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Tent Camping near Chapin, SC

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    SUMMARY PRESENTED BYT-Mobile

    Tent camping options near Chapin, South Carolina center primarily around Congaree National Park, located approximately 30 miles southeast of town. The park's Longleaf Campground provides ten walk-in tent sites with varying levels of privacy and minimal amenities. A second camping area, Bluff Hike-In Campground, offers six more primitive tent sites accessible via a one-mile trail from the Longleaf parking area. Both campgrounds maintain a rustic, natural setting within the old-growth forest ecosystem.

    Tent campsites at Congaree require varying levels of effort to access, with sites 1 and 2 at Longleaf being closest to the parking lot (approximately 100-300 feet). Other sites require longer walks, with some campers recommending a wagon for transporting gear. The primitive tent sites have no running water, electricity, or showers. Vault toilets are available at the Longleaf parking lot, while potable water and flush toilets can be found at the visitor center. Each site typically includes a fire ring and picnic table. Camping permits cost $5 per night, and reservations are recommended during peak seasons, especially during the synchronous firefly event in May.

    Walk-in tent areas offer distinct advantages for those seeking seclusion within the national park. The sites are well-spaced at Longleaf, while Bluff campsites are arranged around a central grassy area with less privacy. Summer camping brings high heat and humidity with significant insect activity. Spring and fall provide more moderate conditions, though flooding can impact trail access during rainy periods. Nighttime brings remarkable wildlife sounds, particularly from frogs near the wetlands. A review from The Dyrt noted: "The sites were clean but the tree roots are horrible, at night you will trip over them and there will be some under your tent." Wildlife viewing opportunities include synchronous fireflies in May, numerous bird species, reptiles, and amphibians, making these primitive tent campgrounds particularly appealing to nature enthusiasts.

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    Best Tent Campgrounds near Chapin (8)

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      1. Longleaf Campground — Congaree National Park

      4.1(30)37mi from Chapin16 sitesTents

      "Our time at Congaree was different from the other national parks we visited, because South Carolina had just undergone major flooding and much of Congaree -- especially its trails -- were under water."

      "The campground is primitive. There are 10 single sites that you have to walk into from the parking lot. Not a very long walk but just enough to feel secluded from traffic and other people."

      from $15 - $25 / night

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      2. Blythewood Acres

      5.0(1)22mi from Chapin1 siteRVs, Tents

      from $45 - $55 / night

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      3. Rocky Branch Hunt Camp

      Be the first to review19mi from ChapinTents
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      4. Sedalia Campground

      3.3(4)39mi from ChapinTents, Glamping

      "Has fire pit and access to running water . No picnic tables and has vaulted toilets . But very nice place to get away from stress of life . Definitely will be back"

      "If you're a road cyclist this is heaven, and some decent trail riding down to the lakes. Just be aware that there are no picnic tables. Still it's cheap and close to where we live in Spartanburg."

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      5. Herbert Seasonal Camp

      Be the first to review29mi from ChapinTents
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      6. Poulous Loop Seasonal Camp

      1.0(1)44mi from ChapinTents

      7. Bluff Hike In Campground — Congaree National Park

      Be the first to review38mi from Chapin6 sitesTents

      from $10 / night

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      8. COE Hartwell Lake Poplar Springs

      Be the first to review49mi from ChapinTents

      from $75 / night

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    Recent Tent Camping Photos near Chapin, SC

    13 Photos of 8 Chapin Campgrounds

    Tent Camping Reviews near Chapin, SC

    237 Reviews of 8 Chapin Campgrounds

    • CThe Dyrt Pro User
      Mar. 24, 2023

      Lick Fork Lake Recreation Area

      Nice spot would return for sure

      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.

    • D
      Nov. 19, 2021

      Sesquicentennial State Park Campground

      Campsite 41 was poorly planned and maintained

      Pros The pond was beautiful, nice walking trail for beginners, would never consider this a hiking park. Location was close to Colombia and all it offers. Bathhouse was acceptable but nothing to brag about. Toilets were three flushers is you cared about the next guy.

