Where to Stay in South Carolina: Areas, Cabins, Campgrounds

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Pick where to stay by what you want to be near: the Charleston peninsula or its beach towns, the Myrtle Beach strip, or a state park cabin in the mountains or on the coast. We list 17 kinds of stay and areas with booking rules from the official pages. We do not rank hotels.

Options17on this page
Regions5Upstate, Midlands, Lowcountry…
Free3as the operator states
CheckedOct 262026

The Short Answer

South Carolina's state parks have more than 3,000 campsites and 220 cabins and lodging facilities, from the mountains to the sea. source
State park reservations may be made up to 13 months in advance, online, by calling 1-866-345-PARK (7275), or by calling the park. source
Cabin and campsite rentals at state parks are typically accepted for a two-night minimum; during busier periods minimum stays may be increased at some parks. source
Hickory Knob State Resort Park is the state park with lodge rooms (76 rooms, much like hotel rooms, up to four guests each). source
There are no cabins for rent on the Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests; camping is allowed in developed campgrounds and designated primitive sites. source

Every Options on Our List

Search this list17 of 17

Name	Where	What	When	Cost	Good to know	Source
Devils Fork State Park	Salem Upstate	Only public access to Lake Jocassee; 20 lakeside villas (two- and three-bedroom), 59 standard campsites, 25 tent sites and a boat-in campground.	Open year-round per park hours; 2026 lodging dates not published as a season Late spring to mid-fall, 7am-9pm, daily; late fall to mid-spring 7am-6pm, daily.	$8 adults; $5/ SC seniors (age 65 & older); $4 children ages 6-15; ages 5 and under, free. Admission to the park is free on each Tuesday.	Dogs: Pets allowed in villas 1-5 (designated pet friendly villas).	source
Hickory Knob State Resort Park	McCormick Upstate	Resort state park on Lake Thurmond with 76 lodge rooms, 44 campsites, 1 historic cabin (the Guillebeau House), an 18-hole golf course and a buffet restaurant.	Open year-round per park hours; 2026 lodging dates not published as a season Sunrise to Sunset. Lodge check-in 4:00 p.m., check-out 10 a.m. Front Desk/Gift Shop 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., daily.	Free	Dogs: Pets are allowed in lodge rooms 303, 304 & 305 at Hickory Knob. Pets are not allowed in any other lodge rooms.	source
Lake Hartwell State Park	Fair Play Upstate	Lake Hartwell park that offers single-room camper cabins for guests without camping gear, plus campsites.	Open year-round per park hours; 2026 lodging dates not published as a season Sun up to sun down, daily	$3 adults; $1.50 SC seniors; $1 children age 6-15; age 5 & younger free	Dogs: Pets are allowed in Carolina Camper Cabins 1, 2 and 5.	source
Oconee State Park	Mountain Rest Upstate	Upstate park with 19 historic CCC-built cabins, 139 standard campsites and 15 rustic tent sites; southern trailhead of the Foothills Trail.	Open year-round per park hours; 2026 lodging dates not published as a season Su-Th 7am-7pm; Fri-Sa 7am-9pm (extended to 7am-9pm daily during Daylight Savings Time). Cabin check-in 4 PM, check-out 10 AM.	$5/adult; $3.25/S.C. seniors; $3/child ages 6-15; ages 5 & under free	Dogs: Pets are allowed in cabins 14-20 at Oconee.	source
Table Rock State Park	Pickens Upstate	Mountain park with 14 renovated cabins (9 CCC-built), 94 standard campsites, two lakes, and trail access to the Foothills Trail.	Open year-round per park hours; 2026 lodging dates not published as a season Su-Th 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. (extended to 9 p.m. F and Sa); Su-Th 7 a.m. – 9 p.m. (extended to 10 p.m. F and Sa) during Daylight Saving Time.	$6 adults; $3.75 SC seniors (age 65 & older); $3.50 children ages 6-15; ages 5 and under, free.	Dogs: Pets are allowed in cabins 4, 9, 10 and 11. Pets are not allowed in any other cabins, indoor areas or on the swim beach.	source
Barnwell State Park	Blackville Midlands	Small park with cabins and a campground a short walk from three fishing lakes.	Open year-round per park hours; 2026 lodging dates not published as a season M-Su 9 a.m. to dark, year round	Free	Dogs: Pets allowed in cabin 2 (designated pet friendly).	source
Congaree National Park campgrounds	Hopkins Midlands	Two frontcountry campgrounds: Longleaf (10 individual and 4 group sites, walk-up, vault toilets, no running water) and Bluff (6 individual sites about 1 mile in by trail, no restrooms or water); backcountry by permit.	Not listed	Longleaf Campground: $15 per night for a regular tent site; $25 per night for a group site. Bluff Campground: $10 per night for a regular tent site (Senior and Access Pass holders receive a 50% discount). Backcountry Camping: FREE. Reservations through Recreation.gov or 1-877-444-6777.	Access: Longleaf: farthest sites approximately 100 yards from the parking lot. Bluff: hike approximately 1 mile. Tents and hammocks only, no RV/trailer sites.	source
