Doug

The park itself is not much to look at. It would be much nicer if the grass was green, but the sites are spaced out well and the price is reasonable. Also, the location is great for exploring the different areas of Redwoods National Park. Keep in mind that it gets pretty foggy and windy there at times.

We really enjoyed our stay here in April 2021. It was easy to access, even with our 36 ft travel trailer. On our way out however, it had just snowed and the roads were a little muddy, but we made it fine. I loved that we could drive right into the park every day without waiting in line, since we had direct access to desert view drive. Also, cell service was spotty on the weekends when the park was crowded, but we always had enough service to make phone calls.

The hosts were very helpful with anything we needed. The spots are spacious and are surrounded with trees and bushes, which was nice. As another reviewer said the laundry room was very nice and included two washers and dryers as well as a whole library of books and games. Also, the WiFi was blazing fast. There are plenty of long term residents, but they were very nice and the park is well kept. This is a great hub to explore the Gila National Forest, as the entrance to road 15 is just down the road.

I called the casino to confirm that we could stay overnight and they assured me we could, as long as we parked in the back of the lot. They also said no check-in was needed, which was nice, since we arrived late. We had trouble finding a level spot along the fence, since there were already several RVs there, so we ended up parking in one of the marked truck spots, which were perfectly level. The lot was well lit, but not much noise at night. Also, the lot was spacious enough for any size rig. We had no trouble with our 36 ft TT.

We stayed while visiting family in the area, so we didn't spend much time in the park. The owners however were very friendly, as were all the tenants. Spots were tight, but it didn't feel too cramped. It wasn't far from some major roads, but we didn't notice to much noise.

We loved dry camping here. In Cactus Wren (the cheapest dry camping area) there is the most room to space out, even though you don't have a view of the lake. You still get incredible sunsets and sunrises every day, plus the sky is filled each morning and evening with hot air balloons, which was a treat. We loved the pool, the clubhouse activities (like the free ice cream social!!) and having everything on site - water fill, dump station, gas station, laundry, etc. It did get busier on the weekends, but we still had plenty of space and weren't bothered by excessive noise. Like others, we did hear the wild donkeys on several nights, but never caught a glimpse of them. We would definitely come back and next time with friends.

We really enjoyed our week in Yosemite and used this as our home base to explore. If you have a big rig or cannot get a spot in the park, this is just outside the entrance. Since the park is big, if you want to explore multiple areas, I would definitely recommend sleeping in one if the park campgrounds.

The park was nice - full hookups and spots are shaded. The laundry was nice as well, at only a dollar per load (I would suggest using the dryer on the bottom). Also, we had no cell service, but the wifi was good enough to stream Netflix at night.

Don't expect a resort though, as the pictures on their website can be deceiving - the pool is closed, the playground is just a swingset, and the place is a bit rundown. The manager was also very helpful with questions and anything we needed. We understood from him that there is a new owner who is going to rebuild the entire park, so things may change.

All in all, it's expensive (as is everything in the area), but if you set your expectations and only use the park as a base to explore Yosemite, it's perfectly fine.

Also, we were warned of a bear that comes through every night. We left out a decorative pumpkin by our door and sure enough it was eaten with only crumbs left in the morning. Be aware!

We stayed here for a few nights around Christmas time. There was good privacy between the sites and my kids enjoyed biking around the park and playing in the sand at the beach. I also liked that our site had a covered picnic table, as well as a fire pit and grill. As others mentioned, there are 2 different loops - one with full hookups and one with electric & water only.

We also saw lots of birds and plenty of deer. The best time to go to the birding area is in the morning, when the put food out for the birds.

If you are staying for more than a few nights (or staying at other state parks in Texas), definitely consider buying the Texas State Parks Pass - it's good for 1 year and gives 50% off the second night and covers the day-use fee.

We really enjoyed our short stay here. The mesquite camping area was easy to navigate and had water and electric hookups. We also had a covered picnic table and fire pit with a grill. We even got a full 5g signal with AT&T in the campground - it was hit or miss in the rest of the canyon. We enjoyed the trails both in and around the canyon. We also enjoyed the blue bell ice cream at the camp store after a long day of hiking. They also had very reasonably priced gifts.

Just be aware that even in October, when the temperatures were mostly in the 70s, our trailer was full of flies from the moment we arrived. We bought 2 rolls of fly paper in the park store and they filled up overnight.

The park itself is fantastic. We loved having the jetties so close by for the kids and being able to just hop over there by bike (10 min ride) or by car was very convenient. Also, the campground loops are full of kids riding around on their scooters and bikes all day, which made for a very family friendly environment. It was a bit tight to park our 36 ft. trailer in our back in spot and I'm sure it would have been much more difficult if there was a car parked in the spot across from us, but we managed.