Best Tent Camping near Carthage, MS

Giving the pros and cons

I tent camped on site 2. The BBQ pit was not there on this site. The tent pad was rocky (not sand) so bring a sleeping bad or air mattress if you’re tent camping. Also bring a long extension cord.

Was nice being in front of the water and saw quite a bit of birds. The campground was quiet and relaxing despite being in the middle of the city. The bathrooms were ehhh. Not sure of the men’s, but the women’s only had one useable stall. Three stalls total - on without a door and one was out of order. I didn’t use the showers but definitely weren’t the greatest looking showers I’ve seen at a state park.

I saw a ton of deer, birds, and squirrels and the walking trails were nice and led up to the natural science museum.

The primitive area looked nice for tent camping but basically the same amount of privacy as the spots with electricity and water. Just depends what you’re wanting out of the camping trip.

Very clean! The slides were awesome and the tent camping were good. Would def like to go back once it cools down

We stayed here over Easter and had a great time. Trail was flooded out less than .5 miles in, which I heard can be typical of this time of year bc of reservoir they drain near there. Plenty of kayak access to all the lakes around. Gnats were so bad we had to stay in the tent to stay sane in the afternoon and most of the evening. They was one other group that tent camped for one night but otherwise everyone had RVs. If you go to tent camp call ahead before booking because some sites have the fire ring on the tent pad. I remember site 10 definitely does. It was packed but pretty much quiet the whole time except a lot of traffic. At night you hear the highway sometimes. Bathrooms are okay, washer and dryer work great.

This campground was our “go to” for weekend getaways for years with our children. From tent camping to RV camping. Fishing, swimming, exploring, to deer petting. We loved this campground and almost positive you will too!!

Grew up coming here for the summer to fish, swim, ski and use the water park. It is an older park but with that being said it has many years left of good camping. The bathrooms are always clean. Many things were closed when we went due to covid but are normally up and running. Love the area. The trails are an addition to the park. We love to get out and walk the woods. The old campground is where we like to stay. Mostly quiet and this is the side with the primitive tent camping. This side also has a good bit of shaded spots that are on the water.

First impressions are everything right! Well the camp immediately seemed well cared for, maintained, clean. It is pretty cheap 6$ for a tent site. There are only 7 sites and they are pretty close together. that is about the only con about this place. we had the site fairly to ourselves in april which i shocked about. if your into fishing, swimming, cheap, well maintained campground this is the place for you. We inflated the SUP and caused around a little. Well worth the 6$ Stayed for 2 nights. Lots of swimming fishing and paddle boarding.

I booked a site that we did not know anything about. This was the first time we stayed in the newer loop. We had tent camped in the older section about 5 year’s ago and had a wonderful time. When we arrived on Thursday evening to our site I didn’t know if it was going to be wide enough to let the steps down without fall into the 6 ft ditch. After some measuring of the slide outs and maneuvering over 6 inches from the electrical pole. We set up camp. I had to dig up the sewer tap that was running up hill. We made the best of it by setting everything up in front of the camper. The picnic table and fire pit was on the opposite side of the camper up hill with about 8 inches of pine needles going up. Not practical. So we didn’t use that area. Most of the sites were the same way with the picnic area on the opposite side of camper. The lake area was nice, did some fishing out of the canoe and kayaking when there wasn’t 30 boats out. Lake was closed for swimming. Overall we made the best of it. We will definitely not be staying at site 45 again. Staff was friendly and there were park rangers riding by all the time. There are definitely better sites, not all.

This park is literally in the middle of Jackson, Mississippi in a beautiful setting. The lake was lovely and we saw herons, cranes, turtles and deer. The sites are right on the lake and the shower house was convenient and clean. It’s also secure; you have to have a code to enter and exit the park. The only problem was the sounds of the city. We heard sirens all night (it was Halloween night) and there is a recycling plant nearby and the sounds of crushing metal were really loud until about 11. In our tents we had to resort to earplugs. Great location. Picnic tables and fire rings.

I’ve camped at Roosevelt a few times in a tent but went for the first time in our Pop Up this weekend. Bathhouses were nice and clean, the camp sites are very nice. We stayed in site 13 in the R. O. Hannah side and it was on the lake and very nice and quite.

