Clarks Hill

Clarks Hill is a popular park on J. Strom Thurmond Lake, just off Georgia State Highway 221 near the dam. The lake covers 70,000 acres and has more than 1,000 miles of shoreline. Thurmond Lake provides some of the best fishing, hunting, and water sports in the southeastern United States. Anglers fish for largemouth bass, bream, crappie, catfish and striped bass, and the large lake offers endless boating, water skiing, jet skiing, canoeing and swimming opportunities. Hikers have access to many miles of trails in the area: the 1.8-mile Lake Springs Loop and the 27-mile Bartram Trail, which meanders along the scenic shoreline and through Wildwood Park, are nearby, and shorter sections can be hiked from several intersecting trailheads. Clarks Hill is a wooded day-use area with several picnic shelters, some with electrical hookups. The shelters can accommodate groups as small as 6 and as large as 48. Amenities include flush and vault toilets, drinking water, a beach, boat ramp and dock. Hot, humid summers and mild, pleasant winters characterize this heavily wooded area on the shore of Thurmond Lake. A mixed pine and hardwood forest covers the site, providing summer shade and fall color, and elevation is 345' above sea level. Wildlife is abundant around the lake: visitors regularly see southern bald eagles, migratory waterfowl, wild turkeys and whitetail deer. Numerous parks and recreation areas lie around Thurmond Lake, providing additional boating, swimming, hunting, and hiking opportunities. Nearby cities house museums, art galleries, zoos, restaurants, and shopping areas, and the Augusta National Golf Club hosts the Masters Golf Tournament annually the first week of April.