The Overland Directory · Southeast
Overland businesses in South Carolina
Builders, mechanics, 4x4 shops, outfitters, campgrounds and guides in South Carolina, and a free way to get build quotes while the list grows.
Buffalo National River, Arkansas
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Why South Carolina is a state you drive to a site, not a state you sleep anywhere in
South Carolina is 4.7 percent federal. The Congressional Research Service counts 911,150 federal acres of 19,374,080, and the Bureau of Land Management holds not one of them, so none of the permissive open-country driving the western states are built on exists here. What federal ground there is comes down to 639,394 Forest Service acres, 133,990 acres of wildlife refuge, 105,210 acres of Defense land and 32,556 acres run by the Park Service.
- of South Carolina is federal land 1
- 4.7%
- 911,150 of 19,374,080 acres, and the Bureau of Land Management holds none of it
- Forest Service acres, run as one forest 1
- 639,394
- Francis Marion and Sumter, administered together from Columbia. Its four ranger districts publish acreages that add to roughly 634,000
- Sassafras Mountain, the state high point 2
- 3,560 ft
- The USGS figure, which the State Climatology Office repeats. Our own reading of the elevation surface at its map point gives 3,534. The low point is the Atlantic Ocean at sea level
- federal campgrounds a vehicle can reach 4
- 19
- 8 Corps of Engineers, 10 Forest Service, 1 Park Service. Every one can be booked ahead and none is first come only
- the widest machine a forest OHV trail takes 12
- 50 in
- The Enoree trail states the width outright, and all four systems refuse Jeeps, Hummers and other four-wheel drive vehicles
- of refuge road open to vehicles at Carolina Sandhills 28
- 140 mi
- Earthen and gravel, plus a paved Visitors Drive, all of it open to traffic unless marked otherwise
- acres leased into the wildlife management area programme 50
- 1.1M
- Paid for out of WMA permit sales, and mostly private ground the public is allowed onto
- tropical cyclones have come ashore here since 1851 52
- 44
- Four of them as major hurricanes. Storms that land on the Gulf coast often cross the Midlands and Upstate as well
Sources for this page
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- Congressional Research Service. Federal Land Ownership: Overview and Data (R42346), Tables 1 and 2, data as of September 30, 2024. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- U.S. Geological Survey. Elevations and Distances in the United States, online edition, Highest and Lowest Elevations table. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- U.S. Geological Survey. Geographic Names Information System and 3D Elevation Program point query. Elevation of the 3DEP surface at the GNIS coordinates of the named place, rounded to the nearest foot. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- Recreation.gov. Recreation Information Database (RIDB) full export, the site’s own build of it. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service. About the Area: the four ranger districts of the Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service. Andrew Pickens Ranger District. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service. Visitor Maps and Guides, including the four 2024 district Motor Vehicle Use Maps. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service. Camping and Cabins, and the free dispersed camping permit. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service. Permits, Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service. Off-Highway Vehicles (OHV), Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service. Wilderness areas of the Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service. Enoree OHV Trail. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service. Parsons Mountain OHV Trail. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service. Cedar Springs OHV Trail. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service. Wambaw Cycle Trail (North Loop). Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service. Burrell’s Ford Campground. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service. Cherry Hill Recreation Area. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service. Buck Hall Recreation Area. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service. Brick House Campground. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service. Forest Order 08-12-00-25-05, forest-wide general prohibitions. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service. Forest Order 08-12-00-25-03, camping occupancy and use restrictions. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service. Forest Order 08-12-00-25-02, motor vehicle regulations. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- USDA Forest Service. Forest Order 08-12-00-25-07, upper Chattooga River corridor restrictions. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- National Park Service. Congaree National Park: Management, and the Superintendent’s Compendium. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- National Park Service. Congaree National Park: Directions, oversized vehicles and vehicle camping. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- National Park Service. Congaree National Park: Camping. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- National Park Service. Cowpens National Battlefield: Outdoor Activities, including the Auto Loop Road. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge: Visit Us, roads and rules. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Carolina Sandhills National Wildlife Refuge: About Us. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Santee National Wildlife Refuge: Visit Us, including the Cuddo Unit wildlife drive. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Savannah National Wildlife Refuge, including the Laurel Hill Wildlife Drive. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Savannah National Wildlife Refuge: Visit Us, hours and the visitor centre. