4 campgrounds with availability this weekend
James Island County Park Campground and Givhans Ferry State Park house upscale glamping accommodations within driving distance of Summerville, providing an elevated outdoor experience. The glamping sites feature climate control, plush bedding, and full hookups, offering a luxury alternative to traditional camping. Both parks maintain spacious sites with picnic tables and fire rings, while providing access to modern shower facilities and restrooms. The glamping units include premium furnishings and convenient amenities not found in standard camping. Edisto Beach State Park also offers glamping options with market access and trash services, creating a hassle-free outdoor retreat. One guest shared, "We love staying at James Island County Park. They have wonderful playgrounds for kids, tons of trails for exercise, and an excellent water park for all day water fun."
Safari tents and upscale canvas accommodations at these parks connect visitors with nature while maintaining comfort standards expected in boutique camping experiences. Guests enjoy access to hiking trails along the Edisto River, swimming areas, and wildlife viewing opportunities. The glamping sites provide convenient proximity to Charleston's historic district and local beaches including Folly Beach. Seasonal considerations include booking well in advance during holiday periods when the parks feature special events and lighting displays. Several locations offer water recreation with boat access and fishing opportunities. A visitor noted, "Small campground not far from Charleston and very close to Bee City Zoo. This campground has several shelters, and there are several large fields to let the kids run wild." The glamping options maintain the natural setting while eliminating common camping inconveniences.
"The bath house was recently remodeled and now has air conditioning. I found it to be one of the nicest bath facilities we have ever used."
"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."
Available this weekend
from $43 - $269 / night
"The bathroom and water source is nearby, as well as a pavilion/shelter. There are three sections, with multiple areas for camping in each one. Each has 2-3 tables and a fire ring. "
"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."
Available this weekend
"IF you meet the qualifications to stay (military affiliated), this is REALLY close to the Navy Nuke School!"
"Lots of walking areas and pet spots. Super close to everything you could ever need, but deep enough into the woods to feel that break away from the noise of the road."
"The staff is friendly and helpful. The grounds are very well maintained. There are activities offered including a wagon ride through a plantation. There is a pool."
from $68 - $300 / night
"It's South Carolina in the summer, so there are mosquitoes."
"Some sites are full sun, and as it was around 100 degrees every day, that could be a problem for some. It’s right on the edge of the town so it’s easy to walk or bicycle around."
Available this weekend
"I'm an Army Veteran and recently stay at the FAMP CAMP Located on the Joint Base Air Force Base located in Charleston S.C. "
"They have the usual amenities like fire pit, and picnic table with bench. Our was private, but the sites in the middle are not. The bathhouse was very clean with nice hot showers."
"Our only complaint was lots of smoke from campfires and grills. Would stay again."
Available this weekend
"This is a picturesque campground just across Lake Marion from Santee SC with water views and beautiful sunsets."
"Water pressure to RV was weak, not sure we had 50 amp electric voltage, cause our battery level was down to 1/3 in am. It was very hot, ran two AC’s, and have electric fridge."
"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."
"28 a night for Electricity; $18 for tent sites.
Mostly middle age & older campers; primarily boaters/fishermen as there is a boat ramp at this site."
Campground full this weekend
Get a text when availablefrom $20 - $45 / night
"Loud highway noise, but tolerable. Tall trees everywhere. Very pretty! No rock or concrete pad to park on so be prepared to level your RV. Bathrooms/showers are clean and large. Pleasant staff."
"Quiet even tho close to I95.
We will be back when we head up from FL. Price very reasonable. Walk to Cracker Barrel."
GuideWe love the Live oaks campground in Edisto Beach State Park. Level sites with plenty of privacy. We are in site 120 this trip and we have stayed in sites 118 and 122 on previous trips. these sites back onto the salt marsh which gives you some incredible scenery just behind the site
GuideMost campers are here to go out shrimping. It’s a beautiful, small campground with level sites, some shade, electric and water hookups and tent sites right along the water. The bathroom could use an update but it was very clean and the shower was roomy and hot enough. A dump station is available. I understand the park will close after shrimp season (mid November..?) for updates. I lucked out on a first come, first serve site for the night. I’d definitely stay here again.
