By:
Submission
This recreation area is part of J. Strom Thurmond Lake
Baker Creek is located four miles west of McCormick on US Hwy 378. Driving Directions: From McCormick: take US Hwy 378 W for 3 miles, take a right at the park sign, travel 1 mile, then take a left at the park entrance.
It's a place that needs a lot of TLC. The site say it is for tents and RV. But there's a bunch of small rocks. Using a tent you need very good tent stakes. Everyone was friendly the bathhouse/ restroom or very clean. Not a lot of people there and it was nice and quiet.
Solo 45 year old female tent camper review:
First Impression: I did not get the warm fuzzies when I first arrived. It was desolate feeling, with the only other campers a group of fishermen. As a solo female, this has not always been a good combination. I was sick though, and needed a place to recuperate so I stayed, and decided I'd just keep to myself, and move closer to the restroom to avoid being seen.
Privacy: There is not a lot of privacy but at least there is a decent amount of space between sites, I chose one at the edge of a loop with a little forest between me and the water. There were many mature trees at my site, though there had been some trees removed in the campground.
Noise: Very peaceful park, the only noise is the occasional boat (in February when I was here there were very few) or a loud truck on the bridge down the lake. Overall, the only sounds were birds, wind through the trees, and waves lapping the shore. I loved it. Not sure it would be the same experience if the boats were in full force or if the campground was full. The highway was far away, so no constant road noise.
Security: I was a little nervous the first night and considered leaving because I've had bad experiences being the only woman in a campground with a bunch of drinking men. And this park is fairly remote. But the next day another solo camper, a family, and the campground host Rusty showed up and so I stayed.
Hiking: I attempted to go on a hike, but the trail was not clearly marked, was choked with vegetation in spots, and there were no places I could find a map. I ended up just walking the road for a bit, but there isn't much of a shoulder either, so it was a short walk. I still don't know if there are decent trails, but I suspect that this park is more about the water.
Bathrooms: If you are finicky you might not like the bathrooms, they are showing their age. The 2 showers and 3 toilets (I think) functioned fine and had hot water, and there was a heater in the bathroom. The soap dispenser didn't work, but I always carry my own so not a big deal. There were two bathhouses, so no sites were all that far from the bathroom. It did have a motion sensor outside the door that was very bright, so if you are tenting, keep that in mind when choosing a site.
Views: Ah, the views! My site was at the end of the loop, at the top of a hill. It provided the most amazing sunrise and sunset views. There were many good sites at the campground with water views, and a few mediocre sites (in my opinion) in the middle.
I appreciated having water and electric and a level pad. At the end of my 3 days, I found myself wishing I could stay longer and enjoy the serenity.
First the positive. The host I believe their names were Jeanne and Steve were fabulous. The park however was in real need of clean up. Fallen trees everywhere. Although we did not bring our 5th wheel there is no way I would take it to the sites of the roads in bad need of repair.
It's not the "resort" experience you are looking for, but it is the camping experience you need. The staff is very friendly and the camp host, Richard, is a great help and very outgoing! Depending on your choice of sites you will get great views like we did. The main road is the only paved road if you are sensitive to driving your RV on gravel. If there was only one criticism, it would be for the dump station to be paved and leveled. There is 50 and 30 amp hook up and water. We thoroughly enjoyed the park.
