A gray 4x4 Sprinter with a roof rack on a two-track through a wildflower meadow, cloud sitting on the mountains behind.

Forest Service group campground

Poulous Loop Group Campground

Forest Service group campground in Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests, Chester County, South Carolina. 461 feet. 3.3 miles from Lockhart.

Managed by
Forest Service Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests
Elevation
461 ft USGS elevation model, at the mapped point
Sites
1 1 group standard non-electric
Hookups
None listed
Reservations
Recreation.gov

Overview

Poulous Loop Group Campground is located on the Enoree Ranger District of Sumter National Forest. It's location in the piedmont of South Carolina, Chester County, provides year round camping opportunities. t's surrounded by a mixed pine-hardwood forest with an elevation of approximately 400 to 500 feet. Long hot summers and mild winters are the norm for the Enoree Ranger District. Winter temperatures range from low 40's to upper 60's degrees and summer temperatures range from high 80's to high 90's.

Popular activities include hunting, hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding and wildlife viewing.

Recreation

Poulous Loop offers a rustic primitive camp setting ideal for exploring the surrounding area's hunting and trail riding opportunities.

The surrounding forest environment sustains abundant wildlife populations, making it one of the most desirable hunting areas in the state for big-game deer and turkey seasons. Hunting and fishing in South Carolina is regulated by the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. Visit www.dnr.sc.gov for more about the SCDNR.

The Woods Ferry Horse Trail is a 26 mile trail system that parallels the Broad River corridor and meanders in and around upland pine and hardwood drains of the area. The trail is open to horses, hikers and mountain bikers and can be easily accessed by following forest service gravel road 301F to access the trail junction.

Facilities

The Group Campground is available by reservations only. Reservations can be made 12 months in advance. Amenities include a vault toilet and fire pit. There is no water, no electricity, no wifi and cell coverage is sporadic. The campground is a large grassy area within a mature pine stand that provides plenty of shade. There is plenty of room for RV, trailer, horse trailer and tent camping in the natural grassy areas on either side of the graveled campground loop road. The area also has plenty of space to either highline horses or set up portable stalls. The campground has plenty of areas to set up field games such as a volleyball net, corn hole boards, horse sets, just bring what you need and enjoy.

There is a minimum of one person and a maximum of 100 people and a minimum of one vehicle with a maximum of fifteen vehicles. A vehicle plus one camper or one horse trailer is considered as one vehicle count. ATV's, UTV's, Golf Carts are not allowed.

Natural Features

Acres of pine-hardwood forest and gently rolling terrain surround Poulous Loop Group Campground. The Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests encompass more than 629,000 acres in four districts throughout South Carolina, from the low country Atlantic Coast to the western foothills along the Georgia border.

Nearby Attractions

Leeds Outdoor Shooting Range, Enoree Ranger District, Sumter National Forest. Leeds Range is accessibleBring your own equipment, target and target holder to target practice from designated shooting tables down range maximum distance 100 yards. Manufactured stationary targets only. There is a user fee for range use.

Olde English Tourism District- oldeenglish.com. Find upcoming events, restaurants, artists, farmers markets surrounding the Woods Ferry Recreation Area.

Historic Brattonsville- 28 miles

The description, directions and fees are the Forest Service’s own words, from its record on Recreation.gov.

The land around Poulous Loop Group Campground

The ringed pin is this group campground; the others are its nearest neighbours. Switch on forest roads or BLM routes to see the way in.

Interactive map. Drag to pan, scroll or pinch to zoom, and select any point to see which agency manages the land. Arrow keys pan and the plus and minus keys zoom when the map has focus. A list of every state with its share of federal land is on the Explore page.

Map layers

Layers
Base map
Legend

Federal land, by managing agency

  • Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
  • US Forest Service (USFS)
  • National Park Service (NPS)
  • US Fish and Wildlife (USFW)
  • Bureau of Reclamation (USBR)
  • Department Of Defense (DOD)
  • Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
  • Other Federal
  • State
  • Local
  • Alaska Native Lands (Patented or Interim Conveyed)
  • Alaska Native Allotment

Federal campgrounds, by agency

  • Forest Service
  • Bureau of Land Management
  • National Park Service
  • Army Corps of Engineers
  • Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife and others

State and local land (USGS PAD-US)

  • State land
  • County and city land
  • Regional agency or district
  • Land trust or conservancy

Gaps with no tint inside public land are private parcels, often old mining claims and homesteads. They are not open to the public.

Dashed clay lines on the base map are unpaved tracks from OpenStreetMap. They show what exists on the ground, not what is legal to drive.

Select any point to see who manages the land.

Boundaries are approximate and land status changes. This map is a planning aid, not a survey or a statement of access. Confirm routes, closures and camping rules with the managing office.

Source: Recreation Information Database (Recreation.gov), record updated March 11, 2026. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Seasons, fees, water and fire rules change; the managing office has the final word.