Best Glamping near Clarks Hill, SC

Winfield is a compartively little-known USACE campground situated on a peninsula near the more heavily-traffic Mistletoe State Park. Quiet and peaceful, it's tucked up the Little River and therefore not on the main body of Clarks Hill Lake (Lake Strom Thurmond, if you're form South Carolina) which sees a good deal of boat traffic (pontoon boats in particular) in the summer months. Great for water activities (kayaking, SUP, etc) with awesome evening views.

Site 74 is right between the beach an the boating dock. Very large pull thru. Love how it was super private compared to the many other campgrounds I've been to.. We set up tents and did our glamping camping with ac. Also site was right on the water. Beautiful views. Wish there was more of our own little swim beach area. Bring spray for ants an mosquitos but that's everywhere in the woods lol. Bathroom was average happy our site was so close to the facilities. Would recommend staying here

Clark’s Hill is a Great Lake! HK is an OK park. It does have a nIce golf course and skeet shooting, kayak rentals, cabins, a restaurant and a pool. The campsites are nice enough. but. The entire park sits on a mound of ants. ants everywhere. ants of all varieties. And most of the lake access is solid Georgia red clay mud...

Mistletoe State Park is another great Georgia State Park. Tucked way back in a big pine forest and nestled right up on the banks of Clarks Hill Reservoir it is well worth the effort to find reservations at this park. Over 70 sights with 30 amp, and water service, plenty of road side gray water dumps between sights and TWO dump stations. The Park Host do a fantastic job with keeping this park clean with multiple bath houses and a large amount of community space. For the hikers the trails are great, and very in difficulty to keep things fun and the backwoods hiking camp sights were great. The beach and boating facilities were very nice. The playgrounds were still closed off due to Con-19. We saw lots of wild life, lots of stars at night (gets really dark at night). I may be partial a little when it comes to Georgia State Parks but they have earned it. This one lives right up with the others I have visited. We had so much fun and created so many great memories that we can’t wait for our next adventure at another Ga State Park.

We camped in one of the tent only walk-in sites located on a peninsula jutting into the lake. We had a ton of stuff, not realizing it was an uphill and pretty long trek, but it was totally worth it. We had the whole place to ourselves, no neighbors, in late March. The sun setting over the water was beautiful, it was quiet even as a few motor boats came in for the night. There is a tiny beach on the tip of the peninsula, picnic tables, and an outhouse. It was my favorite spot of everywhere we stayed on an Alabama-Georgia-South Carolina roadtrip including AirBnB and bed and breakfast.

This was my kid's favorite place that we have been so far. Our site 49 was right in the water. There was a drop of about 2 feet to get in, but we made it work. My kids played in the lake and we used our kayak and paddleboards. The beach was nice as well. We drove about 20 minutes to South Carolina and the J. Strom Thurmond Dam. Call ahead to listen to the recording to know when they are releasing water.

We have a 30ft TT and as we left my husband said anything else would be tricky getting out due to some trees on each side. The shape of the pull through site was fairly tight, but we didn't face any real issues with it.

There are little black ants everywhere. By our third night they found some food which wasn't tightly sealed and there were ants everywhere. I got rid of most of them but it was too late at that point. We got some ant traps when we went home the next morning. Even though this was a pain, we would still go back, just with ant traps.

If you are looking for a near perfect lakeside camping experience in the 'Low Country' here in South Carolina, than you may have just found the perfect getaway! Tucked away from main roads and a solid 20 minute drive from the nearest traces of civilization (the itty bitty town of McCormick), Hickory Knob State Park, which sits right on the Savannah River / Lake Thurmond and provides the setting for truly one of the most perfect camping escapes I have ever encountered. 

There's about 60-70 individual campsites here, but you would be hard pressed to count them all on account that there is so much foliage that separates each individual campsite that despite the # of sites, you are left with a very intimate and secluded feeling. While some of these well-secluded spots can get you just about as close to the lakeshore as possible (without infringing upon the land boundaries itself), most set a decent 10- 15 feet above shoreline and offer a private and simple-to-navigate pathway to the refreshing lollops of the lake's gentle rippling waves. 

Each site is apportioned with the basics - long drive-way with corresponding flat base platform (either perfect for RV or very amenable to the largest of tents), fire ring, water spigot and picnic table. While there's a handful of campsites that appear to be close cousins to the one next to it, most sites feel independent from one another and offer up enough space to forget your next-door neighbors. Further, I counted 3 separate loops (or communities, if you will), each with their own facilities. 

