Best Dog-Friendly Camping near Water Valley, MS

We are only here for a few days during the week, but were assured that it would be packed on the weekends. Alot of locals come to use the lake, with a boat ramp right next to the campsites. The boys enjoyed swimming in the lake and riding their bikes around. The visitors center is worth a visit. 4/5 based on tons of dog poop, curbing of dogs is not enforced.

We loved the park. Great for walking our dogs. The only issue was the poor road maintenance in getting to our campsite. Other than that, we enjoyed our stay tremendously and will definitely recommend to friends and family.

This campground is on Sardis Lake, but is off the beaten path from everything else. The campground is old, but the sites are roomy. Some are shaded and some are in the sun.

There is a playground and a large open field in the middle for games, sports activities, dogs to run, etc.

The bathhouse isn’t the worst I have seen. It gets the job done, but the floor in the shower area seems to be falling apart.

We reserved campsites 13 and 14, at the far end, behind the restrooms. You have to park in the parking lot and carry your stuff to the site. But it’s a tent-only campground and there were only a couple other tents there so it was quiet and peaceful. Our lots were large.

There was plenty of firewood to be collected on site.

There’s a boat launch but it didn’t add significant traffic or noise.

The bathrooms were…campsite bathrooms. Not the best, not the worst. No locked on stall doors. No soap. But the toilets flushed so there’s that.

Very pretty view of Sardis Lake.

The negatives: The flies!! They were so so bad! And bighty!! My poor dogs were covered in flies, as were we.

Other negative is just about a previous camper. At our site, we picked up literally a case’s worth of Coors beer bottle caps. Evidently they didn’t throw away a single one, even though garbage is provided and literally just right there.

Wow! In the middle off Mississippi just a few miles off Natchez Trace parkway is this lovely little campground on a lake. And super affordable. We planned on only staying 1 night but we like it so much we will make it two nights.

Stopped here for a night traveling through Mississippi. It is a little out of the way, but quiet. You drive down the Natches trace to get here. The sites were large enough to relax, and the neighbors were not right on top of us. Bathroom was ok, but the shower was not working when we were there. Close to Tupelo if you like Elvis.

Very nice campground. With family gatherings discouraged due to covid we decided to camp. We used site 58. Site has 30 50 15 amp, water and sewer. Concrete pad with extra concrete vehicle parking. Bathroom is directly in front with toilets and showers. Very clean and warm (low Christmas eve and Christmas 23). Concete picnic table, grill and grill table. Fire ring. This site will be waterfront in summer but with the winter let down no water right now. All together a great, well maintained facility. Also the north mississippi fish hatchery is here but closed for the holidays.

Very laid back atmosphere here. We really enjoyed relaxing in our lounge chairs, listening to the birds and watching the water. Enid Lake has an earthen dam and was built for flood control. We enjoyed the nearby North Mississippi Fish Hatchery and Visitors Center. The town of Batesville, MS is about 10 miles north on I-55 and has many stores for supplies. If you have reservations, be sure you know your site number since no one works at the gate. Even though it’s a bit hilly, all of the sites are level. Nice paved roads with most sites on large concrete pads with water and electric (50A). We stayed on site 28 which is a pull-thru on a paved pad and is waterfront with beautiful panoramic views of Enid Lake.

