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Inside: Local mom visits The Shores of Asbury on Lake Hartwell and shares all the fun things to do there!

There may not be a traditional water park in Anderson, SC but there is an amazing aqua park and sandy white beach at the Shores of Asbury on Lake Hartwell! It is the only one of its kind in the Upstate and less than an hour from Greenville, SC. We checked it out and have all the information for you and your family to have a blast on this floating obstacle course.

Media tickets were provided for this review and all opinions are those of the author.

This article includes:About the Shores of AsburyWhite Sand Beach at Shores of AsburyAqua Zone- floating obstacle courseWaterfront GrillTips for Visiting Shores of AsburyTickets and Admission

Karen McCullough used to camp at Lake Hartwell as Asbury Park when she was a child. Then the campground closed and remained that way for many years. But that special place was always on her heart and she often thought about it as she made her way to Nashville as a professional musician who also managed dozens of campgrounds and RV resorts and traveled to every state except Hawaii through her music career.

When the opportunity arose to turn her old stomping ground into a legit resort and entertainment mecca on the shores of Lake Hartwell, she jumped right in and moved back home to Anderson.

Millions of investment dollars later, The Shores of Asbury opened up on Lake Hartwell as a campground with spots for RVs and the floating aqua park, less than an hour from Greenville.

About the Shores of Asbury

If you live near Anderson, water park isn’t a name you hear very often. The creation of The Shores of Asbury combines the lake with fun, creating a truly amazing aqua park and RV campground. It opened up in the summer of 2022 but the planning has been happening awhile before that because once you see this beautiful spot, you’ll appreciate all the thought that went into creating it. This water park in Anderson is unique, and has so much more to offer!

There’s the RV campground, an arcade, individual bathrooms, the Waterfront Grill, a white sandy beach, and the big aqua zone floating obstacle course all at the Shores of Asbury.

There are outdoor games like cornhole and you can rent kayaks and paddleboards as well. There are some big plans in the works at the Shores of Asbury: yurts and treehouses! The yurts and the treehouse village are being designed and worked on by the team at the resort. Currently, RV and tent sites are available. Karen is laser-focused on her vision for the resort and believes it will continue to be a fantastic addition to Anderson.

The Sandy Beach

Anyone who has been to an Upstate lake knows about all the red clay that infiltrates shoes, bathing suits, kayaks, you name it. Karen isn’t a fan of the red clay and wanted something really unique and special for the beach at the Shores of Asbury so she decided to bring the sands of Florida beaches to Anderson.

She literally ordered sugar white sand from Pensacola, Florida, and had it shipped to Lake Hartwell. It is glorious. There are two sections of the beach – one on each side of the dock walkway. One side has a sandbox and volleyball sand course that overlooks the kid’s aqua zone and the other side has a beautiful view of the bridge that goes over the lake. There are cabanas and beach chairs for guests to rent and that sand does feel pretty good under your feet, just like the sand at the ocean. You can also bring your own beach chairs.

Because of the red clay under the sugar-white sand, you are not allowed to dig in the sand like you would at the beach. There are actually big piles of white sand on the beach for that purpose under a shade sail for kids to play and dig in set a little further back from the lake. No dogs are allowed on the sandy beach either.

The Aqua Zone Water Park in Anderson, SC

The aqua park is huge and is from a company called Wibit out of Germany. Karen told me they went with Wibit because they have better safety measures than other floating obstacle courses.

There’s a giant trampoline, rope climbing wall, trapeze, and obstacles reminiscent of one of my favorite shows, “Wipeout”. Admittedly, when we first got on the course and people started slipping and sliding off and into the water, I was cracking up. I thought this is like the show except I was on the course and laughing at people right in front of me – then I slipped and fell into the water and heard other people laughing at my clumsiness so I figured I deserved it then. It was a lot of fun!

The Aqua Zone is more than 167 feet across and the park caps each hour session. The course is big enough that even if there a lot of people, there will be obstacles free to run around on. You must be 47” tall to do the big Aqua Zone course.

For smaller kids, they have an entirely separate Kids Zone aqua course and kids have to be 37” tall to play on that. It’s really close to the shore, which is perfect for parents to watch their kids slip and slide all over the place on it.

Everyone has to wear life jackets, which are provided by the park and included with your admission. Aqua Zone is open for the 2024 season daily from 11 am – 7 pm. Sessions start on the hour.

El Arriero

In 2023, the Mexican restaurant, El Arriero, opened. The restaurant has all outdoor seating. Most of it is covered and the menu is fantastic with traditional Mexican dishes plus some American ones like chicken sandwiches and burgers thrown in. There has never been a Mexican restaurant on the shores of Lake Hartwell so the Shores at Asbury were pretty excited to bring the first one there.

We had shredded chicken nachos and chicken quesadillas. Both were delicious and the perfect thing to eat after being out on the aqua course for a couple hours. It’s a workout!

The views from the restaurant are really pretty and the vibe is laid back and easy-going. Most people were in their bathing suits, which was nice since we wanted to go back onto the aqua course after eating and didn’t want to change.

