The Shores of Asbury

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We had an absolutely amazing experience at The Shores of Asbury! From the moment we arrived, it was clear how much pride is taken in this property. Everything was incredibly clean, well maintained, and cared for, which made our stay even more enjoyable!

The staff and owner were some of the friendliest people we’ve met—so welcoming, accommodating, and genuinely kind. They go above and beyond to make sure everyone feels comfortable and has a great time.

Karen, the owner, especially made our visit unforgettable! She went above and beyond to make my daughter feel so special for her birthday, she even took her on a train ride around the park! You can truly tell how much she cares about kids and making families feel welcome.

One of the biggest highlights was the awesome inflatable obstacle course in the water—so much fun for both kids and adults! We also really appreciated that there is always a lifeguard on duty keeping an eye on everyone, which gave us extra peace of mind with children there.

There is truly something for everyone: great fishing spots, an arcade, a convenient store for anything you may need, plenty of shower houses and bathrooms, and even a restaurant right on the property, which was so nice to have. They also hosted an arts and crafts event for the kids on Saturday, which was such a thoughtful touch!

This place is the perfect mix of fun, relaxation, and family-friendly atmosphere. It's definitely my new favorite spot to go camping and spend time at the lake! We can’t wait to come back! Highly recommend!

We went to the water park at Shores of Asbury today with our youth group. There were about 50 of us - ages from 7 all the way up to 52. We had 8 adults in the water / on the inflatables with the kids, plus another 5 adults on the dock watching everyone. No one was allowed in the water without life jackets, but we did notice 2 young ladies who didn’t have on life jackets - they were in their young 20’s and we thought maybe they were with another group. They were playing on the inflatables with everyone else (this will be important later).

About 15 minutes in, myself and the other adults that were on the dock heard one our youth screaming. We looked and she was up on one of the taller slides, looking down and pointing at the water and screaming. We heard her say “help! 911!” One of our adult leaders noticed that there was someone face down in the water and jumped in. It wound up being our youth pastor. Thankfully the other leader was able to get to him and pulled him up and out of the water. The two young ladies that didn’t have on life jackets ran over and were offering help - that’s when it was made known that they were “lifeguards”. They had no whistles, they had nothing indicating they were lifeguards. They had no idea what to do - our youth pastor was blue and non-responsive. They didn’t even know to turn him on his side. Finally someone came down to the water with a knee board and they started trying to get him up on that so they could get him out of the water. It took a good 15-20 minutes for an ambulance to arrive.

After they got him over to the shore, he was able to sit up and was responding to questions. He stated that he remembered what happened - he got caught between two of the floats and went under. There are supposed to be flaps over the spaces between the inflatables, but most of the flaps were not connected. From what we can gather, he slipped going across and fell down between the two floats. The medical professionals have stated that 30 more seconds and this young man would have lost his life. We are thankful tonight that God protected and spared his life.

Now - the reason I’m posting this. Awareness. If you choose to go to this establishment, do not trust that the life guards are trained to act in an emergency. They had no idea what to do. They were not actively “life guarding” - they were playing right along with everyone else. There are several blind spots among the equipment and nobody was on that side where this happened. And the response from the workers? Defense. Damage control. When we stated that we didn’t even know the girls were life guards, they deflected and insisted that the girls were where they were supposed to be. They even had the audacity to say “do you realize that on Lake Hartwell, life guards aren’t even required”? Well our opinion is this - if you’re going to pay life guards, at least make sure they’re working and trained on how to respond to emergency situations. For the amount of money they charge, there should be adequate measures taken to keep people safe. They are not diligent about safety and were defensive, rude and condescending. I would never ever visit this place again and if you do go, please make sure you are aware and careful.

Photo 1 is a screenshot from a video, showing where the flaps between the floats were not connected properly

Photo 2 is the only shot I could find in at least 10 videos of one of the “lifeguards”. She’s playing on the equipment. Not guarding.

So thankful for Karen and her team making the Shores such a great place to vacation! Always making sure that everyone is taken care of and safe. Every year we come back to great improvements. WE LOVE THE SHORES!

We have enjoyed The Shores since they opened! My kids look forward to visiting every year, and we keep coming back again and again. We’re so grateful to have something like this in our area.

The owners are friendly and the staff does a great job making sure everyone is wearing life jackets. Security responds quickly to help de-escalate problems as they arise. The restaurant offers a good variety of food options as well.

The staff is young, but most lifeguards are and they have completed the required training. Parents should remember to be responsible for their own children and not rely on lifeguards as babysitters. As with any water activity, accidents can happen, so stay alert and watch your children.

Overall, we’ve had many positive experiences here and look forward to returning each year.

My family's experience at The Shores of Asbury was truly one to remember. From the moment we arrived, we felt welcomed by the kind and friendly staff, whose hospitality made us feel right at home. The campground was peaceful, relaxing, and a wonderful place to spend quality time together as a family. The Fourth of July events were wonderful, and the fireworks were truly an experience to remember, they made our stay even more special. Shores of Asbury is truly a blissful escape, and we're so thankful for such a memorable stay. We can't wait to come back!