Energy Lake Campground

We usually start camping in November since the campgrounds are usually getting closer to empty. This place was packed with people hunting and fishing. The camp sites are so close together that you can hear the people talking at their campsite next to you even when they are talking at a very calm conversational level. People were letting their kids run wild until about 10pm then you could hear a pin drop it got so quiet. However, by 3 am the place starts hopping. People getting in and out of their cars, doors closing and cars driving off in the gravel, RV doors opening and closing, gravel crunching under foot as people walk to and from the bathroom. Two women stood outside our tent (but at their camp site) at 5am chatting it up and opening and closing and opening and closing the car doors for over half an hour. If you can function on 5 hours of sleep and don't mind hearing everything everyone around you says in clear detail it isn't a bad place. The bathrooms are clean and warm in the winter.

Energy Lake campground is well planned, the staff are amazing, and with a little planning, the best option for affordable camping that puts you on a small natural preserve lake perfect for kayaking and SUP boarding. Most difficult thing is remembering to fill the fresh water tank (if you are RV'ing) before you set up!! Electricity is on almost every site (there are a couple sites in a few areas that do not have electric & therefor have a reduced rental rate). Each area has "city" water available at hose bibs located in central locations in each area.  Some sites have waterfront "views" with trails going down to the lake, others have waterfront walk in availability.  You can also drive to the beach (it's got imported sand deposited there every new season!), and there are several areas to launch NONMOTORIZED watercraft. There are restrictions on this lake due to the wildlife refuge and preserve in the back of the lake - no motorized watercraft of any sort. There is camp fire wood, propane and a very small selection of necessities available at the entry gate/check-in. Closest retail store, gas station and alcohol is approximately 10-12 miles from the campground. This campground attracts a lot of tent & car campers as well as small RV's, and there are almost always smaller walk up sites available if the reservation system says there are no available positions. You will want to call before you haul though, because a few of those walk ups are less than 20 feet in length.

AREA B is only cabins... and the cabins are basically one room cabins, with bunks and a queen or full sized bed, with electric and AC. You still have to treck to the bath house for toilet, shower and the hose bib for water. The cabin basically just provides sleeping shelter.