Looking for the best options for tent camping near Pineville? The Dyrt helps you find campsites with tent camping near Pineville. Each tent campsite offers quick access to one or more of Pineville's most popular destinations.
All sites are open with the exception of the following: Buck Hall Campground - closed while work is still underway on the water system. Reservations have been canceled through Feb. 7 in anticipation to re-open Wambaw Cycle Trail - closed until the trail can be assessed for hazards. Anticipate opening later this week. Boggy Head Rifle Range - closed. The site was used and abused heavily during the shutdown. Users ignored the site inappropriately and left trash. It is closed until the site can be thoroughly cleaned. Note: Please mark your calendar for Sat., Feb. 2 for the annual Francis Marion National Forest annual cleanup. If you would like to volunteer meet at the Huger Recreation Area at 9 a.m.
Tent campites on the Intercoastal Waterway overlooking the Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge. This is a nature lovers dream. We offer primitive campsites that have access to communal water sources, power, restrooms, and shower facilities. Our campground has a full length basketball court, Pickleball Court, and swings for your enjoyment. You will have access to a floating dock for launch of kayaks into the Intracoastal Waterway. If you do not have your own kayak, we always have them for rent. There is easy access to the iconic Awendaw Passage of the Palmetto Trail, which runs directly through the property and offers hiking and off-road biking opportunities. If you love to set up hammocks, we encourage that on our many majestic Oaks and Palmettos around the property. There are also many offsite activities in the surrounding area that you can enjoy. Please refer to the park map in the photos. The Flushing Toilets, Showers, and Water source is located at the Conference Center area of the property(there are portable toilets at waterfront). You will need to bring something to store your water in. Power access is at the Conference Center and a single access point at the waterfront. You can easily drive between the waterfront camping area and the Conference Center. You can drive directly to the sites and park. We do allow camper vans and small popup tents/campers. We do not have hookups at each site so you will need to plan accordingly. Anything over 20 feet is not allowed. Each site has a fire ring and picnic table. There is a communal area at the end of dock for everyone to enjoy. The swings and basketball/pickleball court is for everyone as well(basketballs, pickleball equipment, soccer balls, footballs, and other recreation equipment are provided).
$38 / night
Guide
Sprawling park and campground right between Charleston and Folly Beach. There is a camp store which is well stocked and stays open till 8pm. The predominance of this campground is RV sites. The sites are well maintained and with enough space between each site.
The tent camping site and group tent sites are hike-in. The hike in is really not that far at all from where you park your cars, so no worries. The individual tent sites sit back in the woods, with a nice tree canopy, which gives it a real "primitive" feel to it. The sites are raised and contain a gravel bed.
There are bathrooms and private showers on site in a few locations. The bathroom and showers for the tent sites lay next to the group site, which is a short walk.
Shopping and stores are on hwy 117, just a few short minutes from the park.
Guide
Very, very overcrowded. The tent sites were unlevel and muddy ( since it rained before we arrived and all the water ran down hill to the tent sites). Pretty decent bathroom but too cramped for me. Won't be back to visit.
Guide
This RV park was very clean and the base offered a good amount of amenities. There were about 5 tent sites and the rest RV sites. We stayed in site C and it flooded a bit in the rain but the other sites seemed to do fine.
Guide
Camped here only one night as a layover on way to another destination. Small camping area with only couple rv sites with other sites for tent camping. Went for nice hike near river. Nice nature center. Plenty of things for day visitors to do at the park. Was even a very nice splash park for warmer weather activities and a nice archery range. Would visit again.
Scout
I chose the lakeside tent sites section. I wish I knew that the Cypress side was open to tents also. It is much further from I-95. I can clearly hear roadway noise from this side. I visited the other side tonight and it is a much greater diatance from the highway and faces away from the noise. It is more popular over there so tonight, I have more isolation here. Good for tents all tbrough park.
Traveler
Small campground not far from Charleston and very close to Bee City Zoo. This campground has several shelters one with a fireplace at both ends. The tent camping area is awesome and has a great layout with lockable chuck boxes on each site along with power and water. There are several large fields to let the kids run wild. There are also a few hike in sites in the very back with some bathrooms.