      Cons Guessing I may have had the worst site (41) but walking through there were others similar. Site 41 is a pull through lot which declines quickly upon entry and is marred by deep ra9n crevices. You then incline to the area you should probably land as there is an obvious flat spot. Unfortunately in you stop there, your camper door will open on the neighboring fire ring which is the only fire ring on the back side of the neighboring spot in in the fore ground of yours. Asinine. I had to manipulate my camper for an hour to a spot level enough yet not in my neighbor's fire and dealt with a large tree and had to tie back branches to extend my awning. Uggg

      Effing covid. The state of South Carolina, the City of Columbia don't have mask mandates. But this state park requires a mask to pee in the urinal. The boss says the county still mandates it.

    • Stuart K.The Dyrt Pro User
      Jul. 1, 2023

      Dreher Island State Park Campground

      Lakeside Island Camping Paradise

      In my never-ending quest to discover the most perfect campground haven, after a rather intense amount of research, I landed on Dreher Island smack dab in the very center of South Carolina, where my daughter and I spent this past Labor Day weekend – our annual daughter & daddy camping trip – along with another very good family friends of ours. And while we’ve camped out in South Carolina before – and have been very pleasantly delighted by what the great Palmetto State has been able to offer us, we were in store for a real treat here at Dreher Island. 

      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. First of all, you’re on a proper island, so here’s what that means – nearly every single campsite here has either direct lake access or, at a minimum, a brilliant lakeview. One bit of warning would be that while the view is impeccable, the winds can be strong, and as we found out one hard, rainy and windy night, if you are camping here with a tent, you’ll want to stake your abode down with as many lines as you quite possibly can. Ultimately, we tied our cabin tent down with more than 20 lines around our makeshift abode and we still felt a howling wind each night that had us think at times that we were reshooting the tornado scene in ‘The Wizard of Oz!’ 

      As for amenities, there’s a ton: from the marina that this SP manages, where there’s a solid mini-mart (that has you covered on just about every front, from snacks and firewood to boat rentals (book WAY in advance if you want to rent anything!), ice, T-shirts and bait ... but you will want to note that there is NOT much in the way of actual groceries here) to picnic shelters and recreation pavilions, both hiking and biking trails as well as some of the most amazing water to canoe and kayak on as well as an amazing tackle loaner program – that’s right! You don’t even have to bring your own fishing pole and gear– the State of SC has this amazing program where they’ll lend you whatever you need. 

      Of course, all of the campsites come equipped with a fire ring and pull-down BBQ grill, nice level back-in paved sites (unfortunately, despite being tent campers, we only had a single slot to choose from, which was an RV site, so we pitched directly on top of the pavement – not ideal, but not the end of the world either). Each campsite has solid space, although there’s not a ton of privacy offered between campsites (really the only downside to our whole experience). The bathroom / shower facilities were just OK, but fairly clean and just a short hike from our campsite. 

      The greatest point to highlight about Dreher Island is the impeccable way in which the good rangers here take spartan great care of this magnificent campground jewel. But of course, Murray Lake itself is the real draw and she does not disappoint. My daughter and I, as well as the family who joined us, spent 90% of our time on the lake swimming, paddle-boarding, kayaking and enjoying one of the best lakes we’ve ever experienced. 

      Other amenities that you’ll appreciate: tons of shoreline for boat fishing opportunities  and what you will normally catch will include: largemouth and stripers, catfish, bream, crappie and yellow perch.  You should note however that you will need a proper SC state fishing license to catch any fish.  Other plus-ups include: playgrounds for the kids, complimentary WiFi (only near the park store though). 

      A couple insider’s tips? Here’s a few: (1) If you need anything at all, it’s just a 15 minute drive to the nearby quaint town of Chapin, where there’s a Lowes, Publix, Food Lion and Walgreen’s, Dollar General, Ace, etc.;(2) When/ if you get tired of cooking campside, then there’s a few great options (also in Chapin), where we dined at Chophouse, which was supremely awesome (side note: we were incredibly welcomed to this smart, upmarket restaurant despite showing up in our camping gear); (3) Looking for a nice spot for some late night suds? Lazy Creek Taphouse has you covered and has an outstanding outdoor vibe that will be sure to leave you with a memorable ‘Low Country’ backyard memory; and (4) if you are wanting to know the absolute best camping spot while at Dreher Island, while there are only 15 sites for tent campers, I recommend one of two places: the lakefront views of T-4 through T-7, where there’s 4 platforms perfectly set-up for large tents and that have easy access to the restrooms and showers just behind them … and T-11 through T-14, which are nothing except ‘pure tent camping bliss’ with simply fantastic, unobstructed views of Lake Murray. 

