A white Tacoma with a camper shell parked on a rise above a broad, empty basin under building cloud.

Army Corps of Engineers campground

Modoc

Army Corps of Engineers campground in J. Strom Thurmond Lake, McCormick County, South Carolina. 345 feet. 4.7 miles from Parksville.

Managed by
Army Corps of Engineers J. Strom Thurmond Lake
Elevation
345 ft USGS elevation model, at the mapped point
Sites
67 66 standard electric, 1 standard non-electric
Longest rig
48 ft The longest vehicle any site is listed for
Hookups
Electric, Water
Reservations
Recreation.gov

Overview

Modoc Campground is located on J. Strom Thurmond Lake, only five miles away from the Lake Thurmond Visitor Center and Dam.

Camping at Modoc 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!

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, relive stress, improve skills, and improve physical fitness.

Facilities

Modoc Campground has many facilities that every camper can enjoy! The gatehouse has friendly camp hosts and information about the campground and local area. There are four bathhouses spread throughout the campground that have flush toilets and showers. The boat ramp and courtesy dock are conveniently placed with lots of parking. For the young campers, there is a playground on the first loop with a bathhouse conveniently next to it. For campers of all ages, there is a shaded hiking trail that winds through the campground showcasing the beautiful pine and hardwood trees. For camper convenience, there is a dump station and dumpsters located in the campground.

Natural Features

Water/ Land:

Modoc 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 76 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

Numerous parks and recreation areas lie around Thurmond Lake, providing additional settings for outdoor activities such as, boating, swimming, hunting, and hiking. There are many USACE managed day-use areas within 10 miles where registered campers may enter for free by displaying their campground hangtag pass. Within five miles, campers may visit the dam, Visitor Center, and various USACE trails.

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 Modoc

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 March 10, 2026. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program. Seasons, fees, water and fire rules change; the managing office has the final word.