★ Field-verified · Dave's ownPublic land · dispersedFree
Charleston County
Drive-up · public land · Charleston County, SC · 33.15422, -79.36692
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Ask about this camp →Dave's been here. A spot from Dave's own travels on public land — free to camp. Conditions still change, so confirm access, stay limits and fire rules before you go.
Permit required for this beautiful free camping location at Santee Coastal Reserve. Spanish moss and wildlife in beautiful natural setting. Several campsites with tables and fire rings, but primitive with no toilet. Great opportunity for hiking and enjoying South Carolina character. Room for several vehicles. Assume mosquitos in summer. Poor cell service. Highly recommend.
USGS topo — contours & terrain
Aerial — USGS / NAIP
Weather outlook
Loading the latest forecast…
Live NWS area forecast (~2.5 km grid, not elevation-corrected). Camp sits at 14 ft.
Fire & smokeNIFC · AirNow
Checking active fires & air quality…
Active wildfires from NIFC (within ~50 mi); air quality from AirNow. Always confirm current fire restrictions with the managing office before you go.
Everything you need — measured from camp
Straight-line miles · bearings approx · roads run longer
Nearest of each
- @Mail7 mi
- FFuel8 mi
- GGrocery8 mi
- RxPharmacy16 mi
- WWater20 mi
- HHardware22 mi
- MMechanic23 mi
- ShShower30 mi
- +Urgent care32 mi
- OOutfitter34 mi
- LLaundry34 mi
- AAir-up42 mi
- DDump46 mi
≤30 mi30–4545+water
The read: water's a short hop out, fuel & food sit about 8 mi out.
Not within 60 mi: Propane. Plan those before you head up.
One dot per need — the nearest of each kind, straight-line from camp. Places from OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors). Open in Google Maps ↗
The site
Access
Drive-up
Land
public land · dispersed
Elevation
14 ft
County
Charleston County, SC
Coordinates
33.15422, -79.36692
Cost
Free
Nearby & resupply (OpenStreetMap)
- Water featureSouth Santee River (river) · nearby
- Nearest townCollins Creek · ~2.5 mi
- Drinking waternone within 10 mi
- FuelBP · ~7.5 mi
- Propane / LPGnone within 31 mi
- Dump stationnone within 31 mi
- GroceriesStore · ~7.7 mi
- PharmacyCVS Pharmacy · ~16.0 mi
- Hospital / clinicTidelands Georgetown Memorial Hospital · ~16.3 mi
- HardwareAce Hardware · ~22.2 mi
From the field — what Dave saw, in person
Cell service
No signal
Getting there
Any vehicle managed it
Fire ring
Yes
Toilet on site
No
Tent friendly
Yes
Verdict
Highly recommended
Nearby restrooms — pit toilets, restrooms & rest areas (government data)
- Vault / pit toiletElmwood · ~6.7 mi NW · USFS
- Vault / pit toiletHoney Hill · ~11.4 mi W · USFS
- Flush restroomBuckhall Recreation Area · ~13.8 mi SW · USFS
- Vault / pit toiletWambaw Cycle · ~15.5 mi W · USFS
Open this spot elsewhere
Other camps nearby
If this one is full, gated or washed out.
- Elmwood Campground~6.8 mi
- Francis Marion National Forest~11.3 mi
- Buckhall Campground~13.9 mi
- Guilliard Lake~17.1 mi
How we know this
Source
Dave's own travels
Confidence
Researched — The record is detailed and internally consistent, and the coordinates land where the managing agency says this site is.
How it was placed
FIELD VERIFIED by Dave Lalande -- he has stood on this site. Coordinates are his own GPX track point, not a geocode. County and state confirmed against the FCC Census Block API (Charleston County, SC). Everything under 'From the field' is a direct observation; nothing here is inferred from a land record.
Field check
Verified on the ground. Dave has stood on this one. Conditions still change — confirm before you commit.
What we don’t know
A land record can put you within a few metres of a spot. It cannot tell you any of this — so check it yourself, and treat anything below as the open question it is.
- How many rigs actually fit
- Seasonal & winter access
- Current fire restrictions
- Whether any water here is drinkable
- Shade & wind exposure
- Noise and who else shows up
Before you go
Been here? Tell us what changed. This page is built from public records, so the fastest way it gets better is somebody who has actually pulled in. Road washed out, site gone, gate locked, or it is exactly as described — all of it useful. Send a report →