Best Cabin Camping near Lucedale, MS

Blakely State Park is a very large State Park, with different choices for camping. There are larger primitive tent sites, smaller tent sites with power/water hookups, RV sites, two primitive cabins and 2 newer cabins which are very nice. There's TONS of hiking, a battleground for history buffs, a playground, a boatdock, lots of hiking, horseback riding etc.

I stayed in one of the two Squirrels Nest, which are primitive cabins. Basically open air cabins. 2 walls, a roof and 2 walls of screens. There are two wooden platforms for beds. A twin and a queen, and barstools to sit inside and look out into the woods, over the hill in which they are nestled. There's a sink (but no water) and a cabinet, and outside a large deck with bench seating. Below is a fire pit and picnic table. There is a shared porta potty outside of the two cabins. These cabins are a bit of a drive out in the woods, so make sure your vehicle is up to it. It's very peaceful out there. My cabin was inhabited by mice at night, so I kept my food in airtight plastic paint bucket containers & my belongings covered by garbage bags on one of the platforms and had my air mattress inside a pop-up mosquito tent, so the mice did not bother me. I was after all in their house. I sprinkled peppermint oil around my gear & my bed platform to keep the mice away. Next time I will have my food in a large cooler so that the wildlife is not attracted.

There are hiking trails by these sites, as well as, steps down the hill, leading off into another trail.

i would stay there again. Great place to get away.

We have heard great things about Paul B. Johnson for years, even before we began our own camping adventures. It was definitely a campground we were excited to check out, so we booked a long weekend getaway with the promise of beautiful spring weather. Unfortunately, our trip here was cut short due to a family emergency, but we were able to scope things out for future adventures.

It was a bit of a trek from our home on a work night, so we arrived after dark at site 67. This campground does not lock up at night, so this was not a major issue. We entered the campground through what we later learned was a back entrance off of Geiger Lake Road, so we didn’t check in until the next morning at the visitor center. The sites were not well marked with numbers, so we had to drive around a time or two to locate our site (with me occasionally getting out of the truck to read the site numbers painted in yellow on the road). The main entrance to the park has a much “fancier” building than the back entrance and leads you to drive over a spillway (which is TOTALLY safe, so no worries). The roads in the campground are narrow, two-lane roads but are not conducive to two RVs passing one another. We had to get off of the road for others to pass.

Our site was lakeside on a hill leading down to a pier that jutted into the lake. It also had a grill and wooden picnic table that was movable. Having full hook up was nice! However, the connections were quite spread out with the water pretty far back from the other connections at this site (we needed two water hoses). There was no dedicated fire ring but there was evidence of camp fires, so we just cleared a space and set up our chairs. However, some sites had a metal fire ring and concrete picnic tables. Lower numbered sites are older with newer sites being those in the 100s. The newer sites are more level and have concrete pads instead of asphalt pavement. However, the views aren’t nearly as nice. Site 16 is next to a pier that leads to an island (super cool but everyone can access that, so you’d lose privacy). Many sites have decks, but that really sacrifices “yard space” if that’s an important factor for you. Some sites we were interested in for our next visit included 71 and 84, but we really loved site 67 and would give it another go for a future visit.

Camp Shelby is nearby, so you’ll hear various noises from that (not overly distracting but I wish I would have known before arriving). There is a splash pad, lake swimming, and several picnic areas near the visitor center that would be awesome for kids and families when the weather is warmer. There are so many species of birds if you enjoy bird watching like we do. We enjoyed watching geese and ducks on Geiger Lake in the morning. There’s also a nature trail that we didn’t get to check out. The views from our camper were beautiful at Paul B, and we would love to visit this campground again soon!

I have done tent camping at this park a couple times. All of the sites are close together and the ants are ridiculous. I had read reviews about the ants prior so I came prepared. Each site has a picnic table & fire ring. There is a boat launch, which is popular, a pier and also 2 cabins that you can rent. This is a popular park for RV's. And of course there is a shower house & covered picnic tables.

I chose a specific site with water view which was enjoyable. The street lights throughout the park are very bright, so if you're light sensitive when you sleep, use a darker tent. All the sites have power & water hookups.