Apart from the greatest amenity being the lake itself, the park also offers a simple, yet splendid boat jetty with an easy-to-navigate round-about. Unlike many other state parks I have visited in the country, this one offers boaters many easy places to stow away their boats, when not in use on the lake. Further afield, there are plenty of trails to explore the deeper, less frequented side of this overgrown lakeside forested haven. 

If there were any drawbacks at all, it would simply be the less than mediocre bathrooms and showers that the state of South Caroline seems intent on not fixing (think back 50 to 60 years ago to what bathrooms might have looked like back then and then come present day to find exactly the same thing, without any repairs (and perhaps any sanitation) being made whatsoever). With all of the tax dollars that the state collects, on top of the fees paid for camping in these amazing state parks, you think the state would be able to afford building and maintaining better and more modern facilities for its overnight guests (what is it that they say about hospitality in the South?!). 

In sum, if you are looking for some really good seclusion, right on the lake, don't mind the overgrown nature of this campsite, have a boat, and perhaps older children that don't need playgrounds (and other man-made distractions) and can do without direct access to civilization, then this may very well be a perfect spot for you. 

Insider tips? Here's a few: (1) Because the nearest town of McCormick is a bit of a hike to get to (think at least a 20 minute drive on slow moving, winding country roads), be sure to bring everything you need with you, but if you do need any groceries, there's a Food Lion that has just about everything you might need; (2) When you grow tired of trying to conjure up that next meal from the depths of your Cordova cooler, then check out Michelle's, which is one half family restaurant - where I never believe any waitress who answers the question 'What is the best thing on the menu' with the response 'EVERYTHING!', but I will admit, she was absolutely right - we tried the pizza, wings, salad bar and hamburger one night - all were equally amazing - and one half happy hour / karaoke bar that apparently the entirety of McCormick shows up at after 8pm every night, which was pretty cool to experience; (3) When / if you head into the town of McCormick, take note of the Ice ATM machine there - it's fantastic and super cheap, so be sure to stock up on your ice there; and (4) If you are wanting to 'whet your whistle' after a good hard day of kayaking, then head on over to nearby Back Paddle Brewing for some really nice local craft beers.

Happy Camping!

We frequent this place a lot. Bathhouse and grounds are well kept. Beautiful waterfront sites and group camping.

Love the big selection of waterfront sites

We loved this campground! Spent 9 nights there and were away from everything in a quiet secluded shady lot near the lake. Took our own kayak, ride our bikes, hiked the trails and never seemed to run out of things to do!

Spacious room between sites. Lots of fun things to do!

We’ve camped here a couple of times this summer. Great access to the lake. Nice campground. Clean good sized sites. Hiking trails. Very nice place to relax.

Great site 49, awesome views. Comfort stations close and clean. Lots of water activities.

We stayed on site 73. It had direct access to the water, was right next to the bath house, huge pull through site, gray water drain on the site next to water and electric hook up. Bath house was clean and well kept. Wood needed to be purchased during daytime hours with card payment over the phone. No souvenir magnet because the store was only open Mon-Thurs, unfortunately.

Some of the folks staying on the other loop mentioned issues with ants, but we only had ants in the spot where we spilled some dog food.

Overall we accomplished what we set out, which was a trip to just relax the entire weekend.

First and foremost, Mistletoe is beautiful. It’s tucked away and the greenery is outstanding. The hiking is lengthy and gorgeous (if somewhat difficult to navigate) with an easy grade that’ll keep the huffing and puffing to a minimum. I wish the signage around the park aimed in both directions of the road. Navigating on your way in was easily enough, but getting out was tougher.

The staff at the visitor’s center were friendly, and the toilets and showers were kept very clean.

A fair warning, though: if you’re a tent camper who’s looking to enjoy some quiet time by the water, avoid the loop with the boat ramp. We stayed on site 30, and were surrounded by RVs and boats coming and going: between the sound and the lights, it wasn’t exactly peaceful. Add in the extraordinary winds that were coming in off the lake the weekend we were there, and certain moments of our trip felt very tedious. The Park can’t exactly do anything about wind and neighbors with boats, but we intend to camp further from the boat ramp next time. We got a look at the spots closer to the walk in sites, and think those might be more conducive to anyone who’s going for a more low-key tent experience.