TravelerSantee State Park is a beautiful forested park by the lake. There is a visitor/registration center as well as a store on the lake with many activities: boating, fishing, kayaking, biking, kids playground,walking trails, rental cabins. There is electric and water hookup at the sites and sewer and dumpster on exit. The facilities are centrally located and clean. There are variety of pull in and back in sites, as well as tent camping. Our visit here was peaceful, quiet and enjoyable. Will go back.
Guide
We chose this KOA over the one in Mt. Pleasant as we felt it was closer to what we needed. Tent sites are small and some distance from the restrooms. The restrooms are clean but could use some updating. Lots of traffic noise and planes. The biggest turn off was the seemingly run down trailer court that you first see when turning off the highway.
We probably won't stay here again unless it's just an overnight passing thru.
ScoutThis county park makes an excellent base camp for visiting the Charleston area. Tent camping is done festival style, with no specific sites. Everyone is in a big open field which is a lot of fun but does not offer much privacy. Staff was very friendly and helpful. There are many activities available at the park, including a dog park and dog beach, a waterpark, and a lake. It is just a short 20 minute drive to get into Charleston or down to Folly Beach. Make reservations. Would definitely stay here again.
RangerWe spent a lovely weekend at Givhans State Park. It's definitely a small park, and its big draw is its location on the Edisto River, with lovely river-tubing to boot.
We stayed in the tent sites, which have water and electricity at each site. There is a central parking area, and then you must carry in your stuff to your site. Ours, T-28, was one of the first, and from the closest parking spot, it was 200 steps along flat ground (just to give you an idea).
The tent sites are right behind the only public restroom, which means that the restroom gets filthy after a day of the river-goers going in and out. There is only an outdoor shower. You can walk into the RV loop to get a larger, cleaner, and more private restroom with showers.
The only trash dump we could find (apart from the small cans in the restrooms) is located just off the entrance of the park. The park has a strong WiFi signal at the main house/office, but the rest of the park doesn't get WiFi and barely any cell service. The staff keeps the park clean and it's very pleasant, especially on weekdays! Don't forget the bug spray! And steer clear of the poison ivy, which is everywhere.
Traveler
We tent camped for the weekend in mid October. The park was probably 80% full, but didn’t seem crowded. All the spaces were spread out and the sites were level. We stayed at site 30, so it was a close walk to the bathhouse, with plenty of space, picnic table, and fire ring. The bathhouse was in fair condition, but the hot water was limited. The mens bathroom definitely needed to be cleaned. There were lots of trails, a pond, and a park for thing to do. T-mobile service barely worked. Check out our review https://youtu.be/pL1zgad0rN0
TravelerI stayed at this park because the one in Congaree was full and I’m very glad I did! It took a good 45 minutes to get to Congaree but it was a pleasant drive. I walked on some of the trails in the campground but didn’t touch most of them. I definitely need to come back with a bike! I stayed at tent site 36 and felt like I still had enough privacy from the sites beside me. The bathrooms were well taken care of.
Guide
This campground is located directly adjacent to the Intercoastal Waterway, and there is a boat ramp located nearby but there is no access to go swimming here. There are lots of oyster beds lining the rocks that are serving as a perimeter to the waterway, so scrambling through can be hazardous if you go down there. The tent campsites have a good breeze, but once you get back into the trees the mosquitoes can be very bad.
TravelerThis is a beautiful campground! I'm traveling with my 5 year old son with just a tent. The tent sites here are very nice. They offer them with or without electric. The cell service is a little spotty but I have Xfinity Mobile and I was never completely without service. They do have good Wi-Fi here but there's not a strong enough signal to connect to it in the tent area. The bathrooms and showers are clean. They have two really nice playgrounds for the kids, a nice little swimming pool and a really great pavilion entertainment area with horseshoe pits and cornhole. Everybody here is very kind and friendly and it's very peaceful and quiet here. I would absolutely stay here again if I was in the area.
