Baker Creek State Park Campground

We camped at Baker Creek (relatively local to us at only 30 miles away) for the first time 7-9 October 2020. We went for kayaking and mountain biking as well as just some time away. Baker Creek is off the main body of Clarks Hill Lake/Lake Strom Thurmond and as such is much quieter than some of the other campgrounds (e.g. Elijah Clark).

Pros:

• A smallish campground with many sites on the water or at least water-accessible.
• Clean bathhouses
• Super friendly Rangers and Campground hosts.
• Quiet on land and from boat traffic noise
• Comparatively inexpensive

Cons: 

• Showing its age, it needs some work. Appears a bit run down with erosion evident on many sites.
• No fire rings although fires are permitted (previous campers have built makeshift/ad hoc fire rings using the plentiful rocks in the area).
• Can seem cramped with 50 sites in arelatively small area.
• No T-Mobile call service in the area.

The Good News (Renovations!):

Speaking with the Campground Host, and later one of the rangers, here are some developments about Baker Creek SP that will definitely be of interest. 

1. The park is closing the end of October 2020 as usual but is not projected to open in 2021 until 1 May once renovations are complete. 

2. Renovations to the campground include modernizing the sites which included reducing the number of sites from 50 to 30, increasing the size of the sites, installing 50A outlets and fire rings at a minimum. 

3. Once the park reopens, it will be open YEAR ROUND. 

We will definitely be returning after they reopen and I'll post a new review.

This SP is only open March to October but it’s hosts took great pride in clearing the sites for the season. I parked my travel trailer in site 95 and it was a great site. We were able to drag water floats and things down to the waters edge outside our site. The bath house is not new by any means but everything you need is there, keeping in mind that this park is more for water sports and recreation than a resort. The roads are a little rutted on some sides due to washout but the park is a great spot to camp. No fire rings or grills in EVERY site but there were some man-made fire pits. The trails on the park were not marked at all except for the Nature Trail in the campground. Fallen trees had destroyed the other ones but they were bike trails. This is a great and relaxing place for a camp. Spent 3 nights here and visited other state parks close by that were more expensive and less maintained than this one. Check-in is 2pm and check-out is 12 noon. I would definitely come back here again!

Campground Review: 

Baker Creek is a seasonal campground, and is the place to go if you love the water and love to spend your days floating lazily in the South Carolina Midlands.  At night, if it's not cloudy, you'll get to gaze at the constellations in the gorgeous night sky.

The sites are close together, which we certainly noticed during the July 4th holiday, but at times when it's not so crowded, I'm not sure it would matter. We snagged the best sites in terms of privacy (88-96), which are on the water and have no sites across the road from them. We had to switch our site (91) with a friend (89) because we were hammock camping and sites 90-93 don't have many trees. As such, those sites also get hit by sun most of the day, although they have gorgeous views of the water. 

The majority of the campers during the July 4th weekend were in RVs, and we noticed there is less consideration towards tent campers with regards to noise and light. I guess the RVers think everyone is inside their campers and therefore can't hear them driving their car at 3 A.M., starting their boats at 5 A.M., or leaving a bright security light on all night. 

There are many swimming areas around the campsites, and they are shallow enough near-shore that kids can spend, literally, the entire day playing in the water. Bring inflatables, kayaks, boats, and canoes! 

An odd thing about the sites is that there are charcoal grills, but no fire rings! Many makeshift fire rings have been constructed using the large granite rocks that can be found in the lake, though. 

The bathroom, while old, is kept clean by the camp hosts who stay there the entire season. Hand soap is provided but no hot air or paper towels are there to dry hands. 

The trash dumpsters are a fair distance away (you'll need to drive if you have a bag of trash) and no recycling facilities are provided.

I've read online reviews that mention how old and run down Baker Creek is. I disagree. It's a beautiful SC State Park on a gorgeous lake. If your tastes run more upscale, Hickory Knob State Resort Park is right across the water and might suit you better. 

-------------------------------------------------

Product Review:  

As a Ranger for The Dyrt, I get products to test from time to time - today I am testing the éclipse Equinox Hoodie Cover Up https://eclipseglove.com/collections/frontpage/products/equinox-hoodie-beach-cover-up

The éclipse line of products spoke to me because I love to be in the sun all day, and I'm great about applying the first round of sunscreen, but after swimming and chillaxing, I get too lazy to put on more. I don't want to get out of the sun, but I just know I'm burning, especially on my chest and shoulders. Usually, I'll put on a big, long-sleeved shirt to try to hide from the rays.

éclipse makes cover ups with a special type of fabric that increases evaporative cooling and is also UPF 50+. But the sides of the shirt and undersides of the arms are open, allowing airflow where the sun isn't hitting. There is a front pocket and inside that is a cell phone pocket, which is a perfect size for making sure it doesn't slide out. 

I found it was also a good shirt to wear in the hot summer evenings while camping, because it provides mosquito protection without being stifling. 

I got compliments and questions about it when I wore it to Baker Creek. The neck is high to keep the sun off delicate neck skin, but that makes it not as fashionable.  Another option that might look more flowy and cute is the Aurora Shawl 

https://eclipseglove.com/collections/frontpage/products/aurora-beach-cover-ups

My husband took the éclipse Adjustable Neck Gaiter

https://eclipseglove.com/collections/sun-neck-gaiter/products/neck-gaiter-adjustable

on his day-long canoeing trip and it blocks the skin that a shirt doesn't normally cover while still cooling the neck. It's versatile, and can be worn in many different ways

The éclipse products are easy to clean and will be a staple in our beach/boat bag from now on!