Free camping near Arial, SC
Within 25 straight-line miles of Arial, SC there are 29 camps: 29 free. The closest is Jocassee Gorges primitive campsite, 15 miles north-west of town. The closest one our audit calls free is Jocassee Gorges primitive campsite, 15 miles out. Today's season read covers 27 of them: 6 open, 0 closed, 21 worth a call. The circle crosses a state line: NC and SC.
Who manages them: 23 on SCDNR; 6 on NCWRC.
| Camp | Miles | Cost | Water | Nearest town | Season today |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jocassee Gorges primitive campsite | 15 | Free | Emory Creek (stream) | 2.5 mi to Rocky Bottom | Check |
| Eastatoe Creek Heritage Preserve Eastatoe Gorge Campsite | 16 | Free | Eastatoe Creek (stream) | 1.3 mi to Rocky Bottom | — |
| Jocassee Gorges primitive campsite | 17 | Free | Eastatoe Creek (stream) | 0.9 mi to Rocky Bottom | Check |
| Jocassee Gorges primitive campsite | 17 | Free | Side-of-Mountain Creek (stream) | 2.0 mi to Rocky Bottom | Check |
| Jocassee Gorges primitive campsite | 17 | Free | Eastatoe Creek (stream) | 1.1 mi to Rocky Bottom | Check |
| Jocassee Gorges primitive campsite | 17 | Free | Laurel Branch (stream) | 2.4 mi to Rocky Bottom | Check |
| Jocassee Gorges primitive campsite | 17 | Free | Cane Creek (stream) | 2.4 mi to Eastatoe | Check |
| Jocassee Gorges primitive campsite | 17 | Free | Long Branch (stream) | 2.8 mi to Nimmons | Check |
| Jocassee Gorges primitive campsite | 18 | Free | — | 7.2 mi to Rosman | Check |
| Jocassee Gorges primitive campsite | 18 | Free | Abner Creek (stream) | 1.3 mi to Rocky Bottom | Check |
| Jocassee Gorges primitive campsite | 18 | Free | Bully Branch (stream) | 3.2 mi to Nimmons | Check |
| Jocassee Gorges primitive campsite | 18 | Free | Laurel Fork Creek (stream) | 3.1 mi to Nimmons | Check |
| Jocassee Gorges primitive campsite | 18 | Free | Devils Hole Creek (stream) | 3.4 mi to Nimmons | Check |
| Jocassee Gorges primitive campsite | 19 | Free | Laurel Fork Creek (stream) | 2.6 mi to Cane Brake | Check |
| Watson-Cooper Heritage Preserve primitive camping (entrance) | 19 | Free | Matthews Creek (stream) | 1.3 mi to Happy Acres | — |
| Jocassee Gorges primitive campsite | 21 | Free | — | 9.6 mi to Salem | Check |
| Jocassee Gorges primitive campsite | 21 | Free | Toxaway River (river) | 3.1 mi to Cane Brake | Check |
| Jocassee Gorges primitive campsite | 21 | Free | Bear Creek (stream) | 3.2 mi to Cane Brake | Check |
| Jocassee Gorges primitive campsite | 21 | Free | Mill Creek (stream) | 4.5 mi to Bohaynee | Check |
| Jocassee Gorges primitive campsite | 21 | Free | Wright Creek (stream) | 4.8 mi to Bohaynee | Check |
| Jocassee Gorges primitive campsite | 21 | Free | Mill Creek (stream) | 4.2 mi to Bohaynee | Check |
| Toxaway Game Land camping area #6 | 22 | Free | — | 8.2 mi to Rosman | Open |
| Jocassee Gorges primitive campsite | 22 | Free | Bearcamp Creek (stream) | 3.6 mi to Bohaynee | Check |
| Toxaway Game Land camping area #5 | 22 | Free | — | — | Open |
| Jocassee Gorges primitive campsite | 22 | Free | — | 9.1 mi to Cashiers | Check |
| Toxaway Game Land camping area #1 | 23 | Free | — | — | Open |
| Toxaway Game Land camping area #4 | 23 | Free | — | 9.1 mi to Cashiers | Open |
| Toxaway Game Land camping area #2 | 24 | Free | — | — | Open |
| Toxaway Game Land camping area #3 | 24 | Free | — | 8.2 mi to Cashiers | Open |
Every distance on this page is a straight line from Arial, SC, not a driving distance — a camp four miles out across a canyon can be an hour of road. Cost is the audited three-state verdict on each camp's own record: free, fee, or unpriced where we could not confirm a price. A blank column is a gap in the record, not a statement that the thing is absent. Camps come from state and federal agency records, not from a visit, except the ones marked. Seasons, permits and fire rules change: confirm with the managing office before you go. Found a fee where we show free? Tell us on the contact page.