Best Equestrian Camping near Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests

It was difficult for me to find Woods Ferry, but after talking with a park official, I finally got there. It is off the beaten path, so it is quiet. Apparently, there had been a lot of rain recently, and the area showed it. Woods Ferry is a campground mainly for campers who have horses. There are corrals at many of the campsites, so there are also a lot of horseflies. Horseflies and the actual site itself are my two main concerns. Selecting my campsite was my mistake. It was sloped, but there are a few others that were not sloped. There is running water and a pit toilet. Otherwise, you will have to take everything else in that you need. 

Since South Carolina is hot during this time of year, I was a bit uncomfortable, especially since I was on a slope.

There is a separate section for group camping. However, I think it caters to groups of horse campers, as there are corrals at the campsites. 

Overall, it’s not too bad for those who camp in an RV or a travel trailer, but it’s not ideal for tent campers.

Bussey Point is primarily for equestrians. The campsites have pre-installed horse hitches and plenty of room to move a horse trailer. The sites have a picnic table and a fire pit. The campground has a well for water and an open pit latrine. There's no power which is perfect for camping off grid away from all the trailers.

The campsites are right on the water and the view is beautiful. Over the weekend I was the only one here and the only person I spoke to was the volunteer Camp Ranger from the US Army Corps of Engineers.

There is a 12-mile horse trail that goes out on the peninsula and some pack-in or canoe-in campsites out on the peninsula.

Fee per night is on an honor system at $10. I have no complaints about this campsite only about the other campers that leave their trash behind.

I recommend this campground if you're looking to get away from all the people especially the crowds at the more popular campsites at the state parks, and if you're fine with more primitive camping that doesn't involve daily showers.

Built to celebrate the Sesquicentennial of South Carolina in the 30’s . At one time on the furthest outskirts of Columbia SC. It is now firmly in the muddle of the Metro area. Plenty of trailer sites. Tent site and primitive camping. Has recreational areas. Restaurants and shopping nearby

Camp ground used by hunters alot. Horse trail and hinking here. Valt toilets

The only amenity is pit toilets. No water, no electric. Only 23 sites, spaced a good distance apart. Each site has a fire pit and picnicking area. Trails nearby. Horses and other pets allowed.

Stayed two nights with three other campers and never heard a sound except for nature. Would return again.

This is my favorite spot for taking it in, and getting back to nature. Bussey Point is a no frills campground. If you are looking for luxurious amenities, and a pristine restroom facility, this is not the place for you. Bussey Point is primitive camping at it's best. Btw, watch out for the horse poop!✌

This is a remote campground in the national forest, and it is close to equestrian camping as well. With that said, there will be horseflies. However, it is a quiet campground. A big disadvantage, as far as I am concerned, is that it does not have water access. With that said, plan to dry camp and bring your own water. There is a pit toilet, so that is one good thing I can say about this campground. 

Avoid campsite 4 if you are in a tent, unless you have a rake. There are a lot of sweetgum balls. Since I was there at the beginning of the week, there were only two or three other campers and they were in RVs. 

Overall, it’s not bad for camping if you are prepared and know that you will need to take everything in, including water.

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.

I gave this campground four stars, but only for RVs and travel trailers. I would not give it four stars for tent campers. Tent campers would have a hard time finding a suitable site that would not be too rocky. 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. With that said, it is a campground in a beautiful setting. The lake and the sitting area beside the lake are both beautiful. There is a paved walkway down to the lake to a sitting area and a dock. The bath house was air conditioned, almost too much. It is a shock to the system moving from the intense South Carolina heat into the bath house. However, it was a nice break from the heat. Be aware that when you take a shower, you may have to wait a few minutes for the hot water to start. When I first turned it on, I wondered if there was any hot water. Eventually it came, and it was HOT, so I had to adjust it quickly. Also, take your own hand soap with you. There are paper towels but no soap. There are several trails, and you can rent boats, peddle boats, canoes, and kayaks. There is also a disc golf course. If I had known beforehand, I would have taken my own discs. That’s my fault for not doing the research. My favorite part of this camping experience was waking up early in the morning and sitting by the lake. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to capture a photo of the ducks taking off and flying in a perfect v-formation, but it was so peaceful there. Overall, this is a great campground to get away from civilization.

