Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Louisville, MS

Legion State Park Campground and Lake Tiak-O'Khata allow pets throughout their established camping areas near Louisville. Both parks provide water and electric hookups for RV campers, with Legion State Park featuring 50-amp service ideal for larger rigs with pets. The campgrounds maintain clean facilities with trash collection at each site, eliminating concerns about pet waste disposal. Campsite layouts offer minimal privacy between neighbors, though Legion State Park's quiet atmosphere creates a relaxing environment for pet owners seeking peaceful retreats. Sites at both locations include picnic tables and fire rings, allowing campers to enjoy outdoor meals while keeping pets secured nearby.

Jeff Busby Campground, located 30 miles northwest of Louisville on the Natchez Trace Parkway, offers free pet-friendly camping with spacious pull-through sites. The campground provides flush toilets and water spigots but no electric hookups or dump stations for RVs. A one-mile nature trail extends to a scenic overlook, offering excellent dog walking opportunities. Despite limited amenities, campers praise the clean facilities and quiet setting. First-come, first-served availability means pet owners should arrive early during peak seasons to secure a spot. Choctaw Lake's campsites along the water provide another option, though reviews indicate the rocky tent pads aren't ideal for pet owners with ground tents. The surrounding national forest land offers additional hiking opportunities for active dogs.

Best Dog-Friendly Sites Near Louisville, Mississippi (26)

    1. Choctaw Lake

    8 Reviews
    Ackerman, MS
    12 miles
    Website
    +1 (662) 285-3264

    $20 - $40 / night

    "The sign claims you can pay in the park, the dump is outside the park, at the entrance or exit. Afterwards we continued to “in the park” to pay with our 53’ rig with car in tow."

    "**Nice cozy campground on the lake. The campsites are almost all right next to the water, but there isn’t too much tree cover despite very large campsites."

    2. Legion State Park Campground

    2 Reviews
    Louisville, MS
    2 miles
    Website
    +1 (662) 773-8323

    3. Lake Tiak-O'Khata Campground

    1 Review
    Louisville, MS
    2 miles
    Website
    +1 (662) 773-7853

    "This is a great family spot with a nice swimming beach on a lake with slides and diving boards. Great restaurant as well. Kids will love it!"

    4. Jeff Busby Campground

    5 Reviews
    Ackerman, MS
    24 miles

    "Nice nature walk to a view, 1 mile each way."

    5. Starkville KOA

    5 Reviews
    Starkville, MS
    28 miles
    Website
    +1 (662) 324-0607

    "Unfortunately the lake has mostly dried up and no longer hits the shoreline of the campground (apparently been this way for 6 years)."

    "They gave us a break on the 2nd night stay due to our situation. Changing this to a 5!!"

    6. Neshoba County Lake

    3 Reviews
    Decatur, MS
    29 miles
    Website
    +1 (601) 432-2212

    "Are pets allowed (on leash of course), kids friendly?"

    "Advice: walk the dirt path to the very end and camp there."

    7. Kemper County Lake

    1 Review
    Meridian, MS
    29 miles
    Website
    +1 (601) 743-5505

    "Beautiful lake. Never crowded! Love camping here!"

    8. Pickensville Campground

    13 Reviews
    Brooksville, MS
    46 miles
    Website
    +1 (205) 373-6328

    $32 - $36 / night

    "It will take you to the recreation area and you will have to turn around. The campground can’t be seen from the main road."

    "The weather discourages us from paddling, but we enjoy walking through this 176 site campground. Bathhouses and grounds are clean."

    9. Indian Mound Campground

    1 Review
    Starkville, MS
    30 miles
    Website
    +1 (662) 312-0387

    "This campground is tucked away off a side road from highway! It’s a pretty low key campground with more permanent homes."

    10. Dewayne Hayes Campground

    9 Reviews
    Columbus, MS
    47 miles
    Website
    +1 (662) 434-6939

    $26 - $36 / night

    "The walking path is about 3 miles round trip from the the day-use boat ramp and playground to the campground end. Camp hosts are friendly and campsites are well maintained."

    "Lots of small hiking trails. Nothing too fancy. Dollar general 10 minutes down the road if you need anything. Several primitive sites. Our troop made friends with some other kids nearby as well."

