South Carolina State Park Map: Plan Your Trip Today!

Printable South Carolina State Parks Map

Use the map above to get a feel for how the parks are distributed. The mountain parks cluster in the upper-left corner of the state (Oconee, Table Rock, Caesars Head, Jones Gap). The lake parks are spread across the Piedmont. The coastal parks — Hunting Island, Huntington Beach, Edisto Beach, Myrtle Beach — line up along the southeastern edge.

Quick-Reference: SC State Parks by Region

The table below lists the parks that appear most often in trip-planning searches. “Best For” tags are general — most parks do several things well. The “Book Early” flag means campsites or cabins at that park regularly sell out weeks or months in advance, especially on weekends and in summer.

Reservations for SC state park camping and cabins are made through the South Carolina State Park Service reservation system. Hunting Island and Myrtle Beach State Park in particular book out weeks ahead in summer — if you’re flexible on dates, mid-week stays are much easier to land.

A Few Things Worth Knowing Before You Go

How many state parks does South Carolina have?

South Carolina has 47 state parks managed by the SC State Park Service. They range from full-facility parks with cabins, golf courses, and boat ramps to small natural areas that are little more than a trailhead and a parking lot. The parks covered in detail on this page are the ones that come up most in trip planning — if you’re looking for the complete official list, the SC State Park Service website has it.

What is the most visited state park in South Carolina?

Hunting Island State Park near Beaufort is consistently the most visited state park in South Carolina and one of the most visited on the East Coast. The combination of a genuine Atlantic beach, a climbable 19th-century lighthouse, a maritime forest, and a lagoon makes it hard to beat. The campground is popular enough that you should check availability well in advance, especially for summer weekends.

Do seniors get discounts at SC state parks?

South Carolina residents who are 65 or older receive a 25% discount on camping fees at SC state parks. You’ll need to show proof of SC residency and age at check-in. It’s worth calling the specific park ahead of time to confirm current discount details, as fee structures can change.

What’s the difference between SC state parks and national parks in South Carolina?

South Carolina has both. The state parks (47 of them) are run by the SC State Park Service. Separately, the National Park Service manages several sites in the state, including Congaree National Park (the only one that’s a full national park), plus national monuments and historic sites like Fort Sumter, Cowpens National Battlefield, Kings Mountain National Military Park, Ninety Six National Historic Site, Charles Pinckney National Historic Site, and Reconstruction Era National Monument. Kings Mountain is a good example of the overlap — Kings Mountain State Park (state-run) sits right next to Kings Mountain National Military Park (federally run), and most visitors do both in the same trip.

The Parks, Region by Region

The alphabetical directory below covers each park in detail. If you’re trying to narrow things down by where you’re going in SC, here’s a rough mental map: mountain parks (Table Rock, Caesars Head, Jones Gap, Oconee, Keowee-Toxaway) are all in the upper-left corner of the state, within an hour or two of Greenville. Lake and Piedmont parks (Dreher Island, Santee, Chester, Cheraw, Baker Creek) spread across the middle. Coastal parks (Hunting Island, Huntington Beach, Edisto Beach, Myrtle Beach) run along the southeastern edge.

Aiken State Park

Located near the small town of Windsor in Aiken County, Aiken State Park is a solid pick if you’re passing through the Sandhills region or making a day trip from Augusta. The Edisto River runs along the park’s edge, and the 1.7-mile canoe trail on the river is one of the better easy paddles in this part of the state. The park rents canoes and fishing gear from the park office, which is handy if you’re traveling light. Activities include picnicking, fishing, bird watching, boating, swimming, geocaching, biking, and camping. There’s also a playground, picnic shelters, horseshoe pits, and a boat ramp.

