Best Tent Camping near Dillon, SC

Our GPS wanted us to take Jones Lake State Park Rd, that was closed off, about 300 yards before the main park entrance. They have good directions on their website to follow. Check-in was easy. We proceeded to site 8, back-in with FHUs and 50 AMP. The roads were narrow but one way. Our back-in was a little challenging with our 39’ 5th wheel due to brush across the road, but very doable. Utilities were centrally located to the pad. Water pressure was good at around 50 psi. We got 2 bars on Verizon, a variety of OTA channels, and clear shot to the southern sky for satellite. Six of the CG’s back-in sites are FHUs with both 30 & 50 AMP. However, there are very spacious pull thru sites, but no hook ups, not even electric. We could have extended our stay and dry camped in one of these spots but there’s no dump station. This made us wonder if the state ran out of money or if they are still building? This was a very nice CG with well spaced campsites and a good trail system. There are no water views from the CG but the lake is a short walk. The CG is essentially a large circle with even numbers to the inside and odd numbered pull thru sites and some smaller tent sites to the outside. There is also a group tent camping area. FHU sites are 2, 4, 6, 8, 18& 20 and are long enough for large rigs. Back-in site 18, which is a handicap spot, could be a tight back-in for a trailer over 38’. Eighteen is pretty much a 90 degree turn plus there’s a water spigot and metal recycle container directly across the street to contend with. There are water spigots about every 4 sites(near sites 3, 7, 11, etc.) throughout the CG. There is a newer looking shower house conveniently located between sites 16& 18 that we didn’t use. The 3 nights we stayed over a weekend, the CG was maybe half full so very quiet and peaceful. If we could book one of the FHU sites or they add a dump station, we would stay here again.

I just love the name of this campground- Little Pee Dee is located in South Carolina and it is near the town of Dillon. The lake is absolutely beautiful, and one of my favorite things about this park. Part of the lake is from the Carolina Bay, and the coloring of the water is gorgeous. The campground and facilities are great. I thought the bathroom on site was very clean and taken care of. They also have a shower facility on site too. The shower facilities did get a little hot because there wasn't any fans in the area. It looked like they had some sort of heater, which would be nice for the winter. The area was a little hot and steamy after the shower. If you have kids they will love the playground that is in the campground as well. There are also a lot of great trails and hikes to do. My family and I did a hike everyday that we stayed here, for a total of 3 hikes. The scenery is gorgeous, especially the hikes that over look the lake. We camped with our RV, but you can also tent camp as well. I know when my family went in 2017 they had drained the lake because of a hurricane so If you plan on going I would suggest doing some research to see if the lake is back and running. If having no lake is fine with you, then I would definitely still recommend going. The hiking is amazing and worth the stay in itself.

Pretty nice campground right off of hwy 401, just south of Raeford NC. There is a pit toilet and water spigot. There are no showers here. The Lumber River is right here, so fishing and canoeing/kayaking are popular activities. There is a hiking trail here as well.

The right hand side of the campground is set up for RV,s (pull through sites). The left hand side is for tent camping. Tent camping sites, 9-10-11, sit WAY back in the woods, so its like almost like having your own campground. TONS of forage wood here.

With talking to the rangers, they were saying that the place seldom gets too crowded, and you can almost always get a reservation here.

Cheraw state Park was an overall good camping experience. We stayed in the tent camping area, which was well kept. My only complaint is that the sites are somewhat close together, but it's not a huge deal. Park is well kept and the sights are worth seeing. Plenty of trails to walk down, with a boardwalk that covers the side of lake juniper.

This campsite doesn’t seem to be too popular which is fine. The tent sites are some of the better spread out ones that I’ve seen and having cell coverage is immensely appreciated considering you’re basically in the middle of nowhere. Beautiful hikes around the river right next door.

Every year on the first weekend of March, we go to the Sandblast Rally that’s in the same town as this campsite. As per usual lodging gets filled up and it’s hard to find a place. If it wasn’t for The Dyrt I would have never found this place. The lady gave us a discount since it was cold and we were tent camping. There’s tons of amenities here. Laundry, kitchen, playground, commons area with a tiki bar. There isn’t much hiking or exploring to be had at the campground but there are tons of parks within just a ten minute drive.

