Free camping and cell signal in South Carolina
Where dispersed camping is allowed in South Carolina: Sumter & Francis Marion NFs, which carrier will reach you to work or call for help, and what's on the road in. Free to use online. Offline use is paid: the Camp Map Pass saves the region to your phone for use with no signal.
Open South Carolina in the mapCan you camp for free in South Carolina?
On most national forest and Bureau of Land Management land, yes: dispersed camping is allowed outside developed sites, usually for up to 14 days, unless an area is posted closed. State trust land rules vary: check the managing agency. National and state parks, wildlife refuges, tribal land and private timberland are not. In South Carolina the map shows who manages every piece of public land, wilderness boundaries and the land with no public record, which you should treat as private.
Where will I have cell signal?
From the carriers' own coverage filings with the FCC, strong (in-vehicle) LTE covers about 57% of South Carolina for AT&T, 43% of South Carolina for Verizon, 32% of South Carolina for T-Mobile, 8% of South Carolina for ftcwireless, 0% of South Carolina for southernlinc. Carriers model their coverage optimistically in the mountains, so the map also collects speed tests from other campers. Canadian phones usually roam on AT&T, T-Mobile or Verizon here: check which one your plan uses.
Remote spots with coverage in South Carolina
Ranked by distance from town and signal. Tap one to open it on the map.
- Public land near Goose Pond · unpaved track · 7.4 km from Cash · AT&T, Verizon
- Public land near Hammond Branch · gravel road · 4.1 km from Bethiah · AT&T, Verizon
- Public land near Little Ben Port Lake · gravel road · 5.3 km from Daviston · AT&T, Verizon
- Public land near Gilders Creek · gravel road · 6.7 km from Browns Crossroads · AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon
- Sedalia Campground · road · 3.4 km from Sedalia · AT&T, Verizon
- Public land near I'on Swamp · gravel road · 7 km from Green Bay · AT&T, Verizon
- Public land near Landam Branch · gravel road · 6.1 km from Plum Branch · AT&T, Verizon
- Public land near Elliott Lake · unpaved track · 4.1 km from Wedgewood · AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon
- Public land near Sulphur Spring Branch · unpaved track · 6 km from Sartor Town · AT&T, Verizon
- Public land near Steed Creek · gravel road · 4.4 km from Awendaw · AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon
Road access and wildfires
The map shows which roads in South Carolina are paved, gravel, rough or unpaved tracks, plus parking lots and trailheads, and live wildfire hotspots and perimeters while you're online.
Open South Carolina in the mapCosmic's Camp Map puts all of this on one map with land status, cell coverage by carrier, recreation sites, wildfires, services and road reports, and, with the Camp Map Pass, saves it to your phone for use without signal. See everything the map does.