Dreher Island State Park	Prosperity Midlands	Three islands on Lake Murray with 5 lakeside villas, camper cabins, 97 paved campsites and 15 tent sites.	Open year-round per park hours; 2026 lodging dates not published as a season M-Su dawn to dusk	$6 adults; $3.75 SC seniors; $3.50 children age 6-15; age 5 & under free	Dogs: Pets allowed in Camper Cabins 2-5 (per the state parks pet policy page).	source
Poinsett State Park	Wedgefield Midlands	High Hills of Santee park with 5 rustic CCC cabins and 50 campsites (24 with power, 26 without).	Open year-round per park hours; 2026 lodging dates not published as a season 9am-dark, year round	$3 adults; $1.50 SC seniors; $1 children age 6-15; age 5 & younger free	Dogs: Pets are not allowed in the cabins or the cabin areas.	source
Santee State Park	Santee Midlands	Lake Marion park with 30 modern cabins (10 on a pier over the lake, 20 on the lakeshore) and 158 standard campsites in 2 campgrounds.	Open year-round per park hours; 2026 lodging dates not published as a season 6 a.m. – dark, daily, year-round	$3 adults; $1.50 SC seniors; $1 children age 6-15; age 5 & younger free	Dogs: Park page: pets are allowed in cabins 11-28. The FAQ page says cabins 11-20 (see unverified).	source
Edisto Beach State Park	Edisto Island Lowcountry	One of 4 oceanfront state parks; 7 cabins on the saltmarsh (5 one-bedroom, 2 three-bedroom) and 2 campgrounds with 120 sites.	Open year-round per park hours; 2026 lodging dates not published as a season 7 a.m. – 6 p.m. daily (extended to 8 p.m. during Daylight Savings Time)	$8/adult; $5 SC seniors; $4/ child age 6-15; Free for children 5 and younger.	Dogs: Pets are not allowed in the cabins or the cabin areas.	source
Givhans Ferry State Park	Ridgeville Lowcountry	Edisto River park with 4 two-bedroom CCC-built cabins on a bluff and 25 full-service campsites; the park says it is the closest park with overnight facilities to downtown Charleston.	Open year-round per park hours; 2026 lodging dates not published as a season 9 a.m. – 6 p.m., daily (extended to 9 p.m. during Daylight Savings Time)	Not listed	Not listed	source
Hunting Island State Park	Hunting Island Lowcountry	Beach park with 5 miles of beach, a lighthouse, 102 standard campsites, 25 rustic tent sites and 1 cabin located near the lighthouse.	Open year-round per park hours; 2026 lodging dates not published as a season Park Hours: 6 a.m. – 6 p.m., daily (extended to 9 p.m. during Daylight Saving Time)	$8/adult; $5/SC seniors; $4/ child age 6-15; Free for children 5 and younger	Dogs: Pets are not allowed in the cabin or the cabin area, on the pier or inside the lighthouse complex.	source
Cheraw State Park	Cheraw Pee Dee	Pee Dee park with 9 cabins, campsites, an 18-hole golf course and Lake Juniper.	Open year-round per park hours; 2026 lodging dates not published as a season	Free	Dogs: Pets are not allowed in or around cabins, cabin areas or other lodging facilities.	source
Huntington Beach State Park	Murrells Inlet Grand Strand	Beach park with 173 campsites (107 water and electric, 66 full-hookup) and 6 rustic tent sites; home of Atalaya.	Open year-round per park hours; 2026 lodging dates not published as a season 6 a.m. – 6 p.m., daily (extended to 9 p.m. during Daylight Saving Time)	$8/adult; $5/ S.C. Senior; $4/youth age 6-15; Free for children 5 and younger.	Not listed	source
Myrtle Beach State Park	Myrtle Beach Grand Strand	Oceanfront park with 6 CCC-built cabins located 200 yards from the beach and 278 campsites (138 full hookup), plus 30 seasonal tent sites.	Open year-round per park hours; 2026 lodging dates not published as a season Park Hours: Daily 6 a.m.-10 p.m., March-Nov.; Daily 6 a.m.-8 p.m., Dec.-Feb.	$8 adults; $5/SC seniors (age 65 & older); $4/ child age 6-15; Free for children 5 and younger.	Dogs: Pets are not allowed in any cabin or the cabin areas.	source
Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests camping	statewide (four ranger districts)	Camping in developed campgrounds and designated primitive sites; free dispersed camping permit required on the Long Cane, Enoree and Francis Marion districts, none on Andrew Pickens.	Not listed	Dispersed camping permit is free	Access: Dispersed camps should be at least 50 feet from water and trails and 1/2 mile from any road or parking lot; RV and car camping are not allowed as dispersed camping.	source

