Elijah Clark State Park

Like the half-dozen parks that line Army Corps of Engineers impoundments of the Savannah River north of Augusta known as the "Big Lakes," Elijah Clark State Park is best known for boating, fishing, and other water sports in a quiet corner of the state. Named for a Georgia Revolutionary War hero, the park also holds the gravesites of Clark and his wife Hannah. A pioneer museum at the park displays a collection of 18th-century artifacts, including utensils, tools, and reconstructed log cabins (open weekends seasonally). The 447-acre park features a white sand beach, rental cottages, and a campground (including walk-in sites). On the second ...

Like the half-dozen parks that line Army Corps of Engineers impoundments of the Savannah River north of Augusta known as the "Big Lakes," Elijah Clark State Park is best known for boating, fishing, and other water sports in a quiet corner of the state. Named for a Georgia Revolutionary War hero, the park also holds the gravesites of Clark and his wife Hannah. A pioneer museum at the park displays a collection of 18th-century artifacts, including utensils, tools, and reconstructed log cabins (open weekends seasonally). The 447-acre park features a white sand beach, rental cottages, and a campground (including walk-in sites). On the second largest man-made lake east of the Mississippi River, most visitors pass the time enjoying the scenery, water recreation, and slow pace of a lakeside vacation. The Army Corps of Engineers maintains several recreation areas around the lake, a visitor center, special events (fishing "rodeos" are particularly popular), and power plant tours. Officially J. Strom Thurmond Lake, named for a U.S. senator from South Carolina, the lake is often called Clarks Hill Lake on the Georgia side of the river.

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.