Whether you're an RVer or tent camper, Hartwell Lake, GA is a great place to post up for the weekend—or longer. Aside from great camping spots, you'll find hiking and many more outdoor experiences. Thinking of traveling with kids? You're in luck—Hartwell Lake is surrounded by family-friendly activities. Find the best campgrounds near Hartwell Lake, plus reviews and photos from other campers like you.
$27 - $230 / night
"We really felt at home here due to the friendliness of the park staff and camphost volunteers."
"Once we actually arrived to our site, it was beautiful and easy to pull through. Only a little off level, which we fixed easily. Great cement benches and huge fire fits on site."
$38 - $76 / night
"The area presently offers 1 gatehouse/entrance, 2 park attendant campsites, 79 public campsites with full water and electric hookups, 6 comfort stations (4 with showers), 1 dump station, 1 boat ramp, 1"
"We stayed on site 7 for 4 nights and then site 68 for 2 nights. Water access wasn't the best on 7, but we enjoyed it. The park and hosts were nice."
"Several trails. God sunsets if you were in the right site. Large Clem bathrooms that were cleaned frequently. Mold on the shower curtains and not enough trash cans."
"The Family and I are new to camping, we came here because of a group event at pavilion 1&2 the office attendants were nice and helpful, our site (14) was amazing with great view of lake Hartwell and"
"The bathrooms were clean. Water pressure was decent. Great place for a quick overnight. Little bit noisy for a long stay."
"Great KOA to stay at near Clemson University. It's not on Lake Hartwell, but it is near it. Be sure to check out the camping cabins."
$25 - $60 / night
"We arrived late in the day and the camp hosts were friendly and quick to assist with checking in. There are several large play areas in walking distance."
"The campground itself was well maintained and the hook ups, dump station and bathhouses were easy to find and use."
"The site we had was right next to the bank of the lake....we could have fished from inside our tent.
It was nice and quiet."
"That didn’t take away from this campgrounds beauty. It appears that this was a former state park but has now been bought by KOA. As far as Holiday KOAs are concerned, this one is up there."
$25 - $50 / night
"My family and I enjoyed camping on the beach here by the lake. The campground had a lot to offer. There was a restaurant/bar , playground, Marina, stage with live bands."
"There was air conditioning, 2 bedrooms, 1 full kitchen, 1 full bathroom, and a fire place. We stopped at a Walmart in one of the towns before the park to stock up on food."
"Situated on a lake. Campgrounds were close together with not enough trees for sound barriers but plenty of trees for hammocks."
"Great for families, as there are drive up camp sites with fire pits and plenty of space, and spread out so it still feels like you have privacy. Lots of great hikes."
"The site was shaded and wasn’t too close to my camping neighbors, but the biggest problem was dealing with the ants—big black ants, small black ants, and other tiny ants."
$36 - $45 / night
"Sites were so easy to get into, nice small loop with minimal noise. Clean bath houses and laundry on site that was only $1 per load!! Hiking and views of the Falls were breathtaking!"
"Campground facilities are clean and very well kept (they rake the sites and shovel out the fire pits). Bath houses are kept clean and stocked also. We camped in site 31 with our 32 ft TT."
GuideWe spent 2 nights in one of the cabins in this beautiful state park during a road trip through South Carolina. And let me say, 2 nights was not enough! The cabin itself was very well kept. There was air conditioning, 2 bedrooms, 1 full kitchen, 1 full bathroom, and a fire place. We stopped at a Walmart in one of the towns before the park to stock up on food.
There are multiple cabins scattered around the lake but they are a good distance apart from each other so you won't be disturbed by your neighbors. There was a fire ring and picnic in front of the cabin where we made smores after dinner and a cute screened porch with rocking chairs where we had coffee and breakfast on every morning. The cabin was right next to the small lake, which had a short trail going around it. We saw people fishing and I believe you can rent canoes as well in the park.
You definitely need more than 2 days to explore this cute little park. There are multiple hiking trails near by and definitely a lot of wild life. But it was definitely a peaceful and quiet park perfect for a relaxing weekend away.
