From the Atlantic Ocean to the Blue Ridge Mountains, South Carolina is a pure wonderland providing numerous alternatives for tenting. And fortunately, there are many locations without spending a dime tenting in South Carolina.
These free tenting spots present a possibility to pattern the varied ecosystems in South Carolina, from coastal areas to wetlands to old-growth forests to waterfalls. Remember, although, that almost all free tenting in South Carolina comes with few or no facilities.
Learn on for a regional look throughout South Carolina at locations the place you possibly can benefit from the open air without charge. When you’ve taken a have a look at your choices, all that’s left to do is hit the street and luxuriate in your time within the state.
Free Tenting in South Carolina: Jap
Regardless of the place you might be alongside the US shores of the Atlantic Ocean, it’s troublesome to search out campsites, a lot much less free tenting, on the seashore. However there are many locations without spending a dime tenting in South Carolina that can put seashores inside simple attain whereas providing their very own charms.
Learn on for info on a few of the finest free tenting alternatives in japanese South Carolina. The free tenting websites listed below are concentrated northeast of Charleston.
1. Honey Hill Recreation Space
Situated half-hour northeast of Charleston, close to McClellanville within the Francis Marion Nationwide Forest, Honey Hill Recreation Space contains 15 campsites. Picnic tables and grills can be found throughout the tenting space, and it additionally has a vault rest room. Stays are restricted to a most of 14 days.
Should you plan to remain on the Honey Hill Recreation Space without spending a dime tenting in South Carolina, you’ll must deliver your personal water. That needn’t be an excessive amount of of a burden, although, as a result of the city of McClellanville is lower than a dozen miles away.
Campsites are organized in a loop across the previous fireplace tower, which is not in use. Websites can accommodate every thing from tents to RVs. Nonetheless, tenting right here is obtainable on a first-come, first-served foundation, so when you’re planning a weekend go to, plan to reach very early within the day.
A keep at Honey Hill Recreation Space places you in shut proximity to mountaineering alternatives within the Francis Marion Nationwide Forest. You may also spend a while in close by McClellanville, a fishing village, as a part of your journey in free tenting in South Carolina.
As a ultimate word, when you’re visiting the realm on the primary Saturday in Could, you possibly can attend the favored Lowcountry Shrimp Pageant.
2. Elmwood Recreation Space
Providing a handful of campsites, together with an RV web site and a bunch tenting space, Elmwood Recreation Space is widespread throughout deer and turkey searching seasons. The spot, open year-round without spending a dime tenting in South Carolina, is supplied with picnic tables, a water spigot and a vault rest room.
Elmwood Recreation Space is positioned north of McClellanville on Rutledge Highway. As with different federal recreation areas within the Francis Marion Nationwide Forest, stays on the Elmwood Recreation Space are restricted to 14 days.
Elmwood Recreation Space will get persistently excessive scores from guests on every thing from location to cleanliness to the quiet that guests will expertise.
In reality, exterior of searching seasons, it’s doable that you just and your loved ones or buddies could be the solely individuals utilizing the Elmwood Recreation Space. That’s an awesome cause to place it in your checklist of alternatives without spending a dime tenting in South Carolina.
3. Santee Coastal Reserve Wildlife Administration Space
Free tenting can be supplied within the Santee Coastal Reserve Wildlife Administration Space, established by the South Carolina Division of Pure Assets. There’s a four-day restrict for tenting within the primitive campground, positioned off Santee Gun Membership Highway in McClellanville.
Eight websites can be found on a first-come, first-served foundation. Critiques point out that the tenting space is never crammed. And naturally, primitive tenting signifies that no companies can be found, so it’s possible finest for RV campers with restroom services of their automobiles. Tent tenting is allowed.
The Santee Coastal Reserve Wildlife Administration Space is in picturesque coastal South Carolina, however guests have reported issues with mosquitoes throughout some instances of the yr. Nonetheless, it’s actually value a attempt as a possibility without spending a dime tenting in South Carolina.
Free Tenting in South Carolina: Central
Free tenting in South Carolina contains the chance to get pleasure from Congaree Nationwide Park within the central a part of the state. The park is the most important tract of southern old-growth bottomland forest remaining in the USA.
The state-operated Woodbury Wildlife Administration Space, positioned within the japanese fringe of central South Carolina, gives campers a possibility to expertise plenty of fascinating ecosystems. From bottomland hardwoods to freshwater wetlands, it’s all there at Woodbury WMA.
Learn on for extra info on free tenting in Congaree Nationwide Park and within the Woodbury Wildlife Administration Space. We’ll additionally look briefly on the Palmetto Path, one more probability without spending a dime tenting in South Carolina.
4. Congaree Nationwide Park
Free tenting in South Carolina is obtainable all through the backcountry of Congaree Nationwide Park. overlaying almost 27,000 acres southeast of Columbia. A free allow is required for backcountry tenting.
To acquire a allow, e-mail cong_information@nps.gov at the least 72 hours previous to your go to.
