Ocean Lakes

Guests on their personal golf cars now have a safer, more convenient way to travel in and out of the campground. Access trails – one headed south, another headed north – are being added near the Main Entrance to Ocean Lakes for guests driving personal golf cars, riding bikes or jogging in or out of the campground. A new access trail headed south toward Surfside Beach will give Ocean Lakes guests traveling on their personal golf cars a safer, more convenient route entering and leaving the campground. This trail, just off the Main Entrance to Ocean Lakes, connects with the Frontage Road headed toward Surfside Beach. The southbound access trail, which opened this week, connects our front entrance to the Frontage Road headed toward Surfside Beach to give guests a safer route when the South Gate and RV Center gate are closed.  No more having to maneuver through the grass near U.S. 17 Business to enter or exit the campground at the Main Entrance when the other gates ar...

Don’t be alarmed if you see bubbles coming to the surface of Sandlapper Lake. The bubbles, which you have to look closely to see in the massive lake, represent the first step in a long-term process that Ocean Lakes is taking to help improve the fishing opportunities in the campground. But how will bubbles help fishing? The bubbles are coming from an air system that has been installed at the bottom of the lake to increase oxygen levels in the water, which should help create a better environment for fish to live and reproduce – and end up on your hook. “Any increase in dissolved oxygen will help the fish survive better,” said Jeff Wilson, Ocean Lakes Horticulturist/Grounds Manager. First of several steps The air system is the first of several steps Ocean Lakes will be taking over the next year to improve the fishing offerings in our lakes. Look closely at Magnolia Lake and you can see a stream of bubbles coming from a recently installed air-based line...

The slowest time at the campground is the busiest time for our maintenance team. From small painting tasks to major overhaul projects, crews are working double-time during the slower winter months to ensure Ocean Lakes will be in tip-top shape by the time the big crowds return this spring. Some projects – including replacing the wood on our iconic Observation Deck and installing concrete pads on a handful of campsites – already are underway. In January, contractors and teammates will start several more projects, including renovating the restrooms at the Meet n’ Eat. Ocean Lakes is so busy from spring through fall that our team schedules most non-urgent maintenance projects during the slower winter months. “It’s our only down time to make these repairs happen before Easter weekend,” Ocean Lakes Operations Manager Kevin McWhirter said. Here’s a rundown of some of the improvements you’ll notice by spring:   Observation Deck | Our iconic Observation D...