Lake Powhatan

National Forests in North Carolina

🏕️ CampgroundSumter NF / OconeeSouth Carolina⭐ 4.6 (1500)

🟢 62 open windows as of Oct 8 — soonest Thu Oct 8–Sun Oct 11

6 of the last 128 openings here were gone within 6 hours. That is shorter than the gap between the scheduled scans free alerts ride.

Availability checked 33m ago · changes fast, verify before you drive

🆕 Just opened — our latest scan caught 4 cancellations here, marked below

🐕 Dogs allowed — all 83 sites here that publish a pet policy say yes.

Per-site pet policy from Recreation.gov site details (RIDB), checked 5d ago.

📈 CampSage caught 17 cancellations here in the last 7 days — set an alert below to catch the next one.

Book / check availability →🧭 Directions

💡 In short

Lake Powhatan in South Carolina has 62 open booking windows on Recreation.gov right now, the soonest Thu Oct 8–Sun Oct 11. Reserve directly through the booking link above — cancellations go fast. To catch future openings the instant they appear, set a free CampSage cancellation alert.

📍 Approximate location — this campground shares a map point with others in the same park, so the pin marks the park rather than the exact site. Check the booking page before navigating.

📅 Open dates

Thu Oct 8 – Sun Oct 113 nights🗓 weekendbook these dates →opened 5h ago👥 Bent Creek #033 & Bent Creek #034 next to each othersites Bent Creek #033, #034, Big John #013, Hard Times #063, #068

Fri Oct 9 – Mon Oct 123 nights🗓 weekendbook these dates →opened 5h agosites Big John #006A, #020, Hard Times #090, Bent Creek #033, Hard Times #063

Fri Oct 9 – Sun Oct 112 nights🗓 weekendbook these dates →👥 3 in a row, Big John #013–Big John #015 next to each othersites Big John #008, #010, #014, #015, Bent Creek #034, Big John #013, Hard Times #068

Sat Oct 10 – Tue Oct 133 nightsbook these dates →sites Bent Creek #022, Hard Times #091

Sat Oct 10 – Mon Oct 122 nightsbook these dates →sites Bent Creek #032

Sun Oct 11 – Wed Oct 143 nightsbook these dates →sites Hard Times #064, #092

Sun Oct 11 – Tue Oct 132 nightsbook these dates →sites Hard Times #087

Mon Oct 12 – Wed Oct 142 nightsbook these dates →🆕 just openedopened 33m agosites Lakeside #050

📷 What these sites look like

Photos of sites that are open right now, from recreation.gov. Angles vary by park — usually the site and its parking pad.

Campsite Bent Creek #033 — Lake Powhatan #33 Campsite — **Site Bent Creek #033** · Lake Powhatan #33 CampsiteLake Powhatan

Campsite Bent Creek #033 — Lake Powhatan, Bent Creek Bathhouse bathroom — **Site Bent Creek #033** · Lake Powhatan, Bent Creek Bathhouse bathroomLake Powhatan

Campsite Bent Creek #034 — Lake Powhatan #34 Campsite — **Site Bent Creek #034** · Lake Powhatan #34 CampsiteEthan Calloway/ Pisgah Hospitality Partners

Campsite Bent Creek #034 — Lake Powhatan, Bent Creek Bathhouse shower — **Site Bent Creek #034** · Lake Powhatan, Bent Creek Bathhouse showerLake Powhatan

Campsite Big John #013 — Lake Powhatan #13 Campsite — **Site Big John #013** · Lake Powhatan #13 CampsitePisgah Hospitality Partners

Campsite Big John #013 — Lake Powhatan, Big John Bathhouse shower — **Site Big John #013** · Lake Powhatan, Big John Bathhouse showerLake Powhatan

Campsite Hard Times #063 — Lake Powhatan Hard Times #63 Campsite - next to water hydran — **Site Hard Times #063** · Lake Powhatan Hard Times #63 Campsite - next to water hydranLake Powhatan

Campsite Hard Times #063 — Lake Powhatan Hard Times #63 Campsite - fire pit and picnic — **Site Hard Times #063** · Lake Powhatan Hard Times #63 Campsite - fire pit and picnic Lake Powhatan

Campsite Hard Times #068 — Lake Powhatan Hard Times #68 Campsite — **Site Hard Times #068** · Lake Powhatan Hard Times #68 CampsiteEthan Calloway/ Pisgah Hospitality Partners

Campsite Hard Times #068 — Hard Times Campsite #68 — **Site Hard Times #068** · Hard Times Campsite #68Lake Powhatan

Campsite Big John #006A — Lake Powhatan, Big John Bathhouse shower — **Site Big John #006A** · Lake Powhatan, Big John Bathhouse showerLake Powhatan

Campsite Big John #006A — Lake Powhatan, Big John Bathhouse exterior — **Site Big John #006A** · Lake Powhatan, Big John Bathhouse exteriorLake Powhatan

⚡ EV charging nearby

Nearest DC fast charging: 3.6 mi away (straight line).

