Best Campgrounds near Elgin, SC

The camping landscape surrounding Elgin, South Carolina features several established campgrounds with varying amenities and settings. Campers can find accommodations at Sesquicentennial State Park Campground, located in Columbia, and Lake Wateree State Park Campground in Winnsboro, both offering tent and RV sites with electric hookups and water access. Several military and privately operated facilities, including the Military Park Shaw AFB Wateree Recreation Area and Little Cedar Creek Campground, provide additional camping options with cabin rentals. Most developed campgrounds in the region maintain picnic tables, fire rings, and access to restroom facilities.

Campground accessibility remains consistent year-round as most facilities operate through all seasons. Many sites require advance reservations, particularly during spring and fall when moderate temperatures attract more visitors. The terrain across the region is generally level with some sites featuring sandy or gravel surfaces that may present challenges for larger RVs or trailers. While most developed campgrounds provide electric hookups and drinking water, sewer connections are limited to select locations. Cell phone coverage is typically reliable throughout the area due to proximity to Columbia and other populated areas. One camper noted, "The sites were a little tight for a 10' pop up camper, nor is it especially level. Otherwise very roomy once we worked out the details."

State parks in the region consistently receive positive feedback for their amenities and natural settings. Sesquicentennial State Park earns praise for its combination of woodland campsites and recreational opportunities, including hiking trails, a small lake for kayaking, and a splash pad for children. Several visitors mentioned the park's convenience to urban amenities while still providing a natural retreat. A recent review highlighted this balance: "Beautiful campground. Everyone is spaced apart, not side by side. Has a splash pad and kayak rentals." Campgrounds with water access, such as Lake Wateree State Park, tend to attract more visitors seeking fishing and boating opportunities. Families appreciate campgrounds with playground facilities and nature programs, while travelers with larger rigs typically favor the more spacious sites available at private RV parks.

Best Camping Sites Near Elgin, South Carolina (66)

    1. Sesquicentennial State Park Campground

    29 Reviews
    State Park, SC
    8 miles
    Website
    +1 (803) 788-2706

    "The site was level with a gravel drive and parking area. Lots of pines all around but the site was clear enough for easy parking. No sewer hookups."

    "The park is in Columbia SC, and is a great choice for families who may want to do things outside the park. The park is super close to the Riverbanks Zoo."

    2. Lake Wateree State Park Campground

    17 Reviews
    Great Falls, SC
    18 miles
    Website
    +1 (803) 482-6401

    "While there are a few hiking trails, if you don’t have a boat or canoe you will be missing out on most of the appeal of this park."

    "We had site 39 and there was nothing but woods behind us which was perfect for us."

    3. Longleaf Campground — Congaree National Park

    31 Reviews
    Gadsden, SC
    23 miles

    $15 - $25 / night

    "Having been on the road for about three months before coming to Congaree, we were happy to arrive to such a quiet and tucked-away campground."

    "We were at site 7, it took about 250 steps from the parking lot to our site. All sites have lots of shade. The campground is next to a pond that gets rather loud at night."

    4. Weston Lake Recreation Area

    6 Reviews
    Columbia, SC
    12 miles
    Website
    +1 (803) 751-5253

    $33 - $35 / night

    "Lake views. Boat rental available. Summer time swim beach. Spacious sites. No laundry at campground. Closest is about 3 miles away. Entrance road is really rough."

    "I was stationed at Jackson from’07-‘09 and the only thing that has really changed is the dam is being worked on so you can only observe the lake, no swimming, boating, anything on the lake until repairs"

    5. Poinsett State Park Campground

    41 Reviews
    Wedgefield, SC
    29 miles
    Website
    +1 (803) 494-8177

    "It looks nothing like South Carolina as you enter the gates. After half a dozen ups and downs and right turns you find yourself in a clearing and a large parking lot, a lake and a ranger station."

    "We recently visited South Carolina and after spending the weekend visiting nearby Congaree National Park, we opted to stay at Poinsett State Park for 4 nights in our Mercedes Sprinter campervan."

    6. Blythewood Acres

    1 Review
    Blythewood, SC
    10 miles
    +1 (803) 312-4381

    $45 - $55 / night

    7. Military Park Shaw AFB Wateree Recreation Area and FamCamp

    3 Reviews
    Camden, SC
    15 miles
    Website
    +1 (877) 928-8373

    "The lakeside tent area provided beautiful scenery with access to restrooms and showers. It wasn’t too crowded as it was military members only and you can’t beat the price for a lakeside spot."

