Best Tent Camping near Pelion, SC
Tent camping options near Pelion, South Carolina include several primitive sites within driving distance, most notably the Longleaf Campground at Congaree National Park. Located approximately 30 miles southeast of Pelion, this established campground provides walk-in tent sites in a unique bottomland hardwood forest ecosystem. The Bluff Hike-In Campground, also within Congaree National Park, offers a more secluded tent camping experience for those willing to hike to their campsite.
Campers should prepare for basic facilities at most tent campgrounds in the area. Longleaf Campground features walk-in sites that require carrying gear a short distance from the parking area, with site #1 being closest at approximately 20 meters from the lot. The campground provides vault toilets but no running water, with potable water available only at the visitor center. Sites include fire rings and picnic tables on natural surfaces with numerous tree roots. A review noted that "the sites were clean but the tree roots are horrible, at night you will trip over them and there will be some under your tent." Reservations are required for Longleaf sites, which cost around $5 per night.
The tent camping experience at Congaree National Park offers unique natural features not found elsewhere in the region. The bottomland forest creates an atmosphere that some campers compare to a rainforest, with abundant wildlife including birds, insects, and reptiles. Walk-in tent sites at Longleaf provide varying levels of privacy, with sites 2, 8, and 10 offering more seclusion from neighboring campers. "The campground is next to a pond that gets rather loud at night. I never knew frogs/toads could be so loud," mentioned one camper review. Tent sites are well-spaced in natural settings with ample shade throughout the day. Hiking trails connect directly to the campgrounds, allowing tent campers to access the park's elevated boardwalk trails and experience the synchronous fireflies that appear during certain weeks in May, creating what many describe as a magical nighttime display.