Best RV Parks & Resorts near Hartwell, GA

This is a typical Corp of Engineers campground, well kept with a variety of pull through and back-in sites.  Sites are 50/30/20 electric with water, picnic table and fire ring.  Many sites have a tent pad, are very level packed gravel/sand and well situated with very few having very close neighbors.  Shade is at a premium on some sites due to cutting of pine trees a couple of years ago but almost all are waterfront with an excellent view.  Some sites have direct access to the water allowing boats right at the site and swimming.  The swimming beach is very nice and well maintained as are the playgrounds.  Three bath houses are convenient to all loops, well maintained and clean.  Cell service is very good as is over the air TV with numerous channels available.  The dump station is easy in/out.  Sites 10 through 40 have awesome views of Lake Hartwell.

The campground itself is gorgeous, heavily wooded and lots of hills. It has great access to Lake Hartwell, and lots of sites. The sites are very close together throughout most of the park. The park also has lots of hills which can be a challenge for some RVs. There are also some very tight turns on these hills. Some campsites are level, some are very unlevel, there are lots of seasonal sites with built in porches making it very tight to get into the travelers spots that are mixed throughout the park.

When you enter the park make sure you stay to the left of the sign. We made the mistake of going straight our first time at this park and almost lost our 5th wheel at the turn around by the lake. If you miss the turn you are safer backing up to the entrance.

Cell Service: AT&T was minimal, T-Mobile was minimal.

Not all sites have sewer and there is a pump out service for a fee. They do have a dump station but it is not easy or ideal to move throughout the park once parked.

Each site had a picnic table, some had a fire ring. Some sites are full hook up, many do not have sewer at the site.

As of 2019 this park needed a lot of upgrades to the majority of the sites, such as fire rings, new picnic tables. The sides of the road were washing out from water run off. These were things also needed in 2018.

Amenities: Laundry Swimming Pool Dump Station Club House Pool Tables Lake Access (Lake Hartwell) Basketball Court Volleyball Playground Storage Lot Beach area Fishing

Having lived in South Carolina most my life, I haven't seen it all.. but have seen a lot of it. Mile Creek Campground is a string of 3 islands connect by narrow straights and surrounded by water. It's hard to get a spot here without great views of Lake Keowee and the Blueridge Mountains.

The spaces a are a mix of full concrete pads or gravel sites. We've stayed in several sites and while some are very close together (that RV park feeling), there are many which have lots of breathing room, and things feel more natural. The pics in this review are for site 51, which is on the "3rd island," which is the furthest out and offers the best views. This is a very level concrete spot and we only had to use the electric tongue jack on our trailer to level front to back. Got set up in under 5 minutes.

There is one oddity to some of the concrete sites. Because it's concrete, your fire pit is off to the side. And since most of the sites are raised, your fire pit may be level with the concrete pad, but you can't sit next to it as there is too much slope.

It's a county park and is well maintained. Bath houses are clean. With it having a public day use area with a nice boat dock, you can expect almost every morning @ 6am to hear the diehard fishing folks blasting out of the boat launch area. 

We have Verizon and our cell signal has always been 4 to 5 bars on the outside third island.

All sites have 30amp electric and water hookups. Dump station at the front of campground entrance up on a hill. BE AWARE, pulling into the dump station is easy, but the steeper exit will have longer RV's and Trailers dragging their bag end on the asphalt.

We've always felt safe and relaxed here. And though we prefer more dispersed camping with less neighbors, this is still one of the best and most affordable ($25 in off season) places in South Carolina to camp. 

We rarely give 5-stars, but due to the awesome views,  trees between the sites and being well wooded & surrounded by water... it really is a very nice place.

From what I can tell, all but two sites are back in. We had no problem backing in our 23'8" (total length) camper in.

This campground sets on a peninsula into Lake Keowee and offers gorgeous views of the lake and mountains in the distance.  While possible for big rigs, it can be a challenge in some areas.  The sites are mostly in the 30-35 foot range and most are back in, fairly level and offer 30/20 electric and water.  Picnic tables and fire rings are on the sites, but unfortunately most of the sites do not offer a lot of usable area around the site.  A few sites near the boat ramp are unparalleled in their view of the lake and mountains and reservation planning is a must if these are wanted.  Being far out in the country the cell service isn't so good and according to where you are even over the air TV is spotty.  A nice boat ramp and swimming beach are available, as are bath houses centrally located.  The camp store was closed due to Covid when we stayed, but there are kayak and canoe rentals.  The dump station was easily accessed and very clean. There are cabins, but we did not look at them.  All in all, this is a very nice campground for families or couples wanting a getaway.

Stayed here for more than a week in early January and enjoyed it.  There's a bunch of nice state parks in upstate SC - this one is about 10 minutes from both Table Rock and Devil's Fork.  Nearest town with major stores is Pickens, SC.  Greenville is about 45 minutes.

*Navigation*
The state park website mentions that rigs over 40ft will have trouble.  I think 40ft is conservative, but 50ft+ could definitely be problematic.  My truck plus trailer is 43ft and it was tight but manageable.  The problem area for larger rigs will likely be the curves before and after the dump station/restrooms (sharp turns plus elevation drop).  It will be difficult to fit in dump station area with a larger rig as well.

*Internet*

Verizon 5G was blazing fast here on my Pepwave - literally over 100mbps download. Starlink was able to connect, but obviously wasn't very useable due to trees.  

*Site*

I stayed in #3 which was definitely one of the better sites there.  Easy back in with very private views looking out towards Lake Keowee & Jocassee.  In summertime you probably won't be able to see much with the foliage.  Used levelling blocks, but it wasn't bad.

*Facilities*
Restrooms were older but clean.  Showers had hot water.  As mentioned, dump station is right in front of bathrooms.  No laundry.