roadtripper12962

This is a great National Park campground -- great setting, good sized sites and serenity. If you have an RV and are camped in the F Loop, you just need to be somewhat near the river to hear its sound, i.e., you don't have to have a site which backs up to the river, although those sites have a little extra "it factor" with the river right behind you. We were across from the river and it was easily heard.
We camped for 10 days in late August/early September in site F5 and were able to get enough sun with our two 100 watt portable panels to provide us enough electric to get by. Be aware, we don't use very much electric when we are dry camping and the weather was just right where we didn't need to run fans to keep cool, nor run the furnace to keep warm. Our site got about 4 hours of good sunlight from about 10AM until 2PM. This worked great for us given the weather, since the shade we received the rest of the time kept our rig from ever getting above 79 degrees. It was always right around 70 inside the rig in the morning. There were days we didn't get fully charged and on cloudy days we didn't get much charge at all, but it was enough for us to get by. The biggest issue we had was since there is so much to do in the park and the area, we weren't usually around our site to manipulate the orientation of the panels during the sunny hours so we didn't get direct sunlight on them most of the time.
Having said that, if you rely on solar, you need to have a site at either the north or south end of the loop to be able to keep your batteries charged. Any sites in the middle portions of the loop -- on either side -- are in the shade almost all day.
The absolute best sites, which receive sun most of the day, would be 27, 29, 33, 35 and 37. Sites 28, 30, 36 and 39 would provide a good deal of sun -- although not all day -- as well. On the south end of the loop where we were sites 8, 6, and 4, would provide sun most of the afternoon.
Keep in mind, we were there in late summer, so I can't be sure if all of this information would be completely accurate at other times of the year, but I'm fairly confident 27, 29, 33, 35 and 37 would be good for solar any time of the year as they are pretty much out in the open.
Otherwise, access to the campground is good. Interior roads are a little tight, but with a small amount of care, should pose no problem for any size rig. Rest rooms are plentiful and kept clean.
Be aware, there is NO cell coverage at all in the entire campground. We had to drive to the Oconaluftee Visitor's Center (about 6 miles) to receive a signal for Verizon.

The above rate reflects the 50% discount for the senior pass.
A fairly typical COE campground. Long, level, paved sites with water, electric, a fire ring and concrete picnic tables. Some sites also have a sewer hookup, but there doesn't seem to be much rhyme or reason regarding which sites have them. I didn't know it when I booked, but my site had a sewer connection as well. All utilities are at the rear of each site with the sewer connections a good 12-15 feet from the back of the site.
The thing that stood out to me here was the size of the campground. This allows for sites which are very well spread out, offering each site quite a bit of space. A good mix of shaded and sunny sites here. As with most all COE campgrounds, if water activity is your thing the lake here checks all those boxes.
An easy location to get to with some of the campground roads a little narrow, but not really an issue. Some sites are not angled to the roads which could make backing into to those a bit tricky for a larger rig. Having said that, any size rig can easily be accommodated here. There are several bath houses which have a couple of large shower stalls in each. These are a bit dated, but the one I used was clean.
Fairly close to the town of Sardis which offers ample opportunities to stock up on the way in.

The above rate reflects the 50% senior pass discount.
Two distinct areas here on either side of Highway 377. The east side (C Loop) is a more basic area with gravel sites along the waterfront. I was camped on the west side (D Loop) where all the sites have level concrete pads, and concrete sitting areas with a picnic table. Beware that a few of the sites here have a downhill drive to the parking pad which could present bottoming-out issues for some larger rigs. D2 had a nice view of the lake through some trees. The shower house consists of two bathrooms with a toilet, sink and shower in each separate bathroom.
The Cross Timber Trail heads out from the west side about a 1/2 mile from the camping loop. I went for an early morning hike and thoroughly enjoyed it. I went about 3.5 miles out (the entire trial is 14 miles) and back. A great hike through the woods with some nice lake views mixed in.

Spent 3 nights here in late September, 2020. The above rate reflects the discount given to Escapees Club members. This is a fairly basic RV Park setting. We were given one of the few pull thrus which was nice for a short stay. All amenities worked as they should. The site was a level gravel pad with a picnic table and small grass area. The site was long enough to remain hitched.
The park is pretty much in Branson, so there is plenty to do. We didn't really check out most of the facilities here, but the laundry room was affordable and clean. There is an area where you could launch a kayak right from the campground.
The park is right along a major road and noise is most certainly a factor, especially given the site we had, which was right alongside the road.
All in all a clean, well maintained park. We would stay here again.

