Lake Wateree State Park Review

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Lake Wateree State Park Review

I would say Lake Wateree State Park is a hidden gem, except I think the secret is out!

The Dock at Lake Water State Park
The Dock at Lake Wateree State Park

The park is full of energy and friendly smiles, yet the lake is still less crowded than many other parks. In other words, the park has just enough people to feel festive but not enough people to feel overly crowded.

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Paddleboarding near the main hub of Lake Wateree State Park. In the background, you can see other families sitting along the shoreline and in the water.
Paddleboarding near the main hub of Lake Wateree State Park. In the background, you can see other families sitting along the shoreline and in the water.

Things to Do at Lake Wateree State Park

Paddleboarding, Kayaking, Boating, Jet Skiing (i.e. all things water sports)

kayakers paddling near the Boat ramp at lake water state park.
Boat Ramp at Lake Wateree State Park

This state park is known for the lake. It has a dock, a boat access point, and a boat refueling station.

Man getting on a paddleboard at the dock near the refueling station at Lake Wateree State Park
The refueling station on the dock at Lake Wateree State Park

If you are going paddleboarding or kayaking, I recommend staying along the shoreline because this lake is becoming more and more popular among boaters.

girl paddleboarding
Here I am Paddleboarding along the shore.

It’s just safer for paddlers to stay close to the shore and out of the way of boats. If they are going fast, they may have difficulty seeing you.

girl paddleboarding

We paddled out to our “own” little beach while there.

(Btw, we use the iRocker paddle boards. If you are looking for an inflatable paddleboard that lasts, you should look into the iRockers.)

Paddleboards along the shore. Man in a living chair.
We found out own little beach and stayed there for hours.

Then, we stayed at “our” beach and just relaxed, swam, and paddled around our area for a couple of hours.

Little girl sitting in a chair on a paddleboard.
We sometimes like to attach a sound chair to our paddleboards. Talk about relaxing!

We had a blast! It looked like others found their own little “beaches” to swim and play along the shoreline as well.

woman in a lounge chair on a paddleboard
Lounging at our “beach”

Swimming at the Lake Wateree State Park

Boy in the water with a beef jerky stick.
My son-eating grass-fed beef jerky…in the water. Don’t worry, he threw away his trash

Plenty of people were swimming and lounging on floats, especially around the main hub of the park.

My son lounging in our "paddleboard lounge set up" The dock is just behind him.
My son lounging in our “paddleboard lounge set up” The dock is just behind him.

The main hub consisted of the boat docks and access points, a playground, and the little state park shop. Along the shore, many people congregated in lounge chairs, hammocks, and picnic tables. It was such a fun and festive vibe.

hammocks hung in the trees.
This family had the perfect hammock set up.

Playing on the Playground

You could also hear lots of giggles and laughter coming from the nearby playground. My children also spent a little time on the playground while we pumped up our inflatable paddle boards.

Lake Wateree State Park Playground

The playground was also home to a cute “Little Free Library.” This “little library” was shaped like a camper!

little free library shaped like a camper.
The “Little Free Library” Located at the Playground

Shopping in the Lake Wateree State Park Gift Shop and Bait Store

Lake Wateree State Park Store
Lake Wateree State Park Store

Something we have noticed when we visit State Park Gift shops is how unique the merchandise is. The Lake Wateree State Park Gift Shop has classic items like bait, tackle, and firewood, but they also have unique beach and water toys as well as fun water bottles, cups, and such.

Girl holding a life vest in a camp store
We bought a new life vest because we left one of ours at home

My kids loved the slushy station and ice cream cooler.

Slushy Station
Slushy Station

They even had a dip-n-dots cooler.

Dippin Dots Cooler
Dippin Dots Cooler

If you go to minute mark 1:19 in the video below, you will see some footage of our favorite items in the store. Of course, these items may change but it will give you a good example of some of the stuff you might find.

Picnicking

Picnic tables are sprinkled all around the main hub of the park and the shoreline.

Picnic table by the water
One of the many picnic table on the shoreline

When we were there many families were taking advantage of the well-placed picnic tables. We sat at one of the tables located right beside the water. It was perfectly shaded by the surrounding trees.

Eating by the water

We brought our lunch, but if you hadn’t;t brought anything, people could still buy food at the Highway 55 Food Truck parked outside of the store. Highway 55 is known for its burgers, hotdogs, and fries. Of course, you could also buy snacks, slushies, or ice cream inside the park store.

Hike the Trail

Most of the people seemed to be using the lake, but if you weren’t in the mood to play on the water, you could also hike. This park actually only has one trail. This easy trail is about 2.3 miles long. It meanders along the lakeshore peninsula.

Camping

I love the campsites located beside the water (There are 23 waterfront campsites). Many of them have their own boat tie-off spots.

Boat tie-offs along the beach.
It is hard to see, but if you look closely you can see the boat tie-off spots. The campsite 11 tie-off is located to the left of the picture and campsite 11 is just behind the tie-off.

I haven’t had the opportunity to camp here yet, but next time I do, I want to tent camp at one of these lakeshore sites. We will be able to put our paddle boards right in front of our campsite.

At each campsite you will find:

  • Paved area for your RV or tent
  • Water and electrical hookups
  • A picnic table

Twenty-eight sites also have sewer hookups. Restrooms with hot showers are located near the sites. Fifty sites accommodate 40-foot RVs.

Ultimate Outsider

You could pick up the Ultimate Outsiders Stamp book for free inside the store.

South Carolina State Park Stamp and Guide book
The South Carolina State Park Ultimate Outsider Stamp Book and Guide book. You can get one for free at any South Carolina State Park.

They were sitting at the checkout counter. The Ultimate Outsiders Stamp Box was located on a wall outside of the park store building.

Lake Wateree State Park Ultimate Outsider Stamp Box
Ultimate Outsider Stamp Box

What is Ultimate Outsiders, you ask? South Carolina State Parks have a challenge called “The Ultimate Outsiders Challenge. If you visit all the South Carolina Parks, you get an Ultimate Outsiders T-shirt. To participate in the challenge, you simply go to any state park office and ask for the stamp book.

 Check our Our Reviews of More South Carolina State Parks

Chester State Park

Kings Mountain State Park

Santee State Park

Devils Fork State Park

Landsford Canal State Park

Andrew Jackson State Park