Best Tent Camping near Columbus, MS

We tent camped in the RV park with 4 dogs. Our campsite (10) was perfect- right on the water, plenty of space, nice even pad for our tent & canopy. The neighbors were kind & the bathrooms well maintained. Definitely will stay again. Nice trails too!

Really nice state park. Recently updated picnic tables. Nice quiet spots. We tent camped on a camper spot. Only complaint is that the showers could use a good remodeling, very dated. Other than that had a great time.

We loved this campground.  There is a trail in the campground that leads to a cypress slough and it is beautiful.  Some campsites are reserveable and some are first come first serve.  There is really not a bad campsite in the campground.  We got half price with America the Beautiful national park pass.  This is a Corp of Engineers park.  The campground hosts were all very friendly and helpful.  People camping in the park were also friendly.  Columbus, MS is just a few miles away and has anything you may need to buy.

Our stay at site 82 from 3/12/21-3/14/21 is filled with the sounds of people working and playing. Sites are nicely spaced. During the week, we enjoy watching pilots from the Columbus Air Force Base honing their skills. The barges, more frequent during the day, have the occasional after dark run. They are fascinating to watch and quite pretty at night.

We paddle in the area by the campground. Almost all motor boaters are very thoughtful in reducing their wake. Many people are fishing, some are catching and some families are out in pleasure boats cruising on the waterway.

If you enjoy hiking make sure to grab a map and walk around Kennedy Lake (more like a pond) and the primitive sites.

We stayed one night (4/25/21) at site 78. Our site was on the water and we were able to catch quite a few bream directly in front of us. It seems like the sites which aren’t waterfront are a little more tent friendly, but our tent fit just fine in the gravel area by the picnic table. We used the grill on site and it was well maintained. Bath houses are very clean and in close proximity to most of the sites. There’s also a nice playground. We have Verizon and had at least 3 bars the entire time

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.

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!

Although we didn’t get a chance to stay the night here on the most recent visit we had an incredible time exploring the lake and beach areas. We also had a chance to wander around the camping area and check out what is available. The lake itself is not enormous but perfect for those who prefer a quiet space to paddle and swim. There are plenty of nooks and crannies to explore and we even found some wild blueberries growing along the banks. The beachfront is kept very clean and there was plenty of space for everyone who was there to enjoy. The bathrooms were also nice and there were several small shaded picnic areas you can use. Though I would suggest getting one early since more were being used by the time we wanted to eat lunch. Overall, the camping area looked nice and provides very easy access to the lake. It is also divided up into multiple areas that are more set up for either tents or RVs.

RV spots are suitable for car camping, although a bit close together with bright street lights and showers are outdated. Still, the camp host treated me kindly, and I enjoyed the scenery and walkability!

I love camping spending time with my family

We stayed in Cottage 1 during our Thanksgiving vacation to visit family. The location was close to family in New Hope and the cottage was nice and cozy. The view of the lake was beautiful in the mornings and we also enjoyed a nice game of disc golf. I gave this stay a 4 out of 5 since there was no cell phone signal for Verizon once you entered the park even though it’s so close to the town of New Hope.