Charleston, SC where to stay, what to do?

Oak Plantation is very good and convenient to town.

You really do not have to worry about "what to do" in Charleston. The architecture and restaurants make for great wandering around and enjoying the local cuisine and watering holes.

If you are a seafood fan, take a ride down to Folly Beach and have a meal at Locklears (located on the fishing pier), you will not be disappointed!!

James Island is definitely my first choice. Oak Plantation is nice but it's not nearly as good as JI.

Stayed at Oak Plantation. Reasonably close. Weekends only visit the Confederate submarine the Hunley recovered a few years ago.

We enjoyed our stay at Oak Plantation CG, south of Charleston. It was still easy to reach the Battery area and the Mt. Pleasant area too (we loved Patriots Point - but we also were Navy.) Great park with several Navy & Coast Guard ships you can tour. Anyway, Oak Plantation was easier to reach with a large TT than James Island, and had shade, grass, space between sites (at least in some of them, including the area where we camped). It's near the Angel Oak (also worth a visit).

Other good places to visit/things to do in Charleston: definitely do not miss a walk around the Battery area. Charleston is a gorgeous and gracious old city, and the Battery is the heart of the historic area. Middleton Place and Magnolia Gardens are good too. There are some county parks which are beaches.

Edisto Island SP is south of town a ways. Nice park, and you can camp quite close to the beach. Very atmospheric, with lots of Spanish moss, but I'm sure the bugs can be thick there. (We camped there many years ago in the winter - in tents. Remember, we were Navy once. :) )

We just stayed at James Island County park last week. Cannot say enough about it. We stayed in site 41, it was a pull through site. We have a 42ft class a pulling a Chevy HHR and had no problem getting to the park. They have lakes that you can fish in, dog park, play area for kids. It was close to down town. We took the horse and buggy tour. We used Classic Carriage and it was $25.00 per person. Recommended you park in a parking garage if you go down town. They have metered parking but you will have to keep running back to put money in. Parking ticket is $15.00. The tour guide was well versed in the history of Charleston. I called the Charleston commerce center and they sent me a booklet on the city and it had a map of all the interesting places. There is a shopping center just around the corner from the tour places. As mentioned many fine eating places.

Stayed at James Island City Park a few years back. Very nice camp ground. Full hook ups with a lot to do on the grounds.

Patriots Point is high on my list but being retired Navy I have a bit of a bias. Just don't take the coach site seeing. Old town Charleston around the harbor front is to tight for a coach. Roads designed back in days of horses and buggies.

James Island County Park is the premier park in Charleston and there is enough history and good dining to keep you busy.

We stayed one time at the EDISTO BEACH State Park and it was ok being a oceanfront park...

I tell you what however we had those those very little mosquitoes the whole time we was there... I think they were so small they fly right through a screen haha...

The folks at the desk said they usually don't get hit so bad with them with the wind always blowing in from the beach but that sure wasn't working for our trip...

I think I really like the Mount Pleasant side of town better...

Being an old history town town probably alot to see but we always just hang out around the camp grounds...

Roy Ken

The KOA in Mt. Pleasant is nice. We enjoyed the Aquarium, the beaches, the fire engine museum, the history, the downtown historic areas, and some very very good restaurants. The local shrimp are big, fat, and delicious. The plantation tours are interesting and educational. I, personally, would skip Ft. Sumter, its just an expensive boat ride, and hour visit, and a boring boat ride back. One of the harbor tours works well instead. Ft. Moultrie, on the other hand, actually has a lot more history, is easy to drive to, and more to see. It defended this country in many more ways that ever happened at Sumter, and you cam see and learn much more about American history there. There is another of the wonderful resturants close also.

mc.cc wrote:
Will be in Charleston next month for about 5 days. Where should we stay and what should we do? Would prefer a resort campground, but state and national parks are fine if we can get in. Thanks

There is an expensive KOA in Mt Pleasant and over the bridge, going north from Charleston. Also this one...
James Island County Park
Further up the road and about 25 miles, you have Francis Marion National Forest, where there is a very nice campground just off of Rt17.
As for Charleston, other than Fort Sumter and the USN museum ships at Patriots Point (home of the USS Yorktown), I would probably just sign up for one or more of the tours offered. One that visits the old mansion's should be interesting, if you like that sort of thing.