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Best Tent Camping near Santee, SC

324 Reviews

Congaree National Park near Santee, South Carolina offers tent-only camping options in a unique floodplain ecosystem. Two distinct tent campgrounds serve visitors: Longleaf Campground with ten walk-in sites and Bluff Campground with six sites located one mile from the parking area. Both campgrounds provide primitive tent camping experiences within the old-growth forest setting, approximately 30 miles southeast of Columbia. These tent-only sites require advance reservations through the National Park Service and cost $5 per night, making them affordable options for tent campers seeking immersion in this distinctive landscape.

Sites at both campgrounds feature uneven terrain with numerous tree roots that can make tent setup challenging. Campers should bring all necessary water, as no potable water is available at either campground. Vault toilets are located at the Longleaf parking lot, while flush toilets and drinking water can be found at the Harry Hampton Visitor Center. The lowland location means sites can flood during heavy rains, particularly those farther from the parking area. Each tent site includes a fire ring and picnic table, though firewood must be brought in as none is sold on site. Cell service is generally available with Verizon, providing at least one bar of coverage throughout the camping areas.

Spring visitors often encounter fewer insects and more comfortable temperatures for backcountry tent camping. One camper noted that "sites were spread out, but also the vibe was less 'party all night' and more 'sleep and then explore the park during the day.'" The campgrounds become particularly popular during the synchronous firefly season in May, when the forest lights up with this natural phenomenon. Sites 1-3 at Longleaf are closest to the parking lot (site 1 is only about 20 meters away), while sites further back offer more privacy but require longer walks. According to reviews, sites 2, 8, and 10 provide the most seclusion. The boardwalk trail accessible from the campgrounds offers excellent wildlife viewing opportunities, with campers regularly spotting snakes, skinks, birds, and frogs.

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Best Tent Sites Near Santee, South Carolina (2)

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Recent Tent Camping Photos near Santee, SC

9 Photos of 2 Santee Campgrounds

Tent Camping Reviews near Santee, SC

324 Reviews of 2 Santee Campgrounds

  • Hannah W.
    Mar. 11, 2022

    Poinsett State Park Campground

    Great stay!

    Stayed 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)

  • D
    Nov. 19, 2021

    Sesquicentennial State Park Campground

    Campsite 41 was poorly planned and maintained

    Pros The pond was beautiful, nice walking trail for beginners, would never consider this a hiking park. Location was close to Colombia and all it offers. Bathhouse was acceptable but nothing to brag about. Toilets were three flushers is you cared about the next guy.

    Cons Guessing I may have had the worst site (41) but walking through there were others similar. Site 41 is a pull through lot which declines quickly upon entry and is marred by deep ra9n crevices. You then incline to the area you should probably land as there is an obvious flat spot. Unfortunately in you stop there, your camper door will open on the neighboring fire ring which is the only fire ring on the back side of the neighboring spot in in the fore ground of yours. Asinine. I had to manipulate my camper for an hour to a spot level enough yet not in my neighbor's fire and dealt with a large tree and had to tie back branches to extend my awning. Uggg

    Effing covid. The state of South Carolina, the City of Columbia don't have mask mandates. But this state park requires a mask to pee in the urinal. The boss says the county still mandates it.

  • SwitchbackKids
    Jun. 29, 2017

    Longleaf Campground — Congaree National Park

    Bluff Campground the way to go for quiet, peaceful park oasis

    Having been on the road for about three months before coming to Congaree, we were happy to arrive to such a quiet and tucked-away campground. For $5 per night, Bluff Campground was the perfect spot to hole up for a few days and relax surrounded by the old growth forest of Congaree National Park.

    Our time at Congaree was different from the other national parks we visited, because South Carolina had just undergone major flooding and much of Congaree -- especially its trails -- were under water.

