Short Stay Recreation Area Joint Base Charleston, Moncks Corner, South Carolina

“Life is better at the lake.”

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This is a fabulous recreation area Joe discovered while trying to find a great location to go for a weekend in the lowlands of South Carolina near Charleston. This military recreation area is located near Moncks Corner, South Carolina on picturesque Lake Moultrie. This area can be used by military, DOD Employees, National Guard, military retirees and their families and guests.

When we arrived, we pulled up to a gate and since we hadn’t reserved our camping spot in advance we pushed the call button to the office and they gave us a code to drive in. We passed the RV section on the way in and headed to the office to check in. The staff was friendly and told us to pick out our spot and come back and let them know. We drove through the tent camping and picked out what we thought was the best site (#4) and went back to tell them. Since we were camping in our van, the set up was easy. Nothing to do. We parked and took a nice walk to see what this place was all about.

The tent camping is in a nice forested woodland area up against the swampy side of the lake. There are 17 tent camping sites to choose from. The cove we choose to set up camp was very picturesque dotted with cypress trees. They have Port-o-lets available throughout the area. As we walked away from the tent camping, there was a nice lily covered pond that seemed active with fish and maybe even an alligator or two. We did see the Beware of Alligator sign so they probably were there. We just didn’t see one. Across from the pond was a small one room rental log cabin. It looked very small and rustic. There are a few of these to rent either one or two bedrooms that are located throughout the wooded areas.

We walked around the RV site and noticed many people were out talking and enjoying the evening outside. It looked like there were a lot of serious fisherman here with their fishing gear ready to go. There were some beautiful campers there. Along the waterfront, there are 17 sites to choose from that were all full when we were there. There are also 68 wooded sites to rent that are nice and roomy. Overall, they were pretty full even in the winter.

We passed the Lake View Conference Center which we heard you can rent for special occasions and it seats up to 125 people. There is a kitchen, rest rooms, and an outside deck. It is close to the water so there are great views to see from there. The views of the lake are really nice.

We headed to the beach area and looked out at this vast lake and couldn’t believe how large it is. This lake is 94.38 square miles and covers a total of 60,000 acres. Looking out over the water, you can not see the other side. What a gorgeous lake. There are benches to sit and relax and a designated area for swimming. What a great place to come for rest, relaxation, and fun with your family and friends. During the summer months they have a life guard and they do many activities there like beach volleyball and other fun and silly events.

On the other side of the beach there are two and three bedroom villas to rent that are right on the water. What a view they have with some of the rentals where you can see both side sides of the lake. On the other side of the peninsula they have the Roundettes to rent that sleep four and are also on the waterfront. They all have decks overlooking this amazing lake with spectacular views.

There was also a new state of the art playground for the children with horse shoe pits and volley ball courts nearby. There are a few covered picnic pavilions you can rent for special occasions and one is conveniently located near the playground and the villas. They were setting up their music for a reunion for a military organization that day.

You can rent power boats, kayaks, paddle boards, and canoes if you want to go out and explore the lake. A one hour class is required for the motor boats that you can either do while you are here or take the class on line before you come. If you don’t want to get out on that lake, there are bicycles that you can rent and a 2 ½ mile exercise trail to try if you are feeling ambitious. The Palmetto Trial which goes from the mountains to the Intracoastal Waterway is here if you want to walk or ride a part of this trail. What a great trip that would be to explore that trail. When it is completed, the trail will go 500 miles.

As it got dark, I stood there listening to nature in this beautiful environment.  I heard a couple of splashes in the water and feared there was an alligator nearby.  When it got dark dark, we settled down in our conversion van for the night.   Once we got comfortable, I would not go outside for the fear of a hungry alligator being nearby.   

If you are looking for a great place to get away with lots to do in the area, this is it. It really is a wonderful spot to go and enjoy the wonders of nature that God has shared with us. We will be back since we only scrapped the surface of this area. Goodbye for now.