What clients say about Buck Hall Recreation Area and Boat Landing in McClellanville (SC)
Disappointing visit to Buck Hall Recreation Area. The showers were in poor condition, and there were signs stating doors were not allowed to be closed, which felt very unsafe. It’s unreasonable to expect someone—especially my wife—to feel comfortable showering like that. On top of that, all of the trails were closed with no notice. Overall, a very frustrating experience.
Great campground! The camp host that is there during the fall months is amazing, if you chat with him he will happily provide you with all kinds of neat information about the area. The campground is scheduled for a major face lift, as of September the job has been submitted for bids, expected to begin sometime around the first of the year (2026).
Great place in the fall months to camp, fish and shrimp. Facilities are older but are cleaned daily. Have stayed there my any times and throughly enjoyed watching the boats and meeting very friendly host and campers.
This review is for the of the Awendaw Passage leg of Palmetto Trail. Stunning views. Word of caution: be very careful on the first bit of boardwalk by the parking lot when it’s wet. It’s deceivingly slippery. If you’re on a bike, I’d probably skip that part and head around the corner to where the dirt trail starts back up the entrance an eighth mile or so.
Very spacious and decent RV camp sites. Fire pit and wooden picnic table at each RV space. Extremely pet friendly with lots of grassy areas to walk your dog. Verizon cell service works there perfectly. Boat ramp looked good. The bathrooms were disgusting, and the doors are always open due to according to their sign, they lock permanently.There is a shower available which was quite dirty, if you use it definetly bring shower shoes. When we stayed June 30th, in the womens bathroom there was only one usable toilet, the other stall was roped off for service needed.
In a nutshell, if you are in an RV and you have a dog and DO NOT need a bathroom it is a good place to stay. If you have a boat it looks like a great boat ramp.
Spent the weekend there and had an amazing time, the campsite was immaculate and the host wax very nice. We even managed to see some dolphins from the shoreline at our site!!!
So this is a multi-use recreation area focused on camping, boating, hiking and biking. The camping area appears to be fairly limited but there are bathroom facilities and parking. The bathrooms are minimally maintained and I would certainly recommend shower shoes.
Parking is primarily centered around day users for the hiking trails (the loop is roughly 11 miles) which can also be used by mountain bikers. It's mostly single track and some areas of the trail are heavily rooted so keep in mind that all users need to cooperate and cyclists may need to dismount often when encountering hiking groups.
The boat launch has a good number of parking spots and accommodates more than one boat at a time.
Loved it. We were traveling and came across this campground. Set up in a first come first serve spot for tents. It was full but mostly quiet. Beautiful sunrise and we had dolphins swim by as we drank our coffee
Quite waterside campground and boat launch. This hidden spot is just off highway 17. Small campground with nice bathrooms. Quite peaceful setting. There is also a hiking/ biking trail on site. Would be great for kayaks. Water and electric at site .
Stayed for 5 nights late December 2023.
We were tenting, The designated tent sites can flood with rains. Our site was fine but other sites were unusable for some days.
Restrooms are older, but clean and maintained. Showers are warm, borderline hot. No need to worry about scalding yourself.
View of the Intracoastal and boat traffic, dolphins, tides gong up and down.
Boat Launch and close to Bulls Bay for fishing, shrimping, exploring.
Several historical plantations and other things to see in the area, in addition to going in to Charleston itself.
Would stay again.
Had a decent night staying here by the water. The views are pretty good, but keep in mind there's not much natural wind protection. The camp host was nice, came over to say hi after we set up our tent. Sites are very close together, so be aware of the quiet times (and prepared if others aren't). Firepits with grills located at each campsite as well. Worth a visit if you're looking for a simple spot by the water.
A good campground to be near Charleston. Electric sites very helpful as it was chilly. Close to 17 but not too close. The restrooms are clean but a bit out dated. Showers did not look very appealing. Friendly host. The proximity to the water was nice as well. A trail leaves from here but we only took it for a miles or so.
We loved this campground and will return. Do not let anyone tell you there are no gators. We spotted one right off the dock. Just be aware and do not let your fur babies in the water . The campground sites were huge and well kept. The host was very attentive. The atmosphere is relaxing and laid back. Loved seeing the dolphins and watching the boats go by. BRING MOSQUITO REPELLANT lol.
Awesome little campground. Right on the intercoastal waterway and lot's of hiking trails. Bathrooms aren't heated, but the water in the shower is. Dog friendly and large lots. Tons of tent camping with or without power and water hook ups.
We lived at Buck Hall Recreation Area in a Motorhome for five nights in March of 2022! :)
•Pros: Small, peaceful campground on one single loop. The host was friendly and welcoming throughout our entire stay. The campsites were large, level, and had water and electricity (no sewer).
•Cons: None to note.
•Highlights: The views of the water! We loved that there were so many benches next to the water's edge.
•Furbabies Review: The campground has a trailhead for the Palmetto Trail within the park, and Cookies (our older dog) had a great time checking it out. The trail was pretty open and marked well along the way. Cream (our cat) had a great view of the sunrise/set every day from our RV's dash from site 3.
•Tips for Other Campers: Stock up on essentials before your stay!
•Our recommendations to the park: Please introduce recycling to your facility! The Earth will thank you!
