Searching for a tent camping spot near Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests? Find the best information on tent campgrounds near Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests, including sites, reviews, and tips. Whether you're looking for a quiet, dispersed site or an established camgpround with amenities, The Dyrt makes it easy to find the perfect place to pitch your tent.
Brick House Campground is located on SC Route 66, 3.5 miles east of I-26, situated in the heart of the Enoree Ranger District in Newberry County. The campground is surrounded by a mixed pine-hardwood forest with an elevation of approximately 550 feet. Long hot summers and mild winters are the norm for the Enoree Ranger District. Winter temperatures range from low 40's to upper 60's degrees and summer temperatures range from high 80's to high 90's. Wild azaleas are clumped by the old homesites and wildflowers and dogwoods dot the landscape. This site offers a great opportunity for all season camping. Ample hunting opportunities for wild turkey and whitetail deer are available in the surrounding general forest. The campground is located 51 miles north of Columbia and is 41 miles south of Spartanburg.
Brick House offers a year-round primitive, single loop campground with 21 campsites. The small campground offers a primitive laid back setting that one can relax and enjoy in. Available by reservation only year round through recreation.gov.__ The 30 mile Buncombe Horse Trail offers a variety a loops which riders can choose between a short or all day ride. The trail is open to horses, hikers and mountain bikers. The 24 mile Enoree OHV Trail is a short 10 minute drive north of Brick House. The motorized trail is open to atvs, utvs, and dirt bikes that are 50 inches and less in width. Bring your own equipment. The trail has a user fee and is closed when trail conditions are too wet for riding.Call the "Call Before You Haul" hotline. The surrounding national forest lands are a great place for big game deer and turkey hunting along with other small game hunting. Hunting and fishing in South Carolina is regulated by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. Visit www.dnr.sc.gov for more about the SCDNR.
Brick House offers a year-round primitive, single loop campground with 21 campsites. The small campground offers a primitive laid back setting that one can relax and enjoy in. Available by reservation only year round through recreation.gov.__ The 30 mile Buncombe Horse Trail offers a variety a loops which riders can choose between a short or all day ride. The trail is open to horses, hikers and mountain bikers. The 24 mile Enoree OHV Trail is a short 10 minute drive north of Brick House. The motorized trail is open to atvs, utvs, and dirt bikes that are 50 inches and less in width. Bring your own equipment. The trail has a user fee and is closed when trail conditions are too wet for riding.Call the "Call Before You Haul" hotline. The surrounding national forest lands are a great place for big game deer and turkey hunting along with other small game hunting. Hunting and fishing in South Carolina is regulated by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. Visit www.dnr.sc.gov for more about the SCDNR.
Over 700,000 acres of pine-hardwood forest with gently rolling terrain make up the Enoree Ranger District. Headleys Creek runs through the area a bit over half a mile away from the campground by road.__
Enoree OHV Trail- 10 minutes up the road is a 24 mile designated trail for motorized atvs, utvs and dirt bikes that are 50 inches wide or less. Warning: the trail closes when trail conditions are too wet for riding. Use the Call Before You Haul hotline to check trail status. Newberry Opera House, Newberry, SC. https://www.newberryoperahouse.com/
$5 / night
Sedalia Campground, Sumter National Forest, Enoree Ranger District. Sedalia is a primitive campground that has designated campsites in open areas surrounded by woods. Four single-family campsites and one group site are open year-round, fourteen day stay limit is in effect. Sedalia Campground, Seasonal Campsites; An additional camping loop is open for big game deer and turkey seasons which offers five more single family campsites and two group campsites from $5/night, $50/calendar month, $150/season for single family campsites and $10/night, $100/calendar month, and $300/big game deer season for the group campsites. Seasonal Camping Opportunities
The surrounding forest environment sustains abundant wildlife, resulting in some of the most desirable upstate hunting areas. The camp also serves as the trailhead for the 26.7 mile Long Cane Horse Trail. Click here for a printable guide and vicinity map.
