If you're looking for a place to pitch your tent near Calhoun Falls, look no further. You can find tent campsites by type, including drive-in, walk-in, and even hike-in for a backpacking adventure. Would you prefer a quiet dispersed site or an established camgpround with amenities? Either way, The Dyrt makes it easy to find the perfect place to pitch your tent.
$10 / night
The surrounding forest environment sustains abundant wildlife, resulting in some of the most desirable upstate hunting areas. The camp also serves as the trailhead for the 26.7 mile Long Cane Horse Trail. Click here for a printable guide and vicinity map.
$5 - $150 / night
This recreation area is part of J. Strom Thurmond Lake
This recreation area is part of J. Strom Thurmond Lake
Sleep under the stars here at Denver Downs Farm! Set up your tent or camper in secluded area on the treelined side of our 140 acre field. Take a hike to the top of the hill and take in panoramic views of sunsets and the surrounding blue ridge mountains. There are loads of scenic trails to hike and waterfalls to visit just 20 -30 minutes drive away. We’re just 1 mile from Lake Hartwell and 20 miles from Lake Keowee so access to water sports are readily available. There are many restaurants within 1 mile of our farm. You are in the country- but close to “everything” – we are 1 mile off of Interstate 85. Clemson University is 11 miles up Clemson Boulevard. We host special events year round including our annual Fall Festival and fantastic concerts. Get tickets to those events and stay for the weekend!
$30 / night
Morrow Bridge and Midway seasonal camps, located in the western and northern portions of the Long Cane Ranger District, offer primitive facilities in a setting ideal for hunting.The surrounding forest sustains abundant populations of deer, turkey and quail, placing it among the most desirable hunting areas in the upstate. Several check stations and supply stores are located in the area. Click here for a printable guide and vicinity map of Morrow Bridge Camp. Click here for a printable guide and vicinity map of Midway Camp.
Clarks Hill is a popular park on J. Strom Thurmond Lake, just off Georgia State Highway 221 near the dam. The 70,000 acre lake and its 1,000+ miles of shoreline provide excellent boating, water skiing, swimming, fishing, hiking and picnicking opportunities.
Thurmond Lake provides some of the best fishing, hunting, and water sports in the southeastern United States. Anglers fish for largemouth bass, bream, crappie, catfish and striped bass. The large lake offers endless boating, water skiing, jet skiing, canoeing and swimming opportunities. Hikers have access to many miles of trails in the area. The 1.8-mile Lake Springs Loop and the 27-mile Bartram Trail, which meanders along the scenic shoreline and through Wildwood Park, are nearby. Shorter sections can be hiked from several intersecting trailheads.
Clarks Hill is a wooded day-use area with several picnic shelters, some with electrical hookups. The shelters can accommodate groups as small as 6 and as large as 48. Amenities include flush and vault toilets, drinking water, a beach, boat ramp and dock.
Hot, humid summers and mild, pleasant winters characterize this heavily wooded area on the shore of Thurmond Lake. A mixed pine and hardwood forest covers the site, providing summer shade and fall color. Elevation is 345' above sea level. Wildlife is abundant around the lake. Visitors regularly see southern bald eagles, migratory waterfowl, wild turkeys and whitetail deer.
Numerous parks and recreation areas lie around Thurmond Lake, providing additional boating, swimming, hunting, and hiking opportunities. Nearby cities house museums, art galleries, zoos, restaurants, and shopping areas. The Augusta National Golf Club hosts the Masters Golf Tournament annually the first week of April.
$25 / night
Scout
What a beautiful State Park. My husband and I enjoyed our time visiting the park. We were at camp site#83. It was a hike to get to the water with numerous steps that could hinder some. Very private, wooded lot with obstructed views of the lake. Phone service was 1/2 bar to none. We had a terrible issue with ants. We rented a golf cart from Calhoun Falls Rentals and explored the entire park. We loved the Public access beach and picnic areas. The staff at the store were excellent. We went to lunch at a restaurant just over the SC/GA state line called“Ain’t It Guud” and had the best burgers! We took a day trip into Abbeville and stopped at Swartzenteuber’s Bakery and drove the square to see Abbeville Oprah House and other small shops. Overall it was a very peaceful stay and we will definitely be returning, with ant bait in hand.