Andrew Jackson State Park

Andrew Jackson State Park sits on US Highway 521 about nine miles north of Lancaster — close enough to the Charlotte metro that it gets weekend visitors from across the state line. The park’s 360 acres honor South Carolina’s only president, born nearby in 1767. The 20-acre lake with a hiking trail looping around it is the main draw for most visitors, but the museum with colonial-era exhibits and the bronze statue of a young Jackson on horseback (sculpted by Anna Hyatt Huntington) make it worth a slower look if you’re into that kind of thing. The 25 campsites with paved road access fill up on weekends but are usually available mid-week.

Baker Creek State Park

Baker Creek sits adjacent to Lake Thurmond (also called Strom Thurmond Lake) on the Georgia border near McCormick. Two campgrounds, a lakefront pavilion, boat ramps, and picnic shelters make it a functional base for lake-focused trips. The 10-mile trail through the park handles both hiking and mountain biking. Wildlife in the area includes deer, waterfowl, and wild turkeys — the nature trail is the best spot to see them.

Barnwell State Park

Barnwell State Park near Blackville was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s, and the CCC-era craftsmanship is still visible in the stonework and structures. The park’s two lakes are open for non-motorized boating, and there’s fishing, hiking, picnicking, and camping. It’s a quieter park — not a destination on its own for most visitors, but a good overnight stop if you’re driving through the lower Midlands.

Caesars Head State Park

Caesars Head is in northern Greenville County, accessed via US 276 — the same road that winds up through the mountains toward the North Carolina border. The park’s signature feature is the Caesars Head rock outcrop, one of the highest points in Greenville County, with a panoramic view across the Blue Ridge Escarpment that’s worth the drive by itself.

The hiking here is legitimately good. The trail to Raven Cliff Falls crosses a suspension bridge and leads to one of the tallest waterfalls in the eastern US. Wildlife watchers come for the peregrine falcons (which nest on the cliffs) and the annual hawk migration in September and October, when thousands of broad-winged hawks pass through. Black bears are present in the area. The visitor center has an interpretive museum and a relief map of the Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area, which connects Caesars Head to Jones Gap State Park — together they form a 14,000-acre wilderness that’s the best backcountry hiking in the state.

Calhoun Falls State Park

Calhoun Falls sits on the shores of Lake Russell near the Georgia border in Abbeville County. It’s a water-sports park at heart — fishing, swimming, biking, and camping are the main draws, along with a boat ramp, playground, picnic shelters, tennis courts, and a basketball court. The park also manages the McCalla State Natural Area, a 6,239-acre backcountry area with a 10-mile equestrian trail. Fishing gear rentals are available at the park office.

Cheraw State Park

Cheraw is one of the more unusual parks in the SC system. It has an 18-hole golf course — one of the few inside a South Carolina state park — along with Lake Juniper, where you can rent kayaks, canoes, and non-motorized boats. Lakeside cabins are available for rent, and there’s no admission charge to enter the park, which is a rarity. Fishing for catfish, bass, and bream is popular on the lake. If you’re in the Pee Dee region and looking for a low-key overnight, Cheraw is worth knowing about.

Chester State Park

Chester State Park near the town of Chester covers 523 acres and centers on a 160-acre lake with a 450-foot fishing pier and walking bridge. The two-mile nature trail follows the shoreline, and Jon boat and canoe rentals are available. Families with kids will find the picnic shelters and large playground useful. The park also has the first SC State Park tournament-sanctioned disc golf course — 27 holes, suitable for all skill levels.

Colleton State Park

Colleton is the smallest state park in South Carolina, located along the Edisto River near Walterboro. It’s a quiet, intimate spot — good for a picnic or a short paddle on the river, but not a destination for a multi-day trip. The Edisto River canoe trail passes through here, which is the main reason most visitors stop.

Croft State Park

Croft State Park outside Spartanburg is one of the larger parks in the system at over 7,000 acres, and it’s built around equestrian use — there are miles of horse trails, an equestrian campground, and horse rentals available. Non-equestrian visitors come for hiking, mountain biking, fishing, and swimming in the lake. It’s a good pick if you’re near Spartanburg and want something more rugged than a typical day-use park.

