Best Tent Camping near Nichols, 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.

We had a tent site here for the weekend and were overrun with our neighbors children. No one was governing the curfews or the maximum allowed per campsite. There was literally a family of almost 50 people in two tent sites next to us. And they were there with the people on the other side of us. So we were just wedged in between them. We were woken up every morning to their children trying to unzip our tent. 

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.

There are quite a few campgrounds in the area to choose from and this is among the best. I've camped here, swam here, explored the beach here, worked here, gotten to know many of the staff, and even hosted a triathlon here. You just can't beat Pirateland in summer or winter. If you don't want to camp in a tent, they have quite a few trailers and cabins for rent that are pretty nice. If you don't have a bike, you can even rent a golf cart and roll your way around. If you bring a kayak, there are some great salt marsh areas to check out as well.

This is a pretty big campground. RV's rule the roost here. Most of the tent sites are on the rightmost section of the park (with the exeption of the tent only site on a separate far left section of the park). There are also cabins available at this park There was a good cross section of people. Many different age groups, and walks of life. Really friendly and chill park. Some very nice decorated tents and one really cool old 'skoolie' (actually a retired Air Force transport bus) which was my favorite of the lot. The beach is only 200 meters away, and there are some nature trails and a nature center as well. The camp store stays open till 9pm and they have plenty of wood and most of the things you will need. And they dont charge you up on items either!

The campsites are clean and feature a water spigot AND a power outlet, even for the tent sites! Tent sites usually do not get power outlets. There is also wifi included, which is another plus. 

Now. This is a cool place, but the sites are really close to each other. You WILL get to know your neighbors. Also, you are on the approach/departure pattern for Myrtle Beach International, so planes will be 500 feet above you. Makes for nice photography, but just an fyi.

This is a great option for staying at Myrtle Beach, and if you are with a group and/or really social, you will enjoy this park.

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.

Myrtle Beach has multiple options for RV campers, this is probably one of the best. Because it's the state park and not one of the private campgrounds it's less developed. So if amenities are what you are looking for, don't choose Myrtle Beach State Park. If being immersed in nature in a peaceful setting is what you seek, this is a great choice. 

There are limited tent spots, so either snag one early or skip this if you prefer tent camping.

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.

We love camping here, its clean, quiet except for days and weekends people coming in for birthday parties, reunions but its really not bad they don't come into the actual rv, tent, camping area..we've been there 3 times now and its our go to quick vacation spot..we did however make reservations highly recommended. Don't expect to just drive up and get a spot won't work..the sites are all relatively nice, we drive the park to see what spots are good for next time, they also show on the website. Anyway we like it there..

A refuge from the commercial feel of Myrtle Beach, but only minutes away from major attractions, shopping, and event venues. Very close to Myrtle Beach international airport- watch planes fly out over the beach! Excellent pier for fishing and crabbing (for a fee). Equestrian friendly (seasonally). Great place to bring a bike and explore. There is a park office near the entrance, store at the pier, and a campground store. If RV/ Tent camping is not your vibe, they also have cabin rentals available. Only a short walk from the campground to the Beach and pier with plenty of parking. Showers located in the parking lot right off the beach for easy clean up. ADA accessible beach accesses. Dog friendly. Watch out for Sea Turtles!

I camped here several times when I was younger as a boy scout. It is situated right next to the beach. There is an indoor pool and a big splash park on the grounds. There is a big shower house, laundry facility, and an arcade club house. We were given special permission to tent camp as a boy scout troop. It is mainly for big campers, but they allow tents on site with campers. They have man made water canal that snakes through the campsite where you can rent canoes and paddle boats. The entrance to Pirate land is situated right on the myrtle strip where there are the beach stores and restaurants. Your only ten minutes from the skyward and family kingdom. Overall Pirate land is a family oriented grounds that also has an onsite grocery store for your basic foods and essentials.