GuideCalhoun Falls is one of 2 campgrounds on Lake Russell. There are over 80 campsites plus 14 tent sites which were all right on the lake. We were on tent site 8, and it looked like tent sites 0-5 had a little more privacy but a longer walk (The tent sites had a bathroom and an outdoor shower). We had a friendly little black snake that lived by our campsite but he didn’t bother us and we didn’t bother him 😊 Also, if you hear rustling around in the middle of the night, it’ll probably turn out to be an armadillo! The state park had a lot of amenities which were great for fishing-plenty of docks, boat ramps, a green-light fishing dock, a tackle loan program and even a fish cleaning area! We saw some nice sized bass by the green light dock. There were bathrooms and showers in almost every area, and a nice sandy beach swimming area. You have to drive or use a golf cart to get to other parts of the state park, otherwise it would be a very long walk. They do have 2 trails you can hike though. This was our first time camping at Calhoun Falls but we will definitely be coming back!
Traveler
The cabins are nice, but small and no plumbing. If you're used to tent camping then the cabins are one step above that. Bonus is the air conditioning. Great view in Cabins 1 and 2. Gentle slope to a nice beach as well for those two cabins.
Tent sites are on the water as well but are right on top of each other. I could almost touch two of the tent pads at the same time.
Ranger
Until this weekend, Hard Labor Creek State Park was our favorite GA campground! Sorry HLC, you’ve been bumped to #2 (still great)!
Victoria Bryant is hidden on Hwy 327, near Royston and, although a small campground, almost EVERY SITE IS PERFECT!
The park offers bicycle rentals, a swimming pool, plenty of picnic areas, multiple spots to play in the creek and some great hiking trails!
The campsites are HUGE and there are several extra amenities for campers to use! There’s a volleyball court, horseshoe pits, picnic pavilion and a central fire pit!
The park staff is great and the camp hosts are helpful! When we first arrived and began to set up, there was an electrical issue at our site but the park maintenance man had it resolved quickly!
The sites do not offer full hookups but there are multiple gray water dump sites in the campground (we used a five gallon bucket for our outdoor sink). We walked across the road from our site and dumped our bucket!
The park has the usual stuff to purchase (ice, firewood, etc.) but you can also head to Hartwell and hit the local Wally World if need be.
If you're camping in a tent, the tent sites are AMAZING! (see attached image) We've never seen these shelters before! You can even hang your hammock(s) underneath the shelter for a true outdoor camping experience!
We enjoyed every minute of our stay here, from the time we arrived to the time we left!
One more thing; if you're a golfer, there is a BEAUTIFUL golf course here as well!
We camped in our pop up but we'll probably be back to try out the tent shelters!!
FYI: Verizon Wireless has full 4G LTE service in the campground...we brought our MiFi Jetpack and streamed Netflix with zero issues!
Guide
Whether camping in a tent or renting a cabin, all are $20 per night. 🤔 Beautiful lake, flushing toilets and hot showers. I am passing through but see others boating, fishing and hunting. Laundry available upon request and current availability.
ScoutWe travel and camp at many places across South Carolina but this was our first visit to Calhoun Falls State Park. What a gem! Beautiful scenery, large, spacious lakeside campsites. We enjoyed privacy, lake access from our campsite, and spectacular sunset views over the lake. Rangers and staff at park store are friendly and helpful. We can’t wait to go back.
GuideThe tent sites are probably the best tent sites I’ve camped at. Spaced out and the pad area is great. They all have good tree coverage and are somewhat secluded.
Guide
I was passing thru SC on the SCAR headed down to the Palmetto Rally and stopped here to camp. It was a very nice campground with level pads, picnic table and fire ring (bring your own wood). As well there were several vault toilets and there was even a water faucet. It was a good campground and I would stay here again. It is not reservable so first come first served. There was some cell coverage as well. I tent camped so can not comment on RV as the others in the campground were tent camping as well.
Traveler
This State Park is large with camping for everyone, RV’s, tent camping. On lake Thurmond between Plum S. C. And Modoc S. C. On hey 28.
Guide
Tent camped here at Twin Lakes in June 2018. Very private (site 12) and beautiful view of Lake Hartwell. Staff was friendly and bathrooms/showers were clean.
Scout
Stayed here this past weekend and what a wonderful tent site! Slept in the hammock and woke up to a beautiful view!
GuideTent sites have outlets, water and a light! Really beautiful easy hiking near by and a nice place to swim. Great for an easy family trip.
Guide
Mistletoe takes very good care of their sites. There are plenty of RV/tent sites to choose from as well as a few walk-in sites, a group site, and even a few back country sites. The facilities are always extremely clean. They also have laundry facilities available.
Traveler
We tent camped here and were definitely the minority. Lots of RVs and pull behinds. Sites were well spaced. We had 15 and it was great, I would stay at the same site again. Water and electric at all sites. Access to water from majority of sites. Bath house was clean enough. Front desk attendants were wonderful. We loved this place and plan to return!
