Cooney State Park Campground

Campsite has plenty of spots and decent amenities. Some of the spots have lake access where we saw other campers with their boats tied up to shore. The spots were way too close together for my liking. There were almost no trees, which meant no privacy from other campers. The campsite was EXTREMELY overpriced. We paid $36 for one night of tent camping ($8 vehicle fee and $26 tenters fee). This might be a reasonable price for RVs hooked up to electricity and water, but this was a ripoff for tenters that used only the pit toilet amenity. The lake was pretty, but I will absolutely continue on and camp in the Beartooth Mtns next time around.

Lake is 50 feet deep, clean, great kayaking and fishing. Stream provides fly fish opportunity and white water kayaking.

Reserved a spot in the cottonwood loop, #10. Nice little semi secluded section of beach, soft sand and the water temp was great. Went to start setting up camp and their were ants and a variety other bugs EVERYWHERE. We left. Would not camp here, but was a good spot to cool off for the afternoon. Probably better if you have an RV.

The lake has nice options for all levels of use. Be prepared for gravel roads to get to them. There are very nice spots to park and enjoy the water for the day all the way up to multiple unit powered camp sites for large groups. Vault toilets are as clean as can be, water spigots at camp spots are nice to have. It’s really laid out well to enjoy the whole lake. Whether you’re on a unicorn floatie or a giant wave boat this lake is a nice way to spend a day or a week. There are three boat launches and a really nice fish cleaning station. There are also abundant trout and carp to be cleaned if you buy a license and bring gear. Reserve the spots ahead on recreation.gov. The proximity to surrounding towns brings the typical weekenders with lots of kiddos, Fido’s, and weirdos and (of course) the occasional drunk firesiders. The camp hosts do a great job of making sure everyone is safe and has an enjoyable experience without being super nosey. They also have firewood and ice for sale. There isn’t fuel or food, so pack that in and pack it back out. It’s not wilderness or a spectacular destination, but it’s a nice place to spend a few days to get away from the usual grind.

Stayed on the north shore side of the reservoir. Did the "camp in the truck bed" thing. There's a neighborhood on the north shore, so it becomes an early morning of it's mid-week since cars start leaving to head to work. The lake is a nice sight in the morning. The dog loved it.

It lacks trees at most campsites, but that’s ok…it’s easy to get in and out of, the sites are level and every one has a view of the lake.

Its clean, sites are generous (i.e….not on top of each other)

The lake is easy to access by power boat or kayak. I would go back in a minute.

Cell phone service was lacking…it sits down in a valley but then again, I camp to get away from that.

the public toilets are clean and well stocked.

we took the back roads there…they were flat and so well groomed!

There were lots of families there…great place to turn your kids loose and not worry about them

This review is of the red lodge arm campground area. There are a few others at different parts of the park. The draw for this campground is the lake/reservoir. The sites are a decent size but offer very little in terms of vegetation or privacy. If you like to get to know your neighbors this may be the place for you. Other campgrounds in the park such as Cottonwood offer more serene locations. This campground does have a boat ramp, a play structure for the kids and a fish cleaning station.

We stayed on the South Shore and it was clean, quiet and decent fishing!

Fishing is impossible due to all the boats and jet skis. They are very reckless on the water. Just not my cup of tea.