We stayed here for a Martial Arts training weekend on the beach. The camping area has access to the beach and is maintained by the state park rangers. The campgrounds have garbage disposal, bathrooms and showers. The facilities were nice and you could reserve spots with electricity and water. Most all of the camping spots were sand based and of different sizes and shapes as the camping is fit into a horseshoe shaped area. It was also Bike week so there was a lot of people using the campgrounds but it did not seem loud or overwhelmed. There is a camp store and everyone is very friendly. The only facility issue we ran into was a shower head that didnt have a lot of pressure but from others in our group, this seemed to be the only one. They had RVs, tent sites and cabins.

Wishing Well campground is located off Sunset Beach in NC. It is a smaller campground, and much of the shared ground is a storage facility for boats and RV's that are not in use.  There are about 10 or 15 RV sites in the loop and the bathhouse is at the back of the loop.  Behind the bathhouse are about 10 tent sites, with electricity at most.  It was nice that the picnic tables were covered in the back of the property - yet the approach from the road, and the initial entraceway would turn some people away from this campground.  

The people (and owners) were very friendly and I did like the privacy that this campground held.  It was close enough to easily drive to the beach, without being in the middle of craziness.  

The bathhouse - very clean - but dated.  The showers were small - changing areas were provided, which was nice.  This is a nice campground - and very affordable!

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!

Booked the spot for 4 nights in the tent, and extended for two more after rest stops in Savannah and Charleston during this fourth week in September. This park really has it all: trails, beaches, camp store, RV and tent sites, laundry, clean bathrooms, and WiFi. There's something magical about the trees that shelter the picnic areas beside the beach. You will see hares, turtles, birds, and lizards in the nature preserves, but you won't see raccoons, possums, or armadillos near the camp sites. There are just too many people and dogs for them to bear. Camped in spot #123a, pretty large and next to the bathrooms and trash/recycling bins, and a short walk to the camp store. The fire pits are shallow and don't have that ability to raise the rack to separate your food front the fire, so be watchful when cooking to prevent burning. Expect overhead air traffic related to the nearby airport and a helicopter tour company. There's a special path for bikes and carts that takes you out of the park and places you right in front of the supermarket Food Lion on Hwy 17. Cool. This is now a favorite park. It would have five stars if I couldn't hear my neighbors' low-volume conversations next door.

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.

I recently spent 3 days at this park and had a a great experience.

This location boasts 300+ campsites but are rather packed on top of one another. Once it hits about 10 pm you almost feel like whispering is loud as your neighbors are almost at arms length.

The camp store was stocked and had most of what I needed however, a quick trip out of the park and you will have all the stores you need, this is Myrtle beach after all.

The pier is a huge bonus as we fished for 3 days but it is $8 per person to use the pier. Tent sites ran about $40 per night, I would have hoped for a bit more privacy at that price point but overall it was not bad.

The bathrooms and showers were clean and the park was well kept. They offer hiking trials and a nature center.

If you have a camper or RV this is a great place for you. If you are looking for something more primitive... good luck

I still enjoyed myself and the views and beach were great.

Nice love and would camp there again but just expect it to be a bit cramped.

Brunswick Beach Camping Resort is easily found - just off highway 17 in Sunset Beach NC.  This campground has RV sites, tent sites and even little cabins.  

As you pull off the road, it is set far from the road - which we liked!  This made for quieter nights without being able to hear passing traffic on the road.  You pass by the tobacco field on the right and pull into the campground.  This road is very skinny and I had to pull off several times to let a car pass.  As I pulled in there was a store immediately to my right where i went in to register.

I could see the swimming pool, volleyball court and horseshoes from just outside the store.  As I walked around the store, i noticed the laundry room and a bathroom attached to the back.  

I like some of the scenery out back - a bit of water - some trees.  Yet there were many RV's and the sites were so close together.  Many activities for our kids - yet not one where we would be able to spread out and let them be free without worrying we were disturbing someone.  

We had great cell phone service and free wifi while here - so if that is something you are looking for - look no further!  The little store sells a bit of everything you might need - and grocery stores are located within a few minutes down the road.

Campground Review:

Do you love people? Do you love the ocean? Do you love airplanes?

Then Myrtle Beach State Park is for you!

