Best Glamping near Aiken, SC

Recent Glamping Reviews in Aiken

154 Reviews of 13 Aiken Campgrounds

• 

  Greg S.

  Ranger

  

  Jun. 18, 2024

  Winfield - J Strom Thurmond Lake

  4.9 stars

  Gorgeous lake with no sign of civilization across from the campground. We swam right from our site and loved it. The sites are enormous, private, and provide panoramic lake views. Ours was perfect. Nice beach, playground, and everything well kept. I would imagine that on weekends the boat traffic might be slightly loud but on this Monday it was so peaceful and quiet. The site has a fire ring with grill, a standing grill, a picnic table, and a prep table. Again, the site is enormous. Great value at $32!!!

• J

  J V.

  Guide

  

  Jun. 15, 2024

  Magnolia Springs State Park Campground

  Clean park with plenty to do

  Stayed for 2 nights in Site #3. Was called prior to arrival regarding checking in. Missed "closing time" but went to site and checked in next morning.  The Park fee is not included in the camping fee with is a bit of a pain, but I actually received a partial refund since the Senior rate was not included in my reservation.

  Plenty of well marked trails to hike, a nice lake, beautiful spring, and if you are interested a thorough Museum about the Civil war prison camp that was located on the grounds. (Note: there is no swimming at the spring)

  Sites are level with good power and water.  I felt they were a bit close, but we are not campground people.  #3 seemed one of the most private, even though right across from the Hosts and near the Bathhouse.  The Bathhouse was very clean and new.

• 

  Sonya C.

  Scout

  

  May. 5, 2024

  Untamed Honey Glampsites

  UNTAMED HONEY IS THE PLACE TO BEE!

  Fifteen fish and whose counting? Not to mention the 'BIG ONE' that got away on our last day!!!  (According to my Sweetie...Lol!)  Lincolnton, Georgia is the place to 'BEE' for a quiet and intimate getaway, encompassing relaxation and fun!  Lakefront Hotel! One of the best birthday celebrations ever!!! 

  Thank you Jana for all the special consideration and your generosity!  We will definitely be seeing you again soon!

  Sonya and Clarence (Sweetie)

• n

  ned

  Scout

  

  May. 2, 2024

  Mistletoe State Park Campground

  Great waterfront sites

  Wonderful experience. Most every site on the water. Many pull through sites.

• 

  Lucy P.

  Ranger

  

  Mar. 22, 2024

  Mistletoe State Park Campground

  Loved the place

  This place has everything, even cheap laundry! 2-3 bars Verizon service, pretty quiet in February.

• H

  Holly S.

  Guide

  

  Mar. 10, 2024

  Mistletoe State Park Campground

  Such a great first experience at Mistletoe!

  This site was absolutely perfect for our first trip out in our new camper. Our dog also loved the water! Bathrooms and showers are clean and easily accessible. Several fishing spots and places to launch kayaks and three boat ramps. Sites are clean and well maintained. The fishing is AMAZING! 20 palm sized shell cracker on the first day!

• 

  Bethany G.

  Guide

  

  Jan. 16, 2024

  Mistletoe State Park Campground

  Backcountry Site B

  Nice day camping but site B is our least favorite out of all the backcountry sites.

• B

  Brian B.

  Guide

  

  Nov. 1, 2023

  Hickory Knob State Park Resort — Hickory Knob State Park

  Plenty to do here

  Better bring a cart or a bike. It’s a long way to everywhere here. But they have it all. Golf, swimming, axe throwing, archery, skeet shooting. Trails for hiking/biking. Nice sites close to the lake. Shower house is just adequate, barely.

• B

  Brian B.

  Guide

  

  Nov. 1, 2023

  Baker Creek

  Beautiful lakeside views

  Rough roads, poor shower house, undeveloped sites. But man, what a view

• E

  Emily J.

  Traveler

  

  Oct. 28, 2023

  Mistletoe State Park Campground

  Great park

  Campsite 17 is beautiful. The water is great. We kayaked and hiked. We camp here often. It is clean and everyone was friendly

• 

  Jake C.