$5 - $150 / night
$10 / night
5 min from downtown Blythewood and exit 27 on I-77
Water/Sewer/Power (20/30/50 pedestals) provided.
Daily/Weekly/Monthly rates available
Rural land in Blythewood down long driveway with locked gate. Circle drive, water connection from on-site well & septic dump station are available.
$45 - $55 / night
Poplar Springs Recreation Area is a 24 acre site with moderate slopes with relatively dense stands of pines and mixed hardwoods. The site presently offers day use and boat launching facilities, but is primarily used for boat launching and is one of the more popular launch sites in this area of Hartwell Lake. Facilities include 1 volunteer host campsite, 20 picnic sites, 1 standard picnic shelter with water and electric service, 1 two lane boat ramp, 1 courtesy dock, 2 comfort stations, and associated paved roads and parking areas throughout.
Boating and water sports top the list of popular activities. A boat ramp is available year-round for visitors' convenience.
Facilities include 1 volunteer host campsite, 20 picnic sites, 1 standard picnic shelter with water and electric service, 1 two lane boat ramp, 1 courtesy dock, 2 comfort stations, and associated paved roads and parking areas throughout.
Hartwell Lake is a man-made lake bordering Georgia and South Carolina on the Savannah, Tugaloo and Seneca Rivers. The dam and lake area boasts 8 campgrounds and 11 day-use facilities that are operated by the US Army Corps of Engineers. The Hartwell Project was originally authorized for hydro-power, flood control, and navigation. Later, recreation, water quality, water supply and fish and wildlife management were added. Surrounding vegetation allows for plenty of shade, and the 962 miles of shoreline provide numerous swimming beaches, picnic areas and boat ramps.
Nearby Tugaloo State Park offers swimming, boating and hiking, including the Crow Tree and Muscadine trails, which showcase beautiful blooms on oak, walnut, mulberry and cherry trees during the spring and summer months.
A $10 service fee will apply if you change or cancel a reservation more than 14 days in advance of arrival date. If you cancel a reservation within 14 days of your scheduled arrival date, you will forfeit the reservation fee.
$75 / night
Guide
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.
Guide
I stayed at the campground for roughly a month or longer. The campground itself is well kept and clean. There is not much to do at the campground. Supplies can be picked up roughly 15 to 30 minutes away from the campground.
Scout
The location is beautiful, however, it is not open to the public. You must be past or present military to book. Also, you must reserve with the SC National Guard.
RangerOffice was very friendly. They take you to your site which we always so appreciate. Hookups are modern, nice dog park, propane tank for easy fill ups. Fresh donuts anytime, pizza and chicken wings (bone in and bone out) til 6. Very clean and well maintained. Site was perfect for our 43’ Motorhome and dolly. Would definitely stay again.
GuideWe called with very short notice looking for an overnight site. Though the campground was booked, the owners so graciously allowed us to park in the overflow parking which included water & electric. We even arrived at 10pm, and they were waiting at the gate for us! We were so pleased with the owner’s generosity and hospitality. We will definitely be back to take advantage of the swimming pond, paddle boats, fishing & playground!
Traveler
4 families in 4 campers on a first time visit. Great place! If you want to come for solitude then the “sights”provide that for sure. Park staff very helpful and friendly. Definitely a do over. Only downside was we didn’t realize water level was down. Didn’t affect the views but trodding the mud to get to the water made kayaking a little challenging.
TravelerThe site is right on the lake with a wide trail leading directly to the water. The water was low during our trip so the immediate shoreline was a bit squishy going through the damp clay. I’d recommend water shoes. The shade provided by the trees was a welcome respite from the summer heat. It also provided ample privacy from neighbors on either side. Neighboring sites are spread out nicely. The area across the road from the site is undeveloped and recently cleared for forest maintenance but still looks nice. This campground loop is very quiet.
ScoutI spent a great couple of days here mid-week in mid-June. There was one other occupied campsite (out of 9) the first night and I had the whole place to myself the second. No showers, no wi-fi or cell sevice, no dump station, no electricity, and a common water spigot-just what I wanted. No reservations either.