This campsite was not crowded at all and really peaceful. I stayed in site 13 which was right on the lake. The view was beautiful. The spot was really large with plenty of room for tents and hammocks. There are trails close by that were nice to walk on. The pool is there for an extra fee with a water slide. They are well maintained. It was a great park!

This is as simple and as it gets, but it does have restrooms. This is primitive camping so there are no hookups and nothing extras, just a nice place to pitch a tent or park. You can not reserve this site but it’s free. There are a few other similar primitive campsites in the park nearby. Nice and wooded.

Yay: simple camping! Very pretty wooded area. Lots of hiking trails nearby.

Nay: no map or info of any sort once you’re there.

Surprise: exceptional in fall!

The NPS should absolutely charge a fee for the level amenities. This campground is optimized for RVs. There are pull thru spurs with multiple campsites sites but the tables have been moved and monopolized by RVers…including ones with tent pads. Generators running at 3:00 am. On the plus side, heated bathrooms were absolutely clean. Water fountains are distributed through the campground but one spigot to fill a jug. Good access to Little Mountain Trail. There were six empty sites made unusable by RVs parking in between them. Maybe when a camp host is onsite they will clean this up.

We have been going to this park off and on for years. They do have a motel if you don’t have an RV/tent. The bathrooms are clean. There are lots of things to do in the campground like disk golf, hiking, swimming, waterslide, canoeing, fishing and playgrounds. The only reason I didn’t give it a five stars, is because a lot of the campsite pads are broken and narrow and the ground is washed out around it. I know it is an endless battle for the park to keep up with probably. We had to be very careful about stepping out of the camper because it dropped off quickly. We were constantly grabbing the kids so they didn’t fall. I would certainly go back though. It is very beautiful.

This campground was just ok in my opinion. I went through it while traveling the Natchez Trace. It is one of only three campgrounds that can be found on the Trace. I did not end up staying here, but wanted to check it out to see if it was worth staying in the future. The bathrooms were very old and could have used an upgrade. There is a very nice nature trail here for walking and it is the highest point in Mississippi with wonderful views!

Jackson MS LeFleur' Bluff SP Small state park with 30 sites w/e only on small lake. You are allowed to gather downed wood to use in fire pit. Gate code access. Nice playground. Disc golf course. Bathouse needs some attention. Only one of 3 stalls works in womens side. There are 2 shower stalls. One small and the larger handicap access one has stained floor.  There's a nature trail on site. Two boat ramps one gives access to Pearl River. Campground located next to Mississippi Museum of Natural History, a Children's Museum, Ag Museum and a golf course too. Great location to explore Jackson MS. Verizon 3 bars on 4g

We stayed here for one night as we were just passing through on a longer road trip. This was one of the better state park campgrounds in Mississippi that we have visited. The sites were clean and spacious. The ladies bathroom was a complete disaster though. It appears as it if hadn’t been cleaned in days and all the toilets were “full”. Gross! The dump station also smelled horrendous, so we just kept driving as we didn’t have much to dump. This would normally be a 3 star for me, but giving 4 stars compared to other MS State Parks north of this location.

Twiltley Campground is the only full-service campground managed by the Corps of Engineers at Okatibbee Lake, a 11,000 acre multi-purpose recreation area in eastern Mississippi. Natural Features:Okatibbee Lake boasts 4,000 acres of water surface in the Pascagoula River Basin. Extensive beaver flowages, stump beds and old creek channels provide abundant cover where anglers battle largemouth and striped bass. Summers are hot and humid, with temperatures ranging from 70 to 98 degrees Fahrenheit. Recreation:With eagles and hawks in the area, families will enjoy keeping an eye out for these magnificent birds.

Water sports including fishing and water skiing are always popular on the lake; however, fishing from the banks also yields a good amount of crappie, bass and bream. Facilities:With four boat ramps and three designated swimming areas, theres plenty of ways to enjoy the lake shore. Many sites have electric hookups and theres a pay phone onsite. Nearby Attractions:Explore Chicasawhay and Okatibbee Creeks upstream of the lake. The creeks flow through the Okatibbee State Wildlife Area.