The restaurant is open from 11 am – 10 pm daily.

Lakeside Festivals & Music

The Shores of Asbury will host live music and events during the summer. They had a big July 4th celebration and plan to have more fun things to do with your family.

The best way to stay up-to-date is to follow them on their Facebook page.

Tips on Visiting the Shores at Asbury

Reserve your tickets online because you can sign the required waiver, save time, and you can save a couple of dollars off your admission ticket versus if you buy it at the resort.

You don’t need to be camping or staying in the RV park to enjoy the Aqua Zone.

Check the Shores of Asbury Facebook page because they typically offer deals on admission tickets during the week at this Anderson water park.

When you and your kids are playing on the Aqua Zone, be sure to keep an eye on them, especially if it’s crowded. There are lifeguards stationed on the course and dock but with many kids playing, a smaller kid could accidentally get pushed in the water unexpectedly. And if you have big kids, tell them to watch out for the smaller ones.

Plan to stay awhile. You can hang out at the beach before or after your time on the Aqua Zone and swim in the lake or just chill and play games. It’s a beautiful spot.

Bring water (a lot of it), sunscreen, a change of clothes, a hat, and towels, and be sure to drink a lot of water and reapply that sunscreen.

Before you go, take a look at the rules. I always try to read up on the regulations of places before I go so I’m not surprised by anything once I get there with my kids, who just want to play.

No dogs are allowed on the beach or sod area at the restaurant.

The beach is not free. You can either purchase a beach pass or buy an Aqua Zone ticket to enjoy it.

Tickets & Admission to The Shores of Asbury Water Park in Anderson, SC

There are a few different ticket options per person (all of these are based on online ticket purchases): a one-hour time slot is $19.98; a two-hour time slot is $26.98 and an all day session is $36.98. Wet & Wild Wednesday tickets are $15.98 for a one-hour time slot. A family four-pack all-day pass is $130.

If you just want to enjoy the sugar-white sandy beach, you can do that! A day pass is $10/person and that allows you to play and relax all day. A parking pass for beach use is $9.33.

The Shores of Asbury does offer birthday parties and corporate events. Birthday parties are for two hours, including cupcakes, a kid’s meal, and reserved covered tables, and costs $359. More information on other types of events and details are on their website.

Hours are 11 am – 7 pm daily. The restaurant is open daily 11 am – 10 pm.

The Aqua Zone will likely be open until the end of September, weather permitting.

The resort hosts all kinds of events so stay tuned to their Facebook page for the latest updates and to see their daily specials at the Aqua Zone.

The Shores of Asbury Website1600 Asbury Park Road, Anderson, SC864.844.9002 Facebook page

ANDERSON, S.C. (FOX Carolina) - Anderson County Administrator Rusty Burns has provided an updated on the first Buc-ee’s expected to be built in the Upstate.

Burns said infrastructure improvements at exit 21 will cost $60 million for the bridge, roadways and I-85 interchange leading up to the store. The interchange has needed upgrades for years, whether Buc-ee’s goes in this spot or not, but Buc-ee’s will not be built until these upgrades are done.

According to Burns, of the $60 million needed, there has only been $6 million committed so far. $1 million was committed by Buc-ee’s and Senator Lindsey Graham secured $5 million in federal funding to fix the interchange.

Officials said the county will not use penny tax to fund this project.

“They are still committed to building the Anderson location, but the county has to find the funds...Buc-ee’s can’t wait forever,” said Burns.

As of right now, Buc-ee’s still owns the land and is willing to commit more than $1 million but not the entire remaining $54 million that is needed.

The county administrator said the county is currently exploring funding options. It’s wanting to become eligible to apply for funding from the South Carolina Transportation Infrastructure Bank.

The bank only funds large interstate projects. If approved, this could provide enough funding or a large portion of what is needed to fund the project.

ANDERSON, SC – The Anderson Sports and Entertainment Center is proud to host Jamey Johnson for the Last Honky Tonk Tour and welcomes concert promoters, Cardinal Music Group to South Carolina.

“It’s always a thrill to be included in a national touring date. We are going to transform the Civic Center into a ‘Honky Tonk’ for the night and give the fans a great night out.” said Rusty Burns, County Administrator.

The tour will route to 36 cities from June to October starting in Wichita and ending with two nights in Nashville. “We chose Anderson because the fan base for Jamey Johnson is strong in the upstate of South Carolina and because the venue offered an incredible fan experience,” said Zack Johnson, Cardinal Music Group.

Radio sponsor, WESC, will be hosting contests for tickets and sharing more information about the show. Kix Layton, Sr VP of Programming for iHeart Media, shares the enthusiasm for this show, noting that getting to hear Jamey Johnson’s rich vocals and storytelling in an intimate setting is special.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Award-winning country singer/songwriter Jamey Johnson will launch his 36-city headlining tour, The Last Honky Tonk Tour, on June 4 at Wichita Riverfest in Wichita, KS. Artist presale is on now and tickets for the public on sale begins Friday, June 6th.

