roadtripper4949951

Our family lives in South Carolina but always enjoy Georgia’s Department of Natural Resources campgrounds, Skidaway Island Campground is no different. I booked this campground as part of the route we were taking to south Florida. When you first pull into the campground the large oak trees and hanging moss welcome you into the campground before even reaching the ranger station. The newly built Welcoming Center is very nice that has a souvenir for any person looking for something to bring home. There is also a small exhibit room that houses a replica skeleton of the Giant Sloth that inhabited the region, plus a couple aquariums with living local reptile species. Our kids really enjoyed the exhibit and it gave them just enough history of what animals lived (and is still living) in the habitat, peaking their interest into adventuring the trails of the campground.

When originally booking this campground, I requested site #6. I received a phone call a couple months prior letting me know they needed to move us to a different campsite (#22) due to construction. The ranger assured me that I would be happy with the new site. Once we arrived, the site was a very large site that was a pull through, it was semi-private except for the neighbor in site #24 which we had a direct line of sight to their front porch. Even with that, the site was large enough to not feel crowded. The electric and water hook-ups are placed where they are needed. The dump station (if needed) is easy to navigate and has its own hose to use (just wear gloves, cause I saw some interesting habits from other campers). The construction in the first loop was clean, quite as they could be, and ended before 5 every day. It appears they are in the final stages of what looks like adding more full hook-ups to the campground.

The bath houses are top notch and clean, of course there were small insects but nothing out of the ordinary in the south during summer while in the woods! I particularly liked the separate showers/bathrooms from each other. Each stall and bathroom seemed well stocked and sanitary with no foul odors or grime.

There are some tight turns and low trees to be careful when navigating the campground, but I saw large Class As and Fifth Wheels navigate without any issues. There are roots from the trees pushing up the asphalt making natural speed bumps. Just take it slow (like we all should anyways) and the bumps won’t create any problems.

The kids loved the campground as there are many flat roads to ride bikes. The playground appears to be new or newly built. All three kids (4, 10, and 12) spent hours biking and playing on the playground. The trails are easy to navigate and well-marked for an easy hike through the marsh. Just make sure to bring bug spray since it’s a marsh and shouldn’t be a surprise that bugs that bite flourish in this environment.

The only “complaint” I have is the price seems a little high for a state owned park without full hook-ups on the site we were at and that doesn’t have a major attraction like a beach front, water front or any type of natural attraction. Also, I thought it was odd to have to pay for a separate parking pass even though I paid for the campsite and did not require any other parking space than the campsite we paid for to camp.

Over all review is that it was a great campground, with a lot of things to do nearby. We would stay again if we are near that area, but not willing to make a trip specifically for the campground.

This is our go-to campground for each summer for the past 8yrs. The family that owns/operates the campground has always been helpful welcoming! We have camped here in tents, a pop-up camper, small travel trailer, and now our larger travel trailer. Each time we have enjoyed the different campsites for each need. We have not stayed in their on-site cabins or campers but that is an option. There are many different type of sites for any type of camping you desire. The primitive tent sights give a feeling of being deep in the woods away from other campers, the smaller campsites are far enough apart to not feel right on top of each other, and they also have campsites for larger rigs with full hook-ups. Traveling to the campground can be taxing on your vehicle if heading northbound on 276 with the tight corners and steep grades, but coming down from Brevard is a much easier route if your tow-rig or RV needs an easier route. We have a diesel F250 and it definitely works getting our 30ft Flagstaff up the mountain. Driving up to the office is one lane, but well maintained. The first road up from the office to the campsites is sometimes a little trickier due to vehicles creating ruts trying to get up the incline. There are some tight corners for larger rigs but all can be navigated through as long as you take your time. At the end of the day, the campground keeps its mountain campground charm with its dirt/rock roads and trees. The bathrooms are always super clean, even at its busiest times. The sites themselves are level, well maintained, and always clean. The pool is probably one of the best kept campground pools I have ever seen. The only "negative" we can think of is their website (lack of) isn't able to see what's available for the dates you plan to arrive. BUT they are very quick to get back with you through Facebook or pick up the phone and call them. A sweet woman always picks up the phone and will take a minute to help you decide what campsite fits YOU the best. Personal customer service is what they try to give and one way for them to accomplish this is by calling in your reservation. This "inconvenience" helps remind me of how we reserved camping before everyone became so introverted through the internet/phones!