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Recent Dog-Friendly Camping Photos near Louisville, MS

5 Photos of 26 Louisville Campgrounds


Dog-Friendly Camping Reviews near Louisville, MS

101 Reviews of 26 Louisville Campgrounds


  • Michelle W.
    May. 29, 2019

    Gin Creek

    Nice quiet week here.

    6 sites. Shady all day.. no water, elec, and 1 pit toliet. PET FRIENDLY. my girls and i enjoyed our time walking around. Only thing to becareful of was the ants and ticks. Price was $10 a night with seniors 1/2 off

  • M
    May. 8, 2023

    Neshoba County Lake

    Questionable

    Can anyone tell me about the primitive camping? My husband and children are planning a camping trip for this weekend over Mother’s Day, we are new to the neshoba county area. I see that fishing has great reviews, but what other amenities are there? Are pets allowed (on leash of course), kids friendly?

  • Napunani
    Dec. 13, 2022

    Legion State Park Campground

    Worst Campground, but Cheap!

    PROS 

    Over 65 discount resulted in$15/night 

    Quiet 

    Moveable Wooden metal picnic table in good condition on concrete slab 

    Pedestal BBQ grill 

    Toilet/shower building has AC 

    Clean toilet/shower building 

    Ample TP, paper towels and soap available in toilet/shower building 

    Trash barrel at each campsite 

    Park very close to Louisville

    2 bars T-MOBILE


    CONS 

    No personnel at entrance gate at 1pm and again at 230pm but was at gate 415pm Phone number posted at entrance gate office so I called, but no one answered so left voice message. Still waiting on a call back…yes still...

    Site reservation posted to site electrical box which is not viewable from roadway 

    No ranger drive thru campground 

    No park host 

    Not dark sky friendly as there are street lights at sites 15 and 11 with 3 street lights at the toilet/shower building 

    Few of the 15 sites here are level side-to-side. We had to get creative in our site #4 as when parked on the asphalt pad we did not have enough leveling equipment so had to straddle pad with door side on the gravel. 

    Huge pot holes in the asphalt parking pass site 

    #4 No campfire“ring” at campsites so we just has a fire on the ground 

    No privacy from any other site 

    Shower curtain for toilet stall “doors” in both men and women 

    No park WIFI

  • Hannah C.The Dyrt PRO User
    Mar. 18, 2022

    Jeff Busby Campground, Milepost 193.1 — Natchez Trace Parkway

    It was ok

    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!

  • Tiffany B.
    Oct. 14, 2018

    Lake Lowndes State Park Campground

    Great campground!

    The park manager and workers are so nice and accommodating! I’ve stayed in the cabins and the primitive sites and both had wonderful views of the lake. The hiking trail that loops around the water is beautiful. My dog loves it too! It’s such a great place to go relax, have fun, grill out, and make memories.

  • RThe Dyrt PRO User
    Nov. 29, 2023

    Choctaw Lake

    Dump Station!

    This is a great place to dump your tanks. Only one problem and we expect it to be resolved soon. The charge is $5.00 but there is no one to pay! The sign claims you can pay in the park, the dump is outside the park, at the entrance or exit. Afterwards we continued to “in the park” to pay with our 53’ rig with car in tow. We looked for a place to pay we gave up and had to try to turn around running over the curb with Motorhome and car we thought we should just mail the fee. A BOX AT THE DUMP STATION SEAM TO BE A SIMPLE FIX.

  • Tris W.
    Nov. 2, 2020

    Indian Mound Campground

    Good stop for a night

    This campground is tucked away off a side road from highway! It’s a pretty low key campground with more permanent homes. The spots are close together and not a lot of privacy but we were just passing through for the night so it was fine for us! Close to the town where MSU is!

    They had 2 showers that had hot water, no laundry

    The lady who checked us in was nice and showed us to our spot!

  • Daniel S.
    Oct. 8, 2017

    Twiltley Branch

    Perfect to split camping trip between this and Gin Creek

    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.

  • Lynn G.
    Sep. 30, 2017

    Choctaw Lake

    National Forest lakeside camping

    Nice cozy campground on the lake. The campsites are almost all right next to the water, but there isn’t too much tree cover despite very large campsites. This may help a little with increasing breeze since we didn’t have as many bugs as we expected. Yay: Nice little beach for swimming, boating and fishing. All quite clean, water and power at each campsite, great showers. Simple but all you could want.

    **Nay: Nice hiking trails around the lake, and other great trails nearby.  **

    Surprise:  Saw eagles and some cute little red birds we couldn’t identify :) There is a disc golf course nearby (but we don’t play).