TravelerStayed here for a few nights with a friend for spring break. The staff were very friendly and answered all the questions that we had. We were tent camping and the campsite was perfect! Had a picnic table, fire ring, plenty of space to pull the car in, level ground for the tent, and trees for hammocking. The bathroom facilities were very clean, and were right by the campsites. In terms of activities, there are plenty of hiking trails and a beautiful lake right in front of the visitor center. We rented a paddleboat and got to see some wildlife on the water (cranes, turtles, and even a couple little gators). Overall, this was a perfect state park, great for a quiet getaway.
(Side note: the bugs were practically nonexistent in March when we visited, but we were told that they can get bad in the summer months)
GuideLarge. Multiple trails. Secluded. Scenic. Rental/Activities. Waterways. Picnic areas. Kid playground. ***BUT...! if you are camping... there's no wifi or cell service in camping section!! Whether 'primitive' or tent/rv with power, it ALL seems a little primitive. Only difference is power connection sites and a bathhouse. I'm truly ok with semi-primitive, but no cell service or Wi-Fi (in camping area), as a female... this needs to be addressed for safety, at minimum. It was beautiful, but we had to leave, as safety is #1. *oh.... SITE 17.... is the worse, if you wanted a little seclusion. It's the only rv/tent site that is "in" the 'activity field' (there was a group of teens playing loud and rough football right next to us, even my daughter did NOT like it). Highly suggest day visits, not so much camping.
TravelerGreat place for families. Not very secluded. It is pretty much one big open green space with tent sites circling in a loop around the green space. You cannot park your car right at the site. There is a parking lot so you have to hike in just a little bit. The park there is really nice though and nice trail that takes you to the dock and marsh. There is a shower and they even have laundry facilities. Great play area for kids during the day also with a spray play. Volleyball nets throughout the area and you can rent bikes, kayaks, sup, and pedal boats. Also have a climbing wall. This was a great place to get our feet wet when we first started camping.
ScoutThe campsite itself is pretty wonderful. Many of the sites are right along the waterway. There's plenty of room for kids to play and there's a trail head to the Palmetto Trail.
Our tent site was 3rd to the last, closet to the wood. A decent walk to the bathhouse, but not unreasonable at all, although we did have to cut thru some occupied RV sites.
Unfortunately, a bit further down, a couple of RV sites joined forces and partied, loudly, well into the night. We were far enough away they didn't keep us awake, but you could easily hear them if you did awaken There were multiple sites close to the party that must have been awake all night. I'm not sure if the camp host was ever notified or concerned.
All in all though, its decent place.
Legend
Located only 15 minutes from downtown Charleston and 10 minutes from Shem creek this campground is gorgeous and spacious. They offer kayak and bike rentals. There’s a beautiful lake that allows catch and release fishing. Some tent sites and cabin sites are right along the water and offer nice views. There’s a one mile loop trail through the woods and along the lake. There are waste bags scattered throughout the park and a huge dog park. (But it’s quite far from the campers) There are multiple playgrounds and many kid friendly activities to do including corn horn and other games. The price is more expensive than we’d like to pay, especially for a site with only water and electric. No dump station. The bathrooms are clean and accessible to wheelchair bound guests. The store has everything you may have forgotten! Overall our stay was great!
LegendThis place looked promising at first. I arrived on a Friday night and there were multiple tent sites available. Very pricey, but Charleston accomodations are like that, and the park looked pleasant and well developed. I set up my tent and was happy... at first.
Right after I went to bed, a major thunderstorm rolled in. I'd weathered such storms before, and my tent usually performs well. My campsite had a raised tent platform filled with sand, which I assumed would drain well. It did not. The tent was "floating" for a while. Standing water under the floor. Only a little water leaked in, luckily.
When I got up in the morning, the tent pad had mostly drained, but the rest of my campsite had turned into a swimming pool. I walked around the campground and it looked like my site was the only one that had flooded like this. "No problem," I thought, "I'll just book a second night in one of the other campsites." Nope. They were booked solid. Had to pack up my wet equipment and never really got to enjoy the park.
I imagine this could be a very nice place to camp under better conditions, but I did not have a good time.
Side note, there was a chorus of extremely loud frogs here that kept me awake at night. Cute but annoying.