Scout
We tent camped and stayed right on the water. Sites were very clean and spacious. Bath houses were pretty clean. There is water and electric at each site for those who are in a RV but the dump sites are pretty close by. We will definitely be back! We saw quite a lot of wildlife during our stay and enjoy taking the trail around the lake.
GuideWe absolutely loved this campground. Lots of trails and great creek swimming spots for the dogs. We are planning a trip back late summer so we can enjoy the water. Sites are well maintained and level for my camper. The tent sites are amazing and I may leave my camper home next time.
GuideI stayed in primitive tent site 10 but all of these primitive sites are great! Well kept and spacious. Some sites have a decent walk in distance but others are close to the parking areas. There’s water points to get fresh water if needed throughout the site areas. Definitely will stay here often when “car” camping instead of backpacking.
Guide
Site was in a hill looking down at the lake. Large tent site that easily fit two 4 person tents as well as a picnic table and fire pit. Plenty of trees to put up hammocks as well to enjoy the view during the day. Can walk down to sandy area of lake where people had pulled up jet skies, were boating, and swimming.
Traveler
If you have a boat or jetski there is a ramp. Has showers and restrooms. Mostly for RVs however there are a few tent sites that have tree cover. The RV sites don't really offer any trees for shade. The lake is great for swimming. The campground also offers paddle board and kayak rentals. The campground has a gate that gets locked at 10 pm. You can leave but you can't come back into the campground after the gate gets locked.
Guide
Lake Greenwood State Park is a smaller state park in South Carolina. The lake is sizable, you can easily take your boat or jet skis, but at the same time the lake is suitable for canoes and kayaks as well. This weekend, we opted for the tubes as our means to relax on the lake, and we achieved that. The only issue we found was the size of the campground itself. The campsites are nearly on top of one another, but there are some beautiful spots right on the lake. Since they are so close, you can hear the neighbors at all hours, and there is hardly any privacy. One other issue was the sites themselves. Now, if you have an RV, it's no problem. But if you are into tent camping, like I am, you will have to pitch the tent on gravel or pavement. Not the easiest pitch. With that, though, it was still enjoyable and relaxing.
Gear Review – As a Dyrt Ranger, I also get to review and test products in the field. This weekend was the perfect weekend to test the Cotopaxi 35L Travel Duffel. Right out of the mail, I knew that it would be one bag that lasts for a super long time. It is extremely well made, and very versatile. The only thing I was concerned about when I opened it for the first time was the size. I didn't quite believe I could fit everything for the weekend inside. This was not the case this weekend, though. I even had enough room for the frisbee with all of my clothes, toiletries, and extra pair of shoes. Overall, it is an excellent weeken bag, in it for the long haul. Check it out here: https://www.cotopaxi.com/collections/chumpi/products/chumpi-35l-travel-duffel
TravelerThus is a nice but huge campground. Mostly RVs. I camped at one of the walk in tent sites. Not to far from parking area so it was easy to get gear to site. Lake is absolutely beautiful and a blast to swim in. Can be noisy because of boats on lake and so many other campers. Staff is very friendly. Has one of the "free little libraries" so I could grab a new book when I finished mine. Like all campgrounds, gets busy on weekends.
LegendThis is one of South Carolina's furthest afield campgrounds (any closer to Georgia and you'd be in that state!), so be prepared to find seclusion and a decent dosage of privacy all on the lakefront edge of heaven. Having never camped in SC before, my family and I checked out a number of campgrounds in the state before stopping by this one - and for the most part (bathrooms aside), we were delighted by what we found!
Unless inland, the majority of campsites either inch up to the lake's shoreline or offer a small, easy-to-access private pathway to the waterline. Each campsite that we viewed had very generous (and most importantly) flat grounds, although all are set off by small pebble grounds, much like a driveway (which if you are used to grass, will irk some, but for those that have camped on much larger stone rubble, won't mind as much).
Insider's tip? Bring cardboard boxes and lay them underneath your tent- both your elbows and knees will thank you later!
All sites feature a fire circle, running waterline (and for those spots designated RV, an electrical line) along with a peculiar hanging hook for garbage (which depending upon which way the wind is blowing, can be good or really horrible). The bathrooms are just mediocre (at best) and should be prioritized by the state to be demolished (yes, not simply remodeled) and rebuilt as they feel fairly 3rd world (in fact, I've camped in 3rd world countries that had better bathrooms!). I was impressed by the space and privacy of each campsite - while in many spots you can still see your neighbors, this campground offered abundantly much more privacy than other SC state campgrounds. And while camping purists will be put off by the seemingly overwhelming# of RV's, although the way that the sites are organized, you can still camp out in a tent here and not feel as though you are spending the night in a mall parking lot.