Hours, dates and prices are copied from each operator’s own page on the date shown; check before you go.

State Park Reservation Rules

Campsite reservations require payment in full when made; lodging requires a 50% deposit, with the balance due on arrival. source
Cabin and day-use reservations requested less than three days before check-in must be made directly with the park; camping reservations less than one day ahead must also go through the park. source
Check-in for cabins and villas is 4 p.m. and check-out is 10 a.m. at all parks except Hickory Knob; camping check-in is 2 p.m. and check-out is noon. source
A campsite allows a maximum of one trailer/RV and one tent, or two tents; no more than six persons per site (exceptions for single families larger than 6). source
South Carolina State Parks does not allow subletting of campsites or cabins; the person who reserved the site must occupy it. source
Lodging cancellation (cabins and lodge rooms, not villas): 30+ days – $10 administrative fee; 15-29 days – 1st night's stay; 14 or less – no refund. source
SC residents 65 or older, legally blind or 100% disabled get 35% off admission, camping and some fees, but there are no rate reductions for lodging. source

Cabins, Villas and Lodges

CCC cabins in several parks were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s and include linens and fully equipped kitchens. source
Ten of Santee State Park's round rondette-style cabins sit on a pier over Lake Marion. source
Villas are at Devils Fork (near Lake Jocassee) and Dreher Island (on Lake Murray) and come with linens, fully furnished kitchens and satellite television. source
Pets are allowed only in designated cabins/villas at Barnwell, Devils Fork, Dreher Island, Hickory Knob, Lake Hartwell, Oconee, Santee and Table Rock. source

National Forest and National Park Camping

Many Francis Marion and Sumter National Forest campgrounds can be reserved on recreation.gov; some sites are first-come-first-served. Campfire permits are not required. source
All Congaree campers need a reservation for Longleaf or Bluff campground, or a backcountry permit requested at least 72 hours in advance by email to cong_information@nps.gov. source