  Legend

  

  Oct. 13, 2023

  Prices Bridge Glampsite

  Glamping in the Trees

  Jake from the Dyrt here! This is a unique experience for those looking to camp a little higher off the ground and enjoy the huge deck looking out into the forest.  Check them out and leave a review about your stay on the Dyrt!

• 

  Elizabeth W.

  Guide

  

  Oct. 13, 2023

  Elijah Clark State Park Campground

  One of the best!

  We love this campground, so many great waterfront spots. to choose from! Beautiful, peaceful Lake.

• 

  Glacia C.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 16, 2023

  Mistletoe State Park Campground

  Mistletoe GASP: Site 29 (Waterfront)

  Can’t go wrong with Mistletoe for water fun. More sites than not are on the water. Beautiful place to kayak, and you can rent one for 24 hours for $30 (as of June 2023) and keep it at your site.

  Sites are wide and spacious with well-drained pads and parking. Bathrooms are a bit of a walk from 29, but there’s a playground up there, too. Bonus. Around the rest of the park are a myriad of other site types. Some wooded, others exposed. Waterfront or platforms. Three different loops. Great staff and visitors center.

• 

  Glacia C.

  Guide

  

  Jul. 16, 2023

  Elijah Clark State Park Campground

  Elijah Clark GASP: Walk-In Site 8

  Elijah Clark is a great place. Easy to get to, and you still have cell service. Great playgrounds for kids, plus mini golf and kayak rentals. Many sites are waterfront.

  I highly, highly, highly recommend the walk-ins. Suitable for car campers who don’t mind making a couple trips to the car. The sites are very close to the parking spots. 

  Site 8 has a great view of the lake, but isn’t directly on the water. Just downhill of the site is a boat slip for a kayak or canoe. If renting a kayak form the park, it’s not too far to paddle from the boat ramp where the kayaks are kept to the slip by the site.

  Bathrooms for the walk-ins are below-average, aged, but more or less clean, as long as you don’t mind a few bugs.

  Hiking is limited, but the little historical to-dos are fun. Check their calendar before going; they often have fun things going on over the weekend.

• 

  Stuart K.

  Legend

  

  Jul. 1, 2023

  Hickory Knob State Park Resort — Hickory Knob State Park

  Lakeside Camping Perfection

  If you are looking for a near perfect lakeside camping experience in the 'Low Country' here in South Carolina, than you may have just found the perfect getaway! Tucked away from main roads and a solid 20 minute drive from the nearest traces of civilization (the itty bitty town of McCormick), Hickory Knob State Park, which sits right on the Savannah River / Lake Thurmond and provides the setting for truly one of the most perfect camping escapes I have ever encountered. 

  There's about 60-70 individual campsites here, but you would be hard pressed to count them all on account that there is so much foliage that separates each individual campsite that despite the # of sites, you are left with a very intimate and secluded feeling. While some of these well-secluded spots can get you just about as close to the lakeshore as possible (without infringing upon the land boundaries itself), most set a decent 10- 15 feet above shoreline and offer a private and simple-to-navigate pathway to the refreshing lollops of the lake's gentle rippling waves. 

  Each site is apportioned with the basics - long drive-way with corresponding flat base platform (either perfect for RV or very amenable to the largest of tents), fire ring, water spigot and picnic table. While there's a handful of campsites that appear to be close cousins to the one next to it, most sites feel independent from one another and offer up enough space to forget your next-door neighbors. Further, I counted 3 separate loops (or communities, if you will), each with their own facilities. 

  Apart from the greatest amenity being the lake itself, the park also offers a simple, yet splendid boat jetty with an easy-to-navigate round-about. Unlike many other state parks I have visited in the country, this one offers boaters many easy places to stow away their boats, when not in use on the lake. Further afield, there are plenty of trails to explore the deeper, less frequented side of this overgrown lakeside forested haven. 

  If there were any drawbacks at all, it would simply be the less than mediocre bathrooms and showers that the state of South Caroline seems intent on not fixing (think back 50 to 60 years ago to what bathrooms might have looked like back then and then come present day to find exactly the same thing, without any repairs (and perhaps any sanitation) being made whatsoever). With all of the tax dollars that the state collects, on top of the fees paid for camping in these amazing state parks, you think the state would be able to afford building and maintaining better and more modern facilities for its overnight guests (what is it that they say about hospitality in the South?!). 

