Adventure through South Carolina’s State Parks: Blog Series
By Marissa Rothermel, Founder of the Carolina Camping Club (CCC)
“Are ya achin’... for some Aiken?” - Me, cheekily, 2025.
If you ask me on any given day where I would run off to for a quiet, SC state park, camping weekend- the answer is always Aiken State Park.
Marissa, Founder of CCC Camping, and David Owner of Wandervans Charleston location
Located 2 hours from Charleston, Aiken offers 25 wooded campsites with water and electric hookups, as well as a few sites with sewer hook ups, in a well laid out loop. The center of the loop has a heated/air conditioned bath house, horseshoe pits, and a beautiful bonfire area with some permanent seating installed. This was also the home of our very first Carolina Camping Club (CCC) large group event - though I had fallen in love with the park a year earlier. For reference- my favorite sites are 10 and 11, backing up to woods and making for GREAT buddy sites and hammock hanging opportunity!
The Welcome Center is strategically placed on the side of the shallow fishing and (seasonal) swimming pond along the pathway from Day Use to Campground area, and is connected to the picnic and playground area by loop trail. The playground area is also the start of one of the Aiken State Park hiking trails, and features an off-shoot path that can connect you directly back to camp near site 7. This is super helpful for families to know about as a “hop, skip, and a jump” access point to plenty of room for kids to wear themselves out!
Kayak and Canoe at Aiken State Park
One of my favorite features of Aiken State Park outside of the campground is the canoe/kayak run on the infamous blackwater Edisto River. The front of the launch is additionally marked by an artisan spring - I've drank from the spring on every trip and it's cold, clean, and super refreshing!
Akien State Park Natural Spring
The Aiken canoe/kayak run is 1.7 miles of pure gorgeous - but, if rains have been heavy, it also offers a good deal of challenge on some tight turns! The water trails are well marked and feature dense swamp and dry sand hills scenes on an Easy/Moderate ranked adventure. The time we went (Spring 2023), rains had been heavy, current was moving, and we completed the run in about 45 minutes. I was grateful for my husband's white-water experience in navigation as some of those corners were tight - and I was nervous as it was our daughter's first canoe adventure!
Kayaking at Aiken State Park
If you are done with your water adventure, caught your fish, walked your hikes, won your horseshoes, and held your bonfire - it's time to head into the city of Aiken. While the area is famous for it's equine scene (and you’ll definitely pass some horse farms on your drive to town), The Alley in the city/town of Aiken is the place to be to burn off your night-life energy!
The Alley is a section of downtown Aiken that is closed to car traffic (pedestian-only) and features a line of restaurants, live music venues, taprooms, and more. Whether for a lunch stop, or a night cap, The Alley is a great zone in which to be pampered with food, music, fun, and drink. And better yet, the sidewalk-style seating means you can bring Fido too!
If you're looking for a quiet reprieve in the woods- with fun to be found on park premise, but nearby options for food and nightlife as well - you can’t do better than Aiken State Park. Give them a try and see for yourself, you’ll be achin’ for your next Aiken adventure before you even check out! 🤩
Aiken State park is a Perfect destination for Wandervan Campervan Rentals! With 1067 acres just minutes from town, this campground features 2 lakes, walking trails, RV and tent sites, full hook ups, and so much more.
Don’t forget to check out and join the Carolina Camping Club!