Expedition SC List

The Mountains-to-Coast Van Route

Verified September 26, 2026 against SC State Parks and the USDA Forest Service. Book state park nights ahead. Check Collins Creek dates before you go.

Six nights. Two mountain lakes, a hunt camp in the pines, a swamp big enough to lose a small town in, and an ocean at the end. Every night has a legal, verified place to sleep, so you’ll never be that van in the Walmart lot hoping nobody knocks.

This route runs west to east, from the Blue Ridge to the Grand Strand. Flip it if you’re starting at the beach. Drive times vary a lot with traffic and back roads, so map each leg before you go.

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Night 1: Devils Fork State Park, Lake Jocassee

Start big. Devils Fork is the only public access to Lake Jocassee, a mostly undeveloped mountain lake surrounded by the Jocassee Gorges. The main campground has 59 paved sites with water and electric hookups, and there's a separate rustic tent area. Reserve ahead. Do: Paddle to the waterfalls with our Lake Jocassee Kayak and Waterfall Tour. The water is some of the clearest in the Southeast. Local stop: Grab supplies at Keowee Lake Shop in Salem on your way in.

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Night 2: Table Rock State Park

Head east on SC 11, the Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway. Table Rock has two campgrounds with water and electric hookups at every site, and both are close to restrooms with hot showers. Shower night! Reserve ahead. Do: Climb the Table Rock Summit Trail if your legs are up for it, or take the easy route with our Caesars Head Day Trip. Local stop: Pumpkintown General Store for a hearty meal and Table Rock Country Store for last-minute supplies.

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Night 3: Collins Creek Seasonal Camp, Enoree Ranger District

Drop out of the mountains into the Piedmont. Collins Creek has 36 first-come, first-served sites under the pines for $5 a night. Pay at the fee tube within 30 minutes of arrival. It's open for first-come camping from September 12 to January 6, and in April until it closes May 3. Traveling outside those dates? Swap in a state park campground in the Midlands, and book ahead. Heads up: Collins Creek is a hunt camp in deer season. Wear blaze orange if you walk the woods. Fill your water jugs before you arrive and check with the Enoree Ranger District at 803-276-4810 about water.

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Night 4: Santee State Park, Lake Marion

Head southeast to South Carolina's largest lake. Santee State Park sits on Lake Marion and has two campgrounds. Reserve ahead. Do: Stop at the Congaree Boardwalk Loop on the way for old-growth swamp forest. Then cruise the Santee NWR Wildlife Drive at golden hour. More on the park itself on our Santee State Park page.

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Night 5: Honey Hill or Elmwood, Francis Marion National Forest

Into the Lowcountry. Both camps are free and primitive, a short drive from McClellanville. Honey Hill has vault toilets, picnic tables, and grills but no drinking water. Elmwood has vault toilets and drinking water, and it's a busy hunt camp in big-game season. This is your no-frills night, so fill your tanks and jugs at Santee first. Do: Spend the day on Cape Romain and Bull Island, one of the wildest stretches of coast in the state.

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Night 6: Myrtle Beach State Park

Finish with your toes in the sand. The main campground has individual water and electric hookups, and many sites fit rigs up to 40 feet. It's the only way to sleep near the beach here legally, since Myrtle Beach city code bans sleeping in a vehicle on public streets and in public places. Reserve ahead. Do: Wander the Georgetown Harborwalk on the drive up, then paddle the salt marsh with our Murrells Inlet Creek Paddle.

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Water, dumps, and showers along the way

Fill up and dump at state parks on nights 1, 2, 4, and 6 when you're a registered camper. Nights 3 and 5 are primitive, so arrive full and leave no trace. Need a shower between stops? See our Showers on the Road page.

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Before you roll

Book nights 1, 2, 4, and 6 through SC State Parks. Reservations open up to 13 months out. Check fire conditions with each ranger district. Hurricane season runs June 1 through November 30. If a storm threatens the coast, move night 6 inland. Pack a real fan and bug screens. Summer nights are hot and the mosquitoes are enthusiastic. Want the non-van version? Our Mountains to Coast Road Trip covers the same ground in five days. Now go outside and play.

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