Kiser Lake State Park Campground

We had an excellent time with our camping trip at Kiser Lake. We were incredibly impressed with the kind staff. We had purchased 8 bundles of wood ($5/bundle) and it was all wet and not usable. The staff worked hard to find us replacements that may have come from a different shipment. We were able to use that to get going and dry out the wet bundles.

We booked a group site which was perfect for us with our dog and our group. It seemed like the regular campsite seemed too crowded for our taste.

A small intimate campground, perfect if you hate crowds and prefer nature.

This park is know for the lake that is kayak and canoe friendly since it doesn’t allow any kind of boat with a motor. It also features a beach , 2 playgrounds and several hiking trails. Just be careful if you hike with dogs since some trails intersect with a nature preserve which doesn’t allow pets.

The campground itself has 20 electric sites , 56 primitive sites and 4 camper cabins. All the electric sites are pull through and all sites have a fire pit but only the electric sites come with picnic tables.

Due to off season and COVID the camp store is closed and there is no camper host or park office staff around.

We did notice lots of downed trees on the poorly marked hiking trails. Some trails just started but no maps were around and no trails were blazed. It was hard to tell where we were headed or how long a trail was. I tried using the new Detour app and it wasn’t very accurate for this park.

We did have good Verizon cell coverage.

With this being my first time camping, I don’t have much to compare it to, but I really enjoyed my stay! I had spot 66 (non-electric standard) and I just had my tent and my car and I would definitely pick that spot again! It was absolutely stunning over looking the water with the trees turning colors. I went the first weekend in October so they had a lot of families there because they had all sorts of Halloween activities going on, so it wasn’t very quiet, but I still enjoyed myself. Got in on a Thursday and it was decently quiet that day. They have some play areas for kids, a few hiking trails and a wetlands, but most people were fishing and kayaking. There is a store, but I didn’t go in. Tons of spots to camp, from very secluded to right in the middle of the action. Very family friendly place. I think some small rules were broken here and there by some of the families, but it was just little things, so no harm no foul. Overall a great campground!

Super quiet, good fishing

A hidden gem , super quiet , low traffic and decent fishing

It’s my favorite campground so far. I may be biased, with it being close to home, but they have a lot for the kids to do. Beach, volleyball net, playground. Plenty of water locations. For me the bathrooms are unusable. Often a lot of bees swarming the bathrooms on top of the smell. I like that they have activities throughout the day for kids on the weekends. Also have a nice camp store/marina with canoe and kayak rentals at a reasonable price.

Don’t get a site in the back under the walnut trees in the fall. They drop all day & night long.

This park has a beautiful lake and nice (although short) hiking trails. The problem is that there is no running water- no showers and smelly pit toilets. There is one spigot for drinking water.

Beware that the campsites are mostly in one big grassy field with no shade. I'd pick a site along the perimeter or along the lake.

This park is overrun with feral cats (or it was when I was there). Some people might think that is cute. I consider feral cats to be wild animals that carry disease. What's really bad about them is that they've been fed so they are comfortable around people. We spent the whole weekend trying to fend them off- every time our backs were turned, they jumped up on our picnic table. They ate our food, which we had to throw away. When we sat by the fire, they rubbed up against our legs, which is disgusting, considering they carry Bartonella, which is transmitted through their fleas and ticks (Bartonella is a co-infection of Lyme, or you can get it on its own. I know- I've had it since middle school. Feral cats probably carry Lyme too, as they are mammals). I can't express how stressful it was, trying to keep these wild cats away from us the entire weekend. I don't know why the park can't get them under control.

Sure, cat people will be offended by my statement, but would you want raccoons or skunks up on your table, eating out of your pots and pans? Would you want raccoons rubbing up against you while you are trying to relax? These cats are also wild animals, yet way too tame for comfort. Ugh,I shudder remembering it.

We really enjoy Kiser Lake, although there is only one spot for camping that we prefer. It is the only spot that it doesn't feel like you are right on top of your neighbors and actually has some tree coverage. As far as hiking goes, it's on the limited side, but we had a great time kayaking there. The lake was calm and everyone was very respectful of us in our kayaks.