SC State Park Passport: Calhoun Falls

When I say that some of these parks I never knew existed have become my absolute favorites, I'm talking about places like Calhoun Falls. What an absolute gem this park is! I fell so in love with this place that we have actually camped there multiple times so buckle up for a part 1 and 2!

Sunset from our campsite

We first ventured to Calhoun Falls State Park in October of 2022 and I had scored the premier tent campsite in the whole park T0. It was a hike about 1/4 mile hike to our campsite and there was no water or electricity but it was one of the best primitive campsites we have been to in the state parks yet! Gorgeous views, quite and surrounded by undeveloped nature, just like the escape you would want. The closest tent site was far enough away that we could not hear each other.

Resting at a secluded beach

With the scenic shores of Lake Russell surrounding the park, it is truly a gem for nature lovers and boaters of all kinds! On our first trip, I took the paddleboard and my toddler and I ventured far down the shoreline discovering secluded beaches, exploring islands and even discovering some paw paws ready to pick along the shore. There were very few boats on the water even for a busy weekend, so we enjoyed the quiet. This is really the perfect place for kayaking and paddleboarding since there is so much to discover! With the park itself occupying so much shoreline within a good paddle distance, it was easy to navigate and find adventures around the park!

Aside from watersports, this is a great park to bike or take the ebikes! We had an amazing time biking along the seemingly endless park roads. However, we had a child in the wagon, so if you're an experienced biker, it might not be as challenging but there are still some great rolling hills to climb. While we were there it was a week before Halloween so everyone in the campground had their campsite decked out with spooky blow ups and orange lights. It was our first experience with anything remotely close to that so it was pretty exciting for both the adults and kid!

Riding through the main campground

There is some hiking at this park and we have hiked all of the designated trails but I would say that there is more to the park than its trails. We did get to end our hike at an old school 90's style playground which was amazing! Metal slide and all our son had a blast playing there.

Overall this park is an absolute gem. 10/10 If you are a camper or water enthusiast then it is the park to visit for sure. There was not really a campsite that did not have a great view both in the paved lots and the primitive sites. Our next trip that I will write about in part 2 we stayed at the premier campsite in the camper lot and boy was that a magical place too!

There is a great park store here with fishing gear and other rental oportunities with a full service marina as well. If you are just planning a day trip, there are so many diffferent senic picnic areas to choose from and there is still lots to do at this park without camping! It has become my favorite park and I cant wait to go back every single time!

Our private area around Tent Site 0

I learned pretty quickly that we were just not the backpacking with toddlers type but I've found that some of these State Park primitive campsites are the perfect balance of hiking in for seclusion and short distances that allow multiple gear trips. Our site was so secluded. It was a 1/4 mile hike in for water and everything but to be able to wake up to stillness and enjoy a cup of coffee while the sun comes up was worth every step. One night we even had a deer run up to our campsite.

While every site had water views, not every primitive site had easy water access like ours did. T0 is located on a penninsula so there is quite a bit of space to spread out. Book well in advance for the premier tent and rv sites!

There is so much to write about the amazing adventures of the great park but I'll hold off on all of the excitement because it truly is a place that everyone should experience at least once! Be sure to check out part 2 coming soon!

Have you visited Calhoun Falls before? What is your favorite part about this park? Let me know in the comments!