Devils Fork State Park

Devils Fork is the only public access point to Lake Jocassee in the Blue Ridge foothills — and Lake Jocassee is genuinely one of the clearest, coldest, most beautiful lakes in the Southeast. The park has a campground, cabin rentals, a boat ramp, and a small beach. Scuba diving is popular here because of the water clarity and the submerged waterfalls visible from below the surface. If you’re in the Upstate and haven’t been to Jocassee, it’s worth rearranging your itinerary.

Dreher Island State Park

Dreher Island sits on three islands connected by causeways in Lake Murray, just west of Columbia. It’s a fishing and boating park — largemouth bass fishing on Lake Murray is well-regarded, and the park has boat ramps, a full-service marina, and cabin rentals on the water. If you’re based in Columbia and want a lake weekend without a long drive, this is the closest good option.

Edisto Beach State Park

Edisto Beach State Park is on Edisto Island, about 50 miles south of Charleston. The park has both oceanfront and marsh-front camping, which gives it a different feel from the more crowded coastal parks farther north. The Spanish moss-draped maritime forest trail is one of the better short hikes on the SC coast — quiet, shaded, and full of birds. The beach itself is less developed than Myrtle Beach or even Hunting Island, which is the point for most people who make the drive out here. Book campsites early for summer.

Givhans Ferry State Park

Givhans Ferry is a small park on the Edisto River in Dorchester County, about 35 miles west of Charleston. The Edisto is a blackwater river — dark, tannic, and slow-moving — and the park is a good put-in point for paddlers doing multi-day river trips. There are picnic shelters, a playground, and camping. It’s not a destination park, but it’s a useful stop on a longer Lowcountry road trip.

Goodale State Park

Goodale is a small park near Camden in Kershaw County, centered on a 140-acre millpond. Canoe and kayak rentals are available, and the cypress-tupelo swamp around the pond is a good spot for bird watching. It’s a quiet, off-the-beaten-path park that most visitors from outside the Midlands don’t know about.

Hamilton Branch State Park

Hamilton Branch is on the South Carolina side of Lake Thurmond (Strom Thurmond Lake) near Plum Branch. It’s a camping and fishing park — the lake is large enough that you can find a quiet cove even on busy weekends. Boat ramps and picnic shelters are available.

Hunting Island State Park

Hunting Island is the most visited state park in South Carolina, and it earns it. The park sits on a barrier island near Beaufort, and it has a working 19th-century lighthouse that you can climb for views across the island and the Atlantic. The beach is wide and natural — no boardwalk hotels, no strip malls. The maritime forest and saltwater lagoon add variety beyond the beach itself.

Camping here is extremely popular. The campground has over 100 sites, but they fill up fast — sometimes months in advance for summer weekends. If you can’t get a site at Hunting Island, Myrtle Beach State Park and Edisto Beach State Park are the next-best coastal alternatives. Mid-week stays in shoulder season (April–May or September–October) are much easier to book and honestly more pleasant.

Huntington Beach State Park

Huntington Beach State Park is just south of Murrells Inlet on the Grand Strand, and it’s one of the best birding spots on the entire East Coast — the freshwater lagoon behind the beach creates a habitat mix that attracts an unusual variety of species year-round. The park also has Atalaya, the winter home of sculptor Anna Hyatt Huntington and her husband Archer, which is open for tours. The beach itself is wide and relatively uncrowded compared to the commercial strips nearby. Camping is available and books up in summer.

Jones Gap State Park

Jones Gap is the other half of the Mountain Bridge Wilderness Area, connected to Caesars Head by trails. It’s a more rugged, backcountry-focused park — primitive camping along the Middle Saluda River, trout fishing, and a trail network that can keep a serious hiker busy for days. The Middle Saluda is a designated scenic river and a designated trout stream. If you want the mountain experience without the crowds at Table Rock, Jones Gap is worth knowing about.