The above rate is for an out-of-state vehicle.
Once one has negotiated the last 7 or so miles to get here, campers are in for a real treat. Truly a very remote park and campground. Coming in from Gabbs, there is a mountain pass to negotiate, then a rough paved road for a stretch and then a total of about 5 miles on dirt to get all the way to the campground. Coming in you will drive through the Berlin ghost town. The highlight of the park -- aside from the campground -- is the fossil house. I would highly recommend taking the tour -- although they charge an additional $5 per adult for the tour. Would have thought that was included in the camping fee.
There are 14 campsites and three of them are pull thrus. I would not recommend coming here with anything larger than 25 feet (and even that might be a little hairy). The road up to the camp is one lane -- I don't think passing vehicles would have an enjoyable time dealing with that! The road in the camp ground and each site is gravel. The sites vary pretty wildly on the level front. I chose site #9 (I think its the best site in the park for a spring or fall visit) which is in the very back and top of the camp. Here I was able to have a fairly reliable Verizon signal. My site also offered a wide open look at the sun all day long for solar (though I don't think I'd want this site in the summer). Sites offer a mix of sun and shade and a good sized picnic table with a wooden ramada and a fire pit. There are numerous water spigots and pit toilets available. On the way in (or out) there is a dump station.
This is a wonderfully remote, quiet and peaceful place to just be for a day or two or a week or two.

Stayed for 2 nights in early August. Fairly easy to get to this park off of I-90. There is a row of sites which have an electrical hookup, with no other hook-up sites. The electric sites are surrounded on three sides by vegetation which offers a nice degree of privacy. There is a pretty good sized drop-off from the road at the front of the sites which concerned us about bottoming out, but we made into the site with no problems.
There is a large lake which would be good for kayaking, but we didn't get around to blowing up our inflatable. There are dry-camping sites ($10) all around the lake, some of which are right on the bank. Many of those sites would require varying degrees of levelling strategies. We did not use any of the bathroom facilities.
Given the prices, I would guess this facility would be pretty busy on summer weekends. We arrived on a Sunday, so we can't speak to that.
We would stay here again.

We had a Bay front "gold" site which we believe fell a bit short of its "gold" status. For some reason, the owners of this site keep the "kitchen" area in the tiki under lock and key behind a heavy duty tarp and therefore, it can't be used. This was a real bummer. Additionally, the site had one of the smallest tikis on the bay side and the furniture definitely left a little to be desired compared to the furnishings at most other sites. Without a doubt, from what we observed, most all of the bay front "gold" sites had better amenities (outdoor kitchens and TV's) and were more lavishly appointed than our site. The "silver" designation would have been more appropriate for this site.
When we called the office to have someone come and close off the tiki with its shades from a rainstorm (as you are required to do), no one ever showed up to lower them.
Having said all of that, it is hard to beat having your rig backed up to the water, and sitting under a tiki sipping cocktails or eating a meal with the breeze in your face as you take it all in. Fabulous. Additionally, we launched our kayak right from our site for a pleasant paddle around the bay.
There is a nice pool area, though it is a bit on the small side. There is no hot tub. The resort streets are easy enough to get around on and are palm-lined.
I would never consider coming back to this resort with anything other than a bay front site. The canal sites get no breeze at all, have a view of neighboring housing units and the first ten or so sites have LOTS of road noise. The interior sites offer little in ambiance. It almost seems a shame to be at a resort right on the water, and have no view of it at all, let along getting a whiff of a breeze. There really isn't even anywhere to sit for a spell on a bench on the waterfront if you have an interior site. To be fair, the canal and interior sites are impeccably landscaped and cared for and many have truly great tikis, kitchens, bars, patios and outdoor TV's. But for the money, I just can't see missing out on the water front views and breezes.
All in all, its a great place. Just make sure you get a bay front site with good amenities.