TravelerWe were traveling with two large dogs and looking for a pet friendly site. This is a people friendly site so many game playing areas swimming pool and clean manicured lawns with a lake view on some sites.
GuideWe stayed here while attending the Highwater Music Festival. We brought our bikes, but it’s not safe to ride out if the campground to the festival or the beach, so we drove them to a spot outside of the grounds and then ride from there.
So much to do inside this campground and park! It was very busy, but we didn’t feel it was too loud - still plenty of opportunity to enjoy nature.
GuideCheck in was easy, folks friendly. Water pressure to RV was weak, not sure we had 50 amp electric voltage, cause our battery level was down to 1/3 in am. It was very hot, ran two AC’s, and have electric fridge. Still trying to figure out why, when plugged into power, our battery level is lower then when we plugged into pole.
ScoutGreat service .Tent camp here every year .
GuideThis is our absolute favorite campsite of all time! It is very private and secluded, but right around the corner from the beach. It is for tents and small campers only, as we barely had enough room to get our pop up backed up in the site with the truck. The site slopes up, evens out, and then slopes right back down to the fire ring and picnic table. Our pop up is a 10-foot box and it was just enough room to get it on the level spot without sloping one way or the other. It was also just wide enough for our awning to be set out with a little room to walk around. Once situated, there is plenty of room at the picnic table and fire ring to sit around and park bikes, etc.
There is plenty of shade and you can hear the waves crashing on the beach. The site also has water and electric hookups, but we try to bring our own water since you can still taste the salt. It is so relaxing!
This is on the Beach Campground and the only problem we noticed it is that the outdoor shower for washing off sand from the beach has low visibility because it is on the road side of the bathhouse and not the beach side. The result is people clogging up the showers with sand because they don't even see the outdoor shower in some cases.
The park has some amazing nature trails to bike and hike as well as a nice educational nature center.
We always enjoy our stay here and will definitely continue to book here as long as we can.
ScoutGreat spot. Beautiful views. Lots of shade. Spot 57 would be hard to park in with a trailer due to having to climb the embankment a bit.
GuideThere are actually TWO bases here - the air base and the weapons station. We stayed at the air base but also visited the weapons station for some recreation.
Air base: close to downtown Charleston; great price for the amenities provided ($45 per night for full hookups - electric, water, and sewer); power/water pedestal was nice; shower and laundry facilities on site; all sites fairly level and mostly shady; playground, sand volleyball, golf, and indoor climbing wall within walking distance; beautiful trees, etc. All the normal base amenities, including bowling alley (check out galactic bowling if you have kids).
Staff was helpful. Camp host was… vigilant, but not super considerate with his leaf blowing pollen plumes around breakfasters.
Did not have pool. Fine.
DOES NOT HAVE FIRE RINGS. Or a grill. That was a disappointment. You can BRING a fire ring. But of course no open burning.
Also, the sites are a smidge close together. But not overly so. Ask for a perimeter site and not a middle pull through if you're looking for a little extra green space between. (Not sure if they'll honor that or not.)
The weapons station also has an RV park. (Forgot to look and see if they have fire rings.) If you are a trail runner or hiker or similar, this is the one you want to go to. There's an excellent trail system right off the RV park. The air base did not. They have plenty of sidewalks to run but no trails. However, if you're there to see Charleston, you want to stay at the air base. The weapons station is further away from downtown.
As other reviewers have said, these options are both on military bases and require an ID to access.
Campsites near Summerville, South Carolina offer convenient access to both water recreation and woodland experiences across varying ecosystems. The region experiences humid subtropical climate with mild winters and hot summers, with most campgrounds open year-round. Summer camping brings higher humidity levels with temperatures regularly reaching 90°F while winter nights can drop to 40°F.
