Are you in need of a campground near Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests, SC? Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests is a great camping destination for everyone. There are tons of nearby hikes, adventurous activities, and sights to see. Find the best campgrounds near Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests, SC. Read helpful reviews and tips to find the perfect camping option for you and your crew.
"Great hosts, great wifi, pool, playground basketball, games and scavenger hunts. Big covered picnic area with Blackstone and fire ring. Decorated for Halloween. Clean shower houses."
"We called this KOA to see if they’d have a spot available if we could get our 5th wheel here. We are a family of two adults and a 7 month old + 2 cats and we really needed a place to stay."
$50 - $250 / night
"This is a unique experience for those looking to camp a little higher off the ground and enjoy the huge deck looking out into the forest. "
$75 / night
"This is a clean and cozy setting. Book your stay and leave them some love."
$20 - $170 / night
"Set up well for families with children… room to ride bikes, scooters, skateboards; playground; putt putt course; trails to walk; beach areas all around the camp ground for easy access to the water."
"Beautiful colors for the fall, waterfront campsites, water and electric hook ups and back-in AND pull-through spots available."
$40 - $55 / night
"After car camping for a few days, my son and I came here to a surprisingly comfortable cozy and AIR CONDITIONED (!) cabin for 3 nights. This place is so cute!"
"Very clean restrooms and laundry room."
"Rustic with everything you need and nothing you don’t. Owners super friendly and even helped us park"
"Stayed 1 night, sites are close to each other. Small cabins available, walk-in campsites and restrooms are clean and updated."
"When I checked in, the lady was nice enough to find a site with grass behind the gravel so I could set up my tent. She didn’t warn me that it was sloped."
$80 / night
"This super cute cabin is nestled beside a small pond at the bottom of a hill and surrounded by trees. Book your stay and leave them some love."
"Most of the sites have a nice view if the lake. Some do have a steep drop off, so you’ll need to walk to the launch area (dirt slope) for access. We went specifically to golf, and had a great round."
"Our spot was woodsy and secluded. A little small for our camper but once we got it into the spot, it was great. Bring something for the ants! Clean bathrooms."
ScoutStayed 1 night, sites are close to each other. Small cabins available, walk-in campsites and restrooms are clean and updated. Very nice trail along the lake perimeter and Championship Disc golf course.
ScoutSet up well for families with children… room to ride bikes, scooters, skateboards; playground; putt putt course; trails to walk; beach areas all around the camp ground for easy access to the water. Kayak rentals.
Bathrooms were generally clean. Campsites a relatively flat. Good picnic tables at each site. Not every site had a pole for a lantern or trash bags to hang from. Fairly good tree coverage around the campground for shade and hammocking.
LegendIf you are looking for a near perfect lakeside camping experience in the 'Low Country' here in South Carolina, than you may have just found the perfect getaway! Tucked away from main roads and a solid 20 minute drive from the nearest traces of civilization (the itty bitty town of McCormick), Hickory Knob State Park, which sits right on the Savannah River / Lake Thurmond and provides the setting for truly one of the most perfect camping escapes I have ever encountered.
There's about 60-70 individual campsites here, but you would be hard pressed to count them all on account that there is so much foliage that separates each individual campsite that despite the # of sites, you are left with a very intimate and secluded feeling. While some of these well-secluded spots can get you just about as close to the lakeshore as possible (without infringing upon the land boundaries itself), most set a decent 10- 15 feet above shoreline and offer a private and simple-to-navigate pathway to the refreshing lollops of the lake's gentle rippling waves.
Each site is apportioned with the basics - long drive-way with corresponding flat base platform (either perfect for RV or very amenable to the largest of tents), fire ring, water spigot and picnic table. While there's a handful of campsites that appear to be close cousins to the one next to it, most sites feel independent from one another and offer up enough space to forget your next-door neighbors. Further, I counted 3 separate loops (or communities, if you will), each with their own facilities.
Apart from the greatest amenity being the lake itself, the park also offers a simple, yet splendid boat jetty with an easy-to-navigate round-about. Unlike many other state parks I have visited in the country, this one offers boaters many easy places to stow away their boats, when not in use on the lake. Further afield, there are plenty of trails to explore the deeper, less frequented side of this overgrown lakeside forested haven.