Keowee-Toxaway State Park

Keowee-Toxaway is a small park on Lake Keowee in the Blue Ridge foothills near Pickens. The park has a cabin, a campground, a nature trail, and lake access. The interpretive center covers the history of the Cherokee people who lived in this valley before it was flooded to create the lake — it’s worth a stop if you’re in the area. The park is small enough that it doesn’t get overwhelmed the way Table Rock does on fall weekends.

Kings Mountain State Park

Kings Mountain State Park sits on the North Carolina border in Cherokee County, adjacent to Kings Mountain National Military Park. The state park side has camping, equestrian trails, a lake, and hiking — the national military park side has the Revolutionary War battlefield and museum. Most visitors do both in the same trip, which makes sense. The equestrian facilities at Kings Mountain State Park are among the best in the SC system.

Lake Greenwood State Park

Lake Greenwood State Park is on the western shore of Lake Greenwood near Ninety Six. It’s a fishing and boating park with camping, picnic shelters, and a boat ramp. The park is close to Ninety Six National Historic Site, which is worth combining into a day trip if you’re interested in Revolutionary War history.

Lake Hartwell State Park

Lake Hartwell State Park is on the South Carolina side of Lake Hartwell near Fair Play, close to the Georgia border and I-85. It’s a convenient stop for camping if you’re driving I-85 between Atlanta and Charlotte. The park has a campground, boat ramp, and fishing access on the lake.

Lake Warren State Park

Lake Warren is a small park in Hampton County near Hampton. It’s a local park more than a destination — fishing, picnicking, and a small lake. Worth knowing about if you’re in the area.

Lake Wateree State Park

Lake Wateree State Park is on the eastern shore of Lake Wateree in Fairfield County. Fishing and camping are the main draws. The lake is known for striped bass and crappie fishing. The park has a campground, boat ramp, and picnic shelters.

Landsford Canal State Park

Landsford Canal is a niche park near Great Falls in Chester County, and it’s worth knowing about for one specific reason: in late May and early June, the rocky shoals of the Catawba River here produce one of the largest displays of spider lilies in the world. The blooms are genuinely spectacular and draw visitors from across the region. Outside of that window, the park is a quiet spot with a historic canal trail and river access. It’s a good stop if you’re driving US 21 between Rock Hill and Camden.

Lee State Park

Lee State Park near Bishopville is one of the few SC state parks with artesian wells — the natural springs feed a swimming area that’s popular in summer. The park also has equestrian facilities, camping, and access to the Lynches River. It’s a low-key park in the Sandhills region that doesn’t get much attention from out-of-state visitors.

Little Pee Dee State Park

Little Pee Dee State Park is in Dillon County near Dillon, in the Pee Dee region of northeastern SC. The park sits on a lake formed by the Little Pee Dee River and has camping, fishing, a boat ramp, and nature trails. It’s a quiet, off-the-radar park — the kind of place you end up at because you’re driving US 301 and need a place to camp, and then you’re glad you stopped.

Myrtle Beach State Park

Myrtle Beach State Park is a genuine surprise given its location — it’s surrounded by the commercial sprawl of the Grand Strand, but the park itself has a maritime forest, a pier, a real beach, and a campground that feels removed from the chaos outside the gates. It’s the best option for camping near Myrtle Beach, and it’s a solid backup if you can’t get a site at Hunting Island. The pier is good for fishing and for watching the sunrise.

Oconee State Park

Oconee State Park is in the mountains near Walhalla in Oconee County — one of the original CCC-built parks in South Carolina, and the craftsmanship shows. The park has cabins, a campground, a swimming lake, and access to the Foothills Trail, which runs 76 miles across the Blue Ridge Escarpment. The cabins book up fast, especially in the fall. If you’re doing the Foothills Trail, Oconee is a logical starting or ending point.

