roadtripper7759521

Was here in early April- very early in the season and only 4 spots open on a Saturday. 75% full even during the week. FCFS so get here early.

Dog park across the campground.
Wetlands- lots of bird watching. Absolutely peaceful. No bugs.

Lovely concrete trail across the street from the campground. If you go left on it, a short distance down is a bridge to a small island, it’s gorgeous!!

at camp, across from the pavilion, toward the woods, look for the parking lot- there is a bridge there that goes across to a grassy trail and fields. Tons of mowed trails!

Website says no trash provided but that’s not true. There is a dumpster and recycling bins in the campground. Doggy poo stations and garbage/recycling bins around the trail. The only place with no trash bins was the picnic areas.

Website says cash or check only- but can pay online now. It’s tricky to find on the website. Stop sign at entrance to park is right outside host site- they will greet you, let you pick a site, and come find you in the golf cart to pay. Friendly and helpful hosts! Even came to check on people in bad weather. Be super careful driving in here- the road in the campground is bubbled up and has huge potholes. Go slow.

Concrete pads. Electric only sites. Dump station. Water spigot at entrance and 2 by pavilion in middle of the park were on in April. No shade… trees are very young but hold potential for future. No showers. Looks like pit toilets (I didn’t go in).

Firewood is $5… but no fire pits?? Not sure how that works.

Verizon had 4 bars that bounced between 4G and 5G. speed test was all over the place. Once at 16.0 down and 23.2 up, another time at 0.86 down and 6.52 up.

ATT was steady at 55.5 down/13.4 up.

Never wanted to leave here.

!!! Directions !!!
Google maps will take you THROUGH the campground to get to the office. It’s a 9% grade with speed bumps (who does that?!) for about a mile. Not fun. In Google maps type in “FDR Park Office”- then your choice to go around and through the back gate (better route) or go down that hill to camp.

Cell:
Verizon 6.77 down 0.16 up
ATT 61.0 down 4.78 up
Didn’t record tmobile but was similar to Verizon
No WiFi at camp

Camp: all gravel
Area 1 has FHU, no shade, sites close together like at an RV park, nearest the lake. Recommend site 101- more private with a great view.
Area 2 w/e, shade or partial shade. Private, more spread out. Recommend 206 and 208- door faces a beautiful bubbling creek.
Area 3 w/e- has a gravel road getting to it (unlike 1&2 which is paved). A bit pitted and some are not as level. Looks more undone. However site 301 is fantastic. Private pull thru facing the creek.
There is no area 4 - why?? Where is area 4? By Area 51?
Area 5- w/e entirely shaded, note this is 1/2 mile away from all the trails, lake, activities. It’s very densely wooded. Felt isolated in there. But that may be your thing.
Area 6- intended to be tent sites but there is water and electric including 30amp. The tent pad and picnic pad are perfectly level. But the driveway where the car (or camper) would be parked are bumpy and super not level. Face the woods and lovely though.

Facilities
A camp store at the office and a smaller version at camp has some fun things- ice cream, trinkets, candy.
Not on the map but exists- laundry. In each bathroom building.
Bathrooms are clean.
Trails!! Lots of well marked trails and open areas to walk around in. Boating. Really nice playgrounds- modern, music, it’s awesome.

Great stay- adding to my favorites.

Friendly staff- camp host is active around camp.
Very quiet camp.
Two loops at camp- 1-16 (first loop) has a bath house and dumpster, 17-36 (second loop) has bathhouse with laundry and no dumpster - does have some small trash bins.
Site 34- Wifi 11.5 down, 8.84 up
Verizon 96.6 down 6.27
ATT 17.4 down 5.17 up

Everything here is super outdated. Playground equipment is falling apart and looks unsafe. Facilities are very old- has a washer dryer but are so old the dryer had to be run twice on high heat (but only a dollar each time). Buildings all around the park are falling apart and just creepy. But all the trails are amazing and well kept- clearly that’s where all the money goes. They have an awesome trail map- weirdly they don’t list any distances on them though. Lots of areas to wander in.

Cannot understand all the positive reviews here. Maybe my experience was just an anomaly.

LOUD. Road noise. Day park users blasting radios. Train in the distance (not bad).