This spot is so close to I95 (look for exit 169) that you’ll both feel and hear the swoosh of passing by traffic 24/7. So, while you’ll incur ease and convenience, that will come at a cost (privacy and quietude being what you will sacrifice most).  Located in the NE pocket of the Palmetto State, Florence RV Park, while not a destination per se, could be a nice (and incredibly easy) layover on your trip destination to anywhere else up or down this major east coast highway artery.

Despite the location, this spot has a lot to offer: an intimate little public pool behind the management office, WiFi hotspots, dog park, scattered picnic tables (in pretty good condition), kid’s playground, 20 / 30 / 50 amp hook-ups, dump station, dog walk area, catch & release fishing pond, propane refueling station, vending machines, small pond for fishing, basketball court, volleyball, badminton and horseshoe rings. There’s even 4-5 log cabins for rent at the front of the property (with full access to all the highway noise) and of course, good old fashioned on-site laundry facilities along with a mini-store that has most of the basics covered as well as fairly spartan shower / bathing facilities. 

Insider’s tip? Here's a few: (1) The further east you are on the property, all the better as you’ll be positioned as far away from I95 traffic and noise; (2) If tent camping, I highly recommend spots #A7 – A13 and if you are RV’ing I recommend #L9 – L18 as well as any of the locations on J, K and F11 – F16; (3) There’s a lot to explore near here, from the Grand Strand of South Carolina, of course, Myrtle Beach and even Darlington Raceway, so if you don’t mind the overpopulated location with its westerly view of non-stop traffic, then this could be a good place to stop for the night or from which to launch your exploration of the area; (4) If you’ve looked at this RV campground’s website, don’t be fooled by the pictures – I don’t think any of them were actually taken of the place, save for the pond, and that was a close-up; and (5) If you are looking for a nearby spot to sample the local fare, I recommend checking out The Drive-In Restaurant with its 50s era nostalgia, big juicy burgers, fried everything, homemade onion rings and thick, creamy chocolate shakes.

Happy Camping!

Big Cypress Lake RV park is a smallish (approximately 10 sites) RV park located on a private lake. The lake has a walking path maintained by the landowners. Reservations are required to stay in this RV park. There are nightly and monthly rates. The park can handle even the largest RVs and most of the sites are right on the waterfront. The site has fairly good reviews on Google. Electric (up to 50amp) and water hookups are available. There is a picnic area by the water, along with 2 docks you can fish from. A large grassy area is available for pets (must be leashed).

Reservations can be made by calling (843) 902-9090.

Rates are currently $50/night ($795/mo) which includes fishing on the lake (which is private to the RV park). Tent sites are available at $45 per night ($495/mo.)

Extra charges are as follows:

$2.50/DAILY• Ages 12& OVER

$1.00/DAILY• UNDER 12 of age

$10.00/DAILY• Big Rigs or 50 AMP

Rates can also changed based on holidays or special events. When arranging your reservation, check rates.

The park is owned currently by Tim and Jane Chestnut.

We recently returned from 5 days tent camping at Cheraw. We chose site #8 that was directly on the lake and offered electricity and water. These sites are obviously designed for RV’s with little or no space for tent campers. Although there is a designated tent area, it is back in the woods and not lakefront.

The minimal room we had was fortunately on the lake shore with wonderful shade trees.  The space was not level and contained some unfriendly exposed tree roots. Fortunately we had an inflatable air bed and the roots weren’t much of a problem. 

Lake Juniper is quite small and swimming is allowed in a designated area on the far side of the lake. We had inflatable rafts and tied our floats to a tree in front of our site , highly aware that a spillway not too far from our site would prove quite dangerous if one went too close then pulled over.

The small office on the opposite side of the lake offers ice and wood as well as ice cream, candy etc to satisfy any junk food craving. 10 minutes from the park is an IGA. It offers the basics and a little further out is a Walmart with groceries.

The bathhouse is currently “ under construction” although we saw no work being done during our stay. One half of the bathhouse had been designated unisex with three locking stalls and curtained showers. There is an interior lock if you choose to have the entire bathhouse all to yourself. I grew up in a family of eight and have no problem sharing a bathroom. The bathhouse has obviously seen a great deal of traffic, is quite dated and poorly ventilated. Hopefully the bathhouse will receive its update soon.  