GuideWhat a weekend! My family desperately needed a COVID safe getaway so we decided to retreat to the woods. Cherryfield Luxury Group Camping exceeded our expectations. The shelters and grounds were prestine and the covered platforms were definately the way to go car camping. Our tents stayed neat and the covered shelter kept us dry and cozy as we watched the rain on our second night without a fly on our tent. This campsite has thought of everything. There are grills an firepits beside each platform (each platform is large enough for 3 four person tents) and there are two common shelters with electricity and GORGEOUS bathrooms. It is funny to say, but the bathrooms were nicer than many hotels we've stayed at... large tiled shower with digital temperature controls, excellent water pressure from the large rain shower head, and, as a bonus, surround shower heads for that extra special something. I have never been excited by a shower or bathroom at a campground, but I made sure to shower before leaving because the experience was so zen. There is ample lawn space to play games, set up additional tents, and spread out for privacy, even during larger group gatherings. There are grills and grill tops by each fire pit making campfire or grill cooking easy, but delicious local restaurants just 10 minutes away also offer catering style menus that makie car camping and group gatherings even easier (the local BBQ and Italian were terrific). The grounds are meticulously kept and there are sturdy bear boxes to protect food and trash to help keep unwanted visitors from troubling guests. While we enjoyed some activities away from Cherryfied, we could have easily spent the entire weekend at the campsite. Not only are the grounds spectacular, but there is an easy walking trail to a lovely moss covered waterfall just steps away from the campgroud. The sound of the waterfall can be heard from the campground. It added ambient atmosphere and lulled us to sleep each night. The hosts were terrific and offered many suggestions for take out meals and activities. My only criticism is that the weekend went by too quickly. I did not realize how much my family needed an escape of this sort until we got the Cherryfield. I recomment Cherryfield without reservation. Take good care of this special place. We cannot wait to return.
TravelerFairly nice campsite set up with nice concrete table and tent pad. Some sites more spacious and laid out better then others. (We had three families camping in sites 17 & 18... would have been better in 16 & 17 or for the price book all 3, 16-18) 1 bath house centrally located with 4 rooms each having toilet, sink, hand dryer and small camp shower with seat and hand held shower head. (Prison style toilets, lol) Water spigots places through out campsites (1 for sites 15-19 in loop). With them opening late this season was surprised of condition of campground. Very clean however could have used a little TLC, small landscaping in sites and several fire pits not level and full of old ashes and whatnot (causing nice wet layer for fire starting) just figured with this being the first weekend open this season due to COVID-19 that they would have taken down time to spruce up area. Camp Host and camp ranger on site were super friendly and helpful though (Camped June 26-28, 2020)
GuideWonderful small campground w less than 50sites. Most are creekside back ins. Full hook up including cable. Smoking wifi. Level gravel sites with concrete patios. Some with yard swings. Very clean. Clean bathhouses. Cute camp store. Free library. Pool and other rec. Propane refills and wood$ delivery to site. Trash pick up. Great hosts. Campground is easy to get to and tucked into the woods.
TravelerVariety of campsites available to suit any camping style. Great for families, as there are drive up camp sites with fire pits and plenty of space, and spread out so it still feels like you have privacy. Lots of great hikes.
LegendTable Rock State Park is a large park with at least three“campgrounds.” One is a primitive campground, and one is a traditional campground. I did not get to explore the third campground, but I believe it is a traditional campground as well. The site I stayed at, site 56, was level, except for the approach; however, the pad was rough gravel. I put down two tarps under my tent to help eliminate the roughness inside the tent. The site was shaded and wasn’t too close to my camping neighbors, but the biggest problem was dealing with the ants—big black ants, small black ants, and other tiny ants. There was no lantern pole, but there was a fire pit and a picnic table. The bath house was only a short walking distance away. There is no lack of things to do, and the trail system is extraordinary. The main attraction, I would guess, is Table Rock Mountain, but there are other things to do. There is a swimming beach and a diving platform. Beside the beach are picnic tables, including a picnic shelter with a standing grill. The visitors center/store was well stocked with souvenirs and supplies, and there is a laundry next to it. Sometime during the night when I had to go to the restroom, I discovered that there was not water. The next morning, I turned on the faucet at my campsite, and it sputtered out brown water at first and then it came out clear. I said that to say this. There was a problem and they dealt with it quickly. That impressed me. The heat and humidity was almost unbearable, but nothing can be done about that during the summer. If you camp in a tent during the summer, make sure to take and extension cord and a fan. Overall, this is a great place to camp during vacation, but the cost is a little more than I expected to pay for a tent site. Costwise, I’m not sure I would want to pay that much for camping for a whole week. It rivals the national campground franchises. However, if cost doesn’t concern you, it really is a good place to camp.
