CampgroundsDB

First-come camping in South Carolina (no reservation needed)

South Carolina has 20 public campgrounds you can camp at without a reservation, 10 free and 3 charging a fee. All are run by the U.S. Forest Service.

20
Total
0
Reservable
20
First-come
Buckhall Recreation Area

First-come campgrounds vs. dispersed camping

Every campground below is a named, developed site that takes no reservations: show up, find an open site, pay if there's a fee. Dispersed camping (boondocking) is different: camping on open public land away from any campground. BLM limits dispersed camping to 14 days within any 28-day period (stay limits vary by field office), asks campers to stay at least 200 feet from lakes and streams, and says most areas need no permit or reservation (blm.gov, read 2026-09-26).

Most first-come campgrounds by town: 4 near Walhalla , 3 near McClellanville , 2 near Abbeville , and 2 near Edgefield .

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Buckhall Recreation Area McClellanville · National Forest · First-come
Sites
19
Season
Year-round
Fee
Single Site: $20 per night
 Burrells Ford Walhalla · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Year-round
Fee
Free
 Cassidy Bridge Group Campground Walhalla · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Overnight Use:
 Collins Creek Whitmire · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Single Site: $5 per night
 Cyper Creek Group Campground Edgefield · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Elmwood Group Campground McClellanville · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Free
 Grapevine Walhalla · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Year-round
Fee
Free
 Guilliard Lake Berkeley · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Free
 Herbert Union · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Honey Hill McClellanville · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Free
 Key Bridge Group Campground McCormick · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Free
 Lick Fork Lake Edgefield · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Long Bottom Ford Walhalla · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Year-round
Fee
Free
 Midway Group Campground Abbeville · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Morrows Bridge Group Campground McCormick · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Parsons Mtn Lake Abbeville · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Pouluos Loop Chester · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Not on record
 Rocky Branch Carlisle · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Free
 Tip Top Group Campground Laurens · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Free
 Willow Oak Group Campground Newberry · National Forest · First-come
Sites
Not on record
Season
Not on record
Fee
Free

Common questions

Is there free camping in South Carolina?

Yes. 10 public campgrounds here are free and first-come: Burrells Ford, Elmwood Group Campground, Grapevine, Guilliard Lake, and 6 more.

Can you camp on BLM land in South Carolina?

Yes, in most places. BLM limits dispersed camping to 14 days within any 28-day period (stay limits vary by field office), asks campers to stay at least 200 feet from lakes and streams, and says most areas need no permit or reservation (blm.gov, read 2026-09-26).

Campgrounds you can book ahead: camping in South Carolina.