Waterford is an ideal place for camping adventures of all kinds. Waterford is a great camping destination for everyone. There are tons of nearby hikes, adventurous activities, and sights to see. Find the best campgrounds near Waterford, MS. Read reviews from campers like you and find your perfect campsite.
"One bathroom away from the sites in the "day use" area. Mostly fisherman. The lake has motor oil/ fuel running on the surface. The docks nice, wide with bench seating."
"We’ve frequented this small space since childhood. It’s very well remote off of HWY 30 in the Holly Springs National Forest."
"No hookups. Nothing. But, it is a free campground so what can you say. It’s rather nice there. This is a very small campground with about 5 spots."
$8 / night
"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."
"Cars stay in the parking lot, and you walk up to your site. Pretty basic. Running water, flushable toilets, no showers. Quiet area.
Early march, it was raining and I was the only one there"
"Nice little spot with about 8 tent sites. No hookups of any kind for campers. Bathrooms are currently closed, but we’re nice when we stayed there, but old. Drinking water is available."
"This is an off the beaten path area for standard recreation. It’s technically a boat ramp that accesses Arkabutla Lake with picnic and camping areas nearby."
LegendPROS
No transaction fee assessed for making my own online reservation
Site 8 excellent view of lake
Asphalt parking pad
Pedestal BBQ, moveable wooden picnic table and rock campfire pit.
Eagle Ridge campground has 3 washers and 3 dryers $1.50
Heated toilet/shower blding. No AC tho - just a box fan.
1 bar T-MOBILE but we’re able to live stream TV via T-MOBILE hot spot
CONS
No senior discount
Site number is painted in the roadway and due to leaves on road difficult to find Numerous large road potholes from entrance gate to campground. Guess this eliminates any need for speed bumps!
Not dark sky friendly due to 2 street lights, at site 2 and 13, that light up most of the small campground loop
Deer Run campsites very close to each other
Site 8 unlevel side-to-side
Dirt and sand surrounded asphalt parking pad so during rains (for 2 days) it was a big mess
No privacy from any other campsite
Due to campsite water spigot being low to ground, insufficient space to add water filter
Deer Run campground toilet/shower building is not handicap accessible
Trash roll offs outside of camping loop. 15 minute walk one way.
No park WIFI
GuideVery 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.
ScoutThe campground was well maintained. The bathrooms were well kept, including showers. There is a day use area with a boat ramp, pavilion, beach, and playground. The only downside is the sites are very close together! We stayed in a tent and I booked based on the map. The tent sites are not shown correctly. There are 7 walk in sites grouped together. Each site had their own electric box and shared a water faucet. Not much privacy, but my daughter loved running around with the other kids.
LegendWe arrived just before sunset in late November (dang Daylight Savings time) so quickly got to our site and set up. Did not see anyone to check in but had reservations as now are required at all CoE campgrounds (a ranger drove through the next morning). The water level looked to be very low, but we still had a nice view at the end of the loop.
Sites are FHU and other amenities include a large concrete picnic table, lantern hook, fire pit, BBQ grill, and food prep table. Sites are paved, generous in size, and spaced a very decent distance apart from each other; even though all the leaves had fallen and there were other campers in our loop, I did not feel a lack of privacy.
The restrooms were clean and although there were paper towels, the soap dispensers were empty (my only beef with this campground)! The showers looked to be reasonable, but it was below freezing the next morning, so I didn’t try them out. There was also what appeared to be a utility sink in the bathroom but no shelves or other place to stage dishes.
I can only assume that water sports are in-season and not sure about other recreational activities. Because the ground was frozen the next morning, I was able to walk down to the water and get some great photos of the sunrise and birds.
This was just an overnight stay for us but for $12 (with the Golden Access Pass), it is a real bargain and the reason we often seek out Army Corps of Engineers campgrounds.
GuideI stayed the night in November. It appears to be an old reservoir that has been drained. The site has about 5 campsites with picnic tables and fire rings. Nothing spectacular. The locals do come through to party on the old reservoir.
The reservoir was empty at this location. It seems its part of Lake Enid and there is an old boat ramp, but there was no water in the reservoir.