April 4, 2021 Camper Van Site: Harper #7 Primitive $20 Over 2,000 acres crisscrossed with trails. Interesting replication of the ghost town of Blakeley which disappeared around 1830, but before then it rivaled Mobile in population and economy. Harper loop, where I camped, is at least a mile into the woods and has no hook ups. The sites have picnic tables and fire rings and offer decent privacy. Bath house is 7 minute walk. My shower was cold. Dumpsters near bath house. Staff house nearby. Staff very pleasant and helpful. Wish I could stay more than two nights.

RV park closer to entrance.

Despite the appearance of an unglorified RV parking lot with basically zero privacy and not much space in between the individual RV’s, this spot is a decent stopover if you need to pull your mobile living room over for a short spell. Lakeview RV Resort has more than 100 individual parking lanes for residents and I found the community to be inviting and friendly  there’s even some social gatherings poolside (very nice feature) each night around sundown. 

Of course, the gem of this place is the 16 acre lake, which I was able to get my kayak into for a few quick handful of laps early in the morning. If you’re driving an RV or hauling a camper behind your SUV, then this concrete camping parking lot just off of Highway 15 (due north of Interstate 10) near Saucier may just be the perfect spot for you. But if you’re a diehard tent camper like I am, you’ll be out of luck. 

With ample slanted and elongated parking lanes for your parking pleasure, all of the sites come equipped with the typical 30 / 50 amp electrical hook-ups, waste disposal and water connections, picnic tables, garbage receptacles and even a community BBQ. Additionally, they’ve got a small boat launch, cement / asphalt pads, internet, laundr-O-mat, pavilion for large group events and propane for sale. The restrooms were pretty decent (but could use a serious power spraying).  You’ll discover that both RV’s as well as even a handful of cabins / cottages comingle here, but basically, this is a site designed for and around RV’s.

Insider’s Tip? Near this RV parking lot, you do have access to all of the nightlife and entertainment you would expect to find in nearby Biloxi, and of course, there’s the world-famous Gulf Shores beachheads that are just a short drive to. I’m a diehard foodie, so after a few days of cooking campside, I like to head into town for a nice local meal. There’s 2 great places I could recommend, right off RT. 10, due south of Lakeview RV Resort– either Puff Belly’s Brewery, Pizza& Grill(great live review here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b55Vs2hnJk4&t=7s) or Fried Green Tomato, which lives up to its reputation as the Best Fried Green Tomatoes in the South(https://www.tasteofthesouthmagazine.com/souths-best-fried-green-tomatoes/). 

Overall, for the price, convenience and location, Lakeview RV Resort isn’t a bad spot for a night to take a break. 

Happy Camping!

It was great to visit this hidden gem again and I was pleasantly surprised at what great shape it was in following Hurricane Irma and other tropical storms last year. We visited in late November/early December so the bugs weren't too bad at all. We did experience an incredible line of thunderstorms but managed to get some exploring in before the weather moved in.

There are only a few sites here and they are quite small, perfect for small RVs, tents or sleeping in your car. Large oaks and other vegetation provide ample shade for the cooler fall months. Our two four legged fellas enjoyed the flat open grass/dirt area around the campsite and were able to be on their leads without wandering too far in to the thick brush on the edge of the site.

There's a small picnic table that can be moved quite easily as well as well maintained fire rings at each site. There is fresh water available and electric hookups at each site. The bathrooms are clean, as are the showers. The ranger at the entrance station was friendly and chatty. From the campground you can walk along the road (back toward the Visitor's Center) a ways and the duck into the woods or jump on the boardwalk. Keep your eyes peeled, there are some impressive alligators hanging around.

We paid $22 for a site with power and water here. There is a dump station but it's right in the middle of the campground near the bathhouse, kind of an awkward location.

This was a quick overnight for us, and we didn't spend much time outside because it was pretty muggy and buggy when we stayed here at the end of February. Also, sites are paved, but ours anyway had a pretty steep dropoff to the picnic table and fire pit so the site was just an awkward feeling spot.

Sites are kind of run down but for the price we were happy.

Free hot showers. No laundry machines.

Overall a good place if you need to dump/fill/shower, but not a place I'd come to as a destination.