Best Dispersed Camping in South Carolina

This is a primitive area along the Palmetto Trail in the Francis Marion National Forest.

Many hiker's heading to or coming down from the Appalachian Trail will camp here in a beautiful setting underneath live oak trees.

There are 3 areas to camp: along the dirt loop road, a big field, and a few areas tucked back in the trees.

This first appears to be a small campground due to the size of the road's loop. But, there are several large areas with plenty of room for tent or hammock camping.

There are only a couple spots for an RV or Travel Trailer to park, but they are pull through along the side of the main loop.  

Plenty of parking for those willing to walk their gear into the large field, or along the camping areas down by the trail. 

Depending on the year, you'll either have this campsite all to yourself, or be sharing it with 100 other tents. Large groups love this free site (i.e. church youth groups) as it's easy to get to and about 30 minutes to Charleston, SC.

I've always found this place to be one of those "nearest far away places" due to the seclusion.

Everything here is pack in and pack out, so don't expect anything fancy, just a free and fun spot to camp for a night. Down the road is the Wambaw Cycle Trail, a maintained trail system for motocross & dirt bikes.

Great little spot for primitive camping. Hiking trails are nice and groomed. Very peaceful and everyone stays to themselves.

Good camping spot. On the campground there is a hiking trail. You can pull your car in almost about anywhere, just be aware of low hanging branches. Had to deal with a ton of insects. Decently quiet at night. I do say it was packed when we were there. Also pls clean up after yourself

Great spot with room to turn around. Shaded and at trailhead of a trail down to creek and near a second trail to a waterfall. Had a few people during the day but evenings were totally quiet. A bit of extra vehicle clearance is helpful...slow and steady gets you to a great spot. No services here but good dispersed spot.

Not a great campsite. I’m a big fan of primitive, and this is primitive, but too many things make it not worth it for me and mine. Immediately upon entering the roundabout is just completely full of trash, all the time. There are a few homeless people whose favorite pastime seems to be to scream as loudly as they can as often as they can, time of day (or night) not relevant whatsoever. I’ve given this place a few chances now, and every time I have been disappointed. Stay at your own risk.

Not a great campsite. I’m a big fan of primitive, and this is primitive, but too many things make it not worth it for me and mine. Immediately upon entering the roundabout is just completely full of trash, all the time. There are a few homeless people whose favorite pastime seems to be to scream as loudly as they can as often as they can, time of day (or night) not relevant whatsoever. I’ve given this place a few chances now, and every time I have been disappointed. Stay at your own risk.

King Creek is accessible via a short drive along a forest road and then another short drive down a muddy road slightly overgrown with vegetation. The only sign you will see is one saying camping is allowed, and it is difficult to see unless you are looking carefully. I was surprised that it had a spacious parking area and a spacious camping area. It is NOT for RVs. First of all, the road is narrow and vegetation hangs low along the road. It is uneven and sometimes muddy. 

There is enough room to set up three or four tents, and there is a fire pit but no toilet. You only have to walk a few steps to your vehicle to get anything. You will also need to take in water or a water filter, any personal hygiene products, and your own little table if you want to cook off of the ground. 

There is a tributary of the Chatooga River within a few steps of the campsite, so you can hear the sounds of the creek all night long. The fire pit is large, but there was a lot of trash in it. There are no gravel pads, which I like, but there was a grassy area to set up my tent, which I did like. 

Unfortunately, the forest road was close enough that I could hear traffic passing by going to waterfalls and other areas. However, there is very little sound at night other than the creek. You cannot make reservations for the site(s), so it is first come, first served. 

You won’t have any problems with noisy neighbors since it is limited to very few tents. It is actually recommended for only one tent, but it is big enough for a group with more than one tent. 

Overall, it is a great place for solitude and since it is not easy to find, so not many people stay there.

I didn’t get a chance to explore this camping area much because it was wet. I mean really wet! It is beside the Chauga River, and if you camp there after a storm like I did, expect a lot of wet puddles and soggy ground. It is a great destination for fishing, but the water was too high and too muddy this time. There is a parking area, and you have to pack everything in. I parked across the road because of the drop-off from the road. It was probably a good idea anyway since the parking area would require me to put my vehicle in 4WD. I am sure others had a better experience than I did, but between the bugs and the soggy mess, it was difficult to rate this campground anything other than just one star. There are not toilet facilities, water, lantern hangers, etc. That is usually not a problem for me, but… did I mention that it was wet? Building a campfire this time was out of the question. It was a good thing I carry my little Solo stove. I used it as a mini fire pit. On the positive side of things, being so close to the river makes it almost impossible to hear any sounds from the highway. It’s not a busy road anyway, but it is nice sleeping to the sounds of the river. Overall, I don’t think I will return to this camping area. It was okay as a learning experience, but other than that, it was just too small of a camping area, too many bugs, and too… did I mention it was wet?

Closed for maintenance

Access is rough, (moderate clearance vehicles required). Also, as courtesy - cruise the bridge and see if people are down there first, (both sides).

Sweet backcountry spot! Nice gurgling stream and hiking trails.

Came back for another night cause it was perfect.

Right next to the Chattooga river. You're on the beach.

This camping site is unmarked and almost literally under a bridge. There's a pull-off to either side of the structure, which quickly goes from asphalt to a very uneven dirt road which had been graveled long ago, snaking down to the river. My small car had difficulty getting down it and the drop-off from the asphalt is abrupt.

When I visited, it had rained heavily so both the road and the site were wet and muddy. The camping site itself is open, with no designated tent sites, but there is a fire ring made of rock and a few stumps and rocks to sit on.

On the plus side, there's a sign posted that the river is open trout fishing all year, with no lure or size restrictions. 

There appeared to be another trail on the other side of the bridge, but I didn't travel that as I wasn't sure my car could handle the mud road.

This is not a campground for anyone with a large rig or RV. The dirt road in for several miles has VERY large potholes and you have to weave across the track to avoid them. Ok with car if very careful especially at night. Not really what I would call a lake more like a large stream. Several sites back on to the stream but at a higher level. Cell signal with Verizon 2 bars seemed ok. Definitely make sure you have all you need before getting to the site, not a road you want to keep traveling down