We spent a great weekend at Lake Powhatan. I was a little nervous after reading reviews that said that the staff & hosts could be aggressive. We had no trouble there. Everyone we encountered was very friendly and helpful. I saw a host drive by in a golf cart once, but we were basically left to our own devices. I did not see anyone who could have been the older male mentioned in the older reviews across a few different websites, so the former problematic hosts may have moved on.
We stayed on the Hard Times loop at 90 and 91. We scoped out both spots when we got there and decided 91 would be our base camp and 90 would be used for extra parking. 91 was on the outer loop and had some woods behind it for the kids to play. There was also more room to spread out. There was enough level space for a 6 person tent, 4 person tent, and large shelter (over the rather large concrete picnic table). There were also a few trees within the spot, that made rain-prep tarping easier. The space was fairly sunny when the weather cleared up so we kept the tarp up for some shade Saturday afternoon. (Trees didn't have leaves yet, not sure if it would be shadier later in the Spring/Summer).
90 had steps leading up to the spot which were cool, but could be problematic for someone with mobility issues or young children. The useable space was a bit smaller, too. It was also closer to neighbors on the other side of the interior loop. Bathrooms were close to both, but closer to 90. Could be considered too close for some, perfect for others. If we had only booked 90 it would have been lovely, but 91 was the better spot.
The bathrooms were some of the cleanest we've seen. My husband, who normally does not comment on that sort of thing, pointed it out more than once. When we got there they were spotless, but took a little beating with the rainy weather. They were cleaned Saturday morning and someone was in there cleaning up again after the rain stopped.
Dumpsters were within walking distance, which was nice to be able to walk it down instead of putting it in your car for the night. There was also aluminum recycling.
The lake was close enough for my 7 & 8 year olds to bike. And there were so many trails to chose from.
A friend stayed at the glamping sites and thought they were fantastic. And happened to be very close to our spot.
There was a water spigot on the road in front of site 90 which made filling up our water cooler so easy.
A few things that didn't bother us too much but others might want to know:
There is no camp store for extra supplies, but they do sell ice and plenty of firewood at the gate.
There are only two bathroom stalls per bathhouse. There were a couple of times when both would be in use, but I never had to wait long and there was never a line.
We had very little cell service (Verizon). We could sporadically send texts, but not get on the internet.
Guide
Traveler
Legend
Scout
Ranger
