Bobby Brown State Outdoor Recreation Area

Like the half-dozen parks that line Army Corps of Engineers impoundments of the Savannah River north of Augusta known as the "Big Lakes," the Bobby Brown Outdoor Recreation Area is best known for boating, fishing, and other water sports in a quiet corner of the state. At the juncture of the Broad and Savannah Rivers at the remote northern end of J. Strom Thurmond Lake (which those on the Georgia side of the river prefer to call Clarks Hills Lake), the 665-acre recreation area occupies the site of the town of Petersburg, which thrived here in the 1790s. According to the park service, when water levels are low, visitors can see some ...

Like the half-dozen parks that line Army Corps of Engineers impoundments of the Savannah River north of Augusta known as the "Big Lakes," the Bobby Brown Outdoor Recreation Area is best known for boating, fishing, and other water sports in a quiet corner of the state. At the juncture of the Broad and Savannah Rivers at the remote northern end of J. Strom Thurmond Lake (which those on the Georgia side of the river prefer to call Clarks Hills Lake), the 665-acre recreation area occupies the site of the town of Petersburg, which thrived here in the 1790s. According to the park service, when water levels are low, visitors can see some foundations of the old town. Another landmark is an attractive wooden footbridge set out over a narrow finger of the lake. As of spring 2011, the park offers first-come, first-served camping and boat ramps, with no on-site ranger. At the shoreline of one of the largest inland bodies of water in the South, you can boat, fish, swim, visit the dam and scenic spillway, or walk along the park's 1.9-mile hiking trail. The Army Corps of Engineers also maintains several recreation areas around the shoreline.

About the Expert

Kap Stann has written or contributed to many guidebooks to the American Southeast for such publishers as Moon, Avalon Travel, Lonely Planet, DK Eyewitness, and Mobil Guides.