Sticks & Sparks

South Carolina Outdoor Guide: Campgrounds, Trails, Beaches & RV Spots

Congaree National Park Forestscape, South Carolina

Photo: Ben Cappellacci / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0

Key Takeaways

Myrtle Beach and Kiawah Island represent opposite ends of South Carolina’s coast — budget-friendly boardwalk energy versus quiet, upscale nature — pick based on what your family actually wants
Huntington Beach State Park is the standout campground: genuinely clean, well-run, and paired with 3 miles of undeveloped beach
Table Rock’s summit trail is a real climb — 2,000 feet of gain — so treat it as a full-day mountain hike, not a casual walk
Kiawah’s Beachwalker Park made Dr. Beach’s 2025 top-10 national beach list, and it’s the only public access to the island’s famous 10 miles of sand

The Coast Does Most of the Work Here, But the Upstate Mountains Are Real

South Carolina’s outdoor identity is coastal first — but the Upstate mountains around Table Rock and Caesars Head genuinely earn a spot on this list too, if you’re willing to drive inland.

Campgrounds

Huntington Beach State Park — Murrells Inlet

Huntington Beach State Park — Murrells Inlet

173 sites with hookups and hot showers, renowned for cleanliness, superb birding, and 3 miles of undeveloped beach. This is the campground to book first if you want one all-around great South Carolina trip.

Myrtle Beach State Park — Myrtle Beach

Myrtle Beach State Park — Myrtle Beach

Forested sites near the city with a pier and easy beach access — a good pick if you want the Myrtle Beach amenities without staying in a resort.

Hunting Island State Park — near Beaufort

Hunting Island State Park — near Beaufort

South Carolina’s most-visited park, with a private beach, a historic lighthouse, and marsh boardwalks. Beloved, though it’s occasionally hit by hurricane damage and rebuilds — check current conditions before booking.

Table Rock State Park — Pickens

Table Rock State Park — Pickens

A mountain lake for swimming, a CCC-built lodge, and access to the state’s best real hiking. The Upstate counterpart to the coastal parks.

Devils Fork State Park — Salem

Devils Fork State Park — Salem

Access to Lake Jocassee, with kayaking to waterfalls — a genuinely different South Carolina than the beach towns.

Hiking Trails

Table Rock Summit Trail

Table Rock Summit Trail

About 3.5 miles each way with roughly 2,000 feet of elevation gain, to a 3,124-foot granite dome. This is a real mountain hike — plan the whole day around it, not a quick stop.

Carrick Creek Nature Loop, Table Rock State Park

Carrick Creek Nature Loop, Table Rock State Park

An easy family loop past cascades and CCC-built structures — the gentler alternative if the summit trail is too much.

Raven Cliff Falls Trail, Caesars Head State Park

Raven Cliff Falls Trail, Caesars Head State Park

Roughly 4 miles round trip (with longer loop options) to a suspension-bridge overlook of a 420-foot waterfall. Strenuous, but the payoff is genuinely dramatic.

Congaree National Park Boardwalk Loop — Hopkins

Congaree National Park Boardwalk Loop — Hopkins

A 2.4-mile elevated boardwalk through old-growth bottomland forest and champion trees — easy, unique, and a good change of pace from beach or mountain hiking.

Hunting Island — Marsh Boardwalk & Lighthouse Trails

Hunting Island — Marsh Boardwalk & Lighthouse Trails

A quarter-mile raised boardwalk, great for younger kids, plus maritime-forest paths and a lighthouse you can climb.

Beaches

Myrtle Beach

The classic, budget-friendly family destination — long white sand, a boardwalk, the SkyWheel, amusement parks. The most affordable option on this list; also the busiest.

Kiawah Island (Beachwalker Park)

Kiawah Island (Beachwalker Park)

Ten miles of pristine beach, with Beachwalker Park as the only public access point — and it ranked #6 on Dr. Beach’s 2025 national top-10 list. Wide sand, real wildlife, upscale and quiet. The best water clarity on this list.

Hilton Head Island (Coligny Beach)

Hilton Head Island (Coligny Beach)

Twelve miles of wide, flat sand with a splash pad and changing rooms, walkable to shops. Family- and bike-friendly, with real resort infrastructure.

Isle of Palms

Calm water near Charleston — upscale but genuinely accessible, a good middle ground between Myrtle Beach’s energy and Kiawah’s quiet.

Edisto Beach

Old-school and uncommercialized — a good pick if you want a beach town that hasn’t been resort-ified.

RV Spots

Huntington Beach State Park

Huntington Beach State Park

More than half the roughly 200 sites offer full or partial hookups, and the cleanliness reviews are consistently excellent — the top coastal RV pick in the state.

Myrtle Beach State Park

Myrtle Beach State Park

Electric/water sites near the beach and pier — a solid, less expensive alternative to the private resorts in town.

Sun Outdoors Myrtle Beach

Sun Outdoors Myrtle Beach

A full-hookup resort with a waterpark and lazy river — the amenity-heavy option if your kids want more than just the beach.

Oconee / Devils Fork State Parks

Oconee / Devils Fork State Parks

Upstate mountain-lake RV camping — the inland alternative if you’re headed to Table Rock or Caesars Head instead of the coast.

Planning Your Trip

Huntington Beach is the easiest single answer if you want one great South Carolina trip — clean, well-run, and right next to an undeveloped beach. If your family wants the livelier boardwalk experience, go Myrtle Beach; if you want quiet and clear water, go Kiawah. And if hiking’s the priority, treat Table Rock as a real mountain day, not a quick add-on to a beach trip.