Warren Mary Ellen
Ranger
Poinsett is in a remote area east of Columbia, SC. Much of the land around it is the Manchester State Forest, Congaree National Park, or one of several military bases in the area. The rest is farmland. You are in an area where the flat coastal plains meet the Sandhills of the state. The park is itself is in the Sandhills and when you compare the hills to nearby plains, the hills appear to be pretty big. Built in the 1930's it is some old facilities but it was a beautiful place. The park is known for having a taste of most of plant life of the state because of its unique terrain.
The campground has 2 loops with a total of 50 sites. The first half you enter has both electricity and water while the second loop only as water. The road into the campground goes up a long hill and is one lane with 2 way traffic, so if you meet someone going the opposite way, one of has to back up possibly a long way. Pretty standard sites, gravel with table and fire ring. Small lake not far from the campground. Good network of trails that connect to the nearby State forest. One of the trails there is the Palmetto Trail which crosses from the mountains to coast for a total of 425 miles. You are about 30 minutes away from Lake Marion which is a large man made lake in Lowcountry South Carolina.
Good place if you want to escape it all. The nearest town of any size is Sumter where you would find grocery stores, drug stores and it is about 20 minutes or so from the park. Sumter is where Shaw Air Force base is located and one of the things you will see as you drive there are signs telling you not to cross a fence because the area is used for "Air to Ground Explosions." Columbia is a bigger city if you need more than Sumter has to offer.
If you are thinking of the Poinsettia flower, the name comes from a South Carolina man named Joel Poinsett. He was ambassador to Mexico in the 1800s and brought the flowers back with him.
Poinsett | South Carolina Parks Official Site
The campground has 2 loops with a total of 50 sites. The first half you enter has both electricity and water while the second loop only as water. The road into the campground goes up a long hill and is one lane with 2 way traffic, so if you meet someone going the opposite way, one of has to back up possibly a long way. Pretty standard sites, gravel with table and fire ring. Small lake not far from the campground. Good network of trails that connect to the nearby State forest. One of the trails there is the Palmetto Trail which crosses from the mountains to coast for a total of 425 miles. You are about 30 minutes away from Lake Marion which is a large man made lake in Lowcountry South Carolina.
Good place if you want to escape it all. The nearest town of any size is Sumter where you would find grocery stores, drug stores and it is about 20 minutes or so from the park. Sumter is where Shaw Air Force base is located and one of the things you will see as you drive there are signs telling you not to cross a fence because the area is used for "Air to Ground Explosions." Columbia is a bigger city if you need more than Sumter has to offer.
If you are thinking of the Poinsettia flower, the name comes from a South Carolina man named Joel Poinsett. He was ambassador to Mexico in the 1800s and brought the flowers back with him.
Poinsett | South Carolina Parks Official Site
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