Charleston Areas

Explore Charleston (the official CVB) lists these areas to explore: Isle of Palms, Kiawah, Berkeley County, Mount Pleasant, North Charleston, Seabrook, Sullivan's Island and Folly Beach. source
City of Charleston short-term rental permits fall in three categories: Category we (Old and Historic District, property must be individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places), Category II (rest of the peninsula outside the STR Overlay Zone), Category III (rest of the city, including West Ashley, James Island, Johns Island, Cainhoy and Daniel Island). source
City of Charleston STRs must be the owner's full-time primary residence (verified by the county's 4% legal residence tax rate); up to four adults may stay overnight. source
A City of Charleston STR is any rental of a dwelling unit/bedroom for less than 30 consecutive days; the owner needs both an STR permit and a business license. source
Total taxes on accommodations for City of Charleston property in Charleston County: 14.0% (includes 2.0% Charleston County and 2.0% City of Charleston accommodations tax); in Berkeley County: 12.0%. source
Charleston County's accommodations fee is 2%; municipal rates on top: City of Charleston 2%, North Charleston 2%, Folly Beach 2%, Isle of Palms 2%, Kiawah Island 1%, Mount Pleasant 1%, Seabrook Island 1%, Sullivan's Island 1%. source

Myrtle Beach Areas

Visit Myrtle Beach (Myrtle Beach Area Chamber & CVB) says the Grand Strand has fourteen distinct communities stretching 60 miles along the coast. source
City of Myrtle Beach notice (effective July 1, 2021): accommodations and short-term rental providers collect '.05 percent' Local Accommodations Tax and 1 percent Hospitality Fee to the city; Horry County resumed its 1.5% Hospitality Fee inside the city July 1, 2021. source
City of Myrtle Beach: all owners of rental property are required to have a business license; renewals are due by April 30. source

FAQ

How far ahead can I book a South Carolina state park cabin?

Up to 13 months in advance. Bookings less than three days before check-in must be made directly with the park. source

Is there a minimum stay at state park cabins?

Cabin and campsite rentals are typically accepted for a two-night minimum; minimum stays may be increased at some parks during busier periods. source

Can I bring my dog to a state park cabin?

Only to designated cabins, villas or lodge rooms at Barnwell, Devils Fork, Dreher Island, Hickory Knob, Lake Hartwell, Oconee, Santee and Table Rock. Pets are not allowed in any other lodging. source

Are there cabins in the national forests in South Carolina?

No. There are no cabins for rent on the Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests. source

Can I park an RV at Congaree National Park?

No. Only tents and hammocks are allowed in the campgrounds. source

What We Could Not Confirm

Not confirmed: we looked for these on official pages and did not find them. Check with the town or operator before you rely on them.

Hickory Knob pet-friendly lodge rooms: the pet policy page and park page say rooms 303, 304 & 305; the FAQ page says rooms 307-312. Santee: park and pet pages say cabins 11-28; FAQ says 11-20. Confirm with the parks.
Hunting Island cabin: the park page lists '1 cabin located near the lighthouse' but does not say whether it is currently bookable; not confirmed.
Count of state park campgrounds (as opposed to campsites) is not published on southcarolinaparks.com; only 'more than 3,000 campsites' and '220 cabins and lodging facilities'.
Francis Marion and Sumter campground count: the USFS recreation search lists 'CAMPGROUND (13)' and 'GROUP CAMPGROUND (2)' as site-type filters; not confirmed as an official count of open campgrounds. Burrell's Ford was reported temporarily closed in an unofficial summary only.
City of Myrtle Beach local accommodations tax rate: the city's 2021 notice prints '.05 percent'; other city text in unofficial summary says 0.5%. No current (2026) rate page was found on cityofmyrtlebeach.com.
City of Myrtle Beach short-term rental zoning (where STRs are allowed) was not found on an official city page; only third-party summaries.

Sources

Read on October 26, 2026. How we check: editorial standards; spot a mistake? Tell us.

Cite this page: It's South Carolina, “Where to Stay in South Carolina”, itssouthcarolina.com/destinations/where-to-stay-in-south-carolina/ (updated 2026-10-26). By the It's South Carolina editorial team. Free to quote with attribution and a link to this page; data and tables are licensed CC BY 4.0.