GuideUpon check-in all seemed to be going well...that is as I ignored driving thru the trailer park at the entrance to get into the campground...until I pulled up to my camp site. It was very narrow with and over grown tree on each side of the entrance to it. Luckily I keep a machete in my truck. I spent 5 minutes trimming the trees just so I could try to squeeze into the site. It was very difficult as others were parked along the narrow single lane road as they couldn't fit their vehicles on their sites with their campers. It took about 10 minutes to maneuver my pop-up camper into the site. Then... I had to squeeze my truck in best I could. I then had to trim yet more trees, otherwise they would've been scraping the roof and my awning all weekend. Then... I discovered those on the tent site next to me weren't happy having 1 picnic table so they took ours as well.
I will NOT be returning or suggesting anyone else to visit this campground!
Legend
You’ll find this particular destination tucked away in one of the crevasses of Lake Marion, just off Rt. 6 and a stone’s throw from Indian Bluff Recreation Area, which is a gem to go hiking around and finding a nice spot to cast a line into the water for a slow day of fishing.
This campground is one part marina, one part multi-faceted campground escape. While they do have a handful of spots for RV’s and trailers, in addition to renting a handful of cabins directly on the lake, I was delighted to discover that the real find here is the small island that sits directly across from the marina, where there are endless tent camping options. I would consider the experience fairly primitive over on the island, as there isn’t any running water or electric to speak of, but a short little canoe ride and you’re back in civilization (er, the marina).
I would highly recommend this spot for anyone looking to get away from it all – and don’t mind being a bit secluded. If you have your own canoe or kayak, great, but if not, fret not, the marina will loan you one if you’re staying with them, and if you’d like anything else to rent (house boat, sail boat, innertubes, paddle boards, etc.) they have it at the boat house.
Happy Camping!
Legend
Angel’s Campground is adjacent to Lake Moultrie and is a great place to launch a boat for fishing. The Santee Cooper area if famous for record sized catfish and other species. The campground landscaping is well-maintained. It does accept tent campers, but I would feel out of place if I were just tent camping. Most of the campers are large travel trailers and RVs, and most of those from what I can tell are permanent campers. There’s nothing wrong with that, but the spaces are too close together with not much privacy for tent campers.
The main activity, of course, is the lake; however, there are other things such as a swimming pool and a basketball court. If I stayed longer than one night, I’m sure I would discover much more. The campground is quiet, and the other campers seemed friendly. I gave it only four stars because the sites are not all that spacious or private, and the bath house really needed updating. I guess most people use the bathrooms in their RVs, but still, I was a little disappointed. I did like the size of the shower stall, however. It was very spacious.
The sites remind me of the gated communities in which the houses are on top of each other and you can stick out your hand and shake the neighbor’s hand through the window. It’s not that bad, but I do prefer a little more privacy. There is a store with all the supplies you need, but it’s on limited hours.
Overall, I would recommend this campground, especially if you want to launch your boat and you are in an RV. However, I would have reservations about staying here in a tent.
RangerWe stayed here April 2-4. We mainly stayed here because it’s only an hour and a half from Charleston, and read some good reviews.
If you are coming from the south, be advised that once you are off I-95, you will see zero stores or gas stations, so plan accordingly.
The road going into the campground is pretty bad, but doable. We tent camp, but saw quite a few bigger rigs camped there. I did hear some of the other campers with trailers saying they had trouble backing into their sites do to the trees.
If you’re getting there after dark, I imagine that it would be difficult to find your site.
Site 37 was super small, but we did manage to get our tent set up as well as our screen for the picnic table. The water spigot was in a weird spot and got in the way.
There are many spots that are bigger and in better spots, so choose wisely. There was no privacy at 37 and it was way to close to the site next to us.
There seems to be many trails for hiking and/or mountain biking and we did see people with kayaks.
There are two bathrooms that were fairly clean, although one was closed Saturday afternoon for a plumbing issue.
We were surprised at the amount of people camping, because the first night we were there, it got down to 27 degrees.
If you are not bringing wood with you, the office will deliver to your site if you call between 4 and 5 pm.
Overall, a decent place, and we will go back, just into a different site.
