Twelve Mile Recreation Area — Attraction in South Carolina

Alright folks, settle down now, 'cause your ol' Dad's got a real humdinger of a recommendation for ya! We packed up the trusty minivan – yep, the one with the slightly sticky cupholders, Martha insists it adds character – adjusted our ball caps, checked the tire pressure (safety first!), and charted a course for the 12 Mile Recreation Area down Clemson way. And lemme tell ya, this place is Grade A, top-shelf, five-star fantastic! Holy smokes! First off, that view! Lake Hartwell, sparkling brighter than my prized bowling trophy! The water felt great, perfect for cooling off the ol' chassis after wrestling the inflatable flamingo. The kids, bless their energetic hearts, were doing cannonballs like there was no tomorrow. Young Brenda even dared me to a swimming race to the buoy. Let's just say Dad still has some fuel left in the tank... though maybe not quite enough to beat those young whipper-snappers! Had to grab an extra burger for energy afterwards! Ha! Speaking of burgers, we commandeered a prime picnic spot – shady trees, nice table, the works – and fired up the portable grill (Old Faithful never lets me down!). Cooked up enough grub to feed a small army, or at least my growing teenagers. Hot dogs, burgers, the wife’s legendary seven-layer dip… it was a feast fit for a king, or at least, a slightly-overweight suburban dad! And the price for all this fun? Practically nothing! Just good value outdoor enjoyment, not like those expensive theme parks that cost an arm and a leg, am I right?! The facilities? Shipshape! Boat ramp was easy-peasy, got the pontoon launched faster than you can say "pass the sunscreen." Restrooms were clean, which, let's be honest, is mission critical on a family outing. It’s just honest-to-goodness, wholesome recreation. No need for fancy gadgets or gizmos, just the great outdoors and your favorite people making memories. Pure gold, I tell ya. We stayed 'til the sun started dipping low, painting the sky all sorts of crazy, beautiful colors. Shared laughs, splashed around, the whole shebang. It’s spots like 12 Mile that really hit the sweet spot – quality family time without breaking the bank. Good, clean fun in the Carolina sun! So, listen to your ol' pal: Gas up the family truckster, pack that cooler tight, and point 'er towards 12 Mile Recreation Area. It's the real McCoy! A guaranteed good time, five stars, signed, sealed, and delivered! Now, who's ready for a story about my legendary grilling technique...? Go Tigers! (Had to...

We had trouble finding the actual “beach” part so if that’s what you are looking for, when you drive in make an immediate left and that’s where the beach is other wise you’ll be heading for the picnic / boating area. The shore was primarily clean but there is only a small section of shade, taken over by ants. They offer a few picnic tables but they were all already occupied by the time we got there. The warden or whoever it is that roams the grounds checked our cooler for alcohol (we had none) but didn’t check anyone else’s belongings. And if your looking for more information on this place make sure you call the city of Clemson because the number listed goes to a place that doesn’t own the area any more. I was also told that this area is free right now but in the future the city will be charging fees, not sure when that will start though. Over all my kids had a good time and the water was nice so I would all in all recommend this place just go earlier in the day and don’t...

Very clean and spacious, didn't have to worry about having people " crowd" up on you in your chosen area. There was a sign saying you could borrow a life jacket for the day and there were a bunch of empty hooks, not sure if they were taken by guitars or removed by proper mgmt. The swimming area and " beach" area were nicely sized and the sheer number of picnic spots and over all size of the entire park was wonderful. There was at least one boat ramp that I saw. The bathrooms were fairly clean, toilet paper needed to be stocked. There was no trash littering the park except for one area among the pine needles off the paved road, there was a good bit of broken glass, it looked like beer bottle glass. I'm glad I saw it before my granddaughter stepped on it. The trash cans were not overflowing and the picnic areas were clean and tidy. Last week was my first visit to this park but it won't be my last. Two...