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South Carolina Free Camping Rank and Rules

South Carolina ranks #35 of 50 for free camping

South Carolina ranks #35 of 50 for free camping, with 3.3 known dispersed sites per 1,000 sq mi.

Data as of

South Carolina free camping in numbers

South Carolina ranks #35 of 50 for free camping, with 3.3 known dispersed sites per 1,000 sq mi.

Rank
#35
Known dispersed sites per 1,000 sq mi
3.3
Known dispersed sites
100
Land area
30,061 sq mi
Developed campgrounds
152
State-land rule
Marked sites only
Forest restrictions tracked
1

Dispersed camping in South Carolina

Can you camp on South Carolina state land?

Marked sites only. Nothing on state land lets you camp freely or along a road. Of 573 state properties, 79 are flagged as allowing camping. Sumter and Francis Marion National Forests make you camp half a mile from any open road across large parts of both, which is stricter than assuming any open road works. Every state, with the rule behind each answer: dispersed camping on state land, state by state.

Where is dispersed camping restricted in South Carolina?

We track one National Forest restriction on dispersed camping in South Carolina. Read it before you camp nearby.

  • Francis Marion & Sumter National Forests, Both forests, entire area. The forest or district bans camping along its roads, so we show no roadside camping there.

Each restriction, cited and dated: where dispersed camping is restricted.

How the rank works

We divide the known dispersed campsites in a state by its land area, in square miles, and multiply by 1,000. The rules above sit beside the rank but never change it. The count includes only sites that public sources map, so mapping effort affects the result. Roadside camping corridors and the points we place inside state wildlife and forest areas are not counted.