We heard about this new RV park through a blog email and decided to check it out. Following our GPS from I-22, we had no trouble finding the campground (CG).  We arrived at 3:00 PM to find the office closed, with a sign on the door indicating they would return at 3:30. Although we had prepaid for our reservation, we had not been assigned a site number. We called the contact number and left a message. A few minutes later, we received a call back with our site number and were informed that we could proceed to site 26 and check in once the staff member returned from lunch. Site 26 with FHUs is 1 of 6 pull through cement sites in the CG. The 4 back-in sites are cement pads. The pad was spacious, providing ample room for our 40’ fifth wheel and F-450 truck. There are two sewer connections on both cement and gravel sites, which is a nice convenience. Water and electric hookups are centrally located on the pad, though the electric connection sits low to the ground, requiring us to bend the surge protector to plug in. The water pressure was adequate at around 40 psi. The CG Wi-Fi worked well for basic tasks such as email and web browsing, including Facebook, though we did not attempt to stream. Facilities include a clean shower and restroom area, as well as a laundry room equipped with four washers and four dryers, each costing$3 per use. During our visit, the small dog run was unavailable due to maintenance or AstroTurf installation. A small playground is located adjacent to it. Most of the sites are pull-through, with a few back-in sites near the cabins. There is highway and train noise, but not too bad. The office carries a selection of snacks, drinks, and some RV essentials. Overall, the CG is a few miles west of Tupelo, with limited attractions nearby. While it offers good amenities and a convenient layout, the remote location may not appeal to those looking for nearby entertainment or dining options. This CG worked well for our overnighter.

Trace State Park near Tupelo, MS. Once you get into Tupelo the signage directing you to the park is easy to find and follow.

The road in is in terrible shape, the lake is missing, the levy being worked on. They have horse, ATV and mountain bike trails which are in okay shape but could use some TLC. There are rental cabins and the store is limited to souvenir type merchandise and disc’s.

The staff at the park were very helpful and the facilities, which included a showerhouse/multipurpose room and screened porch were very well taken care of. I definitely liked the large shower stalls!

The sites are spacious, including a fire area, picnic table, electric hookup, water and sewer hook up. You have some privacy and depending on your site sparse to full shade.

There is Disc golf, fishing, and currently limited water sports.We used the multipurpose room and a nearby site that had more then enough room for all of us to sit around the fire.

Tupelo, Mississippi is nearby with Elvis’s birthplace. In addition there are several recreation areas to visit on the Natchez Trace with historical information and trails to explore.

Ranger review: RoM Outdoors RoM Pack at Trace State Park, Tupelo, Mississippi 

Campground Review: I took the scenic Natchez Trace Parkway from Tennessee down into Mississippi and exited near Tupelo to continue into Trace State Park for a camping event I was attending over the weekend. Once you get into Tupelo the signage directing you to the park is easy to find and follow. 

The park itself needs some work. Recent cuts from the state have left the park in need of road work and the levy repair is taking a while to complete according to locals. Where we camped the lake was dry and full of weeds. You could tell by the shoreline that it would be possible to anchor your water craft very near your campsite in several locations once it is refilled with water. 

That being said the staff at the park were very helpful and the facilities, which included a showerhouse/multipurpose room and screened porch were very well taken care of. I definitely liked the large shower stalls!

The sites are spacious, including a fire area, picnic table, electric hookup, water and sewer hook up. The spacing between sites is good too, you have some privacy and depending on your site sparse to full shade.

Disc golf, multi-use trails, fishing, currently limited water sports.

After set up our group met in the multipurpose room and then congregated to a nearby site that had more then enough room for all of us to sit around the fire. 

Tupelo, Mississippi is nearby and I visited Elvis’s birthplace , “Scarlet’s Donuts”(maple bacon donuts, and tamales) and an excellent BBQ place “Clays House of Pig”. So if you like to sneak to town while camping this is a nice area for it. There are thrift and antique stores close too.

Product Review: As a Dyrt Ranger I recently received a **RoM Outdoors ** RoM Pack https://romoutdoors.com/ to use , abuse and review while camping. I explored one of the three main trails in Trace SP. The trails are multi-use (ie. ATV, Horse, Dirt bike, Hikers) so pay attention to the signs and be aware of the area. We hiked 4.5 miles. The first thing you will notice about the RoM****Pack is that it has some weight to it (4.6 lbs)even empty. This is due to the outer water resistant material and the inner, soft, insulated material. There are two detachable bags, and a smaller inner pack to carry them in when you remove them to transform your pack into......a hooded poncho or ground cover , cool idea!

