5 campgrounds with availability this weekend
Poinsett State Park Campground offers pet-friendly camping on spacious sites with fire rings and picnic tables. Tent sites, RV spots, and cabins at campgrounds like Weston Lake Recreation Area and Sesquicentennial State Park accommodate campers with dogs, making these parks popular choices for pet owners exploring Gadsden. Campers browse The Dyrt when exploring the best sites near Gadsden, South Carolina. Each campground maintains a strict leash policy, requiring pets to remain under control at all times. Santee Lakes KOA welcomes pets at their tent sites, RV spaces, cabins, and glamping accommodations with clean facilities and convenient amenities. The bathhouses at these campgrounds are regularly maintained, though some reviews note facilities can be dated but functional.
Hiking trails throughout these pet-friendly campgrounds provide excellent exercise opportunities for dogs and their owners. Poinsett State Park features well-marked trails with varying difficulty levels, perfect for daily dog walks during your stay. Most sites have water spigots at each campsite, making it convenient to keep pets hydrated during warmer months. Bugs can become problematic during summer months, especially for pets, with ticks being a particular concern when hiking with dogs. The roads leading to Poinsett State Park require careful navigation due to numerous potholes, particularly challenging with larger vehicles. Weston Lake Recreation Area offers large concrete pads with fire pits and grills, providing comfortable spacing between sites so pets won't be on top of neighboring campers. Camp hosts are typically available to assist with pet-related questions or concerns about local wildlife.
"There were not too many people camping during our visit, but it could be that not many people want to stand the South Carolina heat! Either way, it made the visit quiet."
"Lake Marion is a great place for boating, kayaking, and fishing. Camp sites are mostly level and have water and a variety of electrical hookup options."
Available this weekend
"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"
from $33 - $35 / night
"Sweetwater Lake Campground is a small RV campground. There is electric and water hookup and a dump station. Lots are decent size and fairly level on grass or gravel."
"They allowed me to pitch my tent close to the lake, far away from the RVs."
"This place was well thought out when it was being built, lots of space, great level sites, nice dog park. Fitness center and laundry are new and nice."
"Great location! This RV Resort has great amenities and staff along with their location! Awesome gym and club house plus beautiful pool! Staff are very friendly and welcoming! Check them out!"
"Very nice lake and swimming area. Nice pool, pet friendly."
"No need to drive around and find your spot. Not only that but they bring you the best route to park your RV in your site. They deliver firewood and pizza. The pizza was excellent."
"This RV Resort has the largest sites around and also great amenities including pool, 4 pickle ball courts, clubhouse with large meeting room, full gym and very nice bathrooms ."
"Bsths with showers, playground, dog park and more."
from $30 / night
"My bf and I rented a camper cabin-electricity, heat, air, bunkbeds + full bed…secluded from the rest of the park, located on its own loop, separate showers(2) + 3 stalls + changing room in the public restrooms"
"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!"
Available this weekend
"This was our second visit to Outside Inn Campground and both times we stayed in the camper they offer as a rental."
"Unbelievable place to stay—from getting to feed the animals, the walking trails, the playground, Outside Inn is family friendly and our kids always have a blast!"
from $42 - $70 / night
"Must have access to Shaw afb to stay. 20 per night. No long term prices. No stay limit."
from $20 / night
ScoutIt was very nice! My fiance and I and our kitty stopped for the night, had burgers and went on a little hike in the morning with a gorgeous view. It’s very quiet, well kept. Has 2 porta-potty’s as well. Would definitely come back.
TravelerGreat camping ground, perfect for a last minute night with my four legged friend! Very nice welcome center, trails and facilities.
TravelerSuch a gem & so much fun! Farm animals galore! As you pull in, you are greeted by some friendly feathered friends (chickens galore) & and an adorable barn with all the other farm friends. Camp host is the sweetest; she is the icing on the cake!
ScoutVery quiet campground. The campers and staff are all very nice. Will definitely come back!
