Elephant Rock Campground

We went over Thanksgiving for a social distancing Thanksgiving. It was a bit chilly so my wife got us a spot that wasn't right on the water. Site 35 is kind of secluded in the trees away from the lake by about 100 yards. All the concrete pads that I put my eyes on were fairly level and nice. I didn't have to level my RV side to side at all. Just unhitched and leveled front to back.

We didn't bring our kayaks with us cause it was on the cold side, but there are some spots 18 and 19 I believe that would be perfect for kayak campers. There's a small beach next to both of those. Although I already looked at booking one of those spots during the summer and they are pretty booked solid already. So that tells me i'm right about those spot.

The bathrooms are pretty nice, the dump station at elephant rock was really nice (as far as dump stations go).
There's a nice play ground with rubber turf so the kiddos won't break their necks. most of the spots where 30/50 amp although I would check into each site you're interested in to make sure. Our slip had full hook ups as well.

site 35 had a nice fire ring with views of the lake, but far enough away the wind wasn't a problem. Dumpster for trash was only a couple hundred feet away so that was nice.

Overall it's a great state park. I hope to go back in the spring/summer to do some kayak fishing.

We had one night to head out and camp, so chose Lake Murray State Park. Elephant Rock campground was well kept, and the site we chose suited us very well. We backed into the oak trees, faced the lake, and didn’t have a neighbor on either side. The site was level and had water and electricity. The picnic table was new and there was a nice metal fire ring as well as a grill. Lots of family-friendly rigs were around, and it was nice to see kids and families enjoying the outdoors.

We stayed here 2 nights and loved it. There are lots of different sized spots for any size rig. We had plenty of privacy and shade from all the trees. The spaces are concrete and almost level. All utilities are included. There’s a laundry room with 2 washers and 2 dryers for $1.00 each. There’s a boat ramp too. The views are gorgeous. There’s also a small place ground if you have kids. We would definitely come back.

According to the people at the park’s main office and on the phone, the park is relatively empty and quiet during the week. However, we found Elephant Rock, Cedar Cove and other campgrounds by the lake to be very crowded, with most sites occupied by the time we arrived around noon. Most sites offer little to absolutely no privacy (especially if you want a lakeside site), with very few exceptions. We had very noisy, inconsiderate neighbors (loud music, drinking, unmuffled motorcycles), and we were lucky to find a much quieter, more secluded campsite within the same loop the next day.

The camp loops themselves are very tight. We have a 30' travel trailer and had to be very cautious navigating not only the trees in the loops themselves, but the numerous cars, trucks and water toys people brought and parked in the street in front of their camp areas.

The upside is this is a very big park and is in a beautiful area with rolling hills and trees, and very clear lake water. The lake is at capacity due to all the recent Spring rains, and we had great weather during our entire trip. The camp hosts and state park officials were friendly and cordial. They patrol frequently until about 7 p.m. Instead of paying at the office, visitors select their site and park; a camp host will visit later to collect fees, which we found convenient.

Finally, AT&T and Verizon were marginal here. We used a booster which helped greatly, making both carriers more than adequate for work internet access and streaming TV.

Overall however, the sites are too closely spaced together and don't offer much, if any, privacy. Cleanliness was marginal, but adequate. We sampled each RV camp area here after settling into our site, and found most to be the same as where we started off - crowded together with most private sites taken - on a Tuesday.

We will not camp here in the future unless for an overnight stay en route to elsewhere.

This is a very nice state park. This quiet campground overlooks Lake Murray. There is an abundance of pull through sites long enough for the biggest rigs and a good number of back in sites that offer a lot of privacy via trees. Premium sites on the lake are available for an extra charge (water and electric only...but a dump station close by). Sites have level concrete pads wide enough for your rig and some extra width to use as a patio.

In early May, the place was packed on the weekend, but by Sunday afternoon the park was almost deserted. There are also a boat ramp and a picnic area in the campground. There is a paved hiking/biking trail to the east of the campground. Lake levels are low right now, so boat at your own risk Excellent playground for the kids. Sites include a fire ring, elevated charcoal grill, concrete picnic table and lantern stand. Laundry and showers (both for a fee) are available.

Verizon cell was between 3G 2 bars and 4G 1 bar. But with a booster, connectivity was not an issue with 4G 3 bars. OTA Television signal was good with all the local channels coming in.

Camp hosts are very friendly and helpful. When arriving, just pick a site and then pay the camp host. Reservations are not taken. We will definitely be back if in the area!