⚡ Rivian Adventure3.6 midirections →

⚡ Tesla Supercharger3.7 midirections →

⚡ EVgo4.1 midirections →

Distances are straight-line, not driving — the road can be much longer where a river, a lake or a canyon sits in between. From OpenStreetMap — community-mapped, so plug types can lag reality. Verify on your charging network’s app before counting on a charger.

🔭 Planning further ahead?

We watch the next 60 days closely — that's where cancellations show up. recreation.gov takes bookings out to about April 2027, so there may be 2+ night stays past our window.

📊 How often sites open up here

CampSage's scans caught 47 openings at Lake Powhatan over the last 30 days, on 31 separate days, most of them for stays 7–58 days out and the openings typically covered 2–3 nights.

These are the openings our own scans saw — not a figure the booking system publishes. We re-check availability several times a day, so the real number can be higher.

🏕️ About this campground

💵 $37–$130/nightRv ElectricStandard ElectricStandard Nonelectric🎒 backcountry🎒 biking🎒 car camping🎒 fishing🎒 hiking🎒 swimming

Ratings

4.6★★★★★1,491 ratings

5★1,081

4★276

3★83

2★33

1★18

Star ratings from recreation.gov (they don't publish written review text). Read & leave reviews on recreation.gov ↗

📶 Cell coverage camper-reported

AT&T1.6/4

Verizon1.3/4

T-Mobile1.1/4

Sprint retired0.9/4

💡 Insider tips from campers

❓ Lake Powhatan FAQ

How do I reserve a campsite at Lake Powhatan?

Lake Powhatan in South Carolina takes campsite reservations through Recreation.gov. On this page, use the “Book / check availability” button to open the live booking page, see which dates are free, and reserve your site.

How much does it cost to camp at Lake Powhatan?

Campsite fees at Lake Powhatan run about $37–$130/night, as listed by Recreation.gov. Exact rates vary by site type, number of campers, and season.

How can I get a spot at Lake Powhatan when it's fully booked?

Popular campgrounds like Lake Powhatan often fill months ahead, but campers cancel every day and those sites reopen for booking. CampSage checks availability for you and sends a free email the instant a cancellation opens — set an alert on this page and you can grab the spot before anyone else.

How often do campsites open up at Lake Powhatan?

CampSage's scans caught 47 openings at Lake Powhatan over the last 30 days, on 31 separate days, most of them for stays 7–58 days out and the openings typically covered 2–3 nights. These are the openings our own scans saw — not a figure the booking system publishes. We re-check availability several times a day, so the real number can be higher.

Is Lake Powhatan a good campground?

Lake Powhatan holds an average rating of 4.6/5 from 1,500 camper ratings on Recreation.gov. The full star breakdown is shown above.

Is there cell service at Lake Powhatan?

Of the carriers campers have reported on at Lake Powhatan, AT&T rates highest at 1.6 out of 5 from 334 reports. See the carrier-by-carrier breakdown above — service can still vary by campsite, terrain, and weather.

Where is Lake Powhatan located?

Lake Powhatan is located in Sumter NF / Oconee, South Carolina. Tap “Directions” above for driving directions, or see nearby campgrounds lower on this page.

🔔 Get a free opening alert

We'll email you when a site opens at Lake Powhatan.

🎯 Only these dates (optional): to

Only weekends (Fri/Sat nights)

🌙 Minimum stay (Pro):

Skip the 1-night midweek openings — only hear about stays worth the drive.

👥 Group size (Pro):

Camping with a group? Only hear about openings with that many sites NEXT TO EACH OTHER on the same dates — consecutive numbers in one loop, not just that many free somewhere in the park.

🚫 Skip site types (Pro):
No hookup/electric sites (tent or van camping)
No hike-in / walk-in / boat-in / backcountry sites
No group sites (solo/family camping)

Works where the booking system publishes per-site types (rec.gov campgrounds).

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📆 iCal feed · 📡 RSS feed

Running a camping/RV blog? Embed this widget free →

A live cancellation widget for Lake Powhatan that updates itself — free, no account, no API key. The snippet includes a one-line credit under the widget; leaving it in is what keeps this free for everyone, and it tells your readers what they are looking at. Preview it.

<iframe src="https://campsage.app/camp/embed/lake-powhatan-231995" width="340" height="280" loading="lazy" style="border:0;border-radius:14px" title="Lake Powhatan cancellations"></iframe>
<p style="font:12px/1.5 system-ui,sans-serif;margin:6px 0 0">Live campsite availability for <a href="https://campsage.app/camp/site/lake-powhatan-231995">Lake Powhatan</a> · powered by <a href="https://campsage.app">CampSage</a></p>