RangerSpringfield Campground is one of Hartwell’s most popular camping destinations consisting of 60 acres of primarily Virginia pine and some mixed hardwoods. The area presently offers 1 gatehouse/entrance, 2 park attendant campsites, 79 public campsites with full water and electric hookups, 6 comfort stations (4 with showers), 1 dump station, 1 boat ramp, 1 courtesy dock, 3 playgrounds, 1 designated swim area/beach, and associated paved roads and parking areas throughout.
The area presently offers 1 gatehouse/entrance, 2 park attendant campsites, 79 public campsites with full water and electric hookups, 6 comfort stations (4 with showers), 1 dump station, 1 boat ramp, 1 courtesy dock, 3 playgrounds, 1 designated swim area/beach, and associated paved roads and parking areas throughout.
Hartwell Lake is a man-made lake bordering Georgia and South Carolina on the Savannah, Tugaloo and Seneca Rivers. The dam and lake area boasts 8 campgrounds and 11 day-use facilities that are operated by the US Army Corps of Engineers. The Hartwell Project was originally authorized for hydro-power, flood control, and navigation. Later, recreation, water quality, water supply and fish and wildlife management were added. Surrounding vegetation allows for plenty of shade, and the 962 miles of shoreline provide numerous swimming beaches, picnic areas and boat ramps.
Fishing is one of the most popular activities at the lake. Sought-after species include largemouth bass, bream, crappie, catfish, striped bass and hybrid bass.
The lake appeals to boaters of all kinds, whether their specialty is canoeing, sailing or motor boating. Coves and areas of quiet water provide water skiers with excellent surfaces.
Swimmers will find sand beaches and designated swim areas along the shoreline.
TravelerWe had campsites TS1 & TS2 across the water. A few of us kayaked to our site while others hiked 3miles to our site. It was very quiet and we could barely see our neighbors. Our site was surrounded by trees, plenty of options for hammocking/pitching a tent. It does include a fire pit with a grill grate option. This was our 2nd time here and we will def continue camping here.
LegendMy favorite part of staying at this park was not actually camping, although I always love camping. My favorite part was hiking the trails, especially the Natural Bridge/Palmetto Trail. It is a loop trail, but you can opt to get on a longer trail along the loop. The hike seems easy at first, especially going down to the“natural bridge.” However, when you hike down, you have to hike up, and there were sections on the return that were steep. Along the way, not only do you see the natural bridge, but there is a small waterfall as well. As far as camping, there are RV sites and tent sites. I chose tent camping this time, and there was a large gravel pad. The sites seemed a little too close for me, but at least they were not on top of each other. The day that I went, the other tent sites were all reserved as far as I could tell. I found that surprising for a Tuesday night. Unfortunately, with so many people camping that close together, you never really get to sleep early since some people are up late talking. Nevertheless, once the talking died down, I went to sleep listening to the tree frogs. The bath house is a short walk away and is AIR CONDITIONED!!! Since I went in July, this was important. I was hoping to get in some canoeing, but there were strong thunderstorms and rain. As a matter of fact, I waited for a break so I could put up my tent. There is a camp store, and I enjoyed looking at the relief map in the visitor’s center. It also has displays in the visitor’s center with local history. There is also a boat ramp a short drive away from the campground. Even though I didn’t get to take full advantage of it, it is a lot better than many of the boat ramps I have seen. The biggest attraction for this park, other than the hiking trails, is obviously its access to Lake Keowee. Overall, it is a pretty good place to camp. I’m not fond of how close the sites were, but it’s a lot better than many campgrounds I have been to.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular glamping campsite near Hartwell Lake?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular glamping campground near Hartwell Lake is Tugaloo State Park Campground with a 4.6-star rating from 40 reviews.
What is the best site to find glamping camping near Hartwell Lake?
TheDyrt.com has all 38 glamping camping locations near Hartwell Lake, with real photos and reviews from campers.
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