Grab your camping gear as more renovations are currently underway in Macon-Bibb County.
A groundbreaking ceremony was held Tuesday at Claystone’s Campground at Lake Tobesofkee, located at 6600 Moseley Dixon Road in Lizella, for the start of an improvement project at Claystone and Arrowhead Parks.
According to a press release, there will be a variety of major and minor improvements worth $600,000 funded by SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax).
It’s just that one penny that you don’t think about that makes a huge difference in all of our community,” Macon-Bibb County Mayor Lester Miller said while speaking about the upcoming March 2025 SPLOST renewal vote.
“This place is one place that we really need to emphasize,” SPLOST Advisory Board Chairman Theron Ussery said. “People come here from all over Georgia. They like to camp here, they like to fish here, and like to just spend time here.”
“They’re talking about the crown jewel out here,” District 6 Commissioner Raymond Wilder said. “I’ve always felt that way about this place. I live real close to it. I can be in the water with my boat in about ten minutes from my house. I originally learned to swim over at Claystone when I was about 12 years old, so it’s always been a special place to me.”
“We’ll have 64 new concrete RV spots to replace the existing asphalt pads that are in worse shape,” Wilder said. “87 new water hookups and electrical pedestals for the RV sites. Three new docks at Claystone here. Six new docks at Arrowhead, 87 new picnic surrounds; 103 new picnic tables with benches.”
“My sister and her husband come and camp every summer for two weeks at Arrowhead, Gene Dunwody from Architects, Inc. said. “So, every year I get a chance to come out here and have a good time and seeing some of these things, like these things that we just don’t think are that important, but they are if you’ve got an RV, the pads, the docks, the seawalls and all these things.”
Warren Shelby of Warren Associates, Inc. said they originally started improving areas around Lake Tobesofkee in 2020.
“That’s what this is all about is bringing people together,” he said.
“Last time these sites have really been renovated was I want to say around 2008, after the Mother’s Day Storm, and that’s a long time,” Lake Tobesofkee Manager Shan Towns said. “That’s a very long time, and we just made do with what we have, but I do think this is well worth it. It’s much needed, and I know that our campers and our citizens are going to appreciate you guys doing this for us, because it gives them a safe place and enjoyable place to come and camp.”
Claystone’s campground already closed on Monday, November 4, and Arrowhead’s Campground will close on Wednesday, December 4. They are both expected to open again in spring of 2025.
