Expedition SC List

Lake Camping in South Carolina, Lake by Lake

Verified September 27, 2026 against South Carolina State Parks, Recreation.gov, the US Army Corps of Engineers Savannah District, Oconee, Pickens and York county parks, Santee Cooper, and Lake Murray Country.

Seasons shift and storm repairs happen, so check your campground’s page before you pack the cooler.

Some campers want a mountain view. Some want the beach. And some of us just want a picnic table ten steps from the water, hot coffee, and a heron fishing the cove at sunrise. South Carolina’s big lakes have that in spades.

Here’s the public lake camping, lake by lake, from Jocassee in the mountains down to Moultrie: state parks, US Army Corps of Engineers campgrounds, and county parks. It’s lakes only. For rivers, beaches and marsh, see our Where to Camp on the Water list.

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Quick compare

Jocassee (Where to camp: Devils Fork; Who runs it: SC State Parks). Keowee (Where to camp: Keowee-Toxaway, South Cove, High Falls, Mile Creek; Who runs it: SC State Parks, Oconee County, Pickens County). Hartwell (Where to camp: Lake Hartwell, Sadlers Creek, Coneross, Oconee Point, Springfield, Twin Lakes; Who runs it: SC State Parks, Army Corps). Russell (Where to camp: Calhoun Falls; Who runs it: SC State Parks). Thurmond (Where to camp: Hamilton Branch, Hickory Knob, Baker Creek, Modoc, Hawe Creek, Leroys Ferry; Who runs it: SC State Parks, Army Corps). Greenwood (Where to camp: Lake Greenwood; Who runs it: SC State Parks). Murray (Where to camp: Dreher Island; Who runs it: SC State Parks). Wylie (Where to camp: Ebenezer Park; Who runs it: York County). Wateree (Where to camp: Lake Wateree; Who runs it: SC State Parks). Marion (Where to camp: Santee; Who runs it: SC State Parks). Moultrie (Where to camp: Lake Moultrie Passage campsites (hike-in); Who runs it: Palmetto Trail).

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Booking basics

Most sites on this list book one of three ways. State parks: Book online or at 1-866-345-7275, up to 13 months ahead. Reservations need at least two nights, and anything less than a day out has to go through the park itself. So for tonight, call the park. Army Corps campgrounds: Book on Recreation.gov or at 877-444-6777. Gates at the big Corps campgrounds lock at 10 p.m., stays top out at 14 days in any 30-day period, and alcohol is prohibited. County parks: Each county books its own way. Details are with each lake below.

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Lake Jocassee

Devils Fork State Park gives you three ways to camp on Jocassee. The main lakeside campground has 59 paved sites with water and electric, and some fit RVs up to 40 feet. The walk-in tent area has 25 sites, each with an elevated 12-by-12 tent pad, a picnic table and a fire ring. There are no hookups and no tents on the ground, but water spigots and restrooms sit next to the walk-in parking. The 25 boat-in sites are on the north shore at the base of Musterground Mountain, about two miles by water from the main boat launch. They're seasonal, with no water, power, restrooms or dock, and they take a short, moderate hike to reach. Book by phone with a two-night minimum, then register in person at the park office during business hours before you launch.

Full guide →
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Lake Keowee

On Keowee, three county parks do the heavy lifting, with a small state park alongside. Keowee-Toxaway State Park: 10 standard sites with water and 50 amp power (3 add sewer) and 10 tent sites with water and 20 amp power. For a spot near the water, hike the Raven Rock Trail or paddle to one of three backcountry sites near the shore. South Cove County Park, Seneca: 86 sites with water and electric, 46 of them waterfront. The park is open year-round. High Falls County Park, Seneca: 91 sites with water and 20 or 30 amp electric, 10 of them waterfront. Camping closes for winter from mid-November through February. Mile Creek County Park, Six Mile: 69 sites with water and electric, primitive tent sites, and 10 lakefront cabins. Oconee County runs South Cove and High Falls; book them on ReserveAmerica or at 855-622-6727. Pickens County runs Mile Creek; call the park at 864-868-2196.

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Lake Hartwell

Hartwell has 962 miles of shoreline, and these six public campgrounds sit on the South Carolina side. Lake Hartwell State Park: 109 paved sites with water and electric (many fit RVs up to 40 feet), 13 walk-in tent sites, and eight camper cabins. Sadlers Creek State Park, Anderson: 52 gravel sites with water and electric on a peninsula, plus a tent area with central water. Coneross (Corps), Townville: 106 sites, 94 with water and electric and 12 primitive, plus two swim areas. Oconee Point (Corps), Seneca: 70 sites with water and electric, including 30 and 50 amp service. Springfield (Corps), Anderson: 79 sites with water and electric at one of Hartwell's most popular campgrounds. Twin Lakes (Corps), Pendleton: 102 sites, five comfort stations with showers, and a swim beach. Questions about the Corps sites go to the Hartwell Lake office at 888-893-0678. Rolling in off I-85 with no plan? Read Last-Minute Camping on Lake Hartwell.

