Visiting McCormick County
McCormick County borders the Savannah River and 70,000-acre Lake Thurmond, the second largest man-made lake in the Southeast. The Corps of Engineers operates a visitor center at the dam which includes a model of the lake and an aquarium. They also provide free tours of the power plant. Boat ramps provide access to the lake; and public marinas are located at Plum Branch, Hickory Knob and Savannah Lakes Village.
Additional recreational opportunities are located at the Army Corps of Engineers camping and day use areas, three state parks (one has a golf course, another rents paddle boats), and public parks in Parksville and downtown McCormick. Hunting, camping, rifle ranges and trails for horses, motorcycles, bikes and canoes are available in the Sumter National Forest which is managed by the U.S. Forest Service. Hunting and fishing licenses and supplies are available at numerous bait and tackle shops located throughout the county.
McCormick, the county seat, is approximately 40 minutes north of Augusta, Georgia, and serves as the legal, educational and commercial hub of the county. The Depot, which houses antique shops, is the geographical center of town. As you walk down Main Street, built over gold mine tunnels in the mid 1800s, you will find most of the buildings have been returned to their early 1900s appearance. Don’t miss the fountain cokes, ice cream and shakes available at Strom’s Drug Store or the MACK (McCormick Arts Council at the Keturah), which offers monthly exhibits and a gallery shop—no admission charge. You can also spend the night at Fannie Kate’s Inn, a restored hotel (ca. 1884), and after dining in their restaurant, try the porch rockers for great people-watching.
There are many other locally-owned eating places in town, as well as in the county and lakeside. McCormick’s dining opportunities cover a wide