    8. Little Cedar Creek Campground

    1 Review
    Camden, SC
    12 miles
    Website
    +1 (803) 309-1973

    9. Columbia Camden RV Park

    1 Review
    Elgin, SC
    6 miles
    Website
    +1 (803) 206-9954

    10. Dreher Island State Park Campground

    48 Reviews
    Chapin, SC
    35 miles
    Website
    +1 (803) 364-4152

    "This campground is a popular spot in South Carolina. Campsites are pretty close together but it's usually peaceful - lakeside sites, good fishing, but be prepared for the mosquitos!"

    "I loved how Dreher Island State Park in South Carolina gave our family the best of both safety and fun, with shaded, roomy sites that included picnic tables, fire rings and well-kept bathhouses that made"

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Recent Reviews near Elgin, SC

396 Reviews of 66 Elgin Campgrounds


  • Maria Mercedes M.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 27, 2025

    Dreher Island State Park Campground

    Family Adventures on Lake Murray

    I loved how Dreher Island State Park in South Carolina gave our family the best of both safety and fun, with shaded, roomy sites that included picnic tables, fire rings and well-kept bathhouses that made camping easy with kids. The campground sits right on Lake Murray, so the kids spent hours swimming, skipping rocks and spotting herons, while short hiking trails gave them just enough adventure without wearing them out. With boat ramps, fishing spots and wide-open lake views, it felt like a true escape, yet I had peace of mind knowing everything was family-friendly and close by when we needed it. Evenings ended around the campfire with tired, happy kids and a beautiful lakeside sunset.  I would highly recommend this place!

  • Edna T.
    Sep. 22, 2025

    RosePark Village Campsites

    Great place to stay

    This was awesome... Great location, close to town, restaurants, Darlington Nascar track, 2 lake's, water park. We were looking to relax and we did.

  • Allissa F.The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 19, 2025

    Longleaf Campground — Congaree National Park

    One night stay

    I stayed at the site closest to the parking lot. It’s a quick walk. I only stayed one night so I didn’t bring everything to the site, but if I did, it would be nice to have a second person or a wagon. There’s a two-stall pit toilet in the parking lot and trash/recycling cans. Att signal was 1 bar, no signal problems. There is a convenience store with sandwiches, ice, beer, and groceries in Gadsden 8 min away which was convenient. Just a couple minutes from Congaree national park. Bring bug spray!

  • RThe Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 16, 2025

    Cane Creek Park

    Good Campground

    This campground is one of my regular stops. It is well kept.

  • Rocky The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 10, 2025

    Big Rig Friendly RV Resort

    Home Away From Home

    We are newbies at this life and spent our first winter here. We are from Nova Scotia Canada and were just astonished at how everyone treated use like a long lost friend had returned home. The amenities were great and the temp was very comfortable. At the site we made a new friend the railway engineer who past by every day and whistled every time as we waved back. That was great as we only have one train for all of Canada (no joke). Our  pooch "Henry the Hound" also made friends and was a hit with everyone he met. We had thought about other resorts before we saw this one but being here once we have decided to make this our winter home from now on. Fuel, groceries, beverages, service stations hardware stores and mini malls are just a 10 min drive away and for those who want home delivery of groceries they are phone call away for a very nominal price. This is a must stay place.

    Rocky/Cathie

  • RThe Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 31, 2025

    Eden in Lancaster SC

    4.5 STARS Peaceful area.

    This is a nice place to stay for a peaceful and quiet getaway. It’s a good place to relax. The owner is very nice and accommodating to your needs. You’re about 10 minutes away from the town of Lancaster, South Carolina.

  • RAYMOND The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 19, 2025

    Santee Lakes KOA

    Needs Work

    We stay here twice both times were just OK. The pool is crowded and murky, suggesting it good us a good cleaning. We stay for 4th of July weekend and can only describe the experience as a free for all. With camper literally on top of each other and spreading into the next camp site. Our neighbor’s site consisted of a RV, a large six-person tent and a pick-up truck tent parked half on our site. We ventured down to the lake swimming area and doing doughnuts near or on top of the swim boundary line most of the day. To recap– can’t swim in the dirty pool and can’t swim in the lake. In fairness the KOA as made some improvement since our stay but not enough for us to go back.

  • Clean Slate D.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 1, 2025

    Sesquicentennial State Park Campground

    Beautiful campground

    Well spaced sites with good amenities. Set in the woods, making it easy to forget you're in Columbia! Quiet, lots of birds in the spring. Easy drive to Congaree, which we highly recommend.


