A dark green Toyota pickup with a roof tent parked in tall dry grass as mist closes in.

Army Corps of Engineers campground

Hawe Creek

Army Corps of Engineers campground in J. Strom Thurmond Lake, McCormick County, South Carolina. 346 feet. 4.4 miles from Plum Branch.

Managed by
Army Corps of Engineers J. Strom Thurmond Lake
Elevation
346 ft USGS elevation model, at the mapped point
Sites
32 32 standard electric
Longest rig
45 ft The longest vehicle any site is listed for
Hookups
Electric, Water
Reservations
Recreation.gov

Overview

Hawe Creek Campground is located on J. Strom Thurmond Lake, one mile from the Dorn Sportfishing Facility, one of the largest in the southeast.

Camping at Hawe Creek is ripe with many different opportunities for relaxation, skill-building, family bonding, and nature appreciation. The 70,000+ acre lake and 1,000+ miles of shoreline are prime for activities that facilitate such opportunities such as boating, water skiing, swimming, fishing, kayaking, hiking, biking, bird watching, and so much more of course!

Experience the quiet and relaxing outdoors at this quaint 34 site campground nestled in South Carolina.

Recreation

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. The large lake offers great conditions for exciting activities such as boating, water skiing, jet skiing, canoeing, and swimming.

When recreating at Thurmond Lake, we hope to give our visitors opportunities to bond, appreciate nature, relieve stress, improve skills, and improve physical fitness.

Facilities

Hawe Creek campground features a gatehouse with important campground information and two bathhouses with flushing toilets and showers. There is a boat ramp and courtesy dock with a nearby pit toilet. For camper convenience, there is a dump station and dumpsters in the campground.

Natural Features

Water/ Land:

Hawe Creek campground is on the shoreline of the J Strom Thurmond lake that is over 70,000 acres, and surrounded with a mix of pine and hardwood trees which offer shade and visual interest.

Wildlife:

Wildlife is abundant around the lake. Visitors regularly see southern bald eagles, migratory waterfowl, neo-tropical birds, wild turkeys, and whitetail deer.

Weather/ Climate:

Average temperatures during the camping season starts out at 75 degrees Fahrenheit and peaks in July at 91 degrees Fahrenheit. May receives the least amount of rainfall on average, but increased rainfall for June, July, and August.

Nearby Attractions

Savannah Lakes Village is just a few minutes away, with lodging, dining and shopping. Golf enthusiasts will appreciate the nearby courses at Hickory Knob State Park, within five miles of Hawe Creek.

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.

The Augusta National Golf Club hosts the Masters Golf Tournament annually the first week of April.

The description, directions and fees are the Army Corps of Engineers’s own words, from its record on Recreation.gov.

What people do here

  • biking
  • birding
  • boating
  • camping
  • fishing
  • hiking
  • kayaking
  • photography
  • swimming
  • water access
  • water activities
  • wildlife viewing

The land around Hawe Creek

The ringed pin is this campground; the others are its nearest neighbours. Switch on forest roads or BLM routes to see the way in.

Interactive map. Drag to pan, scroll or pinch to zoom, and select any point to see which agency manages the land. Arrow keys pan and the plus and minus keys zoom when the map has focus. A list of every state with its share of federal land is on the Explore page.

Map layers

Layers
Base map
Legend

Federal land, by managing agency

  • Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
  • US Forest Service (USFS)
  • National Park Service (NPS)
  • US Fish and Wildlife (USFW)
  • Bureau of Reclamation (USBR)
  • Department Of Defense (DOD)
  • Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA)
  • Other Federal
  • State
  • Local
  • Alaska Native Lands (Patented or Interim Conveyed)
  • Alaska Native Allotment

Federal campgrounds, by agency

  • Forest Service
  • Bureau of Land Management
  • National Park Service
  • Army Corps of Engineers
  • Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife and others

State and local land (USGS PAD-US)

  • State land
  • County and city land
  • Regional agency or district
  • Land trust or conservancy

Gaps with no tint inside public land are private parcels, often old mining claims and homesteads. They are not open to the public.

Dashed clay lines on the base map are unpaved tracks from OpenStreetMap. They show what exists on the ground, not what is legal to drive.

Select any point to see who manages the land.

Boundaries are approximate and land status changes. This map is a planning aid, not a survey or a statement of access. Confirm routes, closures and camping rules with the managing office.

Source: Recreation Information Database (Recreation.gov), record updated February 25, 2026. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Seasons, fees, water and fire rules change; the managing office has the final word.