There are not any designated campsites within the Congaree Nationwide Park backcountry. Campers should, nevertheless, stay 100 ft away from the waters of Cedar Creek, Tom’s Creek, Bates Outdated River and Clever Lake.
Campsites are restricted to 6 individuals and three tents or different tenting buildings. Campsites have to be at the least 300 ft away from the following closest camper or group of campers. Open fires should not allowed, however backpacking stoves can be utilized for cooking.
Backcountry campers must be ready to pack out all trash, tools and belongings when their go to is ended.
5. Woodbury Wildlife Administration Space
Free primitive tenting is obtainable at 4 areas within the almost 26,000-acre Woodbury Wildlife Administration Space southeast of Florence. Places for this free tenting in South Carolina are the boat ramps at Sampson Touchdown, Parker Touchdown, Sanders Touchdown and Tanyard Touchdown.
Tanyard Touchdown is positioned on the Nice Pee Dee River, with the remaining three tenting areas positioned alongside tributaries of the Little Pee Dee River. Signage clearly marks all 4 tenting areas.
Permits are required for stays of greater than 4 days at any of those designated areas without spending a dime tenting in South Carolina. Permits are also required for teams of greater than 10 campers staying collectively at any of the websites.
6. Palmetto Path
The still-developing cross-state Palmetto Path gives plenty of alternatives without spending a dime tenting in South Carolina. In central South Carolina, a type of free campsites is within the small city of Peak, northwest of Columbia.
Situated on the trailhead for the Peak to Prosperity Passage on the Palmetto Path, this free tenting space can accommodate as many as a half-dozen tents. RVs can arrange within the car parking zone instantly adjoining to the campsite.
Throughout your keep, you possibly can fish within the close by Broad River, or just benefit from the space wildlife, which incorporates bald eagles. Facilities on the web site embrace a ship ramp, a hearth ring and a water supply.
Simply as a pleasant warning, there are energetic railroad tracks inside a quarter-mile of the tenting space. It’s doable that your sleep could also be interrupted by a few nighttime trains as they cross by. That’s a small value to pay, although, for in any other case free tenting in South Carolina.
Free Tenting in South Carolina: Western
The mountains of western South Carolina embrace many alternatives without spending a dime tenting. Profiting from these alternatives in the course of the fall, as leaves are altering shade, could be a actual deal with whereas spending time open air.
Learn on for a have a look at a few of the free tenting websites obtainable within the hilled splendor of western South Carolina.
7. Brasstown Falls
The U.S. Forest Service lists a free campsite on the prime of Brasstown Falls close to Westminster, simply east of the Georgia state line. The campsite, which may accommodate as much as 5 campers, is obtainable on a first-come, first-served foundation.
Brasstown Falls is accessed by a gravel Forest Service Highway off of Brasstown Highway. The campground is positioned about 100 yards off the gravel street. Stays on the campsite are restricted to a most of 14 days.
There are 4 waterfalls within the neighborhood to discover. each reached by a separate footpath. As well as, you possibly can get pleasure from swimming and fishing within the space as a part of this free tenting in South Carolina.
8. Grapevine Campground
Situated on the finish of U.S. Forest Service Highway 764 close to Mountain Relaxation, Grapevine Campground is a primitive campsite providing free stays of as much as 14 days.
There are 15 campsites at Grapevine Campground, a few of that are adjoining to a close-by river. Journey trailers and RVs could have problem accessing some campsites, because of boulders positioned on the web site to protect a tent tenting space.
9. Burrells Ford
Situated on the South Carolina facet of the Chattooga River, which varieties a part of the boundary between South Carolina and Georgia, is the Burrells Ford campground. To get there from Walhalla, S.C., take South Carolina Freeway 28 to Freeway 107, and switch left onto Burrells Ford Highway.
A parking space for the campground is positioned on the left facet of Burrells Ford Highway about three miles from Freeway 107. There’s a vault rest room and picnic tables on the campground, which is overseen by the U.S. Forest Service. Guests can stroll a quarter-mile to camp on the Chattooga River.
10. Lengthy Backside Ford
Providing a set of primitive campsites, Lengthy Backside Ford off Low Water Bridge Highway close to Mountain Relaxation is certainly a no-frills expertise. Nonetheless, visiting this spot without spending a dime tenting in South Carolina locations guests in an ecologically wealthy atmosphere.
There are 13 campsites at Lengthy Backside Ford, with facilities together with fireplace pits, pcinic tables and vault bathrooms. It’s an awesome place to remain to benefit from the many mountaineering trails within the space, together with the 70-plus-mile Foothills Path.
Wrapping up Locations You Can Go Free Tenting in South Carolina
Now that there are various locations without spending a dime tenting in South Carolina, you’ve got one other good cause to discover the state.
Past The Tent has way more on tenting in South Carolina, together with extra seashore tenting choices and a information to Congaree Nationwide Park. So pack up your gear, and head out to get pleasure from nature in South Carolina.