Guide to Elgin

Camping spots near Elgin, South Carolina offer diverse terrain options from pine forests to lake shorelines, with sites distributed across several state parks and recreation areas. Overnight temperatures typically range from the 40s in winter to 70s in summer, making spring and fall particularly popular for tent campers. The region's clay-heavy soil can create drainage challenges during rainy periods at some primitive sites.

What to do

Lake activities: Water recreation at Lake Wateree State Park Campground draws boaters and swimmers throughout warm seasons. A camper noted, "The swimming area is by the office/shop. There is a really lovely strip of shaded picnic tables where we spent the hottest hours of the day. The water is pretty shallow, so the littlest ones had plenty of space to play and swim without us having to worry."

Mountain biking: Trails for all skill levels at several parks offer technical options for cyclists. "I prefer to stay at Poinsett State Park in the fall, winter, or spring as it is located in the sandhills and it can be pretty hot and buggy in the summer. This is a good place to stay to mountain bike, there are two trails in Poinsett and Manchester State Forest is nearby."

Wildlife viewing: Opportunities for nature observation around dusk at multiple parks. At Congaree National Park, "The fireflies were very pretty and interesting. We saw other wildlife around the campground too. A lizard during a walk during the day. Many frogs during the rain at night."

What campers like

Shaded campsites: Many sites feature dense tree coverage for hot weather relief. At Sesquicentennial State Park Campground, one visitor reported, "Really nice shaded campground and very reasonably priced. Clean bathhouse. Stand was unpacked but level! Staff were friendly and very welcoming."

Lake access: Direct water proximity for kayaking and fishing tops many reviews. A camper at Lake Wateree State Park mentioned, "Sites are right on the lake, paved, spacious, clean, well maintained with fire pits, water, electric and picnic tables. It is mid-way between Charlotte and Columbia. Quiet, relaxing and just nice place to getaway from the hustle and bustle."

Spacious sites: Many campgrounds feature well-separated camping areas. At Dreher Island State Park Campground, "To begin with, Dreher sets amongst a number of islands in the midst of one of South Carolina's most pristine and largest (50,000 acres) natural waterparks – Lake Murray. If you are looking for a campground destination that has a tremendous amount to offer, than look no further than Dreher Island."

What you should know

Limited connectivity: Cell service varies significantly between campgrounds. At Congaree National Park, one camper reported, "We had Verizon service. Enough to use Google image search to look up plants, animals, and mushrooms we had found."

Military campgrounds: Access requirements vary for military parks. At Military Park Shaw AFB Wateree Recreation Area, "It wasn't too crowded as it was military members only and you can't beat the price for a lakeside spot."

Distance to supplies: Most camping areas require advance planning. One visitor to Lake Wateree noted, "The park is about 25 minutes from any stores, but they keep their shop extremely well stocked. The ladies there were great with helping us find our way when we did need directions to Walmart."

Weather considerations: Heavy rains can affect camping conditions. At Congaree, "The first night got a lot of rain and storms and several of the campers from sites farther back left saying they were flooded out. Our site did have some water during the storm but it was gone by morning."

Tips for camping with families

Water play options: Several parks offer shallow swimming areas. At Lake Wateree, "The swimming area is by the office/shop. There is a really lovely strip of shaded picnic tables where we spent the hottest hours of the day. The water is pretty shallow, so the littlest ones had plenty of space to play and swim."

Kid-friendly programming: Some parks feature structured activities. At Poinsett State Park Campground, campsites are "on the smaller side but opened up to a large field area where the kids and dog could run around and play."

Group camping options: Multiple families can share designated areas. One visitor to Congaree reported, "We camped here to see the synchronous fireflies, and loved our stay! The group site was plenty big enough for all of the children, the hiking was excellent, and the fireflies were one of the most magical things I've ever seen!"

Tips from RVers

Site dimensions: Some campgrounds have tight spaces between trees. At Poinsett State Park, "We camped here for Mother's Day weekend. Our camper is 29 ft, with no slide outs and just an awning. There was no way to extend our awning, because the trees were too close. A slide out wouldn't have been able to open out."

Access roads: Park entrance conditions affect larger vehicles. Another camper noted, "It's not easy to get in here with anything bigger than a full size pickup. The park road is very narrow and uneven with lots of large pot holes. The road to the campground is a little better, but also very narrow."

Hookup locations: Some sites have utilities positioned awkwardly. At Weston Lake Recreation Area, one RVer mentioned, "I was in a spot that had the hookups at opposite end of concrete pad and opposite side. I ended up buying an additional 20 ft. of dumping tubing ($60)."

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular campground near Elgin, SC?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular campground near Elgin, SC is Sesquicentennial State Park Campground with a 4.3-star rating from 29 reviews.