Foster Creek FamCamp

Arrival - No place to register, no office, no signage, only your confirmation letter telling you what site you are in and the advise of previous campers on https://www.militarycampgrounds.us. Camp host was less than forthcoming with information.

Tips - Try to make other reservations before settling on Foster Creek; there are many in the area. Starlink coverage is between 165 - 195 degrees so, chose your site wisely for a clear overhead.

Favorite - Long site (former mobile home park). Relatively quiet except for the airport traffic overhead. Close to Charleston attractions. On "base" with access to NEX and Commissary.

Negatives - Not well maintained, no bathhouse, no laundry, no playground for the littles, no signage, no designated pet area.

***In my honest opinion, this is a site to chose when all others in the area are full.

The sites were level and adequate. Nothing to write home about. There are no bathrooms or showers here. A number of the sites appear to be permanent people and they look a bit junky. Good trails from the campground. It is a relatively easy drive into Charleston, which is amazing. Be aware that for some reason Outdoor Recreation is closed on the weekend and there are no real provisions for first come camping.

We decided to stop here and due to Thanksgiving and the weekend, the office was closed for 4 days and we couldn't make reserations. The host helped us out and told us they weren't really supposed to do so. When we went to the office to check in, it seemed to be a bit of a burden to the office to accomodate us. They told us we had to move, that someone already had the site we were in. So we did move and stayed another 4 nights and no one ever used our original site. Not a big deal, just unorganized.

Starlink worked great here.

We spent 2 months here in late January-late March 2022 and loved it. A great affordable location if you want to spend time in Charleston and the surrounding area. This campground is not behind a gate (still have to be retired/military/service-connected/etc to camp) so getting in is much more efficient, but it is in the middle of a military housing neighborhood that is quiet and safe, so you still get the feeling of being on base. I believe all the sites have full hook-ups. No problems with leveling; all the sites appeared pretty flat. Something weird happened with the electricity one day and the whole neighborhood was out but only for about 12 hours. No laundry facilities, but there is a nice laundromat down the street we used twice for our larger blankets. An old shower trailer remained closed since covid and didn't appear to be reopening anytime soon, so not an ideal campground if you can't shower in your own rig. All the normal stores and restaurants are close by in Goose Creek.
Our site was near the Marrington mountain biking trails entrance in the woods (the break in the fence by the rusty basketball hoop), which was a phenomenal perk - we used the trails every day to walk our dogs and birdwatch (over 40 different species!). Our favorite trail ran close to Foster Creek where you can spot gators trying to catch wood ducks on the adjacent creeks, and see ospreys and eagles circling their nests in the tall pine trees. When it gets warm, harmless eastern ribbon snakes and small lizards dart across the trails. (Note: Definitely save the photo of the trails map you'll find on Google maps for Marrington Plantation Trailhead - there are 20+ miles and even with the blazes marking trails, you could end up on a much longer walk than you intended! I may or may not be speaking from personal experience.)
Our neighbors consisted of retired Vets who were friendly but kept to themselves, and weekender families with small children. Overall the grounds were well maintained and tidy, with decent grassy spaces in between sites. The campground would be a solid 5/5 just for the proximity to Charleston, ease of use, cost, and quiet, but access to the trails in the woods makes it my favorite place we've stayed in a year of full-timing.