Sandy Lake COE Recreation Area

This COE campground is fully open and functional. There’s a nice variety of sites available, a boat landing and docks, shower building, dump station, playground, beach, etc. It’s all very nicely maintained. Some of the sites are a bit open to each other, but are well spaced. Tip - drinking water in the North Campground is not at the dump station, but on the other end near the boat launch.

We’ve camped here at least 3 times, the last in the north group site in July 2017. Biggest drawback is having to buy firewood, not allowed to cut any in the park. Otherwise, it’s clean, lots of nice amenities like fish cleaning building, showers and nice boat ramp. Great Lake to boat on and Zorbas on the lake is fun

This campground is in a sweet location on the banks of hisotric and beautiful Big Sandy lake. There are standard tent and RV sites, as well as camper cabin options. Some of the campsites are close together in the main campground, but there are also walk-in sites avaiable. This location is family friendly with boat launch, picnicking, playground, and hisotrical exhibits about the dam and its history, and about the old furpost that used to be here. The campground is wooded and shady and the lake is very pristine, and very large so you have options for all kidns of boating and water activities. Of interest for hikers is the nearby Savannah Portage State Park wihich has miles and miles of hiking trails, including the famous historic portage through the Floodwood swamp between the Savannah River, St Louis River, and Mississippi River, which was important for centuries during the fur trade era and for native americans prior to that time. This is a beautiful near-wilderness part of the state, and this campground on beautiful Big Sandy is a real asset. For paddlers on the Mississippi River Water Trail, you only have a short detour of less than 1/2 mile up the Sandy River  from its confluence with the Mississippi River in order to access the campground, and it is a great option in an area of the water trail that doesnt have many other options nearby

Great campground. Well maintained, great staff, good fishing. Multiple fishing areas, couple of playgrounds, and good history lessons. Unfortunately covid has some of the areas closed though.

We were in spot 12 and it was right on the water. The spots are very small and no privacy between the sites but having a water view made up for it and you can park your boat on the dock in front of your spot. We stayed in a 21ft travel trailer and it fit in the spot just fine but if you have anything bigger, you might have a hard time getting in and out of the spot.

Great place to camp. The dedicated tent sites are limited, but lots of rv sites. Electrical at every site and everyone is friendly. There are even showers and plumbed bathrooms. Only reason not a five star is that the bathrooms tent to get pretty bad and could use more than once a day cleaning on holiday weekends.