep your eyes and ears open.

Fantastic hiking, well maintained (during normal services), and the primitive campsites are the best "get-away" opportunity.

Nature is abundant, both flaura and fauna. So bug spray is recommended to the unfortunate of us that are preyed upon by mosquitoes and the like. Also my dogs love it and it's a great energy burner for them.

We camped at Halfway Creek in the Francis Marion National Forest for the eclipse.  It's a free campground, but there are no water and no toilets.  You can park in a lot just outside the camping area--some people sleep in their cars there.  This site does not take reservations, so it's first come-first served.

The actual camping area is wide open and grassy, but if you prefer more privacy, you can hike in a bit and pick a spot.  We stayed in the open area because we were a big group and wanted the best view of the eclipse!

Something fun to do is to visit (gotta drive there) the Halfway Creek Church, constructed in 1941.  You can also do a hike on one of the trails here.

Bring lots of water and bug spray and some trash bags to pack your trash/T.P. out!

[Off Halfway Creek Road (SC Route 98-S), located along Swampfox Passage/Palmetto Trail]

My buddies and drove our trucks off the normal road to find ultimate privacy. We didn’t stay on a set camp ground, with no cell service and no one bothering us we got to simply relax. We stayed in our trucks that night. The next morning after we made breakfast we explored for hours, in our trucks and by foot. It was absolutely amazing, I can’t wait to go again... hopefully sooner than later.