One of the best parts of this campground is the location. DuPont State Forest is right now the road and has some of the best walking/hiking trails I have been on in the area. Brevard is less than 30 minutes away and has a great downtown area. Pisgah National Forest is just a little further with all of its greatness, including sliding rock. All of these things has kept my family (2 adults and 3 active boys) coming back every year. We camped at Black Forest Family Camping Resort in a Travel Trailer.

I wish I could rate this campground and park experience in two separate ratings. Past reviews stated that the long dirt road was rough during the rain. Well it rained the entire time there! I can tell they brought in sand and watched them grade it flat almost every morning. Even with that, the road is a typical dirt road in Florida when it rains with poor drainage. I never felt that we would become stuck or any other campers/travel trailers. The Rangers were helpful and accommodating.
The park/spring is AMAZING! The water was beautiful and refreshing. We were there for July 4th weekend. They do close it off at a max capacity, which was low enough to not feel too overcrowded. The water was up due to all the rain, so we didn’t Kayak as far as we planned due to the fast current of the actual river, but Kayaking the spring was nothing short of magical. I can see why the Spanish Conquistadors thought the springs was a fountain of youth. The noise was okay and to be expected due to the July 4th weekend. I could hear the loud music and yelling from the neighboring campground and glad I didn't stay there with my family.
Onto the campground: One of, if not, the worst state own/ran campgrounds we have stayed! The bathrooms were disgusting, that when I opened the door, it felt like I was in a Port-A-Jon at a construction site, that hadn’t been cleaned for three weeks. Needless to say I am glad we were self-contained and didn’t need to use their “bathhouse”. The campsite itself was hard to back into/on-top of each other, very uneven, and the power supply kept tripping. We ended up having to use another campsites power outlet due to ours not working. Thank goodness they were in a tent and didn’t need the 30amp connector. The Rangers were as helpful/nice as they could be, but all the sites were full plus it being the weekend they couldn’t get an electrician to fix the power supply.
Talking with the Rangers, they said they are in the planning stages of building a new section of the campground soon. Until then, we will not consider camping there again. I will say that we were very close to leaving after the first night. I am aware that the park itself was bought by the state only a couple of years ago, but it is time that Florida invests money into this park as the spring itself is amazing.
Another thing I wish I would see is that they would stop the water run off from the bathhouse making it down to the spring. When it rained hard, the run-off sat on top of the water creating what looked like a cloud over the blue water. That can't be good for the natural environment they are trying to preserve.

This was our first trip to the southern coast of South Carolina. I was unable to book a site on the beach side of the camp, but was pleasantly surprised how much we enjoyed the Live Oak section of the state park campground. In fact, after exploring the beach side campground I prefer the Live Oak Campground for the perfectly shaded spots and the private feeling the trees/shrubbery growing between the campsites in most sections.

My three boys (5,10, and 12) had a great time riding their bikes around the campground and also enjoyed the salt marsh that backed up to the campground. Of course they found the mud and the mud found its way all over them but that’s part of the memories created with camping.

The bathhouse was clean and supplied even though it was a busy weekend of the summer the ranger/host kept it clean. Even though it was placed at the entrance of the campground, it seemed to be central to the majority of the campsites with a short distance to walk.

The park host was amazing and has been in the area for many years. She gave us a few good tips of where to go and what to see. We arrived at the beach early in the morning to beat the crowd (advice given by the park host!) and glad we did, as the day use beach parking lot was full before lunch-time. The parking pass from Live Oak allowed us into the beach parking lot without having to pay any extra, which was a nice unexpected perk.

One thing that would be an improvement is a bike-trail/sidewalk created a little off the roadway allowing campers to walk/bike to the beach as it is less than a mile from the Live Oak Campground. There is a bike lane that is on the roadway which is fine for adults, but biking/walking with children would be a little concerning with the amount of vehicles that travel back and forth.

Also, the row of campsites that were connected with mine (site 91) backed up to the roadway and could hear the traffic, even though you couldn’t see it through the greenery. Plus…. Do Not Forget the Bud Spray! It is a natural marsh and the marsh does what it is supposed to by housing multiple different biting insects!

All in all, our family will be back to enjoy the tranquil island of Edisto, SC.