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Corps Lakes Gateway: South Carolina. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Corps Lakes Gateway: Hartwell Lake. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Corps Lakes Gateway: J. Strom Thurmond Lake. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Corps Lakes Gateway: Richard B. Russell Lake. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- Federal Highway Administration. America’s Byways: South Carolina. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- Federal Highway Administration. America’s Byways: Cherokee Foothills Scenic Highway. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- Federal Highway Administration. America’s Byways: Savannah River Scenic Byway. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- Federal Highway Administration. America’s Byways: Ashley River Road. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- Federal Highway Administration. America’s Byways: Edisto Island National Scenic Byway. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism. Rules and Regulations, South Carolina State Parks. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism. Frequently Asked Questions, South Carolina State Parks. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism. Hunting Island State Park: Camping. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism. Edisto Beach State Park: Camping. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- South Carolina Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism. Huntington Beach State Park: Camping. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. Jocassee Gorges: About the Area. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. Jocassee Gorges: Things To Do. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. Jocassee Gorges: Gateways, the state parks around the tract. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. 2026-2027 South Carolina Hunting and Fishing Guide, WMA Regulations. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. Wildlife Management Areas. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- South Carolina State Climatology Office, Department of Natural Resources. Overview of South Carolina’s Climate and Hazards. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- South Carolina Legislative Services Agency. S.C. Code Title 50, Chapter 26, the All-Terrain Vehicle Safety Act (Chandler’s Law). Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- South Carolina Legislative Services Agency. S.C. Code Title 50, Chapter 11, sections 50-11-2200 and 50-11-2210. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- South Carolina Legislative Services Agency. S.C. Code Title 48, Chapter 35, Regulation of Fires on Certain Lands. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- South Carolina Legislative Services Agency. S.C. Code Section 56-5-5040, Tires. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- South Carolina Legislative Services Agency. S.C. Code Section 48-39-320, the State Comprehensive Beach Management Plan. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
- South Carolina Legislative Services Agency. S.C. Code Title 56, Chapter 3, vehicle registration and licensing. Retrieved September 25, 2026.
Reviewed September 25, 2026. Conditions, closures and rules change; check with the managing agency before you travel.
What you need in South Carolina
- Overland builders Shops that take a stock truck, SUV or van and turn it into a vehicle you can live out of for a week or a year. Free quotes
- Sprinter van builders Upfitters and conversion shops that turn an empty Mercedes-Benz Sprinter into a van you can live and travel in. Free quotes
- Fabricators Metal shops that design, cut and weld the parts you cannot buy off a shelf: bumpers, sliders, racks, skid plates, mounts and repairs. Free quotes
- Suspension Shops that set up springs, shocks and geometry for the weight you actually carry and the roads you actually drive. Free quotes
- Tires Tire and wheel shops that understand load ratings, airing down and what a loaded overland vehicle asks of its tires. Free quotes
- Overland mechanics Independent mechanics who know what dirt, weight and distance do to a vehicle, and who will look it over like someone about to drive it a long way from help. Free quotes
- Diesel specialists Shops that live in diesel, from Sprinter vans to heavy-duty pickups, with the diagnostic tools and the patience these engines require. Free quotes
- 4x4 shops The all-round off-road shop: lockers, gears, armor, winches, lights and the knowledge of how they work together on your platform. Free quotes
- RV and van service Service for the house as well as the vehicle: electrical systems, heaters, plumbing, appliances, roofs and seals. Free quotes
- Overland outfitters Stores where you can see the gear before you buy it, and talk to someone who has used it. Free quotes
- Recovery equipment Winches, traction boards, ropes, shackles and the mounting points that make them safe to use. Free quotes
- Roof tents Dealers and installers for rooftop tents and awnings, and the racks that have to carry them. Free quotes
- Camping equipment Fridges, stoves, water, furniture, sleep systems and lighting for camps that start at the tailgate. Free quotes
- Expedition vehicle dealers Dealers and brokers for finished vehicles: expedition trucks, truck campers, adventure vans and the used rigs that come up when someone's trip ends. Free quotes
- Campgrounds Established campgrounds that welcome vehicle-based travelers, from public campgrounds on the way to somewhere to private camps worth a stay of their own.
- Adventure lodging Lodges, cabins, motels and ranches near the dirt, for the night you want a shower, a bed and someone else's cooking.
- Guides Guided trips and local guides for the places where knowing the ground matters: remote deserts, high passes, long river corridors and borders.
- Training Driver training, recovery courses, field repair and wilderness first aid, taught by people who do it for a living.
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