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Lake Russell

Head to Calhoun Falls State Park. It has 86 standard campsites in three campgrounds along the shore. Two of them have water and electric (20 and 30 amp), and a walk-in tent area has tent pads and central water. One campground has been closed for renovations, so ask which loops are open when you book.

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Lake Thurmond

Thurmond is the largest Corps of Engineers lake east of the Mississippi, with 1,200 miles of shoreline. These six public campgrounds sit on the South Carolina side. Hurricane Helene damaged the Corps parks here in September 2024, and they have been reopening in stages, so check status before you book. Hamilton Branch State Park, Plum Branch: 173 sites with water and electric, and all but two sit right on the lake. Hickory Knob State Park: A lakeshore campground with water and electric at every site. Baker Creek State Park: A 34-site campground on the shore. The park opens seasonally from March 1. Modoc (Corps): 70 sites, all but one with 30 or 50 amp electric, and four bathhouses with showers. Hawe Creek (Corps), McCormick: 34 sites, a mile from the Dorn Sportfishing Facility. Leroys Ferry (Corps), north of McCormick: 10 primitive sites with vault toilets and a hand pump for non-potable water, so bring drinking water. It reopened in December 2025. Modoc and Hawe Creek ran a March 27 to September 13 season in 2026, with a two-night minimum on weekends and three nights on holidays. Watch Recreation.gov for next year's dates.

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Lake Greenwood

Lake Greenwood State Park has 125 paved sites with water and electric, and many fit RVs up to 40 feet. Organized groups can book a primitive group camp that holds up to 50 people.

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Lake Murray

Dreher Island State Park has two lakefront camping areas: 97 paved sites for RVs or tents and 15 tent-only sites, each with water and electric. Our Dreher Island State Park Camping guide has the rest. Rather stay at a private campground or marina? Lake Murray Country, the regional tourism board, lists them.

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Lake Wylie

York County's Ebenezer Park, just north of Rock Hill, has 79 full-hookup RV sites (water, sewer, and 50, 30 or 20 amp electric) and 5 tent sites with water and electric. It's open year-round, you can book up to 13 months ahead on Campspot, and stays max out at 14 nights. Questions? Call 803-366-6620.

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Lake Wateree

Lake Wateree State Park has 72 paved sites, every one with water and electric. Twenty-eight add 50 amp service and sewer, 23 are waterfront, and eight are pull-through. The park says sites go fast in summer, so book early.

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Lake Marion

Santee State Park, which sits along Lake Marion, has two campgrounds: 108-site Lakeshore on the east side of the park and 50-site Cypress View on the west. Every site is packed sand with water and electric, and many fit RVs up to 40 feet. Across the water from the park is Lake Marion's flooded cypress forest, and it's worth a paddle. More on our Santee State Park page.

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Lake Moultrie

Moultrie's best-kept camping secret is on foot. The Lake Moultrie Passage of the Palmetto Trail runs 26 miles along the lake's dikes, with primitive campsites and fire rings for hikers. The prize is the site right on the shore at Sandy Beach, open when the loop trails there are open, March 2 to November 15. The loops close the rest of the year so wintering waterfowl get some peace. Camp only at the designated sites, for no more than two weeks. Hunting is allowed in the wildlife management areas the trail crosses from mid-September to January 1, so wear blaze orange.

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Lake camping for every body

Lake camping can be one of the easier ways to sleep outside, because so many sites are drive-up with water and power right at the pad. Easier: Recreation.gov lists accessible campsites at Twin Lakes, accessible showers and flush toilets at Coneross and Oconee Point, and accessible boat ramps at Twin Lakes, Oconee Point and Springfield. South Cove County Park has an accessible fishing pier. Paved sites at Devils Fork, Lake Hartwell, Lake Greenwood, Dreher Island and Lake Wateree state parks roll easier than gravel or sand. Harder: The walk-in and boat-in sites at Devils Fork, the backcountry sites at Keowee-Toxaway, the Lake Moultrie Passage, and Leroys Ferry, which has no drinking water. When you book, ask for an accessible site and say exactly what you need, like a level pad or a short roll to the bathhouse. Call SC State Parks at 1-866-345-7275 or Recreation.gov at 877-444-6777. Have a permanent disability? The free America the Beautiful Access Pass earns a camping discount at many federal sites, and the Corps takes part in the pass program, so ask. More tips live in our Accessibility Guide.

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Pick your lake

Still deciding? Every Major Lake in South Carolina, Ranked sorts them by what you want, and our Lakes hub has everything else on the water. No reservation and no plan? Try First-Come, First-Served Campgrounds. However you camp, leave it nice for the next crew. Pack out your trash, keep fires in the rings, buy firewood near where you'll burn it, and never move bait or fish from one lake to another. Now go outside and play. The sunset's on us.

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