  In sum, if you are looking for some really good seclusion, right on the lake, don't mind the overgrown nature of this campsite, have a boat, and perhaps older children that don't need playgrounds (and other man-made distractions) and can do without direct access to civilization, then this may very well be a perfect spot for you. 

  Insider tips? Here's a few: (1) Because the nearest town of McCormick is a bit of a hike to get to (think at least a 20 minute drive on slow moving, winding country roads), be sure to bring everything you need with you, but if you do need any groceries, there's a Food Lion that has just about everything you might need; (2) When you grow tired of trying to conjure up that next meal from the depths of your Cordova cooler, then check out Michelle's, which is one half family restaurant - where I never believe any waitress who answers the question 'What is the best thing on the menu' with the response 'EVERYTHING!', but I will admit, she was absolutely right - we tried the pizza, wings, salad bar and hamburger one night - all were equally amazing - and one half happy hour / karaoke bar that apparently the entirety of McCormick shows up at after 8pm every night, which was pretty cool to experience; (3) When / if you head into the town of McCormick, take note of the Ice ATM machine there - it's fantastic and super cheap, so be sure to stock up on your ice there; and (4) If you are wanting to 'whet your whistle' after a good hard day of kayaking, then head on over to nearby Back Paddle Brewing for some really nice local craft beers.

  Happy Camping!

• 

  Martin C.

  Traveler

  

  Apr. 7, 2023

  Elijah Clark State Park Campground

  Great Experience

  The staff was very polite and patient with as busy as it’s been with The Masters” in town. Facilities by our campsite very clean and the views of the Savannah River are spectacular. Lots of cool things to do at this park. Very kid and dog friendly!! So great place for families.

• R

  Rebecca L.

  Guide

  

  Mar. 27, 2023

  Mistletoe State Park Campground

  The View from 82!

  This review is for campsite 82 at Mistletoe State Park. An absolutely commanding view of the lake! It lacked shade in late March but once the sun went down, it was perfect! Beautiful sunsets! We camped in 2 tents and there was more than enough room, the tent pads were level, and the crusher run was comfortable under the tarp and tent. There is a unique lookout structure with a rolling gate. This was useful for corralling our cocker spaniel. We also set chairs up there. Accessing the lake was no problem, just down an easy incline, and there was a little beach area, perfect for sitting with your feet in the cold water. There are multiple trails but we loved walking around both campsite loops. It’s fun to see the different set ups. The comfort station near us was average, but adequate. The shower design isn’t super for drainage but it works! The toilet stalls and sink area were very clean. It looked like at least one comfort station on the right fork loop was more updated, with family bathrooms. I’m with AT&T and I had very few issues with cellular data. The hosts were friendly and welcoming. The gift shop was lovely. We would love to go back and rent a pontoon boat and try one of the cabins. We would like the record to show that at 2:00 AM on the Saturday we were there, an airboat with purple and green lights and very loud music came upon the shoreline of the state park. It was like a spaceship had landed. After thinking about it, we think they may have been bow fishing. Of course our kids slept through the whole thing, no idea how! They took “disturbance of the peace” to a new level! No reflection on the park itself, just a bizarre occurrence and a funny memory for us!

• 

  Gilbert T.

  Scout

  

  Feb. 22, 2023

  Mistletoe State Park Campground

  Beautiful lakeside campground

  This is one of the nicest state parks for camping we've been to. Lots of lakeside sites and pull throughs. Beautiful lake views. Very well maintained bathroom and showers. I think we had the best site #75! Pretty level pull thru on the lake with an amazing view. Bathhouse right behind site. Fire pit and cement picnic bench.

• 

  Ashley F.

  Legend

  

  Jan. 12, 2023

  Crunchy Acres

  19 acre family farm with all the extras!

  Ashley here with The Dyrt! I'm excited to welcome your friendly host, John. John has opened his 19 acre family farm up to visitors. Come meet their chickens, goats, pigs, turkey, and rabbits! Rent go-carts or sit around the campfire with some s'mores. Give them some love and leave your review here!

