Rob Powell
Park Manager
My name is Rob Powell, and I am the park manager here at Hickory Knob. I knew I wanted to be a park ranger after being hired for another position at Hickory Knob State Resort Park in 1999. Being a park ranger checked every box for me: variety, resource management, business, outdoors, history, camping, fishing, hiking, trees, responsibility, people, service….everything I enjoyed all rolled into one job!
My favorite spot here at Hickory Knob is the mountain bike trail. I love being in the woods, and I love trees. Especially if there is a nice, well-built trail through them. Riding my bike or hiking it, it is great physical activity but also a very peaceful, relaxing setting with great views of the lake and of nature in general.
A first-time visitor to Hickory Knob should definitely visit the lake! There are many ways to do it. Relax on a dock and enjoy the sights and sounds, take a ride on a kayak or canoe, go fishing from the shore or in a boat or find a spot on a trail with a lake view and enjoy a picnic lunch!
**Our Ultimate Outsider stamp is located at the front desk in the park office and at the counter in the gift shop.
Along the rolling, wooded shoreline of the 71,000-acre Strom Thurmond Reservoir, sits Hickory Knob, a full-service, lakeside South Carolina golf resort and remote state park all rolled into one.
Tucked away in a serene, remote location, the parks many amenities and recreational opportunities are a pleasant surprise for many. Hickory Knob operates an 18-hole championship golf course, buffet restaurant, skeet shooting, boat ramp, archery range, meeting facilities and more than 70 lodge-style rooms. This South Carolina golf resort is an ideal location for a family getaway, reunion or a business meeting or retreat.
For those seeking a more outdoorsy stay at the park, a campground is available on the banks of the Strom Thurmond Reservoir, as well as one of the area’s most popular biking trails.
Don’t forget to explore the other South Carolina parks! You’ll find wet and wild fun at Lake Jocassee in Devils Fork State Park or at a lakefront camping site in Hamilton Branch State Park.
First Day Hikes