    With no crowds and not much to explore, our three days in the park was very relaxing. We chose Bluff Campground -- a one-mile walk-in campground near the visitor center -- because we knew it would be less popular than Longleaf Campground, and we knew we’d be spending a lot of time there. The one mile hike seemed further than we thought because of our heavy loads, but once we arrived at our camp, set up our tent, chairs, hammocks, and slack line, we were able to just make the easy walk in and out each day.

    The campground itself has no facilities; its only amenities are the fire ring and picnic table at each site. We encountered only one other camper in our two nights here. We did encounter many mosquitoes, though, so don’t forget bug spray!

    At Congaree, there are several hiking trails and kayaking trails that we would have liked to do, but with our plans foiled by rain, we spent time at the visitor center, around the short boardwalk trail adjacent to the visitor center, and kayaking through the flooded plains, straight off the boardwalk.

    You can read much more about our three days in the park on our blog: Switchback Kids (Congaree)

  • Thomas H.
    Mar. 21, 2022

    Weston Lake Recreation Area

    Peaceful

    I was stationed at Jackson from’07-‘09 and the only thing that has really changed is the dam is being worked on so you can only observe the lake, no swimming, boating, anything on the lake until repairs are completed. The receptionist said they’ve been working on it for maybe 4 years. Hopefully it’ll be completed sooner than later. The grounds could be kept up a little better as could the restrooms/bath houses but I imagine they lost some revenue due to the lake being closed for dam repairs.

    There isn’t any concerns getting back here, the biggest rigs will not have any problems. All sites are large concrete pads, FHU. Most sites are spaced very well, some better than others but you won’t be on top of anyone whichever site you’re at. They have a large concrete patio area, nearly the size of the pad itself with a picnic table and fire pit/grill and stand alone grill.

    Verizon cell coverage is adequate. I had 2 bars and LTE, sometimes 5G. Not like being in the city but sufficient. No wifi.

    There are cabins and tent sites as well. This isn’t a large campground but there were still a few open spaces.

    There will be various bugle calls throughout, morning, day and night. You may hear firing range training going on in the distance. You should expect this and it should not be seen as negative, you’re on a military campground.

    Current RV site price a night is $35, if you have a National park pass it’s $32.50. Despite the lake being off limits right now I will still come back. Once it’s opened back up I’m sure it will be more busy, right now it’s very peaceful.

  • Melissa W.
    Jul. 18, 2021

    Givhans Ferry State Park Campground

    Nice Primitive camping area

    I like the primitive camping area. 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. 

    I hammock camp, and there are plenty of trees useful for this purpose. This is primitive, so there is no electrical or water spout, although the bathroom has both. There is a 1 1/2 mile walking trail nearby, that runs along the Edisto River.

    I haven't actually frequented the other camping areas: RV drive-up and walk-in, so I can't review them.

  • T
    Jul. 9, 2021

    Santee Lakes KOA

    Beautiful lakeside camping.

    This is a picturesque campground just across Lake Marion from Santee SC with water views and beautiful sunsets. The staff is friendly, the wifi adequate, and 24 channels of OTH HD TV for those times when the weather does not cooperate. There is a pizza oven on site and you can get it delivered by golf cart to your camp. This KOA not only has a pool, but a lakeside beach as well. This is a nice family destination.

  • Matt C.
    Oct. 30, 2021

    Poinsett State Park Campground

    Nice state park

    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

  • M
    Jun. 23, 2018

    Longleaf Campground — Congaree National Park

    Congaree National Park Longleaf Campground

    If you like seclusion this campground is for you. The campground is primitive. There are 10 single sites that you have to walk into from the parking lot. Not a very long walk but just enough to feel secluded from traffic and other people. It has no showers, vault toilets and no running water. There is potable water at the visitor center and also flush toilets. The trails are very nice and well kept. Depending on when you go you may be the only ones on the trail. The wildlife is very neat it makes you feel like you are in a mini rainforest. There are snakes, skinks, lots of birds, insects and fox squirrels.

  • Jessica M.
    Jan. 16, 2022

    Poinsett State Park Campground

    Great for Activities, Camping is lacking...