Thank y'all for having us! We're off Livin' the Dream with Cookies & Cream. :)
As a campground it's quiet. Just a small camping loop with water and electric. Sites are large and spaced but not many trees in between sites. No firewood so grab some. Lots of people bringing boats in and out as it is a recreation area too and the boat launch is at the campground. Peaceful overall. Lots of frogs, birds and even dolphins can be seen from the campsites! The bathrooms and showers were gross. Shower shoes are an absolute must. The grass throughout the campground hasn't been mowed in a while. A little TLC and this place would be 5 stars.
I cant speak for the camping but the waterway and grounds in general are beautiful! Loved my time here!
ADD: Just visited again 5/10/22, the water is higher and the flowers are in bloom. Beautiful place and out of the hustle and bustle to camp! If nothing else visit the waterway and take a few pictures while passing by! If you have a boat great place to launch!
Update for April 16, 2021
The camp sites and bath house were clean! Peaceful area to camp, fish and kayak.
Beware of the fishing dock as it has several rotted boards with a large hole
Camped here. During July 7, 2019. The place is filthy. The fire pit was contaminated with cig butts, peanut shells, and old acrylic fingernails. The showers were dirty but had hot water. The toilets were shut down and port-a-potties were installed that had excrement all over floors.
SC DESERVES BETTER. WHO IS IN CHARGE OVER THIS ARea?
This place is a tranquil spot on rte 17 between Mt. Pleasant and Georgetown. It's a boat landing and a campground. Not only that, it is on the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. Best to book online through Recreation.gov. Tent sites available. Careful...water does go over the bank during flood times. Most weekends are totally booked. Annual and Lifetime Passes accepted.
Buck hill is a beautiful campground. Large sites with water and electric. No sewer but there is a dump station. Gorgeous views, quiet and peaceful. So why the three stars? The bathrooms and showers are disgusting! They were not cleaned the three days I was at the campground. The host was on-site the three days so they should have been cleaned.
Great off-the-beaten path Camp Ground. Lots of space between camp spots. Pretty convenient to Charleston. Convenient dump station on site. Nice level spots and right on the intercoastal waterway. Only drawbacks were close by gun range (or place were people were target practicing) if you are not used to hearing firearms discharging. Also - it is next to a large event location - pretty loud wedding music on Saturday when we were there, but it shut down around 5:30pm. Other than that, nice and quiet.
Very nice campground!! It is close to a lot of wildlife viewing sites. Being on the waterway was wonderful! I saw a lot of birds and dolphins. The shower was ok and truth be told I am glad there was one!! I will be back just not in July, it was very hot in my tent lol! Oh yeah, put up your food because the squirrels got my banana and trail mix out of a zipped lunch bag!
We camp in our RV here sometimes, and it's a great spot. Right on the water, lots of trees and quiet. Boat ramp, covered picnic area and right next to a trailhead for the Palmetto Trail. This place books up fast, so I would advise making a reservation as early as you can. The sites are really long and concrete with a fire ring, electricity and water. There is a dump station as well as bathrooms. Tent sites on the water are also available. A word of warning though, make sure you bring bug spray in the summer, the mosquitoes can get really bad.
Our second time staying here. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves both times! Best feature? 12 campsites! If you are looking for crowds, go elsewhere! Bathhouses are clean and taken care of daily( but dated). Intercoastal waterway views are stunning! Suggested campsites are #s 2, 11&12. NO WASTE WATER on individual sites! Bring a tote. We had no problems with our campsite, water supply or electricity. Lots of things for adults or families to do in the Mt. Pleasant/ Old Charleston area. Fishing/ boating is available with a boat landing in the park. And there is a pier for viewing or fishing.
Propane refilling is available within 8 miles at tractor supply in Awendaw.
Francis Marion National Forest surrounds the site and is open 7 days a week. Amazing views and access to the outdoors for all venues and preferences.
Both times we stayed the hosts were personable and friendly. WE WILL COME BACK!!
With Covid going on we came with my mother for a long weekend getaway trying to get momma out of her house for a few days.
Thanx for a great excursion ??????????????
We were unaware the bathrooms weren't open yet (July 24. 2020- but they were working on opening them and draining a new well).
That's a bummer considering we drive over an hour to get there. There's not much in the area in order to hop ahead of time. Otherwise nice trails -NOT stroller friendly. 3-4 foot wide paths - it's the wetlands so some parts muddy. Roots along the path. Pretty boardwalks intermittently. In July not much of a breeze. Bikes would be ok for older kids/ adults but not toddlers. It's too unsteady.
Lots of mosquitoes - bring bug spray.
There's a boat ramp so we headed there and soaked our feet afterwards. Great view to the water with benches. Fishing pier. Once open there's a RV camping with water hookups. If you park at either parking lots the path really only goes one way, there's no loop back. Be aware.
Stop by to check out the campground they were all full, the hosts told us he can only rent one camping spot for a Night if he has one. He recommended calling online at recreation.gov. Well taken care of camping areas, very nice boat dock public bathrooms picnic areas. Looks like this one fills up fast so call ahead
Nice location and campground. Currently they are experiencing water issues and the toilets are out of order. The campground is small but beautiful and the sites are private. Don’t miss hiking or riding your bike on the Palmetto Trail.
Nice clean campground. I only give it three stars because there is no privacy between sites. It is pretty wide open, both in the tent sites, as well as the camper sites. Beautiful view of the water if you get one of the five tent sites. The overflow area is just an open field in the trees, (would not recommend). There is a long trail to walk and ride bikes on, as well as a boat ramp. Close to North Charleston, and some nice local low country towns.
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