“The tour will be a lot of fun,” says Johnson. “It’s a chance for us to hang out every night, where we get to walk onstage and show off what we’ve learned over the past 20 years. This is my 20th year on the road, not counting the road gigs I did in the 10 years before that.”

The tour’s name comes from the song he recently recorded, which was the title track of the 2010 album by The Wayne Mills Band, featuring musician Jason “Rowdy” Cope on guitar. “I thought that the name sounded pretty good as a tour name—The Last Honky Tonk Tour,” he adds.

The tour title’s lyrics include, “I’ll be there when they burn the last honky tonk down/

In body, mind, and spirit, under the table, or under the ground/

The fading echoes of a barroom band might be the only sound/

I’ll be there when they burn the last honky tonk down.”

Johnson’s new recording – which was completed with producer Buddy Cannon a few weeks ago – and the tour name are in tribute to Mills and Cope, both of whom were his dear friends. Mills was murdered at a Nashville bar in 2013. Jason “Rowdy” Cope, a member of The Steel Woods who had previously been a member of Johnson’s band, died in 2021 from complications from diabetes.

“When Wayne and Rowdy got together and did that record, that song made it on my radar,” he says. “Back then, I played that song several times with Wayne. We would do it at shows. So, it is one I haven’t done in a while.

“And now Wayne’s son, Jack, is a badass guitar player. He says he learned it all from Rowdy. I don’t doubt that at all. Jack really is something else!

“I thought, ‘Man, his dad would be proud. Let’s break that song out and get Jack to play guitar on it.’ I am proud to have him playing on it.”

This is one of more than 50 new songs Johnson has recorded since releasing Midnight Gasoline, his first new solo album in 14 years, in late 2024. He will preview some of the new songs during this tour and begin releasing them later this year.

“We are going to do some of the new stuff,” Johnson adds. “We will do some of the songs from Midnight Gasoline from last year and all the years before. Whatever album you like, we will do some of those songs.

“It’s exciting to play the new songs,” he says. “I like it when people tell me they have heard the new stuff and they like it. I like it when people have something else to listen to. Sometimes it’s as simple as that.”

About Jamey Johnson The 10-time GRAMMY nominee has been called “one of the greatest country singers of our time,” by The released a 2012 duets project, the GRAMMY-nominated Living for a Song: A Tribute to Hank Cochran.)

“In Color” has received a 5X-Platinum certification for sales/streams of five million, and “High Cost of Living” was certified platinum. “Between Jennings and Jones” and “That Lonesome Song” have been certified gold for sales/streams of 500,000.

Washington Post. His music has garnered international acclaim and is embraced by fans of classic and contemporary country, as well as Americana and mainstream rock.

The Grand Ole Opry member is also widely regarded as one of the greatest country songwriters of his generation. He is one of only two people in the history of country music (along with Kris Kristofferson) to win two Song of the Year awards in the same year – for “Give It Away” and “In Color” – from the Academy of Country Music and the Country Music Association.

A consummate storyteller, his songs have been recorded by George Strait, Trace Adkins, Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, James Otto, Joe Nichols and others. He is “a first-rate preservationist of classic country songwriting,” says The New York Times.

His 2024 album, Midnight Gasoline is a musical continuation of his last two solo studio albums, That Lonesome Song, which was certified double platinum for 2 million in sales, and the gold-certified 2010 album, The Guitar Song, which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Country Album Chart. Rolling Stone and SPIN named The Guitar Song to their all-genre Top 5 Best Albums of the Year.

Duke Energy has announced a proposal to build a new natural gas plant in the Upstate.

The Charlotte-based company said Monday it plans to seek approval from the Public Service Commission to build a 1,400-megawatt plant in Anderson County that Gov. Henry McMaster said will help meet the state's growing energy demands.

Duke Energy's announcement comes on the heels of McMaster's signing of an energy package — the South Carolina Energy Security Act — that in part would require regulators to review project permits faster.

The proposal said the plant would sit on nearly 200 acres off Highway 81 South, near True Temper Road in Anderson. Duke Energy said the project would create 600 construction jobs and add up to 30 full-time openings for plant operations.

The utility serves more than 860,000 electric customers in 30 South Carolina counties.

"We are at a critical point in planning for South Carolina’s reliable, affordable and resilient energy future. By enacting the S.C. Energy Security Act, Gov. McMaster and the Legislature have provided a comprehensive path forward for energy policy that will guide our state’s continued success for many years to come," said Tim Pearson, president of Duke Energy South Carolina. "Committing to building this modern energy facility in Anderson County is a critical piece of that strong energy future for the region.”

The utility plans to submit its application to the Public Service Commission later this year.

If the PSC approves the request, the project will have years to go before it is up and running. The company said construction could start mid-2027, with the plant running as early as 2031.

Duke Energy already runs a natural gas plant in Anderson County, an 810-megawatt site that went online in 2018.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.