SITES. 20% are under water after a rain (mine, site 3, included). The water side were not impacted by rain. Close together. No privacy.

GETTING THERE. loooong road after you go through the gate. It’s pitted. Low hanging branches- just go slow.

GATE- note (!!!!!) you get a gate code. It will not work until 2pm. They don’t tell you that anywhere. Arrived at 12:30, couldn’t get in. No one at the building. Called, vm said to call the numbers on the door. First number- no answer but they texted to tell me to text them. I did. No response for 10 min. I tried again. Nothing. Tried the 2nd number- it’s a call service, who said they would have the manager call me. Waited. Nothing. Finally- I bought a day pass from the kiosk at the gate to get in. Got set up in a puddle of water, and after about an hour later got a call back to tell me it doesn’t work until 2. No apology. No reimbursement of having to buy a day pass to get in.

CAMP. Garbage is a dumpster about a half mile from camp. Says it has laundry but the machines have been removed. Facilities are old.

That said, the lake sites are beautiful. Gorgeous day park area. Camp doesn’t have any place to walk around- have to walk the camp road to the day park area to wander.

CELL. Is fantastic. Verizon 19 down, 13.9 up. ATT 135.5 down 29.6 up.

Note!! This park has 2 campgrounds- they are 15 minutes apart. I suggest picking one and putting the name of the campground into gps not the state park.

Hermitage Campground
Flat, lots of grassy areas to walk around in, better for big rigs, more open.
I went here first but didn’t go through each loop so can’t comment.
Main reason: no water at all in off season

Pittsburg Campground
Overall very hilly, tight to maneuver around trees, better for smaller rigs. Very wooded.
Off season water is off except for spigot across from check in station. No trash bins or dumpster at all. And all bathroom/shower facilities and laundry are closed. It’s only electric for services for $15.

dump station by the 400 loop.
Only one modern shower/bathhouse for the entire campground located near loop 400. It’s a hike if you are in any other loop. Looks like some outhouse buildings scattered through the loops but they were locked so I can’t comment.

Loop 100- w/e sites close together, flat, easy to navigate
Loop 200- basic (no services) and electric only. The hardest to maneuver into. Good water view sites.
Loop 300- basic and electric. similar to 200 but easier to maneuver- just watch trees with slides. 308 and 311 were my favorite sites for levelness, awesome water view, and no tree to block slides or awning.
Loop 400- basic and electric. barely visible water through the trees and closest spots are actually yurts. Easy to navigate.

Sites are mostly asphalt, a few gravel, level-ish, outdated picnic tables.

Very quiet. Peaceful. Weird thing: it’s entirely wooded- but not a single squirrel or deer, very few birds, 4 armadillos. Eerily quiet- no frogs or insects noises. Just was odd to have woods be so dead. Except so-many-flies!!! Plague of flies.

Both campgrounds were FCFS in off season and there is a self pay station at the entrance/ for Pittsburg just note that it’s a really far walk if you’re in 300 or 400 loops to get to the entrance.

Cell service at site 304 as follows (Verizon was better in 200 loop and spots elsewhere in the park)
Verizon: 1 bar, 5.78 down 0.08 up
ATT: 56.1 down, 17.5 up

Booked 3 nights - left after 30 min

Dog got 6 goat head thorns in her paws within 10 min of walking. They were even at the campsite. Not pleasant for walking around.

Friendly people! Hosts stopped by to say hello.

Check in is at a new visitor center located BEHIND where your gps will lead you to. Awesome interpretive center inside, snacks, gift shop stuff, friendly staff.

Cell service
ATT- 30.4 down, 2.07 up
Verizon - 23.9 down, 7.75 up
T Mobile- no service

Weird thing is you book by site number but signage at park is all by letter.
Area A is 1-31
Area B is 36-60
Area C is 61-92
Area D is 93-127

Area A is FHU
Area B isn’t built yet- under construction
C and D are W/E- and note water is on opposite side of electric and where it should be- also it’s at the front of your rig instead of the back. So bring a LONG hose or fill up before you park.

None of the sites are level. But level-ish

I’d stay a million times but only if I could get in area A (or B looks like it would be nice when they get done). I absolutely wouldn’t stay in C or D ever. The sites there look more suited for tents not RVs especially not with slides- I had to park one side off the pad to get my slide open and not hit a tree. Very compact spaces. Not enjoyable. But A is awesome with lots of space.

