New campground aimed at part of Lexington County near planned trail
A recreation group in Lexington County could soon add a new campground to an empty plot of land along the Saluda River.
The Irmo Chapin Recreation Commission was given initial approval by the Lexington County council Tuesday afternoon to rezone 69 acres of land that it owns near River Bluff High School. The long-term plan, which is still dependent on securing funds, is to add an RV campground to an area that’s set to see a nature trail extended later this year, said Jay Downs, who’s over facilities and operations for the commission.
The campground would solely be for RVs and campers, not for tents, Downs said, and would be meant for short-term stays. Once fully completed, the plan is for the campground to have the space for 70-100 vehicles.
But the project is years out and dependent on grant funding, Downs said. He estimated the project is at least two years from starting. The campground would sit at the trailhead of a planned nature trail that would connect to the Three Rivers Greenway trail system. The existing trail runs along the Saluda River near Saluda Shoals Park and the commission has plans to extend it.
In the first phase of the trail project, set to be completed in August, the existing trail will be extended from Saluda Shoals to the Lake Murray dam. The second phase, which is still in the process of getting permits and being put out to bid, will stretch from Saluda Shoals down to Gardendale Landing, right across the river from River Bluff High School. That’s where the trailhead and planned campground would go.
“This is just an amenity that we’re hoping to attach to it,” Downs said.
The project would sit not far from Saluda Shoals Park, which does not have tent or RV camping.
This story was originally published January 14, 2026 at 7:30 AM.