We had site 32 right on the water, this site is a little tight but the scenery totally makes up for it, although the sites are not on top of each other just this particular site is close to the street and is a tight squeeze for anything I would say over 26ft. We absolutely will be back to this well kept piece of heaven

We enjoy thus campground as many sure are either on the water or a good view of the water. Campground is super clean. We will be camping here again as soon as we can.
We pondered taking a canoe out on the lake but maybe next time.

We spent a couple of nights in Mistletoe State Park in Georgia while we investigated my husband's ancestry.  This park is truly beautiful. As you enter and drive through the park you are surrounded by virgin forest and arrive at beautiful Lake Thurmond.  Our campsite was the best we have ever had anywhere.  Surrounded on 3 sides by the lake we woke to the sunrise and retired to a serene sunset each night.  Those we met in the area were so helpful and kind.  We will be back.

We got to this wonderful campground on a Monday afternoon and left Friday morning and it was probably no more than 75% full that week.  It was super quiet and well-maintained.  The 72,000 acre lake is clear and clean and is great for boating, kayaking, fishing or swimming.  My husband caught and released several bass and had a great time on the water.  

We camped at Site #38 and it is probably the most scenic and peaceful site in the park and juts out right onto the water. We were just a few steps from the water.  It was VERY windy every day but the last and after a while, the wind got very annoying, as we had to keep everything inside the camper and the awning mostly retracted. I don't think I'd want to camp here with much higher winds, as the water would probably come up into your campsite.  It's also a site with zero shade, so in the middle of summer, it would probably be too hot. It's great to be able to slide one's kayak into the water directly from one's campsite though. 

There are about 17 miles of hiking trails and we hiked several of them. All in all, we saw about 6 deer (including a brand new baby fawn), ducks, lots of geese, many different species of birds and an otter.  

There are many comfort stations and they are building another. One even has a washer and dryer and they all have showers and are very clean and stocked.  

We are already planning our next trip here!  Excellent campground!

This park has so many positives...clean gravel wooded sites, numerous lakefront sites, new bathhouses, and spacious. Made the mistake of booking a premium full hookup, which was perfect except the lakefront sites (water/electric) would have been exquisite. On my "I will return" list.

Mistletoe is a terrific state park. Very clean and up-to-date sites. Numerous RV sites on the waterfront. Waterfront sites tend to be water/electric, many interior sites seem to have sewer hookups as well. Verizon signal is 4+bars, plenty of bandwith. Lake was quiet this week as school was back in session, so very quiet and peaceful. Lake has lot’s of turtles, fish, geese, birds, etc. Even saw an armadillo one evening. One caution, lot’s of sugar ants…bring your insecticide or natural remedies as you will definitely put it to good use. Will definitely be coming back for future visits, this is a lovely spot.

This is our first visit to this park. The sites are spacious. They have water and electric and gray water stations at each site. The park and facilities are immaculate. This campground is surrounded by water. It’s a beautiful park. A great place for campers and boaters. Lots of trees and some open spaces.

This campground was quiet and tranquil. Large pines and mature trees. Surrounded by water. Camping and boating paradise. Immaculate grounds and facilities. Water and electric and gray water dumps at each site. Washer and dryer. Not a large park, but it’s a place I hate to leave. Pet friendly and great staff.

The campground is so nice and many beautiful sites on the water. Staff is great. Bathrooms are very nice and clean! We will be back!

This place was so perfect and our first camping experience with our new 40 foot RV! Check-in was easy and they even let us change to a pull-through site last minute. The grounds were sooooo gorgeous! Trees everywhere. Walking trails. And of course the lake. We went during fall colors so it was really magical.

PROS: Clean restrooms, spacious RV sites (they felt very private), many bathhouses within walking distance, friendly staff, nice gift shop 

CONS: wet firewood and of course you had to buy from them, playground very small- made more for toddlers/preschool age, less than 5 years old, long walk to the dumpsters

We spent 4 nights here in December. The park is really well taken care of. There are lots of trails that are really well marked. Lots of park road to ride bikes too. The bathrooms were pristine. There are a ton of waterfront sites (sadly we were not in one). The sites in the 70’s are great. Private and spacious. Site 82 is possibly the best as it has huge views, a beach and a deck. Some site have full hook ups. Some have gray water dumps (so convenient!). Cell service was awesome. The ONLY negative is that it takes quite some time to get to (and you pass about 3 other parks if coming from SC). Also make sure you grab groceries well before arriving as there is nothing close by. All in all, great park (as are almost all in GA)