This time of year (hunting season) was full of bigger rigs and generators. The few spots that weren’t taken when we first got here eventually got scooped up by about 20 Boy Scouts. To say the least this campground was loud and crowded with not much to see or do. $5 for the night with a pay box but I never saw any rangers coming through to check. Toilets were clean but no water source Every campsite did have its own fire ring and picnic table.

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.

Very well taken care of campground. Vault toilet was clean. There are a couple pull-through spots. We were the only campers there. $5 a spot.

Not too far off of I-26 about a half mile down a well-maintained gravel road. Plenty of level campsites. Two out houses that seem to be cleaned about once a week. Fire pits and picnic tables at most campsites.

Nobody here! We had the campground all to ourselves. $5 fee and a full campground to choose from. The sites are clean and spacious. You can collect firewood to have campfires in the provided fire pits. Would definitely come again!

Just as everyone else described

Had a quick one nighter here in fall 2021. Sites are large and spread out. No facilities except for very clean pit toilets. 5 mi off I26 makes it easily accessible.

Great little spot for what we wanted to do. Quick last minute camping trip we didn’t want to drive hours away from home. This was fairly close and one of the few places to all booked up for the weekend. As a lady i can appreciate the glorified outhouses so I didn’t have to squat in the woods. My boyfriend and hiked the trail next to the camp. It’s mainly a bourse trail but we knew that going into it. Which means you need to expect to get muddy as the bourses make excellent mud puddles. We didn’t complete the whole 9.8 miles. Went about 3 and turned around. The campground was very quiet for us all weekend. A few random people rolling by from time to time who were staying or checking the place out. If you want secluded this isn’t for you. We got lucky. It was empty our first night and a few other car campers joined us spread out through the camp the next night.

Great spot for a quick weekend away without needing to travel too far. For tent camping the spaces are large and pit toilets very clean. The only negative part of this campground is how close of proximity all sites are. very popular spot and more people than we had expected after reading other reviews! Definitely will come back though!

This campground is run by the state and reservations have to be made through rec.gov. Check with them or the local ranger before headed out. It can get tricky through hunting season versus non hunting season. Sometimes all sites have to be reserved and sometimes half of them are first come first serve. Fire pits, most with grill tops, and picking tables are provided. However, there is no running water. The closest water is 5 or 6 miles in either direction, so pack plenty. There are several loop trails you can take that are really close, and the palmetto trail runs right through there, so longer options are available. We like it, and it's $5 a night. It's also only a short drive from where we live in Spartanburg.

Nice and remote. As usual, your experience will vary greatly depending on your neighbors. We had a nice night here (great place to stop on your way to the mountains).

Spent new years at site 16 and it was a little damp due to a heavy rain but a great site. Mostly away from everyone and was right next to a 9 mile loop hiking trail. Had a great stay in our roof top tent and will be back

This is a great temporary stop. I was there for two days. It has a pit toilet. This is a federal campsite. Rangers check the campsite every day and night. Great place to camp.

It depends on what you want. Nobody else was there when I was there this past summer and so I was able to let my dogs roam freely. If that's what you want, there is plenty of space and since nobody else is there, there is privacy. However, the shower/bath houses that belonged to the camping area have been decommissioned and the only bathrooms, which are new, are therefore quite a distance because they're now in the day-use only area. I have pictures of the campsite somewhere I think. I did get chiggers from the whole experience.

It's a small comfortable campground in a beautiful State Park. The lake is breathtaking. There are tournaments through out the year, as well as boating, kayaking, & fishing.