South Carolina, Georgia coast camping recommendations?

[Roadie1]

I'm thinking of taking a week off in between Christmas and New Year's and traveling with my wife and daughter to the South Carolina or Georgia coast in our ParkLiner. Actually would consider anywhere south within a 7 to 8 Hour drive from Chattanooga. Any recommendations on cool places to camp that are close to great restaurants and historical sites. We are foodies and don't do fast food. So anywhere close to town is preferred. I'm hoping the weather will be a little warmer somewhere south.
Thanks!


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[patrick crawford]

hunting island state park just below beaufort, sc is, in my opinion, the best our state has to offer. very fine dining can be found in beaufort (15-20 miles) and there's a couple of very good seafood shacks in between for those nights you don't want to drive.

p@

[mary and bob]

We like Huntington Beach State Park at Murrells Inlet, just south of Myrtle Beach and Hunting Island State Park near Beaufort, both in SC. We spent a few days at both on our way to Jekyll Island GA for the winter. Just down the road from Huntington is Brookgreen Gardens, a great sculpture and art place and there are some good food places up the road. We have stayed at Rivers End campground on Tybee Island outside Savannah GA and gone into Savannah several times. We've eaten at Paula Deens and heard Mrs Wilkes is better. There is Also Skidaway State park near Savannah that we haven't tried yet. James Island near Charleston is nice too. Jekyll is an interesting place, but the campground is small and sites close together. Mostly big rigs here now for the winter, snooty people, and barking dogs. (Not really, we're trying to keep it a secret place). This is our third winter here.

[Alf S.]

Hi:Roadie1... I can't say what the park is like but we will be in Hunting Island St. Pk. S.C. Mar. 31- Apr. 10th.
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie

[Huck]

New Orleans would get you a lot farther South in probably less time.

[Roadie1]

Thanks for the recommendations. Alf- New Orleans is an extra 80 miles or so but might be worth the extra miles for milder weather and more food choices. However I do love those beachside seafood restaurants!


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[Roadie1]

Sorry Alf I was meaning Huck.


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[mary and bob]

Alf; what site did you get at Hunting? We ate at Johnson Creek Tavern that is just down the road. And if you are a candy person check out Chocolate Tree candy shop which is in Beaufort on the same road that goes out to Hunting Island. On our way to the Island we went by it, coming off and heading south we turn off before we get to it. There's a park along the water on that road in Beaufort where you can get a narrated horse drawn wagon ride around some historic houses. We like Hunting Island but think Huntington Beach has better sites, other than the waterfront sites at Hunting. The big thing at Hunting Island seems to be looking for shark teeth on the beach, of which we found none at all.

[theresa p]

I second the recommendation for James Island Municipal park just outside of Charleston. It is very handy to all of the diining that Charleston has to offer plus has a large wharf and great fishing.
Hunting Island is very nice but not as handy to the larger cities of Charleston and Savannah.

[theresa p]

And we, too, Alf, as Mary and Bob attest, found Hunting Island nice but not our distinct favourite in that area. We prefer Myrtle Beach State Park ourselves. But Hunting Island sure gets some wicked winds, if you get one of the lower sites on the water. In the back rows, there will be deer that come to your campsite...very nice.

[mary and bob]

Now I'll have to add to the confusion and disagree with Theresa on Myrtle Beach. We tried it and like Huntington Beach better. They now have wifi throughout the campground although it can be sporadic. TV reception sucks unless you have a satellite dish. The odd thing I've found in at least Hunting and Huntington is the bathrooms have no paper towels OR electric hand driers. As I recall you can only make reservations at James Island by calling on the phone and not for a specific site. They do a Christmas light show during December and it's near impossible to get a site there. We stayed a couple nights the first of March. Went to Folly Beach and ate at a funky little restaurant and went to see the Angel Oak which is about the biggest live oak ever. Quite impressive. Just come down to Jekyll and we'll show you around. Exit 29 of I-95 in GA.

[Radar1]

We second the votes for Hunting Island. Not too far from Beaufort where there are several restaurants and they filmed several movies there, including "The Great Santini" and parts of "Forrest Gump".
We found a nice place in MS on our way to Bayou Segnette state park near New Orleans. It was Davis Bayou campground, part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore, near Ocean Springs, MS. Looks like a great place for kayaking and good restaurants so we will be back to that one.

[Ray N]

Hunting Island campground sites right on the water are nice in the summer since you can catch the cooling breeze, but the winds disappear as soon as you move beyond that first row. If you can't get a water-front site or are visiting during the cooler seasons I like the back section, where the sites are more heavily wooded and more private. Some of the sites in the front section are absolutely teeny and offer very little privacy.

The deer and raccoons are a delight at Hunting Island but be sure you secure your food. Be sure you take a walk along the beach, at low tide, in the direction of the lighthouse. It's absolutely fascinating and offers outstanding subjects for photography.

[Uplander]

Beaufort and Charlestown, SC get top honors for great food. I found Charlestown to be head and shoulders above Savannah for both beauty and food.
Myrtle Beach is a little too "Disney" for anyone looking for historic sites.
Charlestown is my pick for history, beauty and food with Beaufort a close second. If I could afford one of the historical homes in either location I'd be there and not where I am....but....as a Trailer towing camper I do have the option to visit often!

Enjoy your trip!

[Ray N]

Oh, and since you mentioned that you had an interest in historical sites, near Hunting Island is Fort Fremont, (http://www.sciway.net/hist/fort-frem...-island.html); the Penn Center school, ("...one of the country's first schools for freed slaves. It is one of the most significant African American historical and cultural institutions in existence today." http://www.penncenter.com/); and, because it fell into Union hands very early in the Civil War, Beaufort and the surrounding area is full of gorgeous antebellum houses - it escaped much of the devastation that destroyed many of the old mansions in other Southern cities such as Charleston.

[mary and bob]

Jekyll Island has a restored historic district dating back to the late 1800's when it was the Jekyll Island Club with members like Crane and Rockefeller and other big money people of that time period. The first transcontinental phone call was made from Jekyll and the meeting to set up the Federal Reserve banking system was here too. Mostly abandoned during WW2 it was purchased by the State of Georgia in the 50's. There are also ruins dating back to the 1700's and a couple cannon mounts from the Spanish American war. And best of all it's somewhat remote and quiet during the winter. A little busier during holiday times, not for everyone, but we like it here. Seven miles of beach with few people on it. There is a fee to get on the island via the causeway. I suggest no one come here, you probably won't like it.

[mary and bob]

Saw on the news today there were a couple shootings near Hunting Island campground. At a restaurant on Lady's Island and St Helena island and a chase and more shooting on the Sea Island Parkway which is the road to Hunting Island. Kind of surprising for that area I thought.

[beakerben]

Rivers End near Savannah GA I hear is really nice. We plan on making our way down there soon.


Ben Moffett
Greenville SC

[theresa p]

At Myrtle Beach State Park the TV reception isn't a big deal for us, Bob, as we don't have a television. The beach is gorgeous. As to the "disney" atmosphere, alot of that kitschiness has diminished with the removal of the (main) beach amusement park. We just like the park itself.

The Charleston area is very nice but we did enjoy the smaller town of Beaufort more.

[Roadie1]

Thanks for all of the replies! I think we're going to go to New Orleans for something different. We'll be close to the good food and can do plenty of walking tour type stuff. The French Quarter RV resort looks like basically a parking lot with full hookups and a common area with amenities. I'd rather be camping in the Rocky Mountains or North Carolina mountains but will have to wait a few months for that.



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