      Happy Camping!

    • SwitchbackKids
      Jun. 29, 2017

      Longleaf Campground — Congaree National Park

      Bluff Campground the way to go for quiet, peaceful park oasis

      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. For $5 per night, Bluff Campground was the perfect spot to hole up for a few days and relax surrounded by the old growth forest of Congaree National Park.

      Our time at Congaree was different from the other national parks we visited, because South Carolina had just undergone major flooding and much of Congaree -- especially its trails -- were under water.

      With no crowds and not much to explore, our three days in the park was very relaxing. We chose Bluff Campground -- a one-mile walk-in campground near the visitor center -- because we knew it would be less popular than Longleaf Campground, and we knew we’d be spending a lot of time there. The one mile hike seemed further than we thought because of our heavy loads, but once we arrived at our camp, set up our tent, chairs, hammocks, and slack line, we were able to just make the easy walk in and out each day.

      The campground itself has no facilities; its only amenities are the fire ring and picnic table at each site. We encountered only one other camper in our two nights here. We did encounter many mosquitoes, though, so don’t forget bug spray!

      At Congaree, there are several hiking trails and kayaking trails that we would have liked to do, but with our plans foiled by rain, we spent time at the visitor center, around the short boardwalk trail adjacent to the visitor center, and kayaking through the flooded plains, straight off the boardwalk.

      You can read much more about our three days in the park on our blog: Switchback Kids (Congaree)

    • Thomas H.
      Mar. 21, 2022

      Weston Lake Recreation Area

      Peaceful

      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 are completed. The receptionist said they’ve been working on it for maybe 4 years. Hopefully it’ll be completed sooner than later. The grounds could be kept up a little better as could the restrooms/bath houses but I imagine they lost some revenue due to the lake being closed for dam repairs.

      There isn’t any concerns getting back here, the biggest rigs will not have any problems. All sites are large concrete pads, FHU. Most sites are spaced very well, some better than others but you won’t be on top of anyone whichever site you’re at. They have a large concrete patio area, nearly the size of the pad itself with a picnic table and fire pit/grill and stand alone grill.

      Verizon cell coverage is adequate. I had 2 bars and LTE, sometimes 5G. Not like being in the city but sufficient. No wifi.

      There are cabins and tent sites as well. This isn’t a large campground but there were still a few open spaces.

      There will be various bugle calls throughout, morning, day and night. You may hear firing range training going on in the distance. You should expect this and it should not be seen as negative, you’re on a military campground.

      Current RV site price a night is $35, if you have a National park pass it’s $32.50. Despite the lake being off limits right now I will still come back. Once it’s opened back up I’m sure it will be more busy, right now it’s very peaceful.

    • 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!

    • Shannon G.The Dyrt Pro User
      Nov. 11, 2019

      Dreher Island State Park Campground

      Surrounded by trees, water and nature.

      My husband found Dreher Island on The Dyrt and said this is where he wanted to go for our November vacation. We looked at site photos online and found site 83. The drive in is a great way to see the whole park and campground. There were lots of picnic shelters, restrooms and trails.

      Our site was great - we had an awesome view of the lake and our neighbors weren't too close. Our pad was level and we noticed that others were not or very bumpy as tree roots were growing underneath which would have made getting level a little tricky. We were surrounded by trees which brought in a lot of birds and squirrels, even a deer on our first morning. The fire ring is right off the pad, so don't back in to the very end of the pad which was fine because the pad was long for us.

      The shower house was just a little walk past a few campsites. There were flush toilets, sinks and two showers. The showers did not have anywhere inside to leave your items, but there was a bench directly outside of your curtain. The camp host kept it nice and clean.

      We stayed from Sunday-Saturday - some days we just sat around the fire and others we hiked around the island. There are a couple of designated areas for hiking and doable for any age. Every morning and evening we walked the campground which helped us check out some other sites. I'll acknowledge the good sites in our photos. The tent sites on the outside/shore side had tent pads then there were a few tent sites on the inside, but no tentpads - they all had electric.

      We visited the marina store to pick up ice and wood and found that they also had some food items, condiments, fishing items, souvenirs and ice cream. We found that the Dollar General store in Chapin had cheaper wood, ice and anything else you may need...go there first.

