Pointes West Army Resort, Fort Gordon, Appling, Georgia

“Time wasted at the lake is time well spent.”

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What a beautiful day to go to the Lake. We packed up our canoe and raft and headed to Clarks Hill Lake (Lake Strom Thurmond) and Pointes West Army Resort. Yes, this lake goes by two names. When the dam was originally built they called it Clark Hill Dam omitting the “s” in Clark. Since it was Clark Hill Dam, the lake became Clark Hill Lake. In 1987, a bill was passed to name the lake and dam, Lake Strom Thurmond Lake and Dam. It was named after a long running senator in South Carolina, Senator Strom Thurmond. Many residents in both states still refer to the lake as Clarks Hill. This lake has 71,100 acres, 1,200 miles of shoreline and is the third-largest artificial lake east of the Mississippi River. This is Fort Gordon's recreational facility located some thirty miles from Fort Gordon and Augusta and is located on a beautiful peninsula with water surrounding the majority of it.

We got to the lake and met up with Jeannine, Darren, Kaley, and children. Going to the lake, we usually stop to get Maryland Fried Chicken but this day the cashier was running late so we were unable to get our chicken. We were disappointed not to be able to bring that to the lake. If you are at Pollard's Corner and are hungry, stop there. They have great fried chicken. We stopped for a few pizzas and lunch meat to hold us over. We pulled into the beach area and parked. There was plenty of parking and we saw that Jeannine and Darren had a table under the one side of the beach pavilion. That was lovely as we had a table in the shade and with a great view of the beach and bathrooms close by. They also have outside showers for rinsing off. The kids were swimming in the beach area and loving it. The beach is open from 10 to 6.

There are a couple horseshoe pits and a volley ball net up that was used by a large group of soldiers who encouraged us to play. We were on duty watching the little ones so we declined plus it was hot as the blazes in the sun. I felt a little guilty declining when a 74 year young retired soldier came to invite me to play volley ball saying he was going to play. Over near the water was a covered pavilion with a grill close by. There was a snack bar that wasn't opened and we laughed at the menu.  Not much for lunch. Great for kids, I guess.

We enjoyed watching the kids swim and playing in the sand. They met some new friends while there and enjoyed playing and running in a pack. Joe gave them canoe rides which they so enjoyed. The kids will have great memories of today as well as us. Today the sky was a beautiful blue and with the sun shining on the water making it sparkle was just lovely. We met a nice retired couple while sitting in the pavilion and shared stories. We are so blessed that the military is a part of our life. It is so easy to talk to military folks as we always have something in common, like duty station, experiences, or just by being a part of a very special large club. 

 

As Joe and I sat there we spoke of our found memories of when Jeannine and Jason were little and they were signed up for “Pine Camp”. That was an amazing camp and very well run and  great for the kids. This was an overnight camp and had all kinds of activities for the day and night. They had counselors who took the kids water skiing, to the beach, boat rides, arts and crafts, and had fire pits with sing-along. They marched the kids around and they would sing as the walked to the mess hall or beach. At the end of the week, they put on a performance for the parents. We so loved it and appreciated all the work that went into making a fantastic camp that they still talk about. It is sad it is not here anymore. What a joy it was to watch all those children having the time of their life. Our kids loved it.

Near the beach is a waterfront motel with suites you can rent. They were nice looking buildings and they looked new. They must have a good view of the lake from there and it is very convenient  to the beach. You can also rent a nice log cabin overlooking the lake set back in the pines. There are six cabins that have three bedrooms and two cabins that have two bedrooms. All are fully furnished with a kitchen, eating area, living space, bathroom and private bedrooms. They also have decks to sit out on with fantastic views of the lake. There are also cottages that can be rented.

Driving towards the end of the peninsula, we saw nice areas in the pines for RV camping with full hook up or semi hook up. That area is located not far from the lodge and the marina. There were a few campers in there but I imagine in the fall it must be crazy busy here.

Driving towards the end of the peninsula, your will see lots of primitive sites with picnic tables for camping. There are breathtaking views everywhere you look. We have camped here more than a few times and it is wonderful and depending when you camp, it can be real quiet. When Joe was here during his Advanced Non-Commissioned Officers Course in the 1980's, we camped here for a month. He commuted back and forth to Fort Gordon every day. That was an amazing time for us and the kids and so relaxing. It was during that time that the campground was always full. It is hard to understand why it is not utilized much more now since they have improved it so much.

They also have a really nice large playground for the kiddos that is new. If you have kids, this is the place for a fun afternoon. If it wasn't so hot we would have taken the kids there. We will have to come back to do that another day.

There is a marina here where you can rent boats, or dock a boat. The marina recently got rebuilt after a wicked storm passed through during Masters Week (April) 2017. That storm damaged some 30 to 40 boats and damaged the marina badly. They have rebuilt it and now it looks beautiful.

There is also a Conference Hall that seats 150 people right on the water and has a state of the art kitchen and fantastic views. There are also pavilions throughout that can be rented for large groups. What a great place for a wedding or reunion.

You check in at the office for any of the cabins, cottages, motel suites, or camping. They have snacks there and Wi-Fi. This is a military facility so you need to have either a military ID card for active duty, retired, DOD, or DOE employed to use this amazing place.

There are hiking trails to explore here as well as a great area to bike. This is an amazing Military Recreation area that is well worth a stay. There is nothing like sitting out by this gorgeous lake at night, with a fire going, roasting marshmallows, and hearing the sounds and seeing the beauty of God's creation. At night, this is a great place to star gaze as there is very little light noise. Take if from us and check it out.