The campground host was quite helpful and an all around nice guy. We chatted a bit and he has a very interesting background.

We would return to Cheraw and confidently reserve #7 or #8 for tents. There are most likely other suitable sites there that escaped my notice.

If you haven’t been to a roadside circus lately or don’t want to shell out the dough for Disney World, then this particular RV amusement park location just off of I-95 and due south of the North Carolina/ South Carolina border may just be the perfect spot for you. 

With a wide-array of parallel, elongated parking lanes for your parking pleasure, all of the sites come equipped with the typical 30/ 50 amp electrical hook-ups, waste disposal and water connections. There’s the standard picnic table, fire ring/BBQ, garbage receptacles, 3-4 communal bathhouses and even a handful of community BBQ’s. 

The hosts, who work out of the Camp Pedro Store/ Office are incredibly nice and offer pricing by the night or week. There’s not a ton of amenities to pick and choose from– APART FROM THE NON-STOP LINEUP OF AMUSEMENT PARK options you will find everywhere! But the campground itself features 2-3 community playgrounds, group BBQ’s and the everything-you-need store. And while I looked, there’s no pool to speak of. 

Insider’s Tip? Near this RV parking lot, you do have access to Betsy Jackson Bay if you want to get away and off the beaten path a bit to explore nature… otherwise, head back to Pedro’s, put on your silly hat, load up the car full of tchotchkies and get your fill of this whacky Tex Mex experience! 

Happy Camping!

After a full two days navigating down through the east coast cities, we landed at Little Pee Dee State park in South Carolina. The driveway is about two miles long, and is a beautiful road with tall pines and oak trees, both decorated with Spanish moss. We stopped at the ranger station to check in and were greeted by a friendly ranger who took our fee of I think only 20 dollers for a camp site. He gave us a park map and we proceeded to go set up camp. We chose a sweet site, not too far from the shower/commode house, but also nice and nestled in the trees. The park was very tidy and well cared for. After a good rest we woke up to birds a chirping and the smell of pines. Off to explore the trails. We found that the trails were easy to navigate. The camp sites are set up next to a large pond. From there the trails basically bring you on a trek around the pond. Many geese and birds are easy to spot as they enjoy the water. The trees are maintained so that they are not too thick. This allowed us to enjoy hunting for various flora. My overall impression of this park is of a well maintained and peaceful park. It is off the highway quite a bit, so the park is not overflowing with people. I would definitely go again.

Let’s start off with the name of this joint – Dillon Bass Lake Camp Ground. First of all, there’s no lake near this place, save Betsy Jackson Bay, which isn’t a lake, it’s a Bay, which is weird, because last time I checked, a bay is an inlet of water from a nearby ocean. And while there’s a nearby (Atlantic) ocean, there’s no inlet, which, um, makes it a lake, right? So even if we gave this campground the benefit of the doubt that they might be somewhat near (not at, mind you) a lake, I asked the good folks near Betsy Jackson Bay if there was bass that could be caught there and they laughed at me saying that there isn’t any bass to be caught anywhere around Dillon (the nearby town), so I’m doubly confused. Add to that, they refer to their locale as a Camp Ground – but spell it with 2 words. I mean, it’s 1 word, right? Campground. Alright, nomenclature aside, this camp ground is located right of the I95 corridor, so for anyone going up and down this major artery, accessing this place is pretty easy. Add to that, you’re right near a small little town – there’s plenty of options to get supplies, shop and eat at a restaurant if you want to. The campground has all the basic amenities: 30 / 50 amp hookups along with water and sewage lines. There’s picnic tables and BBQ pits too. Somewhat spacious as this spot is kind of in the country (albeit a stone’s throw from I95 nonetheless). Insider’s tip? If you get tired of cooking in your RV kitchen or oven open fire, the nearby town of Dillon has some culinary surprises that I wasn’t prepared for. To begin, they have a few spots that really stand out: 1) Southern Fried for, well, everything that you would expect to be fried (chicken, fish (yeah, I asked, no bass!) and even some things that shouldn’t be fried; 2) Papa Tom’s Drive In Restaurant (burgers, sandwiches and more fried stuff); but the star of the show is; 3) La Oaxaquena Tienda & Taqueria. I simply couldn’t believe I found a little spot that specializes in arguably some of the best food from all of Mexico in Oaxaca. All these spots were great, so give them a try. 