Boat access activities: Santee State Park features multiple options for water recreation on Lake Marion. "This is a great campground for anyone who enjoys watersports. Lake Marion is a great place for boating, kayaking, and fishing," explains camper Jason F. at Cypress View Campground.
Fishing opportunities: Buck Hall Recreation Area offers dedicated fishing areas along the Intracoastal Waterway. "We had a blast kayaking around and had some awesome dolphin encounters. The crabbing is great at the campground and we had a delicious crab boil as a result!" shares Bounding Around in their Buck Hall Recreation Area review.
Year-round exploration: Mount Pleasant-Charleston KOA maintains nature trails through diverse habitats. "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," notes Carlyne F. about the Mount Pleasant-Charleston KOA.
Waterfront site selection: Edisto Beach State Park offers camping locations with direct ocean access. "We had a magical time at Edisto. The Beach campground was just steps from the ocean. Opt for sites 1-12 or 50-75. Bathrooms were great. Shelling was incredible-especially if you walk towards the inlet around low tide," recommends Katie F. from her stay at Edisto Beach State Park.
Convenient yurt camping: Summerville, South Carolina area offers yurt accommodations at select state parks, providing structured canvas shelters with beds and basic furnishings. "Very nice campground. Has boat docks & launching ramp. Nice fishing pier. Clean bathrooms. Staff friendly and helpful. Seen several Deer, Armadillo and other wildlife I will stay here again," notes Alfred H. about the facilities at Santee State Park.
Historical outings: Area campgrounds provide access to local landmarks and plantation tours. "Our fave was the wagon ride to the plantation next door," shares Angela M. about the Mount Pleasant-Charleston KOA, which organizes excursions to nearby historical sites.
Phone service limitations: Some campgrounds in rural areas have restricted cellular service. "There is no wifi, the laundry doesn't work and the bath houses wouldn't even open with code. For a nightly stay it is good," warns Kim T. about New Green Acres RV Park.
Site selection matters: Campgrounds vary considerably in privacy and amenities based on site number. "The sites aren't huge but are clean and convenient to camp store and trails. Our site was a pull through with some nice palmettos but not a lot of privacy. Best sites looked to be the 40s and 50s," advises Greg S. about James Island County Park.
Wildlife considerations: Expect insects during warmer months at all locations. "Bring plenty of mosquito repellent (you're next to the water in the south, need I say more?)," cautions Stuart K. about Rocks Pond Campground.
Playground access: Multiple campgrounds feature dedicated play areas for children. "We really enjoyed this park! There was boat access, a playground, nature trails and everyone was so friendly!" shares Jessie N. about Santee State Park.
Kid-specific accommodations: Some parks offer youth-focused areas and activities. "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," notes Creighton C. about Givhans Ferry State Park.
Accessible outdoor education: Several parks offer nature programs and wildlife viewing. "The nearby Sewee Visitor Center has red wolves and is free to visit. They also have RV parking! We enjoyed this, but if you have kids I think it would be a must do! You can call ahead and find out when they will be feeding the wolves," recommends Bounding Around about activities near Buck Hall Recreation Area.
Site length considerations: RV sites vary significantly in capacity. "Huge spots. These spots were huge right next to highway but noise doesn't bother us. Stayed for a week. Really close to town," observes Wendy C. about New Green Acres RV Park.
Hookup details: Electrical capacity varies between parks. "We had 2 days of heavy rain and some sites flooded, but everything drained well. Clean showers. Water park/splash pad," notes Joel R. about water management at James Island County Park.
Seasonal booking: Holiday periods require advance planning. "We stayed here in October when the water park/pool was closed, but there was still plenty to do with bike rentals and the outdoor adventure area," shares Nick & Allyssa S., highlighting off-season activities at James Island County Park.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Summerville, SC?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Summerville, SC is Campground at James Island County Park with a 4.6-star rating from 62 reviews.
What is the best site to find glamping camping near Summerville, SC?
TheDyrt.com has all 15 glamping camping locations near Summerville, SC, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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