Six nights at Baker Creek State Park, a beautiful lake view, and a few unexpected discoveries along the Georgia–South Carolina border.
Sometimes the best camping trips begin with a bargain. As we approached the final week of our fall camping adventure, we started looking for somewhere to spend a few more days before heading home. We weren't looking for anything particularly fancy. A quiet campground, a pretty view, and full hookups would be ideal. And since we'd already been on the road for a couple of weeks, keeping the cost down sounded pretty good, too.
That's how we discovered Baker Creek State Park, a little campground tucked along the shores of Clarks Hill Lake, also known as J. Strom Thurmond Lake, near McCormick, South Carolina.
We were pleasantly surprised by the camping rates and happy to find one of the park's limited full-hookup sites available. By the time we finished booking, our total for six nights came to just $164 — a little over $27 per night! For a waterfront campground with full hookups, that sounded like a pretty sweet deal. We booked it, and I'm so glad we did.
Baker Creek State Park: Small, Quiet, and Surprisingly Nice
Baker Creek is one of those parks that might easily get overlooked when you're searching for somewhere to camp. With only 34 campsites, it certainly isn't a large campground, and you won't find the swimming pools, organized activities, or long list of amenities that come with a destination RV resort. What you will find is a peaceful little campground tucked into the woods along a beautiful lake with great fishing and canoe and kayak rentals. Hopefully, the storm damage cleanup will be completed soon and the hiking trails will be reclaimed soon.
Many of the campsites have water views, and ours gave us a lovely place to enjoy the scenery. With so few campers around, the atmosphere was wonderfully quiet and we had views of the water out the front and the back of our camper. It was just what we needed after several weeks of traveling.
The campground has only two full-hookup sites, so we felt pretty fortunate to have landed one. Most of the other sites have water and electric hookups, and there is a dump station available.
Now, About Those Bathhouses..
I never thought I'd spend much time raving about a campground bathhouse, but Baker Creek deserves a little recognition here. The park has two newly renovated, temperature-controlled bathhouses, one at each end of the campground. Rather than the usual rows of showers and toilets, each building has four completely private bathrooms.
And when I say private, I mean your own little bathroom, complete with a toilet, sink, shower, and a sturdy bench with plenty of room to get dressed. A proper bathroom, all to yourself. They were well- equipped, comfortable, and easily among the nicest bath facilities we've encountered at any state park. And they were kept impeccably clean!
Sometimes it's the little things that make a campground memorable.
An Introduction to the Savannah River Lakes
One of the nicest things about staying at Baker Creek turned out to be its location. While looking around the area, we began to realize just how many state parks and campgrounds were scattered along the lakes bordering Georgia and South Carolina.
This series of lakes, known as the Savannah River Lakes, includes Lake Hartwell, Richard B. Russell Lake, and Clarks Hill Lake, which is officially named J. Strom Thurmond Lake. The three reservoirs follow the Savannah River along the Georgia–South Carolina border, creating a beautiful region filled with wooded shorelines, quiet coves, fishing spots, hiking trails, and campgrounds.
We had already spent several days camping at Mistletoe State Park in Georgia, also on Clarks Hill Lake, before arriving at Baker Creek. But we hadn't realized just how much more there was to discover nearby. And since we enjoy exploring state parks almost as much as camping in them, we decided to do a little scouting.
With Baker Creek as our home base, we ventured out to visit three more parks: Elijah Clark State Park in Georgia, and Hickory Knob State Resort Park and Hamilton Branch State Park in South Carolina.
Our favorite way to explore a new campground is to either park and walk or drive through the camping loops, look at the sites, and imagine where we'd like to park Biggie or Figment on a future visit. If there's a good hiking trail nearby, even better. It's a pretty enjoyable way to spend an afternoon, and we've discovered some wonderful camping destinations this way.
Elijah Clark State Park: Already on Our Spring Wish List
Of the three parks we explored, Elijah Clark State Park was the one that really caught our attention. Located just outside Lincolnton, Georgia, along the western shore of Clarks Hill Lake, Elijah Clark has the sort of setting that makes you want to pull into a campsite, set out your chairs, and stay awhile. The park offers wooded camping areas, beautiful lake views, and trails that invite you to get out and explore.
We particularly enjoyed our time walking through the park and taking in the scenery. There's something about a lakeside campground in the fall. The changing leaves, the quiet trails, and those glimpses of water through the trees make even an ordinary afternoon feel like a little getaway.