GuideClose to I95 & I26. Great stopover when passing through. Family owned farm and campground combined. Easy check in. Clean and private bathhouse.
LegendYou’ll find this hidden campground VERY far off the beaten trail (and trust me, this trail is as beaten up a road as you’ll find just about anywhere in South Carolina, so you'll want to drive down the lane here SLOW) on the easternmost side of Lake Marion off Ferguson Landing in southeastern part of the great Palmetto State. Given its direct access to Lake Marion, the place gets high marks for its location, but lower marks for overall upkeep and the basic downtrodden nature of the place. You’ll be impressed by the shallow water access and boat launch here, where you’ll have to maneuver around scores of submerged Cypress trees, which makes for quite the enchanting entry to Lake Marion, which if you weren’t aware, offers up 315 miles of shoreline, spans 110,000 square acres or 174 square miles and is the largest lake in South Carolina.
That said, IMHO Taylor’s Landing could use a serious bit of refurbishment and grooming, including the grounds themselves, which were quite overgrown when we stopped by. There is a general store of sorts on-site that sells sundries, ice and most camping needs as well as providing propane tanks for sale. Overall, this place is built more for the RV’ing crowd, although they do offer a few places for tent campers, but don’t offer much in terms of amenities. There was a communal dog area that was pretty worn down right near the area designated for tent camping, which given that most of the dog owners didn’t take their dogs for a walk, the smell emanating from this area was enough for us to decide not to camp here for the night. The entire CG is wide open without any benefit of shade or privacy between sites, although the perimeter has a nice treeline.
Insider’s tip? Here’s a few: (1) If you are a history buff, then you’ll be lured nearby to discover the Sunken Ghost Town of Ferguson, which was once a Congaree Indian Village, which we could access with our kayaks to explore; (2) There is a sandy beachhead that you’ll discover on one of the few trails you’ll come across here at Taylor’s Landing; (3) From an entertainment standpoint, this CG does offer up some interesting creative options during different times of the year – when we were there during the latter part of October, they offered up a ‘Trail of Terror’ for Halloween; (4) If you want to get your hike on, right nearby is Santee Cooper Nature Trail, which makes for some relative easy-to-modest hiking; (5) There’s nothing out in these parts, so if you want to grab a bite to eat, you’ll need to head back to Eutawville where there’s a few mom & pop joints like Tricia’s Café, Sweatman’s BBQ and Casters at Bells; (6) The fishing dock here is solid and offers great opportunity to reel in largemouth bass, catfish, striped bass, crappie and panfish like bluegill; and (7) The best asset here at Taylor's Landing is the fairly EZ to access boat launch that will have you in Lake Marion in no time flat, whether you have a motorized boat or a simple kayak or canoe.
Overall, Taylor's Landing could be a nice place, just in dire need of some upgrades and overall maintenance.
Happy Camping!
ScoutThis is a restricted use Army Travel Camp managed through MWR. It is open only to those holding military ID cards.
RangerMike was proactive wirg communication and extremely easy to work with. Clear instructions and a unique assortment of goodies in the farm store. We enjoyed exploring the land too!
ScoutThis is a great location, tucked away beautiful serene views and pretty well maintained. Bath house is clean with clean showers. It seems like most of the occupants are long term and everyone including the staff is very friendly. The waters are great for boating, fishing, and swimming. Tons of beautiful birds in this area. The site i got does not have sewage hookup but they can come by and pump out your tanks upon request.
Camping near Gadsden, South Carolina spans diverse terrain where the Midlands transition to the Sandhills region, with elevations ranging from 200-400 feet. Summer temperatures regularly exceed 90°F with high humidity, creating challenging camping conditions from June through August. Winter camping offers milder temperatures in the 50-60°F range during daytime hours.
Hiking varied terrain: Poinsett State Park offers exceptional trail systems with diverse difficulty levels. "I enjoyed how secluded and expansive this park is with wildlife, trails, and playgrounds. Long RVs and trailers may have trouble with the trees and turns of the campground," notes Lindsey M. The park features multiple interconnected paths through pine forests and sandhill landscapes.