If there were any drawbacks at all, it would simply be the less than mediocre bathrooms and showers that the state of South Caroline seems intent on not fixing (think back 50 to 60 years ago to what bathrooms might have looked like back then and then come present day to find exactly the same thing, without any repairs (and perhaps any sanitation) being made whatsoever). With all of the tax dollars that the state collects, on top of the fees paid for camping in these amazing state parks, you think the state would be able to afford building and maintaining better and more modern facilities for its overnight guests (what is it that they say about hospitality in the South?!).
In sum, if you are looking for some really good seclusion, right on the lake, don't mind the overgrown nature of this campsite, have a boat, and perhaps older children that don't need playgrounds (and other man-made distractions) and can do without direct access to civilization, then this may very well be a perfect spot for you.
Insider tips? Here's a few: (1) Because the nearest town of McCormick is a bit of a hike to get to (think at least a 20 minute drive on slow moving, winding country roads), be sure to bring everything you need with you, but if you do need any groceries, there's a Food Lion that has just about everything you might need; (2) When you grow tired of trying to conjure up that next meal from the depths of your Cordova cooler, then check out Michelle's, which is one half family restaurant - where I never believe any waitress who answers the question 'What is the best thing on the menu' with the response 'EVERYTHING!', but I will admit, she was absolutely right - we tried the pizza, wings, salad bar and hamburger one night - all were equally amazing - and one half happy hour / karaoke bar that apparently the entirety of McCormick shows up at after 8pm every night, which was pretty cool to experience; (3) When / if you head into the town of McCormick, take note of the Ice ATM machine there - it's fantastic and super cheap, so be sure to stock up on your ice there; and (4) If you are wanting to 'whet your whistle' after a good hard day of kayaking, then head on over to nearby Back Paddle Brewing for some really nice local craft beers.
Happy Camping!
GuideSecond time here. Great hosts, great wifi, pool, playground basketball, games and scavenger hunts. Big covered picnic area with Blackstone and fire ring. Decorated for Halloween. Clean shower houses. Propane on site Wood delivered to your site. Camp store and they are expanding. Tent pads are chipped rubber surface.
TravelerWhat's a great place to stay!!! Beautiful colors for the fall, waterfront campsites, water and electric hook ups and back-in AND pull-through spots available. The bathrooms with shower stalls have AC and heat no matter the time of year you go. Trails to hike, dog friendly, canoes and kayaks for rent and close enough to a town to drive in to if you tire of campfire meals and want a really good margarita or need a grocery store to grab anything you may have left behind.
GuideOk for overnight stop but wouldn't be a travel destination. Most sites seem to be long term or permanent sites. Very close to neighbor site, with fire pit being extremely close. Water, Sewer, Power, WiFi
ScoutClark’s Hill is a Great Lake! HK is an OK park. It does have a nIce golf course and skeet shooting, kayak rentals, cabins, a restaurant and a pool. The campsites are nice enough. but. The entire park sits on a mound of ants. ants everywhere. ants of all varieties. And most of the lake access is solid Georgia red clay mud...
TravelerThis campground was recommended to me by a friend. After car camping for a few days, my son and I came here to a surprisingly comfortable cozy and AIR CONDITIONED (!) cabin for 3 nights. This place is so cute! There is an acre of catch and release pond, a playground and jump pad for kids, a pool, some trails, several things to do. There is a coin operated laundry and a bathhouse that I have to say is beautifully kept and clean. The staff are very friendly and helpful. I will definitely stay here again on my way back and forth from Maine to Alabama.
GuideFrom the main entrance is a winding wooded road to the main store. There you find friendly and helpful staff, parking for vehicles and campers, a store with all your basic needs and other little goodies. Firewood and propane are also available. Inside the store they also have a mini library you can borrow from and next to that a nature area with a live snake and turtles. Our site was easy to find, level and best of all near the waters edge. The kiddos enjoyed playing putt putt, the playground and the beach area. There is also plenty of history to see, experience and learn about.
Experience the charm of cabin camping near Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests in South Carolina, where nature meets comfort in a variety of well-reviewed locations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular cabin campsite near Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular cabin campground near Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests is Newberry / I-26 / Sumter NF KOA with a 5-star rating from 6 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 13 cabin camping locations near Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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