OAK PLANTATION CAMPGROUND, CHARLESTON, SC

Our Opinion: Recommend.  A very well maintained campground, convenient to Charleston.  This would be our choice when we visit Charleston again.

Date of Stay: March 31 through April 6 (including Easter weekend), 2010

Weather During Stay:  Very pleasant springtime weather, highs in the low 80’s with reasonably low humidity.  Cool nights. Pollen falling thickly.

Site Description:  This level, grassy, pleasantly shaded campground has around 200 sites - some appear to be tent sites, some W/E, and most FHU with either 50 or 30 amps.  Some have concrete slabs, but most are gravel or grass.  Most sites are pull-throughs, some shaded, others in the open.

We specifically asked for an open site for our rooftop TV satellite (no cable TV here).  Our site, 006, was a long, wide, gravel site with a patch of grass between us and our neighbors.  Each site has a sturdy picnic table.  All sites, no matter what the utilities or surface, were roomy and well maintained.  Roads are paved.  Speed is controlled by frequent speed bumps on the long main road of the park – quite annoying and very effective.

This is a very large campground, with lots of grassy recreational space separate from the camping area.  Most sites are well back from busy Hwy 17, while the front of the park is mostly common area: swimming pool, a small fishing lake, a fenced dog run and a playground - along with a large private home and the namesake oak trees.

Rate: With a Good Sam discount and taxes, we paid just over $30/night. 

Phone/radio/TV:  Strong signals for our Verizon phones and aircard.  No obstacles for our satellite TV in our site - but be sure to request an open sky if you need it.  Half a dozen stations on the antenna.  No cable TV.  WiFi available, but we didn’t try it out.  NPR on 89.9.

Elevation/landscape/terrain: This is a flat, grassy, partly forested campground at sea level.  Views are of neighbors and tall trees.

Lighting/noise:  Typical commercial lighting at night - not horribly bright, but not as dark as we like.  The campground is well back from busy Hwy 17, so traffic noise was not noticeable to us. 

Favorite Sites: Not too much difference between the various sites, other than trees and the services at each site.  No particular favorites here.

Hiking/Walking: It is easy to get quite a bit of walking exercise in this very large park.

Comments:  Oak Plantation is a convenient park for seeing the sights of Charleston.  Coming from the west, you arrive at the park just before hitting the worst of Charleston’s dense traffic, but trying to make a left turn into or out of the park is dangerous (or impossible) during the afternoon commute.  A nice, large Publix grocery store is a block away. 

SKIDAWAY ISLAND STATE PARK, SAVANNAH, GEORGIA

Our Opinion: Recommend. This country setting makes a good home base for exploring Savannah - but getting here is tedious for a big rig.

Date of Stay: March 26th through 30th, 2010.

Weather During Stay: Most days were partly cloudy, with highs ranging from the upper 50’s to mid 70’s. Big rainstorm one night.

Site Description: When we checked in, the ranger described all 87 sites as pull-throughs. True, perhaps, if you drive a Class B van camper! During our stay, we saw many rigs back in on arrival or back out upon departure. Once in place, though, most sites are very spacious.

We backed into site 25, a large, level, site with 30/50 amps, water and basic cable TV. Thirty-seven of the sites here have both 30 and 50 amps; the remainder have 30 amps only. Sites are not paved. Each has a picnic table, fire ring and a tent pad.

Roads in the campground loops are paved and narrow - one lane but NOT one way (see photo)! Big rigs maneuver with care (watch those trees), and hope you don’t meet a vehicle coming the other direction.

The campground has 3 restrooms with showers and laundry facilities. Odel reported good water pressure in the showers and plenty of hot water. The park has a large swimming pool - closed this year due to budget constraints. A dump station is conveniently located for departure.

It rained heavily during one night of our stay. A walk the next day revealed that campground areas #2 and #4 would be poor choices for a heavy rig - they were very wet and swampy, with deep, muddy, tire tracks (see bottom photo).

Rate: We paid $20/night (senior discount - usual rate is $25/night), plus $5 for a parking pass - $105 for five nights.

Phone/radio/TV: Great Verizon service for phone and aircard. The campground is heavily wooded, so the basic cable TV was welcome - no chance our roof-mounted TV satellite would lock on. NPR is available on 89.9.

Elevation/Landscape/Terrain: This is a flat campground at low elevation in a forest of incredibly tall trees. Poor drainage. Lots of dappled shade. Sites are not particularly private, but are so spacious that you don’t feel crowded. Our view is of trees and several other RV’s. Our site is adjacent to a golf course, barely glimpsed through the trees and shrubs.

Lighting/Noise: No light or noise to bother us at night.

Favorite Sites: We preferred the sites in areas 1 and 3 because they are drier. The 50 amp sites are first-come, first-served and are mostly in area 1. As usual, the sites on the outer edge of the loops have more privacy than those on the inner area. Sites are not reservable by number.

Hiking/Walking: This park encompasses 588 acres, with plenty of trail options, including a 3 mile trail and a 1 mile trail, with loops and boardwalks. GREAT walking and interesting history.

Comments: Getting to this park is tedious for a big rig, though much easier (fewer miles on commercial surface streets) if you are traveling 95 south rather than north. It is an easy drive to Savannah and Tybee Island, and there is a grocery store within a couple of miles. Due to the distance and traffic between the interstate and the park, we would not come here for a stay of under 4 nights. Otherwise, we recommend it.