It's a great park--it's got lots of campsites, a beautiful beach, and amenities like a playground, a nature center with educational programs, and a fishing pier.

The campground is well-staffed with rangers, hosts, and volunteers.  The bathrooms are large and clean. (Hand soap is provided but there are no paper towels, just blowers). The campgrounds are well-maintained and tidy.  The trash and recycling stations are conveniently located.

The campground, particularly site 171, is directly under the flight path for planes departing from Myrtle Beach International Airport.  The flights start around 6 am and go until 11 pm or so.  The planes haven't gotten much altitude before they are roaring above your tent, hammock, or camper!

Sites are close together and there is little to no privacy.  Site 171, however, seemed to be the best one for tents, with a deep and wide site and a few trees--enough to hang our 4 hammocks.

Quiet hours were not enforced and traffic noise is easily heard, especially fire truck and police car sirens well into the night and early morning.  The park staff raced past our site frequently on tractors and golf carts once it was after 7 am.

Mosquitoes are in full force here.  The county had sprayed for them the night before we arrived.  Maybe they don't spray the tent sites, but the mosquitoes were insane.  Bring plenty of spray, wipes, and one of those bug zapper tennis rackets.  You will definitely need protection!  The camp store sells mosquito spray for twice as much as it costs across the street at Walmart.

Also, the raccoons were at our site both nights.  They are fearless and hungry.  Lock up your food, your coolers, and your trash.  They do know how to open up latches!!!

Bring a bike and/or a beach cart to get around and transport your stuff to the beach for the day.  The campground is about 300 yards from the beach and it's so nice, you'll want to spend the whole day there, then go out at night to look for creatures and enjoy the ocean breeze.

--------------------

Product Review:

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time- today I am testing the Morsel Spork (mini and XL).

I was pleasantly surprised at the comfort of using the Sporks.  I was worried they'd be awkward and unwieldy, but the creators put thought into how they are being held by the eater.  My thumb rested nicely in a groove near the top of the utensil.  The rubbery edge worked as intended to completely scrape the sides of the bowl, but an added bonus was that the rubber made the spoon edges soft where it met the skin of my mouth.

The spoon holds much more (cereal and beans, in our case) than it looks like it would.  The fork works, but I'd like thinner tines to better stab food items.  The serrated edge?  Well, it crushes rather than cuts.

I love the different colors and unique shape of the Spork(s).  They will be going on every camping trip with us.  They are easy to tell which fork is whose, and won't be lost in the cutlery shuffle when we're camping with a group of friends.  They're good for kids and adults!

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.

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!

We'd never been to South Carolina before and had no idea what to expect. We were thoroughly smitten with the coast and the city of Myrtle Beach, but we really loved camping in the state park. Everything was clean, manicured, raked, and private. You can see your neighbor's camper, but usually behind some trees. We now understand the words"Carolina pines" better. They are tall, straight as an arrow, and beautiful. There are millions of them in this park. Our site was level with easy access. It was long enough for our truck and fifth wheel. It was surprising how secluded everything was, yet the city is really closeby. People were friendly. There was a bunch of kids riding bikes, having fun. Lots of parents enjoying cooking out with friends. The park was super quiet at night though. All of the staff seemed cheerful and like they enjoy their jobs. Every camper seemed good about picking up after their dogs, which was really nice. We haven't found that everywhere. The only negative I would give this place is that arrival is a bit confusing, especially with a big rig. It wasn't real clear how far back in the woods we were going to go before we came upon the check-in building. Then, it wasn't real clear that we needed to go around the circle of the little parking lot in order to come up alongside the check-in building. Luckily, we did it right, but there needs to be more signage out there spelling it out in detail along the way. When you're pulling a 40'+ fifth wheel with a big truck, you can't just turn around anywhere. We were afraid we were going the wrong way a couple of times. That can be anxiety-inducing.

Sites for RVs and tents. Close to the water and has fishing options. Pretty humid in the tent area due to the fact it is surrounded by trees =not a lot of breeze. People are helpful. Close to outside attractions. Lots of trails and beach access. Playground and pier.