There was a small complication about my reservation, which was entirely my mistake and the wonderful camp hosts fixed (thanks, Shane and Vicky!), but I ended up doing a first-come-first-serve campsite search. Midweek in May, I had my pick, and found a wonderful site with tons of room, right at the base of a colorful mountain to climb. My only neighbors quickly became my new best friends, and even the camp hosts joined us in a spontaneous campsite gathering.

And then, quiet. The trees keep the wind out, and once the sun goes down, the birds are silent. Plenty of good sleep to be had, which allowed me and my dog to wake early and explore the mountain tops... which was the secret place to find cell service, by the way. I had site #56, and a fun, but steep, hike to the top of the mountain behind me gave a glorious spot to catch up on a few emails. But don't tell anyone. Otherwise, you're miles from using your phone for much else other than pictures.

The lake is more of a big pond. They stock it for fishing, but I'm more of a swimmer, and I wasn't about to swim in there. Pretty, but not user-friendly for a plunger like myself. 

The bathrooms are pit toilets, but clean and treated well so they actually had a pleasant scent. 

The road to the park is full of amazing places to park and take in the view. Quite a drive. I'll be back. And yes, I documented the place with pictures of my dog, Ko'olau.