We left Elijah Clark thinking it would be a wonderful place to spend a week in the spring, when the trees are putting on their fresh green leaves and the weather is just right for spending most of the day outdoors.
Hickory Knob State Resort Park: A Different Kind of State Park
Hickory Knob, near McCormick, offers a different camping experience. Rather than being just a campground, it's a state resort park with a golf course, lodge accommodations, dining, hiking, and access to the lake. It's an interesting combination, particularly for anyone who enjoys camping but also appreciates having a few extra recreational opportunities nearby.
We stopped by to explore the grounds, check out the camping area, and see what the park had to offer. It's another place that makes this stretch of the Savannah River worth exploring, with plenty of options whether you're interested in hiking, fishing, golf, or simply enjoying the surroundings.
The campground: Our impression
At a glance, it appeared to us that funds must be allocated primarily to the golf course. Driving through the campground, first of all we noticed bumpy roads that needed a bit of work and in viewing the campsites, they looked like they could use some work as well. Quite a few looked more than challenging in leveling an RV.
Hamilton Branch State Park, Plum Branch, SC
Our third stop was Hamilton Branch State Park, another South Carolina park located along Clarks Hill /J Strom Thurmond Lake.
Hamilton Branch occupies a peninsula extending into the lake, giving the park an abundance of shoreline and some beautiful opportunities for waterfront camping. If you're like us and love finding campsites with a good water view, it's certainly a park worth looking into.
The main roads in the campground are newly paved and wide - great for walking and biking. The cleanup effort is ongoing and so hopefully, improvements like these will follow in other areas of the campground.
The campground office and gift shop are new and lovely. The staff is very friendly and full of lots of tips and the store is well stocked. We saw bicycles that are available to rent - $25 per day for adults and $20 per day for kids. You can also rent a canoe or kayak at the self-serve, fully automated kiosk. How cool is that?
The sites are large and looked pretty good as far as level. All have water and electricity - no sewer hookups but we saw a dump station upon entering the campground. There were a lot of T-shaped sites - or buddy sites, as we know them. It would be great if you were camping with family or friends. If you prefer your own private drive, be sure to check the map when booking a site.
We enjoyed getting a look at another of the area's campgrounds and adding it to our growing list of possibilities for future visits.
One thing became increasingly clear as we explored: you could spend several camping trips in this region and still have plenty of places left to discover.
Camping Discounts: One More Reason to Explore South Carolina
Since the price was what originally led us to Baker Creek, I have to mention something worth knowing if you're planning a trip to the area.
South Carolina extends certain state park discounts to qualifying out-of-state seniors at six designated parks, several of which are located along the Savannah River Lakes. Those parks include Baker Creek, Hamilton Branch, Hickory Knob, Calhoun Falls, Lake Hartwell, and Sadlers Creek.
The senior discounts generally apply to campers age 65 and older, subject to eligibility requirements, and can make an already affordable state park stay even more attractive. Be sure to check current rates and qualifications when booking. Rates can vary by campground, season, and campsite type.
Regardless of the exact discount applied to our reservation, our six-night stay at Baker Creek cost only $164, and that included one of the park's two full-hookup campsites. It's hard to complain about that!
There's More to Explore Along the Savannah River
What started as an effort to find an inexpensive place to finish our fall trip turned into an introduction to an area we'd love to explore further.
Between Mistletoe, Baker Creek, Elijah Clark, Hickory Knob, and Hamilton Branch, we've only begun to scratch the surface of the camping opportunities along the Savannah River Lakes.
There are more state parks, Army Corps of Engineers campgrounds, quiet coves, and miles of shoreline waiting to be explored. And while we always enjoy discovering someplace new, we also love finding an area that makes us want to return again and again.
The Best Part of a Bargain
Looking back, Baker Creek gave us exactly what we'd hoped for: a peaceful campground, a beautiful lake view, full hookups, and an amazingly affordable six-night stay. But it also gave us something we hadn't planned on — a whole new list of places we want to visit.
I think that's one of my favorite things about camping. You start out looking for a place to park the camper, and before you know it, you're planning your next adventure. We may have chosen Baker Creek for the price, but we'll be returning to the Savannah River Lakes for everything else.
And I have a feeling Elijah Clark will be our first stop when spring rolls around.
Figment Road
dream . roam . repeat