Guide to Louisville

Dispersed camping options near Louisville, Mississippi provide access to wooded settings and waterfront sites across several counties. The region's clay soil can create challenges during the rainy seasons, with spring thunderstorms often limiting access to unprepared vehicles. Campsites in national forest areas typically sit at elevations between 300-600 feet, creating drainage variations that campers should consider when selecting sites.

What to do

Hiking at natural overlooks: Jeff Busby Campground features a one-mile nature trail leading to scenic views. "Nice nature walk to a view, 1 mile each way," notes Jacqueline A. about this free campsite on the Natchez Trace.

Shoreline fishing: Choctaw Lake offers direct waterfront access for anglers. "Sites 5 and 8 are our favorite. Really, any site on the small lake is great. Those are the smaller number spots. Almost always one available. Large hands in the smaller lake," reports Jonathon B. about the fishing opportunities.

Water recreation: Lake Tiak-O'Khata Campground provides family-friendly swimming options. "This is a great family spot with a nice swimming beach on a lake with slides and diving boards. Great restaurant as well. Kids will love it!" shares Colette H. about the lake facilities.

What campers like

Peaceful atmosphere: Legion State Park offers tranquility close to town. "Very relaxing great set up and very quiet," says Cathy C. about the park environment.

Well-maintained facilities: DeWayne Hayes Campground receives consistent praise for upkeep. "Wonderful campground! Great people taking care of it. Will be visiting a lot!" mentions Marilyn L., while another camper adds, "Friendly staff, Level sites, clean restrooms. Boat ramp inside campground."

Affordability: Most campgrounds in the area maintain reasonable rates. "Over 65 discount resulted in $15/night," notes a Legion State Park visitor about the cost advantage, while Jeff Busby's free camping makes it attractive for budget-conscious travelers.

What you should know

Weather considerations: Spring brings heavy rainfall that can affect camping conditions. The clay soil common throughout the region becomes slippery when wet, potentially limiting vehicle access to unprepared campsites.

Reservation systems vary: Some campgrounds require advance booking while others operate first-come, first-served. At Pickensville Campground, a visitor explains, "Due to covid they have a limit and you now have to book online at recreation.gov, they do not take cash or card at the gate."

Limited cellular service: Many sites have spotty coverage. "Verizon signal not great, but good," reports Rick G. about DeWayne Hayes Campground, while another camper mentions having "2 bars T-MOBILE" at Legion State Park.

Tips for camping with families

Kid-friendly amenities: Look for campgrounds with dedicated play areas. "There is a playground for kids, a boat dock if you have one, or you can just fish right off your site," explains Tiffany C. about Choctaw Lake's family-friendly setup.

Scout-appropriate locations: Some sites work well for youth group outings. "We went in April with our scouting troop. Very busy even then. Lots of small hiking trails. Nothing too fancy. Dollar general 10 minutes down the road if you need anything. Several primitive sites. Our troop made friends with some other kids nearby as well."

Swimming options for hot days: Several lakes offer designated swimming areas. At Starkville KOA, "they used to have what looked like an awesome beach area, water slides, boat ramps etc..." though a reviewer notes water levels have receded in recent years.

Tips from RVers

Site selection for leveling: Many campgrounds have uneven terrain. "Few of the 15 sites here are level side-to-side. We had to get creative in our site #4 as when parked on the asphalt pad we did not have enough leveling equipment," warns a Legion State Park visitor.

Dump station access: Check availability before arrival. "This is a great place to dump your tanks. Only one problem and we expect it to be resolved soon. The charge is $5.00 but there is no one to pay!" shares a Choctaw Lake camper, highlighting the need for planning.

Power supply variations: Campgrounds offer different electrical options. At Jeff Busby, a visitor notes they "stayed here just one night. plenty of place for our rv. First come first serve. has water and bathrooms. Quiet at night and in morning," but reminds that there are no electric hookups for pet-friendly camping near Louisville, Mississippi.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which is the most popular dog-friendly campsite near Louisville, MS?

According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular dog-friendly campground near Louisville, MS is Choctaw Lake with a 4-star rating from 8 reviews.

What is the best site to find dog-friendly camping near Louisville, MS?

TheDyrt.com has all 26 dog-friendly camping locations near Louisville, MS, with real photos and reviews from campers.