This was my first camping trip with the girlfriend, and as far as first impressions go, Desoto Falls did a fine job. The sites are packed with dense trees and a stream that turned every corner of the upper loop into a white noise machine fit for a sleepy, woodsy king. The falls are beautiful: the walk to the upper falls was like a verdant Grimm’s fairy tale. Just with less death, I mean.

I’d recommend the upper loop specifically, if you have a choice, as there’s a much better chance to find the stream in your backyard; we spent mornings drinking coffee next to it. The lower loop felt absolutely cramped with daytime hikers and tourists.

The proximity to the road was the only overall downside to the location of Desoto Falls. We spent Labor Day weekend there, and apparently that’s the time every biker below the Mason-Dixon Line chooses to play out their Hunter Thompson Mint 400 fantasy, tearing ass up and down the breakneck curves of the mountain highway at any given hour.

This isn’t the fault of Desoto Falls, of course, but being that close to a major (majorish?) road can really tar and feather the illusion of being at peace with nature.

Beyond that, however, it’s a lovely spot: terrific for a weekend visit. We liked the Reece Farm and Heritage center up the road. We fed a donkey. We gave it a name, too, but it escapes me now.

I’d say that’s a positive, though. If you’re having such a nice time that you forget the name of a donkey you only recently learned that you’d take a bullet for, it must be a pretty good locale.