Sesquicentennial State Park

We stayed in loop 2 at site 48 for 2 nights at the end of April. Chose this campground because we had an event in Columbia that we had to attend on our way back from a trip to Florida so we needed a place to stay for a few nights. The site was level with a gravel drive and parking area. Lots of pines all around but the site was clear enough for easy parking. No sewer hookups. There was water but we had some trouble getting the pressure just right. Really good tv signal since the campground is right outside of the city. Only a 20-30 minute drive down the highway. The part of town you go through to get there is a bit rundown (not bad by any means but you wouldn’t know there was a park nearby). The park itself it quite lovely. There’s a small lake that rents paddle boats and kayaks. A nice camp store. Cute park and splash pad. I actually wish we could have stayed longer. We have family nearby and will probably stay here next time we visit. I would recommend visiting if you want a quiet low key getaway.

We stayed at "Sesqui" to visit Congaree National Park. After reading reports of bumpiness, we found only 1 bump on the campground road, which was clearly marked. The park is just off Highway 1 (4-lane) and about 2 miles from Interstate 77. Since we drive our Class B to all destinations, we especially appreciated the easy access in and out. There appeared to be fast food, Starbucks, etc. along the drive from the Interstate. Sesqui which is inside the city of Columbia, SC, has a definite State Park feel; it is fully surrounded by woods, quiet, uncrowded, well-spaced sites, tree covered, and quite pleasant. There are 2 loops; we stayed in the first site in loop 2, an excellent choice, level, and backed up to the wooded area. There is a hiking and biking trail, sand covered, flat, and peaceful with many spur trails leading back to the campground, making for a good stretch of the legs at the end of a day of driving. Unlike Congaree, at Sesqui we experienced no mosquitoes. There is a splash pad that looked nice, but we did not use it. From time to time, we observed a park ranger driving throughout the park and had pleasant encounters with the front gate attendant. We were called before our arrival and told the gate code, should we arrive past 7 pm. The bathhouse does need some updating, but still usable and a welcome refreshment after a day of hiking at Congaree. There was remote road noise at times from Hwy 1 at night, but not enough to disturb us.

Had NO issue with the roads (25ft ClassC) They are not paved blacktop, this is camping. My spot and many, level. Bring a board or two (you should have them anyway) Some are wonky, ask to move if you can’t make it work.There are tree roots on the walking paths and around campsites, there are tons of trees in the forest. Electric and water at every site,Nice picnic table, clean fire ring, employees are very happy and helpful. I did hear some gunfire, we are 6 miles from FORT JACKSON Army base. That’s why we are here, boot camp graduation.
Military discount acquired. Shower houses cleaned twice a day, I saw her.
Lots of trails, camp store (small but nice) Spray ground for the little kids. Town is VERY close by. This is not “glamping” this is near perfect camping.

First, to get to your site, you will drive on a dirt road --Road?--- that is in awful condition. Ruts that wanted to eat our truck and trailer. At one time, I was sure I had gone off the road and was on a trail. I wasn't. It was the road. It is almost not drivable in a few spots. When we got to our site,OMG. There was no way to get our trailer into a location that our power cord would make it to the outlet without being sideways. All our levelers would not be close to getting us even. Thee was no way to stay in that spot. I called the office and they where very nice. He had me walk around to several other spots to find a place we liked. A place that was somewhat flat or not full of ruts. Most of the spots are in awful condition. They match the road. We found 66 with was very nice. He also told us that the place was booked solid. It is Saturday morning and we are pretty much alone.
There is a lake but you will have to carry your kayaks about 100 yards from the parking lot to the water. A couple of hikes but have not done them yet.

Site 49, in line with other reviews of Loop 2 sites, was tight but we managed with a 17-footer. Next time, we’ll try to get 20, 7 or 84. We’re still newbies and are more comfortable using pull-through sites. ... The Sandhills trail around the lake was a great walk, plenty of scenic resting spots with benches, geese on the lake, families fishing. Very nice. Just wish people would clean up after their dogs. Main grassy area between boat house and lake was a minefield of doggy droppings. ... Saw a little tiny brown snake and some see tracks on our walk. ... Campsite was nice and quiet and shades. ... We love Columbia, esp. the canal and riverfront park. This is a good base. We’ll definitely be back.

Nice large park in the Columbia metro area. It has a medium size lake for kayaking, canoeing, and fishing and has several nice trails, (some concrete, some natural.)
We stayed in site 19. The site was perfect for our teardrop setup. It is close to the bathhouse and the site was almost perfectly level.
The bathhouse was clean, but is showing it’s age. Only one shower and 2 stalls. However due to COVID-19, it was limited to one person at a time.
The staff was friendly and helpful.
The only negative was the lack of campground etiquette of some of the other campers. Some would cut through occupied sites instead of walking down the road to the restrooms.
The campsites in Loop 1 seem to be a lot more level and spread out than Loop 2.
We had 2-3 bars on Verizon.

The rate varied for our 3 week stay, higher at $24.00 during the weekend and $21.00 during the week. The sites we stayed at were a bit tight but, were quite nice with the surrounding trees to shade our site(s). The staff was courteous and respectful, park employees routinely drove the park and the shower house was cleaned daily. The park provides a lot of activities but with the current social-distancing protocols, most of the park had restrictions. The walking/biking trails are very nice and well maintained. The walk around the lake offers a peaceful experience of natures beauty. All-in-all, the campground is very inviting.