Tons of amazing trails- paved and not. Lots of grass areas. Good for walking around. Get a trail map at the visitor center so you don’t miss anything.

It’s about 30 min to anything- so plan ahead. Cute coffee shop 1/2mi from campground- go there! Awesome people.

Loved this park!!

Check in is at a new visitor center located BEHIND where your gps will lead you to. Awesome interpretive center inside, snacks, gift shop stuff, friendly staff.

Cell service
ATT- 30.4 down, 2.07 up
Verizon - 23.9 down, 7.75 up
T Mobile- no service

Weird thing is you book by site number but signage at park is all by letter.
Area A is 1-31
Area B is 36-60
Area C is 61-92
Area D is 93-127

Area A is FHU
Area B isn’t built yet- under construction
C and D are W/E- and note water is on opposite side of electric and where it should be- also it’s at the front of your rig instead of the back. So bring a LONG hose or fill up before you park.

None of the sites are level. But level-ish

I’d stay a million times but only if I could get in area A (or B looks like it would be nice when they get done). I absolutely wouldn’t stay in C or D ever. The sites there look more suited for tents not RVs especially not with slides- I had to park one side off the pad to get my slide open and not hit a tree. Very compact spaces. Not enjoyable. But A is awesome with lots of space.

Tons of amazing trails- paved and not. Lots of grass areas. Good for walking around. Get a trail map at the visitor center so you don’t miss anything.

It’s about 30 min to anything- so plan ahead. Cute coffee shop 1/2mi from campground- go there! Awesome people.

Loved this park!!

Check in is at a new visitor center located BEHIND where your gps will lead you to. Awesome interpretive center inside, snacks, gift shop stuff, friendly staff.

Cell service
ATT- 30.4 down, 2.07 up
Verizon - 23.9 down, 7.75 up
T Mobile- no service

Weird thing is you book by site number but signage at park is all by letter.
Area A is 1-31
Area B is 36-60
Area C is 61-92
Area D is 93-127

Area A is FHU
Area B isn’t built yet- under construction
C and D are W/E- and note water is on opposite side of electric and where it should be- also it’s at the front of your rig instead of the back. So bring a LONG hose or fill up before you park.

None of the sites are level. But level-ish

I’d stay a million times but only if I could get in area A (or B looks like it would be nice when they get done). I absolutely wouldn’t stay in C or D ever. The sites there look more suited for tents not RVs especially not with slides- I had to park one side off the pad to get my slide open and not hit a tree. Very compact spaces. Not enjoyable. But A is awesome with lots of space.

Tons of amazing trails- paved and not. Lots of grass areas. Good for walking around. Get a trail map at the visitor center so you don’t miss anything.

It’s about 30 min to anything- so plan ahead. Cute coffee shop 1/2mi from campground- go there! Awesome people.

Loved this park!!

Check in is at a new visitor center located BEHIND where your gps will lead you to. Awesome interpretive center inside, snacks, gift shop stuff, friendly staff.

Cell service
ATT- 30.4 down, 2.07 up
Verizon - 23.9 down, 7.75 up
T Mobile- no service

Weird thing is you book by site number but signage at park is all by letter.
Area A is 1-31
Area B is 36-60
Area C is 61-92
Area D is 93-127

Area A is FHU
Area B isn’t built yet- under construction
C and D are W/E- and note water is on opposite side of electric and where it should be- also it’s at the front of your rig instead of the back. So bring a LONG hose or fill up before you park.

None of the sites are level. But level-ish

I’d stay a million times but only if I could get in area A (or B looks like it would be nice when they get done). I absolutely wouldn’t stay in C or D ever. The sites there look more suited for tents not RVs especially not with slides- I had to park one side off the pad to get my slide open and not hit a tree. Very compact spaces. Not enjoyable. But A is awesome with lots of space.

Tons of amazing trails- paved and not. Lots of grass areas. Good for walking around. Get a trail map at the visitor center so you don’t miss anything.

It’s about 30 min to anything- so plan ahead. Cute coffee shop 1/2mi from campground- go there! Awesome people.

Loved this park!!