Whetstone Horse Camp

Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests — riverside, hiking

Location: MOUNTAIN REST, SC, SC

Price: From $15 per night

Price range: $15–$30 per night

Rating: 4.2 out of 5 (55 reviews)

Season: Year-round

Whetstone Horse Camp is located in the Andrew Pickens Ranger District in Oconee County in the western corner of South Carolina, about 13 miles northwest of Walhalla. The Chattooga River flows nearby. With over 30 miles of horseback riding trails, Whetstone serves as a base for those who like to ride and camp.The campground is open year-round and has 18 sites with parking spurs for horse trailers.

Cell coverage (FCC estimate): none signal. Actual signal may vary in remote areas.

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Vault Toilets, Drinking Water

Availability alerts: Set a free cancellation alert at camperwatch.org/campground/whetstone-horse-camp to be notified when sites open up.

Whetstone Horse Camp offers over 30 miles of horseback riding trails along the Chattooga River with large sites and easy gravel road access. Google reviewers give it 4.9/5 stars, praising the location and trail quality for both horse camping and hiking.

Wildlife alert: American Black Bear, Bobcat, Eastern Hognose Snake, and Eastern/Gray Ratsnake Complex documented in the area.

Insider tips for Whetstone Horse Camp: Book early — this is a federal campground with high demand. Bring your own screens and cleaning supplies; reviewers noted vault toilet cleanliness issues. Sites are large and designed for horse camping with picket lines available. Use the parking loop across the road if day-hiking without camping.

Skip Whetstone Horse Camp if: You need hookups — no hookups available at most sites.. You prefer maintained flush toilets — only vault toilets on site.. You don't have a camp host available — no camp host on site..

Best time to visit Whetstone Horse Camp: Year-round — Campground operates year-round, though federal campgrounds require early booking during peak seasons..

Nearby campgrounds: Willis Knob Horse Camp (LAKEMONT, GA), Sarah’S Creek Campground (Clayton, Ga) (Lakemont, GA), Cassidy Bridge Primitive Camp (MOUNTAIN REST, SC), West Fork Campground (Clayton, Ga) (Lakemont, GA).

Cell Phone Coverage at Whetstone Horse Camp

Cell signal at Whetstone Horse Camp (MOUNTAIN REST, SC): none overall signal based on FCC broadband data.

Coverage data source: FCC Broadband Data Collection (BDC). Actual signal may vary due to terrain, tree cover, and distance from towers. Camper reports are more reliable than coverage maps in remote areas.

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Whetstone Horse Camp — photo 1
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Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests — riverside, hikingLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Whetstone Horse Camp

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MOUNTAIN REST, SC, SC★ 4.2 (55 reviews)From $15/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

Whetstone Horse Camp is located in the Andrew Pickens Ranger District in Oconee County in the western corner of South Carolina, about 13 miles northwest of Walhalla. The Chattooga River flows nearby. With over 30 miles of horseback riding trails, Whetstone serves as a base for those who like to ride and camp.The campground is open year-round and has 18 sites with parking spurs for horse trailers.

Best for:HikersFamiliesSites:Tent
LIVE · weather + fire + AQI + availability + wildlife

Verified facts

RIDB / Recreation.gov official database
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
SeasonYear-round
Stay limit14 days
HookupsNo hookups.
ADA sites18 sites
CampfiresAllowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsDrinking Water
Recreation
Picnic Tables
Family & Pets
Vault Toilets

Straight talk

CamperWatch intel · curated from camper reports

Known issues, each with the workaround. Read before you book.

Known issuesFederal campground — book early. No hookups at most sites. Seasonal operations.
Skip it if:✕ You need hookups — no hookups available at most sites.✕ You prefer maintained flush toilets — only vault toilets on site.✕ You don't have a camp host available — no camp host on site.

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

Book early

this is a federal campground with high demand.

Bring your own screens and cleaning supplies; reviewers noted vault toilet cleanliness issues.

Sites are large and designed for horse camping with picket lines available.