Stayed here for the month of November, 2020. Rate reflects monthly rate, plus a little over a $1.50 a day for electric. Quite a large mix of sites here -- some have only 30 amp, most are back-ins, though there are some pull thru sites. Being a former mobile home park, there are even some "pull-in" sites which are strictly for motor homes, since the concrete patio pad would be on the wrong side for a backed-in trailer. In any event, many sites are somewhat hairy to get into. Our site was between a couple of trees with a large tree across the roadway which was an issue for our truck to clear. All-in-all though, with a little patience backing in should go OK. Once done with that, reaching your utilities could be an issue. Be advised that an extension cord of some type could be needed. Some sites are tight for space, while others are huge. Ours was about average I would say -- just large enough to have a decent degree of separation from the neighbors. Very easy access here off of Interstate 75. Interior roads could be a bit bumpy in spots and are a little tight for maneuvering a large rig into a site in some places where trees would also be an issue. Nice large patio areas for sitting out. A big benefit is they allow folks to wash their rigs here, something we have found many places won't allow. Propane is also available on-site and the laundry room is clean and most reasonably priced. Unfortunately, there is a quarry about a mile away, and large trucks break the quiet starting around 6am and continuing from time to time for most of the day until dark. If you listen closely enough, you can here the Interstate in the distance. On the upside, sandhill cranes are readily heard here, as are numerous owls, which we have heard at all hours of the day.
This park is best for cultivating social relationships. The folks here are super friendly and most are either part-year travellers or fulltimers, so there are kindred spirits at nearly every turn. While many formal social activities were muted due to the Covids, there was plenty of small "side" activities to join in on if you kept your ear to the ground. Morning coffee was a thing as was Wednesday evening Bingo, which was the only event in the Activity Center. No library exchange or anything like that in that facility due to the pandemic. A pay Wi-Fi service began while we were here, but it is spotty at best and something I wouldn't want to pay for. Cell signals are certainly good enough here to do all the surfing you may need to do. It is almost impossible to get reliable reception for OTA TV channels. You can get some at some times, but they could freeze up or go away in a blink. Sort of frustrating to be into watching something, then suddenly have it go away.....
This is an update to what I posted in January. We extended our say here thru April and we are suffering through the worst caterpillar infestation I have ever seen or heard of. The critters started turning up in mid-March and as I write this on March 31, they are unrelenting. The first signs are tiny, solid black orbs which begin to fall from the trees. The volume gets so bad, sitting out under your awning the noise would have you would swear it is raining!! We understand this is the caterpillar poop. The REALLY bad part is the fact that once these black balls get wet (from rain, dew, or your rooftop AC condensation) they release a coffee colored liquid which turns everything brown. Shortly after the onslaught began, we had an overnight rain -- climbing up to the roof was sobering -- my nice white roof which I had scrubbed clean back in January was now COMPLETELY BROWN. A simple rinsing with the hose does nothing to rid the brown plague. It seems only another good scrubbing with the proper chemicals (once the plague is over -- reportedly in early April) will get it clean. The brown roof goo tends to drip down the sides, which if you have a reasonably recent coat of wax should prove to be a fairly simple clean-up. But, it will be a big job since most of your rig will have brown streaks. It seems those lucky enough to be camped away from the live oaks can escape the brown plague.
The caterpillars are another story. They are everywhere -- on the rig, on the awnings, on the steps, on the patio mat, on the tires, on the tow vehicle's tires, and worst of all ON ME on occasion!! They make small cocoons which have the consistency and properties of a very heavy glue. (It's best to try to eliminate the buggers before they start cocooning). Many theories and formulas have been circulating the park to rid sites of these incessant beasts but some things only seem to give temporary relief while others have no effect whatsoever.
All in all our time here was most enjoyable, EXCEPT FOR MARCH. We would recommend a stop here for any length of time, but MAKE 100 PERCENT CERTAIN YOU ARE NOT HERE IN MARCH!! I have downgraded my overall grade from 4 stars to 3 due to the caterpillars. Really, it is a great place and community if you are not here in March.

The above rate reflects a 10% senior discount, over $15 in taxes (for the 9 days) and a completely ridiculous $6 "transaction fee," which, as far as I can tell since the primitive areas are first come, first served and can't be reserved, the fee pays for absolutely nothing but an extra 6 bucks for the Horse Park.
Having walked thru the two huge main campground loops, I thanked the heavens we couldn't get a site there for 9 days and had to opt for the first come, first served primitive electric area. Since the main campground doesn't have sewer hookups, you are basically only sacrificing a water hookup to camp in the primitive electric area, but paying a few bucks less.
I was amazed at how unlevel most of the sites in the main CG are. Strolling thru, I have never seen so many sets of wheels dangling off the pavement of the (rather narrow) pad. The open fields of the primitive electric area are MUCH more level. The primitive electric area has limited shade (unlike the main CG which does has many trees), but mostly unlimited space for campers to spread out and enjoy their site in relative quiet. There are 30 amp pedestals scattered about and, as far as I can tell, no real rules on where you can set up camp. It seems as long as you can reach a pedestal, you are good to go.
There are many, many things to do in the Lexington and central Kentucky area, both touristy and everyday living. Most campers likely wouldn't be spending a huge amount of time in camp while in the area.
Personally, I really can't see why anyone would opt for the crowded, unlevel and aging main campground here.

If you're road weary or just looking for a good value, this place checks those boxes. Right off of US 95 lends it to being a quite noisy place. But for $25 for full hook-ups (the least expensive in the area) one really can't go wrong.
Sites here are all dirt/gravel pull thrus and very level. Sites are a typical size at an RV park. Very affordable laundry room with a wash going for a $1.50 and a dry for $1. Too bad there were only 2 working washers and just one working dryer. (There were 3 of each). Any sized rig can be accommodated here and there is a good Verizon signal here as well.
Real shame on the bathrooms here. While these were re-done a few years ago with nice tile and a large shower, it appears the maintenance has been lacking. In one of the bathrooms the toilet was constantly running and in the other the exhaust fan wasn't working, the shower head was very loose and the cleaning - especially in the corners - left much to be desired. Too bad. They really could be very nice bathrooms.