Book Your Overnight Riverside Platform Campsite on South Carolina Lakes & Blackwater Rivers

Summary: Really an impressive camping platform. Just feet off the river, a roofed and screened in area (maybe 20x20) with a big deck. Somewhat messy landing on a slick slope (water level was about 3.5 feet at the effingham marker). Barry from River Rats provided our canoe shuttle service, and left us some dry wood to burn. Coyotes, owls, deer all made their presence known. A lovely camp site. Can't recommend it enough.

Summary: Barry and his family was amazing. They did everything for you. They made the trip awesome and wonderful. I know they are a blessing to everyone. Thank you.

Summary: Sitting on the bank watching the river flow by while listening to bird sound that were too numerous to name. My son and wife fished from the bank and out of the kayak. It is a great relaxing place to stay and River Rats is more than accommodating..

Summary: This place is amazing. I have 3 teenagers m, ages 14 (twins) and 16. There were five of us altogether. The owner, Mr. Barry, met us at his home and shop on Lynches River at River Rats. From there we parked, rented our kayaks.. we rented 5, and he helped us load our very much overpacked belongings onto his boat. We then each got in our kayaks and paddled about a mile downstream to our spot. Mr. Barry followed us with our tents and coolers and chairs and clothes and food ..all of belongings and helped us unload. He also piled us in a huge stack of firewood. No extra charge. He then gave me both his and his wife’s cell phone numbers to reach them for anything at all. He came and checked on us on a few hours later. We were all set up. We chose to sleep in the elements setting up our tents all around the platform. We used the platform and screened in porch for preparing food and drinks and changing clothes. There was a nice fire pit area for hanging out and cooking all of our meals. We stayed two nights. The next day Barry came back asking if we needed anything and he again brought us back some more firewood and a case of water bottles. Again, no charge. But of course, we are a family of tippers so we tipped him and though he said it wasn’t necessary he was so appreciative..just as we were of his generosity and help. He asked us what time we’d like to begin our 5 mile kayaking downstream the next day. We told him around 8:30am. He took off and we saw him again the next morning right on time. He loaded up all of our belongings again and took them back to our car and we took off in the opposite direction on our kayaks packed with snacks and a Pinic. The 3 hour kayak adventure down Lynches river was absolutely beautiful.. you can choose how quickly or not you navigate the 5 mile adventure. You’re going downstream so it didn’t require much physical effort. You can paddle as much or as little as you’d like. We saw so much wildlife and had so so so many laughs. Especially at my son, who somehow managed to consistently find himself, upper torso, caught up in tree branches that overhung the river. This is where the laughter happened. You had to be there but my daughters and I had a ball laughing at his struggles. It was all so relaxing and fun. We spent the previous full day on the site fishing, kayaking and exploring. We cooked and ate every meal on and around the fire and the weather was perfect. The last day, at the end of our 5 mile river run, Barry met us at the end with his River Rats bus welcoming us back with a big smile on his face and some jamming tunes coming from the bus… he loaded up the kayaks on the trailer behind the bus and we loaded up on the bus and he drove us to where our car was. He told us stories of how he came into such an amazing business and we learned about his wife and family and grandchildren and were greeted and introduced to his dogs when we got back to the spot where we reloaded our belongings from his boat back into our car and headed off back home to Columbia. The whole adventure was just perfect. And we were all alone, as there isn’t another campsite or platform for miles. We will be back. Again and again and again . Thank you Mr. Barry! You are THE MAN

Summary: A must do. One of the most unique and peaceful sites I’ve ever used. Spot is easy to find and easy to access. Barry, the owner of river rats went above and beyond with his kindness and help. He met us at the car, shuttled us down some firewood and helped us out on parking. The site itself has everything you need to enjoy yourself and relax including a primitive restroom, fire pit and porch with rocking chairs. Took a swim in the river and enjoyed all the owls hooing and other nature sounds. Great getaway, but bring bug spray. The inside was clean and spacious and fits about 2/3 hammocks. Only two small boats passed through during our stay so its definitely quiet enough for a weekend getaway

Summary: Spent the night at this site and was super happy with the location and the shelter. Also Berry Frick with River Rats was an awesome host to the area. Couldn’t have asked for more from him. He went above and beyond to make sure we had everything we needed to enjoy our time. Will for sure be returning to this site in the future.

Summary: A welcome sight after canoeing all day. The camp and platform were clean. Very nice to have the privacy room for bathroom. We set up 2 tents on the platform. One person slept in the screened room, We had two hammocks in the trees and one tent on some high ground. We cooked meals in the fire ring. We brought in firewood and there was already a nice stack at the site. Good price. We rented our canoes and got river transportation from Barry Frick who runs River Rats just upstream from the campsite. He has a wide assortment of canoes and kayaks and provides excellent service.

Summary: My dad, cousin and I did a boat trip down the Lynches in mid October 2021 and had the best time. We did about 15 miles over two days and local guide Barry the "River Rat" made our experience a breeze. He was so great, helping us out with the boat, meeting us halfway for supplies and shuttling us back and forth to get our vehicles to the take out. The riverside platform was perfect for our small group and would be comfortable for many more. The site was neat and tidy with wood even supplied when we arrived and the screened in porch kept the mosquitos away at night. A great spot with lots of character!

Summary: A wonderful Experience dealing with River Rat Outfitters and this neat location. Will be staying here again for sure!!