Where Are the Best Camping Spots Near Charleston, SC?

When you want a respite from your daily responsibilities, getting away on a camping trip is a great way to ground yourself and have fun. Luckily, there are many campgrounds and places to do just that in and around Charleston, South Carolina. Try these four best campgrounds for a weekend getaway in nature.

Lake Aire Campground

Address: Lake Aire Campground, 4375 Highway 162, Hollywood, SC 29449

Rates: $30-$66 per week plus tax

Lake Aire Campground is a paradise for campers with RVs. Just two miles south of Charleston in Hollywood, this spacious campground was created with family and fun in mind. Among its features are a private lake stocked with fish to catch, public-use charcoal grills, a swimming pool with a sunning deck, horseshoes, and cornhole games. Fire rings and picnic tables are present in every campsite. Tiled bathrooms, hot showers, and laundry facilities are available to campers, too. Most campsites are pull-through RV sites with 30 AMP, 50 AMP, and water hook-up options available. There is a dump station. A few tent sites are set aside for campers who prefer more traditional experiences. Leashed pets are welcome. Make wonderful camping memories at this RV park.

James Island County Park

Address: James Island County Park, 871 Riverland Dr, Charleston, SC 29412

Rates: $35-$77 per night

Go on a camping trip without even leaving Charleston. James Island County Park is the place to do it. It’s the closest campground to the historic downtown attractions. Campsites are pull-through and permanent sites. Different sites offer varied electrical hookups, from 30 to 50 amps, and a bathroom facility is also available. Camping reservations are highly suggested, especially in the busy season.

For families camping here, an activity center and full-service campground store are available. Plus, there’s the natural beauty of the whole 643-acre park with its rock climbing wall, waterpark, fishing and crabbing dock, and off-leash dog park. The biggest bonus to camping in the city is that if you have forgotten anything, it’s an easy jaunt back home or into town for what you need. The drive from downtown is only about fifteen minutes.

Buck Hall Recreation Area

Address: Buck Hall Recreation Area, 999 Buckhall Landing Rd, McClellanville, SC 29458

Rates: $25-$40 per night

The Buck Hall Recreation Area campground places happy campers close to the water. Located along the Intracoastal Waterway and close to Bull’s Bay in McClellanville, this campground is close to prime shrimp baiting and fishing. Even if fishing isn’t your thing, the surrounding 63,000 acres of Camp Romaine National Wildlife Refuge contains overflowing natural beauty in creeks and natural sandy beaches. Lose yourself in serene nature far from the city. Multiple campsites are available for tent and RV camping, with individual and group sites, fire rings, and picnic tables. Some sites have full hookups. Flush toilets, showerhouses, and drinking water are at the facility. There’s an accessible walkway by the shore; in the opposite direction, there’s an entrance to the Palmetto Trail, which stretches from the coast to the mountains.

Natural Gathering Grounds

Address: Natural Gathering Grounds, 7338 Peirce Rd, Ridgeville, SC 29472

Rates: $41-$122 per night

For a wide-open space full of possibilities and things to do, the Natural Gathering Grounds in Ridgeville is the place to head. This 54-acre campground baths you in Lowcountry nature, with hiking trails, berry bushes, fishing spots, and beautiful forest to explore. The land’s owners also provide such luxuries as hammock stations and a bathhouse. Find private access to the Edisto River, where. you can swim at the campground beach or launch a paddle craft. Try your hand at a bow on the archery range, or pet the farm animals. Camping itself is varied: find tent camping sites or have the glamping experience by booking a bungalow, a vintage trailer, or even a homestead lodge. Amenities depend on the site you rent. Either way, you’ll have a relaxing outdoor experience.

Mount Pleasant/Charleston KOA

Address: 3157 N Highway 17 Mount Pleasant, SC 29466

Rates: Vary on timing and seasonality

Charleston Campground is in the perfect location, with easy access to the Isle of Palms, Shem Creek, Daniel Island, and Patriot’s Point. Whether you’re into water sports or just love bird watching, this campground has plenty to offer with its nice park-like setting. Campsites face a catch-and-release fishing lake, where ducks and herons swim. The campground is packed with fun amenities for the entire family. Weekends are busiest, with activities like weekend wagon rides and themed events. Boat rentals include paddle boats, kayaks, and aqua bikes. The camp store has fireword for sale to build your s’mores fire. A pool is open for the season. RV sites are up to 80 maximum feet and 50 amps. Go camping in comfort with a hard-surface patio area, picnic tables, limited-channel cable, and sewer hookups. The KOA also has meeting facilities, cabins with limited facilities, and individual tent sites along the lake trail for privacy. Pets are allowed.

Hanscombe Point Plantation

Address: Johns Island, Charleston

Rate: $30-$40

Tent campers are more likely to want primitive campsites that put them in the middle of the Lowcountry’s natural beauty. Find it at Hanscombe Point Plantation, a 300-acre working family farm.  Camping accommodations include a vintage camper, primitive campsites along a saltwater creek, and an RV area right on a farm. However, this is dry camping, meaning no water hookups.

Stay for a quiet getaway in the woods. Besides cows and pigs, the farm has a lot of wildlife, such as wild turkeys, wood storks, raccoons, and alligators.  Fishing and crabbing are available on the saltwater creek next to the campsite as well. The farm is 30 minutes from nearby Folly Beach and downtown Charleston for convenience.

Edisto Beach State Park

Address: 8377 State Cabin Rd, Edisto Island, SC 29438

Rate: Vary by site and season

Fancy a campsite overlooking the stars with waves lapping in the background? The Edisto Beach State Park Campground has campsites oceanfront and in the forest. The 120 campsites fit RVs or tent campers, most with water and electrical hookups. All standard campsites have 20/30/50 amp service. Walk-in tent camping areas have tent pads to protect from the marshes. Seven cabins on the quiet salt marshes offer a rustic camping adventure.

The state park has 1.5 miles of pristine beaches famous for their seashells and 1,255 acres of natural Lowcountry wilderness. The environmental learning center is interesting for kids, and there’s a fishing pier.

Camping Near Charleston, South Carolina

There’s sure to be a great place where you can have a great time camping by yourself, with your family, or with your friends. Check out these websites to find the Charleston campground that suits you best, and book your getaway today!

Updated October 2024