Best Glamping near State Park, SC

There are quite a variety of things to do at this state park, and the camp sites are spacious. There is a little store where you can buy any of the little things you may have forgotten. There were not too many people camping during our visit, but it could be that not many people want to stand the South Carolina heat! Either way, it made the visit quiet. There are also plenty of geocaches around, if you're into that. There are 2 places to shower in the campground, so I imagine that once it fills up, you may have to wait to shower. It was pretty clean and the water was clear, so I guess you could just go for a swim! I wish we had brought our tubes and some rope to float out on the water!

We enjoyed our long stay at Santee. Spotted a gator on sinkhole trail. Took the fisheagle boat tour. Photos and details on the link.

https://imaginecamper.com/2019/04/13/santee-state-park-sc/

We usually go to Santee lakeshore campground - it’s very shady and next to the lake with lake access for swimming and kayaking - a few trails around the campground too (sinkhole) - beautiful sunsets - facilities are fine (normal state park standard) - we love it here (family with 2 kids)

This State Park has a lot to offer from plenty of campsites with all of the traditional amenities(water, electric hookups), decent (OK, not great) restroom facilities and excellent grounds running adjacent to Lake Marion that offers sweeping views of this incredibly beautiful, massive lake. 

There's EZ access to the lake with a great boat launching area. The only downside is the foliage isn't terribly dense at the campground, so you'll basically be seeing all of your neighbors (and I mean all of them - from the far side to the near front) for as far as the eye can see, so if the lack of privacy and seclusion doesn't bother you, then you should be alright. 

Insider's Tip?  If I was to book a campsite here at Santee SP, it would be this one -#100 (nice and private, further away from the other campsites) with direct lake access, plus, it's got some really great trees and shrubs all the way around it.

Lots to explore, see and do here at Santee State Park. Happy Camping!

The campground sits beside a very large lake and many of the campers had boats in tow. We stayed at site #53....not a great site by comparison, but did have water and electrical hook ups. Backed to wooded area.

Facilities were fine.

From this state park you can drive to Congaree National Park. This park was just ok. The boardwalk trail winds through the wetlands along with a few other trails. One half day was plenty.

We camped here over the weekend with the pups. The state park has 2 different campgrounds. We decided for the Lakeshore one. It's pretty big with over 100 campsites. 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. The park has several trails, a visitor center, cabins on the water, at least 2 boat ramps with a bait shop. There are no trash cans near the campsites, there is one big dumpster at the entrance of the campground. It's about 1.30h to Folly Beach. We would definitely camp here again.

This 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.

We went for a short weekend trip because it’s close to home (30 minutes) This is a great little place to relax and unwind. We had unseasonably warm December weather in the 70°s. The park is better suited for small rigs, although we did see a couple large motor homes that struggled to navigate the narrow road, trees, and tight turns. There are several excellent sites on the lake, which is for fishing or kayaking. The sites are not all level, so pay attention to the description on the park website. We had a site that was nicely level side to side, but pretty sloped front to back. Bath house is typical state park bath house. Things to do: very short hikes (more like walks), fishing, kayaking, playground, history, statues. We love this great little park!

I hardly ever give five stars to a campground. On a scale of 1 to 10, I would give it a 9 because of the background road noise from the highway, but my wife and I had such a great experience. It was everything we wanted… and needed. 

Lakeshore Campground is one of TWO campgrounds at Santee State Park, and they are very different from each other. Lakeshore has dirt paths and sandy sites. I realize some people had rather have paved roads and RV sites with hard surfaces, but I prefer a more natural site. The spaces are large and fairly level. Although there may be some roots onsite, they were not really a problem. I don’t remember there being lantern hangers, but there were picnic tables and fire pits. We stayed in Santee for four days, so we were able to relax without feeling as if we were rushing, which reflects the whole essence of Lakeshore Campground. We booked for two nights, but we loved it so much we booked two more nights. Unfortunately, we had to move to another site in order to stay longer. 

Our first site was a little closer to the bath house, and we stayed in a teardrop camper. Knowing what I know now, I would do a little more research to see if I could get closer to the lake next time, although most of the sites between us and the lake are reserved for tents only. Still, the lake was visible from our campsite. 

The main reason people visit here is the lake, whether they want to fish for huge catfish or just want to boat on the water. Within the park, there are several “fishing holes” to explore and several trails as well. When hiking the trails, however, you have to constantly be on the lookout for alligators. We came across one on one of our hikes, and it was huge. I guess it was probably at least ten feet long if not longer. We also came across turtles, ducks, and other animals. Although I didn’t have any luck while fishing, it didn’t matter. I just enjoyed wetting a hook. 

The bath house has tiled floors, and it had hot showers. For a state park, it had above average facilities. Would I recommend this campground? Absolutely!!!!

We stayed in the Lakeshore side, and after viewing the Cypress View campground, we made the right choice.

Cypress view is nice, and closer to the camp store, but is geared more toward RV campers, and we are tent campers.

The drive in is mostly paved. The road in is bumpy in spots, but easy to navigate in any vehicle.

The sites are spacious and not right on top of each other. Our site had a good view of the lake. We have Verizon, and had no issues with service here.

The town of Santee is close by, about 10-15 mins away. We did go into town to purchase firewood at the Santee General Store. A bundle was about $6, stored under cover, and dry.

Some of the neighbors were loud at the campground, but we consider this more of an inconvenience of rude people and not the parks fault. When camping at state parks, the noise levels are hit and miss depending on the people camping.

We would have given this park 5 ⭐️ if it weren’t for the bathrooms. They did have plenty of hot water, and were kept clean, they were just dated. Old facilities, no mirrors, etc. but clean.

There is a boat ramp close by and trails to explore, although we did neither. We just relaxed, enjoyed the weather, and decided we would definitely come back since it is only a little over an hour from our home.

Another awesome place if you are a boater! Beautiful views. Grounds need a little work. Electronic and water hookups on sites. Bathrooms and showers available. We did a quick tour of the area to stay next summer.

From the website: Located on the north shore of Lake Murray, Putnam's Landing (no website; 1201 Putnam Dr, Chapin; 803-345-3040) is open from April to October and features 24 sites for tents or RVs. Sites include sewer and electrical hookups, but offer central water only. Shower and restroom facilities are located in the campground, and Putnam's landing also offers an on-site restaurant.

We stayed deeper in the woods at the site named "big pine peninsula". The hike in from the parking spot was very easy so we packed in some extra water. The site was so quiet. I slept like a rock, just the cooing of an owl to lull us to sleep. There were plenty of cut paths to wander on and we also were able to find really great downed wood to process. We had fun, we relaxed, and we were able to really feel isolated.

Ashley here with The Dyrt! I'm excited to welcome your friendly host, John. John has opened his 19 acre family farm up to visitors. Come meet their chickens, goats, pigs, turkey, and rabbits! Rent go-carts or sit around the campfire with some s'mores. Give them some love and leave your review here!