TravelerVery clean restrooms and shower areas. Site had grill, fire ring, and picnic table. Water and electric hookup
LegendPuskus Lake campground is a nice campground and could be better but parts are starting to hurt from low use. The forest service is looking at removing the campground due to low use. On my visit I was the only one their with the exception of two others fishing out on the lake. Only one of the three outhouses where open and that was the one by the boat launch. All the campsites have picnic tables, metal fire rings and metal poles for hanging your lantern. The campground sit in a nicely forested area just above the lake. While this might be considered somewhat isolated in the area, if this campground was in Montana it would be packed. This is a very nice campground in need of a little TLC and more visitors. Get away from the crowds at those corp of engineer sites and come here for some solitude while you can.
ScoutSome sites are over grown and not maintained. One bathroom away from the sites in the "day use" area. Mostly fisherman. The lake has motor oil/ fuel running on the surface. The docks nice, wide with bench seating. Time has been alright to the paths and roads. Lantern poles are available at all the sites. Possibly ring worms in the water, not sure about all that, however there is a drainage site that turns into a stream with a nice little "hole" to swim or fish in. One site has a short cylinder fire ring with a height adjustable griddle. One site has a dock right in front of it, could park kayaks and or a boat, not sure how deep the water is in terms of what boats. Wonderful sunset, most sites are around 100-50 feet from the water.
NF camp, so $7 for regular people, and $3.50 for those awesome folks with an interagency pass. Concrete boat launch.
Enjoy, busy on the weekend/end of week...
GuideWith all the beautiful views and family recreation offered at Persimmon HIll Campground, you’ll be amazed that these sandy beaches are only a little over an hours drive from Memphis. Accessibility and the cleanliness of the park is why this has been a favorite in our family for many years.
Campground Review:
This weekend we celebrated National Hammock Day, in our Bear Butt Hammock, at site #55. You can book sites online up to 24 hours in advance, or you can show up to camp at one of the non-reservable first come sites. Cost was $20 per night. Each site is well kept with a parking pad, picnic table, lantern pole, fire pit and grill. All sites are generously sized with plenty of room and flat spots to put a tent, plus more than half of the sites have a view of the lake. This go around we were in our pop up, however don’t let all the rigs keep you away, we frequent this campground often with our tent when we need a quick getaway. There are two shower houses in the campground that are aIr conditioned, well lit, and kept clean and stocked daily. A playground and basketball court is centrally located and easily accessable to all families. Behind the playground is a nice nature trail that is lit at night for an evening stroll. While this campground is usually well populated, we’ve only had to camp in the overflow section once in all the 11 years we’ve been bringing our family here, and that was during a Fourth of July weekend.
Persimmon Hill Recreation Area is a well maintained picnic/day use area with a sandy beach. (Between here and the campground is where we usually see deer.) Life jackets are provided at the beach if needed. Besides the reservable pavillion, there are many picnic tables along the shoreline. The lake Is great for jet skis, kayaking, and relaxing on an inner tube. A boat launch is located in the campground. Enid Lake is one of the top fishing locations for crappie. The fish are well stocked, and a visit to the hatchery offers some interactive displays, history on the area, and a chance for the kids to feed the fish. Across the dam is a spillway with a handicap accessable fishing pier, a lakeside grocery store, an additional boat ramp, larger sandy swim beach, and the equally clean campground Wallace Creek.
Overall, due to the family feel and cleanliness, we highly recommend the area versus the few lakes closer to Memphis, and we also prefer this campground over others in around the lake with the exception of Wallace Creek.
If interested, check out my reviews of the area on these sites: Trippin’ Southerners website: https://www.trippinsoutherners.com/single-post/2018/03/06/Lake-Life---best-beach-in-the-mid-south
Campground video: https://youtu.be/fEUVvcr3RVQ
Tent camping near Waterford, Mississippi offers a chance to immerse yourself in nature while enjoying the tranquility of the outdoors. With several campgrounds in the area, you can find the perfect spot to pitch your tent and unwind.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is the most popular tent campsite near Waterford, MS?
According to TheDyrt.com, the most popular tent campground near Waterford, MS is Puskus Lake with a 4-star rating from 9 reviews.
What is the best site to find tent camping near Waterford, MS?
TheDyrt.com has all 8 tent camping locations near Waterford, MS, with real photos and reviews from campers.
Keep Exploring