Use the parking loop across the road if day-hiking without camping.

Best: Year-round

Campground operates year-round, though federal campgrounds require early booking during peak seasons.

Things to do nearby

RIDB /activities /recareas + intel

Conditions today

Live
at campground coordinates

Cell signal

FCC BDC · quarterly dataset
T-Mobile
4G · 0%
Verizon
4G · 0%
AT&T
4G · 0%

FCC maps are theoretical — camper reports confirm signal.

Wildlife nearby

iNaturalist · research-grade · 8 km
Alert: American Black Bear, Bobcat, Eastern Hognose Snake, and Eastern/Gray Ratsnake Complex documented in the area.

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
864-638-9568· Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests
Getting there →

From Walhalla, go north 6 miles on State Highway 28. Turn left onto Whetstone Road. Go straight for about 5 miles. Continue straight at the four-way stop, for another 1.5 miles. The pavement ends and gravel begins. A sign for Whetstone Horse Camp is about 3/4-mile down the gravel road. The camp is on the left.

Campground entrance

Google Maps API

Community

#community · posts, photos & Q&A · AI-moderated (Claude Vision)

Pro tips

  • Book on recreation.gov exactly 6 months ahead at 10am ET — Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests fills fast in peak season.
  • Check current road conditions at Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests before arrival — seasonal closures common.

Frequently asked questions

RIDB facts + intel · FAQPage schema, speakable
How much does Whetstone Horse Camp cost per night?+
Whetstone Horse Camp costs $15–$30 per night. Hookup options: No hookups.
What season is Whetstone Horse Camp open?+
Whetstone Horse Camp is open Year-round. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Whetstone Horse Camp have hookups?+
No hookups.
What is the maximum RV length at Whetstone Horse Camp?+
Whetstone Horse Camp is primarily a tent camping facility.
How do I make reservations at Whetstone Horse Camp?+
Whetstone Horse Camp is a federal campground — book 6 months ahead at Recreation.gov. Set a free CamperWatch cancellation alert to be notified the moment a site opens.
What is the cell service like at Whetstone Horse Camp?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Whetstone Horse Camp is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Whetstone Horse Camp open, and what are check-in times?+
Whetstone Horse Camp is open Year-round. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.

Official resources

Print Facility Map
Compare campgroundsPlan a multi-stop trip
●Data sources on this page
Recreation.gov — Live site availability — updated every 30 min
recreation.gov · RIDB API
National Weather Service — Live hourly forecast + active alerts
api.weather.gov · open-meteo.com
Google Air Quality API — Live AQI at exact campground coordinates
airquality.googleapis.com
iNaturalist — Research-grade wildlife within 8km
api.inaturalist.org
Google Pollen API — Today’s tree, grass & weed pollen forecast
pollen.googleapis.com
FCC Broadband Map — Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile 4G/5G coverage data
broadbandmap.fcc.gov · quarterly
Sunrise-Sunset.org — Sunrise, sunset & golden hour for today
api.sunrise-sunset.org
Google Street View — Campground entrance & access road imagery
maps.googleapis.com
RIDB — ADA sites, hookups, toilets, pets, campfire rules, bear boxes, max RV, activities, contact, directions
ridb.recreation.gov · /facilities /campsites /activities /links /recareas

CamperWatch never fabricates data. Where data is unavailable, it is not shown.

$15 /night★ 4.2 (55)
SeasonYear-round
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
Reserve on Recreation.gov ↗
Dates full? Get an availability alert
FAQ
How much does Whetstone Horse Camp cost per night?+
What season is Whetstone Horse Camp open?+
Does Whetstone Horse Camp have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Willis Knob Horse Camp

LAKEMONT, GA

From $20/night

Sarah’S Creek Campground (Clayton, Ga)

Lakemont, GA

From $10/night

Cassidy Bridge Primitive Camp

MOUNTAIN REST, SC

From $30/night

West Fork Campground (Clayton, Ga)

Lakemont, GA

From $10/night

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