    Large. 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.

Guide to Santee

Congaree National Park tent camping includes both the Longleaf and Bluff Campgrounds within a cypress-tupelo floodplain environment. The national park sits at just 140 feet above sea level, creating a unique lowland ecology prone to seasonal flooding. Overnight temperatures can drop substantially even in summer months, with temperature differentials of up to 25 degrees between day and night during spring camping season.

What to do

Nighttime wildlife observation: The campground areas provide excellent opportunities to witness nocturnal animals. Frogs become particularly vocal after rainfall, with one camper noting "the campground is next to a pond that gets rather loud at night. I never knew frogs/toads could be so loud" at Longleaf Campground.

Firefly viewing: Plan your visit during late May to early June for the synchronous firefly display. "The synchronous fireflies were very pretty and interesting. We saw other wildlife around the campground too. A lizard during a walk during the day. Many frogs during the rain at night," reports a Longleaf camper.

Trail exploration: The park features pristine hiking paths through ancient forest. "Pristine, but organized trails near the Consgree river and Swamp. Lots of wildlife and ancient trees on the trails," notes one visitor to Bluff Hike In Campground.

What campers like

Site spacing: Campers appreciate the distance between sites for privacy. "Sites were spread out, but also the vibe was less 'party all night' and more 'sleep and then explore the park during the day.' Exactly my kind of vibe!" mentions a Longleaf camper.

Convenience store access: Local provisioning options exist nearby. "There is a convenience store with sandwiches, ice, beer, and groceries in Gadsden 8 min away which was convenient," notes one Longleaf Campground visitor.

Cell service reliability: Despite the remote setting, mobile connectivity remains available. "Att signal was 1 bar, no signal problems," reports one camper, while another confirms "We had Verizon service. Enough to use Google image search to look up plants, animals, and mushrooms we had found."

What you should know

Site accessibility variations: Walking distances to sites vary significantly. "Sites 1-3 are the easiest to get to. We were at site 7, it took about 250 steps from the parking lot to our site," explains one camper at Longleaf Campground.

Flooding potential: Low-lying sites can become waterlogged during storms. "The first night got a lot of rain and storms and several of the campers from sites farther back left saying they were flooded out. Our site did have some water during the storm but it was gone by morning," notes a Longleaf Campground visitor.

Insect preparation: Biting insects can be abundant, particularly in warmer months. "Definitely bring a wagon for packing your stuff in and prepare to be eaten alive by deer flies everywhere you go," warns one camper. Another simply states: "Lots of bugs so come prepared."

Tips for camping with families

Site selection for convenience: Choose sites closest to parking areas when camping with children. "If you don't want to walk far, get campsite #1. It's right next to the parking lot and closest to the bathrooms," advises a Longleaf visitor.

Gear transport planning: Consider equipment for moving camping supplies. "The heat in June is also pretty bad, so having to go back and forth out to your vehicle to bring your stuff in and out is very difficult even though the path is flat and very short," notes one Longleaf Campground camper.

Group site availability: Larger family groups can utilize dedicated areas. "The group site was plenty big enough for all of the children, the hiking was excellent, and the fireflies were one of the most magical things I've ever seen," reports a family visitor.

Tips from RVers

Tent-only camping: The Santee area tent camping options in Congaree do not accommodate RVs. "It's National Park so there are no amenities. Walk in sites," states one Longleaf Campground visitor, highlighting the primitive nature of these camping options.

Alternative camping proximity: RV travelers seeking tent camping near Santee, South Carolina can use the campgrounds as day-visit areas. "About 300 feet from the parking lot so easy to walk into and make trips back to the car or motorcycle in my case," notes one visitor, suggesting the feasibility of keeping an RV at the parking area while tent camping.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular tent campsite near Santee, SC?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Santee, SC is Longleaf Campground — Congaree National Park with a 4.1-star rating from 31 reviews.

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