6 Great Places for Outdoor Recreation in Thomson, Georgia
Explore McDuffie County, one adventure at a time.
Glistening waters to paddle. Big fish to catch. Dense forests to hike. Wildlife to track. Sports to play. Grasslands, groves, and lakeshore to pedal around. Stunning landscapes to photograph. Lakes and rivers to jump into. The great outdoors is waiting for you in Thomson-McDuffie County, Georgia. Come find your adventure.
Surrounded by natural beauty, Thomson-McDuffie is located just outside of Augusta and a little more than an hour’s drive from Atlanta and Athens on the west side of Clarks Hill Lake—the largest U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ project east of the Mississippi River and one of the largest inland bodies of water in the South. Whether you want to quietly relax in nature or let loose your booming outdoor voice, the perfect place to do it is here.
Discover some of the great places to enjoy the outdoors in and around Thomson:
Georgia’s Little River Water Trail on Clarks Hill Lake stretches 20 miles through pristine wilderness, past granite rock outcrops, under native trees and plants, and through historic sites that Native Americans and Quaker settlers once called home. The shady Storks Bend section in McDuffie County runs through a portion of the Clarks Hill Wildlife Management Area where the banks are thick with sycamores, white and red oaks, and towering pine trees. Whether this is your first or millionth time paddling a kayak or canoe, the Savannah River Basin is spectacular, fascinating, and biologically diverse. Dozens of animals live here, including whitetail deer, Eastern wild turkeys, gray and fox squirrels, wood ducks, beavers, river otters, foxes, freshwater turtles, and bald eagles. Abundant native, seasonal blooms like honeysuckle, wisteria, and angel’s trumpet add color and aroma. The full trail weaves along the Warren, McDuffie, and Wilkes County lines from the Woodruff Bridge at Highway 80 to Raysville Campground on Clarks Hill Lake.
McDuffie Public Fishing Area is a 570-acre sandy-soiled retreat dotted with ponds and lakes, fields, and longleaf pines. Cast a line in your pick among seven ponds that range from five to 37 acres to fish for largemouth bass, bluegill, channel catfish, and redear sunfish (also known as Georgia bream). Draw, take aim, and empty your quiver at two archery ranges, practicing in both open ground and regular field conditions with three bullseye targets and a 14-foot tower with six three-dimensional targets. Hike the Blackwater Swamp Trail, Beaver Pond Trail, and/or Longleaf Pine Trail to see a variety of geographic features as well as whitetail deer, fox squirrels, and Canada geese. Hunt the 12-acre dove field planted with wheat that is open to the public on Saturdays during dove season. Hunt for waterfowl at your pick among several lakes during December and January. Go geocaching (when it’s not hunting season). Enjoy a picnic. Stay overnight at the campground that offers tent sites and full-hookup trailer and RV sites as well as restrooms, bathhouses, and a covered pavilion with tables and grills. The Public Fishing Area is open from sunrise to sunset every day, all year long with free admission; a license is required for hunting and/or fishing.
Sweetwater Park, with its wide-open fields surrounded by trees, is an 85-acre playground for outdoor enthusiasts all ages. Its assets include nine baseball/softball fields and two football fields, all with lights and scoreboards. There’s also a half-mile walking track, two playgrounds, two picnic shelters, plus concessions and restroom facilities. Since 2016, the park is home to McDuffie County’s only disc golf course, Veterans Disc Golf. The 18-basket, 19-tee, 59-par course is a mix of short and long holes. It’s free to play, located mainly in the woods, and follows the natural layout of the land for the first seven holes. The first three holes allow for multiple shots, while holes 8 through 17 are shorter, and the 18th hole loops back to the front side with multiple opportunities to go out of bounds.
Clarks Hill Wildlife Management Area sprawls 12,700 acres through McDuffie, Wilkes, and Lincoln counties. The natural setting offers a wide variety of birdwatching opportunities. Head to the lake for a chance to spot ring-necked ducks, mallards, gadwalls, teal, and wood ducks. Try the grazing pastures to see geese. Keep watch for one of Georgia’s oldest and best-established turkey population. Use the boat ramp to access the lakes and rivers, whether you prefer to paddle, fish, or explore. The archery range features a tower with seven three-dimensional targets. Hunting opportunities include deer, turkey, dove, waterfowl, raccoon, opossum, fox, bobcat, and feral hogs. Two designated camping areas with primitive camping sites are available for overnight stays. It’s open all year, every day from sunrise to sunset with free admission; a license is required for hunting and/or fishing. (Note that areas west of U.S. Highway 78/GA Highway 17 are only open for hunting during statewide seasons.)
Raysville Campground, located nine miles from Thomson on Georgia’s Little River section of Clarks Hill Lake, occupies a pine- and hard-wooded area on the waterfront. The lake boasts more than 1,000 miles of shoreline and abundant opportunities for boating, waterskiing, jet skiing, swimming, and fishing. It’s a beauty that also offers a great backdrop for hiking, picnicking, and photography—especially at sunset. Watch for bald eagles, migratory waterfowl, wild turkeys, and whitetail deer. Fish for largemouth bass, bream, crappie, catfish, and striped bass. This campground offers 55 sites, all with 50-amp electrical hookups, as well as two accessible shower/restrooms facilities and a dump station. Its day areas, boat ramp, and dock are open for public use as well as overnight guests. Single and tandem kayaks and paddleboards are available for campers to rent and use for the day.
Big Hart Campground, located at the confluence of Big Creek and Hart Creek on the western end of Clarks Hill Lake (also known as J. Strom Thurmond Lake), is also nestled under pine and hardwood trees near the waterfront for easy access to the 70,000-acre Clarks Hill Lake. This pet-friendly campground also offers both public and camper access to the lake and all its diversions, as well as its boat ramp and dock, fish cleaning stations, swimming beach, picnic sites, and playground. Camp on your pick among 24 spacious sites with water and electric hookups or seven sites without hookups. There’s a group tent area with a large picnic shelter that offers 30-amp electrical service. Amenities also include restrooms, showers, drinking water, and dump station.
Don't have a camper but would love to take your family on a camping adventure? Contact Pollard Camper Rental to have one delivered and set for you on a campsite at either Raysville of Big Hart Campgrounds!
Outdoor recreation is just one among many fun reasons to visit Thomson McDuffie County. We hope you will consider staying in Thomson for the weekend and making the most of your time here. Check out the Thomson Weekend Guide to see what else this quintessential Southern town has to offer!