• 

  Sarah P.

  Traveler

  

  Dec. 11, 2022

  Mistletoe State Park Campground

  Great place

  Great views and great trails. If you decide to hike on the blue trail, make sure you have water-resistant shoes. It's also not for beginners, and I would be leary about bringing children on that trail.

• 

  Jeff W.

  Scout

  

  Dec. 7, 2022

  Magnolia Springs State Park Campground

  Nice clean site

  Spent two days. Bathrooms are cleaner than my house. Site had good access. Not too close to your neighbors.

• 

  Ashley S.

  Scout

  

  Nov. 28, 2022

  Mistletoe State Park Campground

  Great views

  We found this campground at the spur of the moment. It was a beautiful lake and a nice area, we got there too late to do any hiking.

• N

  Name

  Scout

  

  Oct. 16, 2022

  Elijah Clark State Park Campground

  Friendly. Fun. Relaxing.

  Set up well for families with children… room to ride bikes, scooters, skateboards; playground; putt putt course; trails to walk; beach areas all around the camp ground for easy access to the water. Kayak rentals.

  Bathrooms were generally clean. Campsites a relatively flat. Good picnic tables at each site. Not every site had a pole for a lantern or trash bags to hang from. Fairly good tree coverage around the campground for shade and hammocking.

• 

  Ashley W.

  Ranger

  

  Jul. 16, 2022

  Magnolia Springs State Park Campground

  Magnolia Springs

  We stayed here on a weekend during the summer. I really liked this campground and park. It is the site of a Civil War prison camp and has a museum onsite as well as previous earth works from the site which you can walk to. Our site was nice and large with lots of shade. It was possibly the best pull thru site in my opinion due to its proximity to the playground and bathhouse for my kids. Site 16 would be the best back in site since it is right on the lake. The bathhouse was clean and large. There was a laundry area as well. There is usually a splash pad available during the summer but it was closed when we went due to COVID. There is also obviously a spring there and it was really neat to look at because the water is so clear. There were also alligators and turtles in the pond. The turtles would swam up to the railing wanting someone to drop them some food. There was a little trail through the wooded area beside the springs going back to the campground and we did hike it. There were other trails through the woods by the campground lake which we hiked as well. In addition to campsites they did have cabin rentals as well. You can put in your own boat and fish in the lake if desired or rent a boat. We rented canoes and rowed around the lake. It was very nice. There were lots of alligators in the lake. It was hard to fish from the dock and shore due to the alligators trying to get your bait. We did really enjoy this park and would go back. It is pretty rural as well but there were a few small restaurants and stores within a 10-15 minute drive.

• 

  Sarah F.

  Traveler

  

  Jun. 4, 2022

  Mistletoe State Park Campground

  Bring ant traps, otherwise amazing

  This was my kid's favorite place that we have been so far. Our site 49 was right in the water. There was a drop of about 2 feet to get in, but we made it work. My kids played in the lake and we used our kayak and paddleboards. The beach was nice as well. We drove about 20 minutes to South Carolina and the J. Strom Thurmond Dam. Call ahead to listen to the recording to know when they are releasing water.

  We have a 30ft TT and as we left my husband said anything else would be tricky getting out due to some trees on each side. The shape of the pull through site was fairly tight, but we didn't face any real issues with it.

  There are little black ants everywhere. By our third night they found some food which wasn't tightly sealed and there were ants everywhere. I got rid of most of them but it was too late at that point. We got some ant traps when we went home the next morning. Even though this was a pain, we would still go back, just with ant traps.

• 

  Casey L.

  Legend

  

  May. 31, 2022

  Elijah Clark State Park Campground

  Great for fishing!!

  This is the perfect park if you want to take your boat along! Lots of space to dock your boat at a waterfront site. Very nice bath houses, clean and updated. Large sites and large open yard behind it, great for dogs to run and kids to play!

• 

  Sonyia W.

  Legend

  

  May. 16, 2022

  Elijah Clark State Park Campground

  Good for relaxing

  We were on sites 103 and 104. Lake access was down a bit of a hill but manageable. The sites are almost buddy sites and you can drive between them.