      We left Veterans weekend and it was just about full on Friday night. This might be our go to vacation spot - we lucked out with weather and one of the nicest stays at a state park.

    • Michael W.
      Jan. 8, 2021

      Brick House Campground (Sc) — Francis Marion And Sumter National Forests

      Better than Thought

      Easy access from I26. Spent a week here and really enjoying it. Has 21 spots. All have legal gravel pads, fire rings with grill bars. Vault toilets clean and trash containers serviced. Within good driving distance to larger towns. Access for bigger rigs too. Ranger Bob was here and talked to him. Real nice and informative. 5.00 to me is great for the peace and quiet. Arrived after hunting season, informed was busy then. 4 or 5 come and go.

    Guide to Chapin

    Tent camping near Chapin, South Carolina provides primitive backcountry experiences with seasonal challenges. The region receives approximately 46 inches of rainfall annually, creating a humid subtropical climate that supports diverse wildlife populations. Summer temperatures regularly exceed 90°F between June and September, while winter nights can drop below freezing from December through February.

    What to do

    Explore ancient trees: The pristine trails near Congaree River showcase remarkable old-growth forest. "Pristine, but organized trails near the Consgree river and Swamp. Lots of wildlife and ancient trees on the trails. Small campsite to include group camping. 40 miles from downtown Columbia SC. A rare treat to go back in time like this," notes a visitor at Longleaf Campground.

    Witness synchronous fireflies: A rare natural phenomenon occurs in late May to early June. "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," shares Veronica S. from her stay at Longleaf Campground.

    Hike the Palmetto Trail: This long-distance trail passes through multiple camping areas. "The Palmetto Trail runs through it, so if you are thru-hiking, this would be a good place to camp for the night," explains Myron C. who camped at Sedalia Campground.

    What campers like

    Wildlife encounters: Many tent sites offer excellent natural observation opportunities. "We saw the synchronous fireflies! There were even a few at our site. There is vault toilet at the parking lot," reports kelly from her experience at Longleaf Campground.

    Spacious sites: Tent camping areas provide good separation between sites. "Good amount of space between all spaces. Sites 1-3 are the easiest to get to. We were at site 7, it took about 250 steps from the parking lot to our site. All sites have lots of shade," notes a camper at Longleaf.

    Clean facilities: Some primitive sites feature well-maintained amenities. "I was glad to see that it had running water and one of the cleanest pit toilets I think I have ever seen," writes Myron C. about Sedalia Campground.

    What you should know

    Flooding risk: Low-elevation sites can experience water issues after rain. "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," reports Veronica S. about camping at Bluff Hike In Campground.

    Insects are intense: Prepare for significant bug activity, especially in warm months. "Definitely bring a wagon for packing your stuff in and prepare to be eaten alive by deer flies everywhere you go! The heat in June is also pretty bad," warns Jacinda S. about her Longleaf experience.

    Noise levels vary: Natural sounds can be surprisingly loud. "The campground is next to a pond that gets rather loud at night. I never knew frogs/toads could be so loud," shares a camper from their Longleaf stay.

    Tips for camping with families

    Bring a wagon: Many sites require walking from parking areas. "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," advises Allissa F. about her stay at Longleaf Campground.

    Plan for supplies: Limited services nearby require advance planning. "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!" recommends Allissa F.

    Consider group sites: Some campgrounds offer dedicated areas for larger parties. "There is a spacious grassy area in the middle of the campsites for whatever activities you want to engage in. There is also a large, separate grassy area for group camping. It includes a communal fire pit," notes Myron C. about Sedalia.

    Tips from RVers

    Limited electric hookups: Few tent camping locations near Chapin offer RV amenities. "Nice, quiet campground. Has fire pit and access to running water. No picnic tables and has vaulted toilets. But very nice place to get away from stress of life," reports Susan B. about her experience at Sedalia Campground.

    Tent-focused facilities: Most sites prioritize tent camping with minimal RV support. "This is a small campground. It's National Park so there are no amenities. Walk in sites. Lots of bugs so come prepared," advises Joel R. about his Longleaf experience.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Which is the most popular tent campsite near Chapin, SC?

    According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Chapin, SC is Longleaf Campground — Congaree National Park with a 4.1-star rating from 30 reviews.

    What is the best site to find tent camping near Chapin, SC?

    TheDyrt.com has all 8 tent camping locations near Chapin, SC, with real photos and reviews from campers.

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