Mountain biking opportunities: Cyclists find challenging trails at Poinsett State Park Campground. "This is a good place to stay to mountain bike, there are two trails in Poinsett and Manchester State Forest is nearby," explains Jodi B. The terrain combines sandy stretches and packed earth with moderate elevation changes.
Fishing access: Santee Lakes offers productive fishing from shorelines and docks. "Nice dock for fishing. Great playground along the shore," reports Molly F. from Santee Lakes KOA. Most fishing spots require no special permit beyond a standard South Carolina fishing license.
Concrete camping pads: Weston Lake Recreation Area provides stable surfaces for all equipment. "Very nice concrete pads; large sites with fire pit, grill, and picnic table. Gravel roads have washed out areas but not terrible," shares Joy B. The level pads measure approximately 20x40 feet, accommodating most camping setups.
Pet exercise areas: Sesquicentennial State Park Campground features dedicated dog-friendly facilities. "I live 10 minutes from Sesqui and visit the dogpark daily. I stay in the campsite area in my 20ft Travel trailer 2 or 3 times a year," writes Stanton L. The dog park allows off-leash play within designated fenced areas.
Swimming options: Summer heat makes water access essential at several campgrounds. "They have a dog park and our pup loved getting to run off leash. Campsites are pretty close together and some are a little on top of each other but we were in spot 79," explains Anna at Sesquicentennial State Park. Swimming areas typically operate from May through September.
Road conditions: Access to Weston Lake Recreation Area requires navigating damaged entry roads. "The roads had some serious potholes and the the campground doesn't seem to be on a regular maintenance schedule but it was clean," reports Bonnie C. These conditions worsen after heavy rainfall, particularly in spring months.
Summer insects: Bug pressure intensifies during warmer months. "First, in the parks defense, it was probably not the best idea to stay here during the summer time. July? Hottest month of the year? South Carolina? The bugs were massive," shares Matt G. about Poinsett State Park. Ticks remain active from April through October.
Site privacy varies: Campground layouts offer different levels of seclusion. "We stayed here for our son's first birthday, in campsite 30! It was beautiful and we felt like we had plenty of privacy. Our site had a trail attached to the back of it which was really nice for hiking," notes Alisa H. Corner sites typically provide more separation from neighbors.
Playground access: Several campgrounds feature play equipment for children. "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," Thomas H. mentions at Weston Lake Recreation Area. Most playgrounds lack shade structures during summer months.
Field recreation areas: Open spaces provide room for activities away from campsites. "Shaded, a large field for the children to run and play with their new-found friends, and a nice recreational building available for campers to use, complete with games, books, tables, and electricity," describes Trina W. about Poinsett State Park. These common areas typically close at sunset.
Swimming beaches: Lake access points offer supervised swimming during peak season. "A beautiful location on the lake. All campsites can probably see the lake a little," Ken W. notes about Cypress View Campground. Swimming areas generally open from Memorial Day through Labor Day, with varying hours based on staff availability.
Site dimensions: Many campgrounds accommodate larger rigs but with limitations. "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," explains Trina W. at Poinsett State Park. Most sites accommodate up to 35-foot units without slideouts.
Electrical service: Various hookup options exist across regional campgrounds. "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," Jason F. warns about Poinsett State Park. Many sites offer 30-amp service while limited 50-amp connections require early reservations.
Dump station access: Some facilities provide convenient waste disposal at individual sites. "Poinsett State Park near Wedgefield, SC. is a bit remote, but worth the effort. This is a good base to visit Congaree National Park which is a little less than an hour away," notes George P. Dump stations typically remain open during daylight hours only.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Gadsden, SC?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Gadsden, SC is Cypress View Campground — Santee State Park with a 4.2-star rating from 45 reviews.
What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near Gadsden, SC?
TheDyrt.com has all 51 dog-friendly camping locations near Gadsden, SC, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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