So obviously this is not an overnight type backpack or something a fast packer would use. It is however a versatile option for day hikes, visits to the park or sporting events and I used it to pack my Dachshund when he was done hiking ;)

I haven’t attempted to attach a hydration bladder and decided to just place my entire hydration pack into the main area of the RoM Pack. This works in two ways. First if I don’t need the poncho/blanket I have my hydration in easy reach. Second if I do use the poncho/blanket my hydration pack fits fine under the inner pack on my back with poncho over that. 

Definitely practice folding and unfolding the poncho/blanket . I had my usual dysfunction , just like with the hiking maps, I got it unfolded and user ready but then had issues putting it back into its original folded configuration. I eventually got it back together. There is a video on their site to make it easier. Just remember it will get faster with muscle memory over time.

Once again this is not a pack I would use for extended deep woods adventures. It’s great for your day hikes with the kids, concert in the park or hike into a picnic spot, would work for hunting too.

Pro’s: All in one (ie, carry pack, two secure bags, blanket/poncho, inner pack, Molle straps to add other accessories)

Water resistant outer shell

Soft warm inner lining

_Durable material _

Well made

Con’s: Heavy

Limited packing space( the large middle pocket is gone when you unfold it_)_

_Not for overnight/deep woods(_technically not a con, not the concept of the bag)

This will be my go to bag when adventuring with my grandkids. I would/will suggest this pack to friends with specific uses in mind. There are currently three color options and several other products to explore on the ROM Outdoors site

Rolling hills in Mississippi but all the sites are level concrete pads with water and electric (50A). There are three circles each with their own dump station and paved roads. Loop 1-36 over looks Grenada Lake with several sites having nice water access. Many have great views but I really liked 14 and 17. Loop 37-61 used to be the tent loop so the sites were a bit closer and the road was less big rig friendly but still quite nice. We were in site 50. The other loop, 62-88, over looks a pond with a swimming area and two fishing piers. Each loop has 10 first come sites so about 60% are reservable. If you have reservations, remember your site number since there is no one working at the gate (there is none).

This place was full of families for the Memorial Day weekend. We just relaxed and did a little people watching. The cg is right next to the earthen dam that you drive over to go to the town of Grenada. Grenada Lake is quite nice with a few day use areas and a State Park CG on the banks of the Outflow Channel. There is a Visitor Center on the other side of the dam that has a nice view of the dam and lake. Within the cg, there is a dam to form a pond. You have to drive over that dam to get to one of the loops. Kinda crowded but a nice place to ride bikes, at least all the kids thought so. Golf carts are popular with the locals.

This is another great Corps of Engineers parks where you find really nice campsites set on great waterfront setting. The campground sits on Enid Lake which is recognized as one of “One of America’s Top 10 Fishing Spots.” And since the park is just shy of 100 sites you don’t feel like it is not too big. Plan on staying here for a couple of days and relaxing in the outdoors. Stock up on supplies because there is not much around. Sites are really nice and spacious with paved driveways and patios. 

They just added sewer with makes a full hookup at $20/night a total bargain. Each site has a fire pit, picnic table, bbq grill, small concrete stand next to bbq, and lantern crook. The bathhouse was modern with flush toilets with clean showers. Not all sites are level in fact we had to pass up a couple because of that reason. If you come in the off-season, there are plenty of sites not reserved so you can drive around and pick on using the self-pay system. Some sites have amazing water views if you are able to snag one of those you are in for a great stay. The campground is pretty hilly but the roads were easy enough for us to navigate in our 45’ RV and tow car . 

The lake is very popular for fishing and there is a boat launch/fish cleaning station. We didn’t have fishing licenses but loved paddling around the lake. The North Mississippi Fish Hatchery(by the Enid Dam) is a fun place to visit and tour for very small fee. If you go into the town of Pope, the restaurant "The Place" offers good food set in a refurbishing an historic building.