Paris Mountain State Park

Paris Mountain State Park is essentially Greenville’s backyard wilderness — it’s within the city limits, and the trails are well-used by locals. For visitors, it’s a good option if you’re spending time in Greenville and want a half-day hike or mountain bike ride without driving an hour into the mountains. The park has a lake, swimming, camping, and a network of trails ranging from easy to moderately challenging.

Poinsett State Park

Poinsett State Park near Wedgefield in Sumter County sits at an unusual ecological crossroads — the park spans the transition zone between the Sandhills and the Coastal Plain, which means you get an odd mix of mountain laurel and Spanish moss in the same forest. It’s a CCC-built park with a lake, camping, hiking, and equestrian trails. The ecology here is genuinely interesting if you pay attention to it.

Sadlers Creek State Park

Sadlers Creek is a small park on Lake Hartwell in Anderson County, near the Georgia border. It’s primarily a camping and boating park — a good base for lake fishing on Hartwell. The campground is quieter than some of the more popular parks on the lake.

Santee State Park

Santee State Park is on Lake Marion near Santee, right off I-95 — which makes it one of the most convenient state park campgrounds in South Carolina if you’re driving the interstate. The park has cabins built on piers over the lake, a campground, boat ramps, and fishing access. Lake Marion is one of the best freshwater fishing lakes in the state, particularly for largemouth bass and striped bass. The pier cabins are popular and worth booking if you want a lake-over-water experience without a lot of effort.

Sesquicentennial State Park

Sesquicentennial State Park (usually just called “Sesqui” locally) is Columbia’s closest state park — about 13 miles northeast of downtown on US 1. It has a lake, hiking trails, a dog park, and a campground. It’s a local park more than a destination, but it’s useful if you’re in Columbia and want a quick outdoor fix or a place to camp near the city.

Table Rock State Park

Table Rock is one of the most recognizable parks in South Carolina — the granite dome of Table Rock Mountain rises above the park and is visible from miles away on SC 11, the Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway. The hike to the summit is about 7 miles round-trip with significant elevation gain, and the views from the top are the best in the state park system. The park also has the Pinnacle Lake trail, a shorter loop that’s good for families.

Table Rock has cabins, a campground, a swimming lake, and a restaurant. The cabins are historic CCC-built structures and they book up months in advance for fall weekends — the foliage here is legitimately good in October. If you’re planning a fall trip to the SC mountains, Table Rock should be near the top of your list, but get your reservation in early.

Woods Bay State Park

Woods Bay State Park near Olanta in Florence County protects one of the largest remaining Carolina bays in South Carolina — an elliptical wetland depression that’s home to a cypress-tupelo swamp. The park has a canoe trail through the swamp, a boardwalk, and a small boat ramp. It’s a quiet, ecologically interesting park that most visitors to SC never hear about. If you’re driving I-95 through the Pee Dee region and want a short detour, it’s worth the stop.

Planning Your SC State Parks Trip

A few practical notes before you go:

• Reservations: SC state park camping and cabin reservations are made through the South Carolina State Park Service reservation system. Popular parks — especially Hunting Island, Myrtle Beach, Edisto Beach, and Table Rock — book out fast. Check availability early, and consider mid-week or shoulder-season dates if you have flexibility.
• Entry fees: Most SC state parks charge a small per-person entry fee. A few parks (like Cheraw) have no admission charge. Fees are generally modest.
• Senior discount: SC residents 65 and older receive a discount on camping fees. Confirm current details with the specific park when you call.
• Pets: Pets are allowed in most SC state parks on a leash. They’re generally not allowed in park buildings, on swimming beaches, or in rental cabins. Check the specific park’s rules before you bring your dog.
• The Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway (SC 11): If you’re visiting multiple mountain parks, SC 11 connects Table Rock, Caesars Head, Oconee, and Keowee-Toxaway in a single scenic drive. It’s one of the better road-trip routes in the state.