LegendThis is one of the two campgrounds at Santee State Park, and it is as different from the other as night and day. Unlike the dirt roads at Lakeshore Campground(the other campground in the park) the roads in Cypress View are paved. The sites are gravel, and many of them are pull-through sites. Although tent camping is allowed in Cypress View, I would feel out of place since most of the campers are RVs. However, our teardrop camper fits right in. Cypress View is a much smaller campground than Lakeshore Campground, but the amenities are the same. Every campsite is a short walk from the lake, and the campground is closer to the store than Lakeshore Campground. Unlike Lakeshore Campground, Cypress View Campground’s sites are much closer together, so there is not as much privacy. The campground is quiet, other than the noise from the highway. That may be one reason to be in an RV or a travel trailer--to cut out some of the noise at night.
Close to the campground, there is a tennis court, a boat launch, Fisheagle Tours, a picnic shelter, kayak rentals, hiking trails, and more. It is conveniently located to most of the state park’s attractions without having to drive so far. Cypress View Campground is also close to the main office and the boat dock.
If you had rather stay in a cabin, there are cabin rentals on the water. They are accessed by way of a boardwalk across the water. The bath house is modern and has hot showers. It is centrally located so that it isn’t that far of a walk from any of the campsites.
Overall, I do recommend this campground, especially if you are in a travel trailer or an RV. If you are tent camper, you would probably better enjoy being at the other campground in the park.
LegendReservations during the main season are key if you have any hope of getting a campsite in this awesome Francis Marion National Forest campground which sits just along the gorgeous intercoastal waterway, about 40 minutes northeast of Charleston, SC! We pulled in without reservations and nearly every site was booked out. The campground host was super helpful, though, finding us an empty spot (due to a cancellation) for a couple nights, then moved us to a non-reservable site for the remainder of our time.
The majority of the sites are designed for very large RVs, with a few very nice waterfront sites designated for tents. Each site is spacious, complete with a picnic table, firepit, 2 lantern poles, and electrical hookups, with a dump station at the back of the campground. The bathrooms are equipped with flush toilets, sinks, and a shower and kept relatively clean.
The campground itself is dripping with live oaks and speckled with Palmetto trees, so lots of shade is available, especially in the tent areas. The boat launch is walking distance from the campground and has a nice picnic area adjacent to it. We watched a pods of pelicans and dolphins come through the area, as well as many other sea birds.
We kayaked along the intercoastal waterway and out into marshy sea grass areas and had one of the most amazing wildlife encounters to date (and we’ve been all over the country). We saw a pod of dolphins in the distance, which appeared to be feeding. We stopped about 150 away and just enjoyed watching them dance and dive in the morning light. Then, two of the dolphins peeled away from the pack and headed straight toward us. As they approached our kayaks, the larger one gave an extra tail fin flap and dove under our boats, coming up just a bit on the other side. As naturalists, our hearts were pounding with excitement! We also hiked and mountain-biked along the gorgeous Palmetto Trail (which is a mountains-to-sea trail across South Carolina, and this campground serves as its coastal terminus).
Also, don’t miss the famous Sewee Restaurant for some downeast coastal Carolina fare, as well as the Center for Birds of Prey just across the highway from this restaurant. This wildlife conservation and rehabilitation center is doing some amazing things for birds and in the region and doing a great job of public education. If you head up the coast, be sure to stop in Boats & Hoagies in McClellanville for a bite to eat. Cute place, great food, awesome service!
The $20 per night fee is a great price for the amenities this campground offers, especially with full hook-ups and showers, and a boat launch. Check out our blog on The Dyrt's Online Magazine about our experience on the coast of South Carolina.
Ranger
Nice RV Site if you are visiting Charleston, South Carolina. The site is very hot due to no trees. Currently the restrooms and showers are down, so you need to have a self contained unit. However, very quiet. No pull thru sites. Must back in.
Tent camping near Pineville, South Carolina, offers a blend of natural beauty and outdoor adventure, perfect for those looking to escape into the wilderness.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Pineville, SC?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Pineville, SC is Francis Marion National Forest with a 3.8-star rating from 6 reviews.
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