Hamilton Branch State Park Campground Review

This week was our first time at Hamilton Branch, and it did not disappoint. It’s located on the South Carolina/ Georgia state line on Strom Thurmond Lake. We stayed at site 105, and in my opinion, it was the best site.

We had a 15 second walk from the site to the water’s edge (I know this because it took me exactly one Instagram story to walk it! Ha!). The “beach area” and the actual lake are padded with pebbles. The kids said it was like a foot massage. Haha! The water is pretty clear and was the perfect temperature for August. Cool enough, but not cold. The kids weren’t shivering and it felt like it barely 80° is what I’m saying, mmkay? 😂

I was surprised to see they allowed golf carts and motorized boats, as the other state parks we have stayed in, do not. Like most state parks, each site has power and water, a fire ring, and picnic table. They are very nicely spaced out, most having great waterfront access and are wooded and super shaded with trees. This park also has the best dump station we’ve ever been to on the property (you don’t realize how important this is until you experience it!), as well as many clean restrooms/ bathhouses. You can buy firewood and a few supplies at their general store at the front of the campground. There are also a few boat/kayak launches around.

There isn’t much to the small town the park is located in, but there is a Dollar General about a mile and a half away, which is something we always look for just in case we need to run out for unexpected supplies. I mean, we do our best, but you NEVER KNOW if you’re going to run out of bacon, guys. Can’t take the chance. Ha!

If you followed my stories over on @functionalfarmhouse, you know I am always unsure about new campgrounds and their cell signal. Not because I don’t want to unplug, but because THIS is my job. We go camping a lot and if I took off for vacation in my businesses, let’s just say, I wouldn’t be working much.

I am happy to report that Hamilton Branch had GREAT cell service. In fact, it was better than I have at home. My hotspot worked perfectly and I was able to write this blog post, and check email, and upload IG stories- without issues. Win!

The playground was awesome, according to the kids, and had a “ninja bridge”. There were several shaded picnic areas, including a covered picnic shelter. That wasn’t needed because the shading was just right for us. The swing looking out at the beautiful clear water was one of our favorite parts. We enjoyed a simple picnic, playing at the park, and swimming and floating around in the water, which had great access!

We brought our kayaks and had a great time, though with the boats making the current a bit stronger than a still lake, kayaking proved to be a bit more tiresome. Let’s just say, I may have missed my last biceps workout before I left, but I made up for it in a 30 minute kayak romp! Ha!

All in all, we were very happy with this campground and would definitely stay here again! As I mentioned earlier, we stayed at site 105. We also added sites 111, 192, and 177 to our list of possible sites!

Let me know in comments if there’s anything you’d like to know that I didn’t cover! Peep these sunsets, though!

Campground map

Source: SouthCarolinaParks.com