There were people who came to fish in the pond (more of a pond than a lake) and I had a nice swim.. There are two trails. A short one (about a mile) around the pond and a longer 5.6 mile loop. Great trail.
Be sure to check the website for problems beforehand. The water was out when I was there (actually it was restored just as I pulled out!!!).
So all in all, I great place if you want a rough campsite with few others around.
GuideNeeded a quick stop and contacted them last minute. They had a pull thru spot and were great at accommodating us. Shower, bathroom and laundry. Wow!
Ranger
We enjoyed this free trailhead parking. No bathroom, and the train only woke us up once in the night. Only one other van there with us, so very quiet and peaceful. Lovely walk on the Palmetto trail in the morning. There are also “walk-in” campsites right behind the trailhead signs in the trees.
Traveler
Excellent management. Clean park.
RangerThe owners and host are amazing at what they do! They’ve planned so much for this campground that our kids have had 5 days of things to do each day. We’ll definitely return and mark this as a favorite campground.
ScoutSpent 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
Guide
Better bring a cart or a bike. It’s a long way to everywhere here. But they have it all. Golf, swimming, axe throwing, archery, skeet shooting. Trails for hiking/biking. Nice sites close to the lake. Shower house is just adequate, barely.
Guide
Rough roads, poor shower house, undeveloped sites. But man, what a view
Traveler
This is our first time here and it was great other than I wish the site we picked was better. We r tent campers and the site was rather uneven and not much room. But the other sites from what I seen are great. A good mix of tent and rvs where here. Easy access to the lake for fishing. We stayed at site 17 might be better if we had a small pull behind for this site but oh well we made the best of it and enjoyed our trip.
ScoutHad a great time. Beautiful views from campsite, clean bathroom, loved the General store. Will go back
Guide
We love this campground, so many great waterfront spots. to choose from! Beautiful, peaceful Lake.
ScoutNice 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).
ScoutThis site is awesome. The scenery is beautiful and it is super easy to access. You can hear coyotes howling at night.
The only problem is the train. It woke us up at least 4 times last night. You can see the train from your campsite.
Everything else was perfect for us though!
TravelerBeautiful place! Unfortunately no space for us to drive our bus to a camp spot but plenty of room in parking lot. Just a nice little spot to stop before hitting the road again.
TravelerOk 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
ScoutThe app is making my life more easy
GuideElijah Clark is a great place. Easy to get to, and you still have cell service. Great playgrounds for kids, plus mini golf and kayak rentals. Many sites are waterfront.
I highly, highly, highly recommend the walk-ins. Suitable for car campers who don’t mind making a couple trips to the car. The sites are very close to the parking spots.
Site 8 has a great view of the lake, but isn’t directly on the water. Just downhill of the site is a boat slip for a kayak or canoe. If renting a kayak form the park, it’s not too far to paddle from the boat ramp where the kayaks are kept to the slip by the site.
Bathrooms for the walk-ins are below-average, aged, but more or less clean, as long as you don’t mind a few bugs.
Hiking is limited, but the little historical to-dos are fun. Check their calendar before going; they often have fun things going on over the weekend.
TravelerThere are several camp areas, fire pits and picnic tables at the beginning of the trail with a big gravel parking lot
Guide
While this is a smaller park, it has a ton to offer. Rv and primitive sites, bathrooms with hot showers, playground for the kiddos, a lake with rental kayaks and paddleboats, and the camp host was super friendly. Easily my favorite state park in SC so far.
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!
Tent camping near Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests in South Carolina offers a serene escape into nature, with various options for outdoor enthusiasts looking to pitch a tent and enjoy the great outdoors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests is Brick House Campground (Sc) — Francis Marion And Sumter National Forests with a 4.1-star rating from 16 reviews.
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TheDyrt.com has all 19 tent camping locations near Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests, with real photos and reviews from campers.
