Rick's Picks: Magnolia RV Park, Kinards, SC

Magnolia RV Park (their website does not always pull up) is located in Kinards, SC off Exit 60 on I26; long ago it was a KOA. We use this as a layover, to divide the trip, when traveling between Charleston and the Sevierville, TN area. The reservation link on their website does not function so a phone call is in order.We stayed at Magnolia RV back in October 2014; we visited again in June 2019 and the improvements were striking. Although still a bit rustic it is apparent that thought and effort have been applied to improve the park’s overall condition. Pulling into the campground on the dirt & gravel road one finds the office building to the left. This building houses the welcome center, small store and bathroom/shower facilities. The obvious architectural features are a dead giveaway that this once was a KOA. The building has undergone a facelift and obvious improvements. The bathroom/shower facilities accessed from the side of the building apparently were renovated in 2017 and show well with tile floor, tile walls and contemporary fixtures-all a welcome improvement. Likewise the laundry is clean sporting new washers and dryers. The road and turns are adequate for us to proceed to our pull-thru site with a 45’ motorcoach and car in tow. The pull thru was long (did not have to unhook) and level. The few trees are trimmed up and back from the road; the site includes a picnic table. FHU is relatively new and the 50 amp service was stable. One is in rural SC with apparently no local attractions, but let your heart not be troubled. Just 16.5 miles away is the historic town of Newberry and the iconic Newberry Opera House; well worth a visit. The sparkling clear pool looked as if a new concrete apron had been installed and was surrounded by new pool furniture. And adjacent to the pool is a new playground. WiFi is provided and we were able with our WiFi antenna to access the internet and stream movies and tv with some buffering (WiFi signal 90%, -53dBm). Our OTA (over the air antenna) received very few channels as we were too far off the grid. Our cell phone received 3G LTE. It is encouraging to experience the obvious interest the owners have in improving their campground and we encourage them to continue their efforts.

The Takeaway: located in rural Kinards, SC a must visit is the historic town of Newberry and the iconic Newberry Opera House. An acceptable stop-over campground on the I26 corridor that is making obvious strides to improve its infrastructure, buildings and amenities, and still a bit rustic. WiFi is moderately broadband with slight buffering. Sites are long and level with new FHU utilities. We stayed at Magnolia RV back in October 2014; we visited again in June 2019. Go to www.rickpicks.com for other reviews, critiques and essays with links to area attractions and a more detailed review of this park,etc.