Happy Camping!

I needed some time away. This is a great way to escape. Very clean well kept, people are nice. Indoor and outdoor pool, clean bathrooms, has store and cafe. If you don't have a camper or don't want to tent nice cabins are available. Great place!

we had a short trip to jones lake campground in our car/tent. the campsites are not very private, we went in February so there was not many people around us, which was nice. keep in mind during busy months you will definitely be able to see fellow campers around you. amenities were great including bathhouses and plenty of trash receptacles around the park. great spot for a short stay on your longer journey, or a weekend getaway.

Didn’t have any expectations of this place since it’s in the middle of nowhere and not many photos. We loved it here. We were lucky enough to catch a great view of Jupiter merging with Saturn last night. Super cheap. We stayed four nights for under $100. 30/50 hookups and water. No sewer but very close dump station in campground. Primitive camping area for tents too. Pull through sites and back in. Spacious sites that feel nicely private surrounded by evergreens which is a nice relief in winter to see trees with leaves. The lake is beautiful. Awesome walking trail that takes you to the other side of the lake where there is a playground. Lots of swings and benches and picnic tables around. Barely anyone here in December, so it feels so nice to be out of our house but not needing masks constantly. When it isn’t off season they have cheap boat rentals. Firewood is $6.50 per bundle.

It was a little tricky finding the entrance to this campsite, but when we managed to Google map our way in into the park, we were very happy with our selection! These campsites are in a beautiful pine woods forest. Many sites have a pretty mossy pathway near the tent platform. The platform is elevated and and dirt framed in wooden railroad ties. The sites have great privacy and the campsite was virtually empty except for us and one other family. The campground ranger said they only fill up on the 4th of July. They set-up and trash can with a bag for you upon arrival. There is no general store nearby so bring wood and supplies in with you. There was a water pump/spigot near the restroom with great pressure (potable water). We brought our own pop-up shower and road toilet with us, so didn’t need the restroom. The ranger that greeted us was super nice and respectful. He gave us the gate code in case we needed to leave after they closed the gate at 9:00pm. Very quiet and peaceful.

Little Pee Dee State Park is a quiet and clean campground on the banks of Lake Norton. Locals often come here for fishing and non-motorized boating.  We were fortunate to witness a mass crayfish event--the recent flooding had brought them out of the swamp and up the spillway, much to the delight of seafood lovers.

The campground had two different campground hosts, and they kept the restrooms and campsites immaculately clean.

Campsites have a fire ring/grate and a picnic table, but no trash cans, and you'll need to bring your trash to a large bin located at the edge of the campsites.

There are some nice sites right at the edge of Lake Norton, but the abundant water plants don't allow you to fish from the side of the lake, and it's not really a swimming lake. These sites accommodate RVs and have water & electric.  If you're on a budget, there are tent-only sites off the water.

The campground recently built a sleeping cabin, which is a cute structure with air conditioning/heat, bunk beds, and a free-standing bed (the cabin sleeps four, total). Guests can use a fire ring and Adirondack chairs, hammock, and grill.

The park also has a nice shelter for use.

There is no WiFi here, and cellular internet is spotty. There isn't a camp store, but the Ranger Station does have ice, firewood, and a small number of souvenirs for sale.

Word to the wise, when the website says the park closes at “posted times”, they mean 9pm. We know this because we got there at 9:05 and the gate was locked tight. We thought we’d walk in, and if it wasn’t too far, I’d pack the tent in, and we’d get the rest of our stuff in the morning. After walking a while and not seeing the camping area, we called it a night and slept in the back of our Jeep with our dog. The maintenance man was surprised to see me roll out of there when he arrived in the morning to open the gate. He was very apologetic and gave us the code in case we needed out in the middle of the night.

This is a no frills campground, and we knew that going in. We’re ok with that. There is one vault toilet and one water source. The people in the group site however, utilized the one water spigot as a bath house, yep, full on bathing, dish washing, you get the picture, even after being told by the staff not to.

The maintenance staff kept the area clean, and were around frequently, as well as rangers.

There is no park store or anything, so bring what you need. After many stops, we found the one place in town that sold firewood, it’s the speedway gas station.

No frills, not much to do, but relax and listen to nature. We’re ok with that, just not worth the 3 hour drive for us again.