The most majestic offering of Calhoun Falls State Park is its access to the pristine lake- whether boating, kayaking or inter tubing it, this spot is nothing short of perfection! The entire state park is fairly great-sized and you'll find numerous trail hiking and biking to explore. For those seeking spiritual experiences, there's even an outdoors service on Sundays, which looked pretty spectacular when we passed by(for more, just read John 3:16).
Outside the campground perimeters, there's not much in the way of commercial offerings or grocery stores, although there is a 7/11 in the nearby town of Calhoun Falls, and for those that don't mind a slightly longer drive, there were definitely some stop by's in neighboring Mount Carmel (roadside café), Bordeaux (check out the small church!) and Willington (beware the odors from the outdoor 'art cafe'!).
Happy Camping!
TravelerWe stayed at Lake Hartwell State park in stie 98 which was a lovely lakeside site. The sites on either side (96, 99) all shared a path to a small beach with lake access. Most other sites in the Wiggins Loop did not seem to have lake access- exceptions being tent sites and the cabins. There was some privacy and the sites were decently spread out, but since they were staggered a bit you could definitely see into other sites.
Nice camp store with helpful staff and firewood for sale.
Place was packed over the weekend but cleared out Sunday.
TravelerI love this campground!! A lot of the campgrounds I have been to can't accommodate my large tent and still leave space. This one can. The sites are large and flat. They are spaced enough apart for privacy and have tons of wooded area for hammocks and such. Most are lake front to beautiful Lake Russell. Campsite 21 had easy lakefront access for swimming or kayaks or even putting our paddleboat in. The campground also consists of a camp store, a basketball court, and a tennis court. A local company we deliver golf carts and water sports equipment right to your site for very reasonable prices. All the rv/tent sites are equipped with clean water and power. From sites 19-24 you can see both the sunrise and the sunset over the lake.
Scout
Great place for beginners. Lake access at every campsite. Breeze from the lake all day. Plenty of trees to choose from for the perfect hammock spot. I had a great sunrise and sunset view with shade during the day. Able to dock kayaks, boats, and jet skis right at your campsite, maybe a little too rocky for boats but pontoons seemed to do just fine. Not the quietest place I've camped but was still able to relax just fine. I think this would be a great place to gather a bunch of friends for a long weekend, tent sites 67-70 were right at a large cement pad, perfect for provided picnic tables or yard games. Our water hookup didn't work, but everyone around us did.
TravelerA lot of the sites are on the waters edge and offers beautiful views. The red clay was horrible though, especially with a white dog and after it rained. We had site 145, beautiful views but difficult to maneuver into the site and access the water, but we made it work. We would return though. Site 144 and 143 had gorgeous views of the sunset...I’ve heard 108 and 77 are prime spots. Be aware of booking a site and how you’re awning will face! Bathhouse is about 1/2 mile away, so too far to walk when you have to go. Not many bathhouses either so there was a line for the shower (only 2 shower stalls and 3 toilets for at least 75 campsites with the tent sites included). Only 2 single access dump stations for the entire park, so there was a line of 8-10 campers at both on a Sunday morning!
GuideVictoria Bryant State Park is probably one of my most frequented camping spots in the last few years. All of the tent sites are sheltered platforms, with electricity, potable water and an overhead light. Rain or shine, you can have a good time (and stay dry) at Victoria Bryant. There are only about 8 platforms, and one is ADA only, so they book up quick. They are all spaced pretty far apart, privacy isn't too hard to maintain (except maybe site 7&8). 1-4 are down a hill, 4 being the furthest away at about 40 feet, down the steepest incline. There are facilities right across the parking lot, that have always been clean and well maintained, and heated in the colder months. Camp hosts and office have firewood. There are several miles of trails that are lower difficulty, save for some hilly spots. In October, the park does a pretty cool little haunted trail. There's obvious reasons we enjoy VBSP, staying dry in the rain, nice, dense forested areas, and awesome campgrounds make it an easy choice.
Tent camping near Calhoun Falls, South Carolina, offers a blend of serene natural beauty and outdoor adventure, perfect for those looking to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Calhoun Falls, SC?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Calhoun Falls, SC is Leroys Ferry with a 4.3-star rating from 4 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 17 tent camping locations near Calhoun Falls, SC, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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