Situated in the hills and forests of southeast Oklahoma’s San Bois Mountains, Robbers Cave State Park has a history almost as exciting as the scenery and activities it offers. The park earned notoriety in the early part of the 20th century as a hideout for outlaws including Jesse James and Belle Starr. While the park recognizes this fame, today the park’s draw is as a family-friendly destination offering luxurious Robbers Cave cabins and campsites. 

Campers can stay at 22 modern RV sites with full hookups, 67 sites with water and electric hookups, and 86 primitive camping along secluded trails. For those looking for a more cozy stay, the 26 Robbers Cave cabins offer stunning park views, as well as a full kitchen, a fireplace, television and a full bathroom (these make for a reliable stay at the park depending on the weather in Wilburton, OK).

Once you’ve settled into your stay, you’ll find countless activities in the park, enough to make you come back to do it all. There’s miles of hiking, biking and equestrian trails, swimming, fishing and paddling at the park’s three reservoirs and numerous creeks, rock climbing/rappelling, and guided tours through the historic sites that once hid outlaws from law enforcement.

Robbers Cave State Park — Robbers Cave State Resort Park

This is my third time to return to Robbers Cave and I believe my last. We stayed in a cabin 2 nights and The lodge one night. I have never slept on such a broken mattress. I could barely sleep it was so bad. The box spring was broken and leaning to the side. The mattress had a huge hole from wear that slopes to the right and down. I felt like I was going to fall off. Terrible. The carpet had a really nasty sticky looking spot. I felt like I couldn’t walk around with out shoes. The air unit was super loud with a humming noise. It was struggling. I think it has gone down hill. I added a photo no sure if you can see how bad it is..

Robbers Cave State Park

Robbers' Cave is a really cool little cavernous area. The campsites are nice, and within walking distance to short, easy trails. I found the park to be relatively high trafficked, and the actual 'cave' part was very busy the day we visited. There are nice places to cycle, and the campsites are in the trees and up a little ways from the road, so you don't have neighbors too close, which is nice.

Great Weekend Destination

Robbers Cave State Park is located in the scenic, hilly woodlands of the Sans Bois Mountains of southeast Oklahoma. It is located 5 miles north of Wilburton, Oklahoma, on State Highway 2. Park amenities include camping areas modern to primitive,  beautiful lodge, cabins, swimming pool with splash pad, 4 small lakes, streams, a nature center, picnic areas and miles of hiking, cave and equestrian camping andtrails. The office is also a store that sells camping supplies, worms, beer, ice, charcoal, candy, pop, ice cream etc. You can rent kayaks, canoes, bikes and Golf carts for running around by the hour or a golf cart for a whole day for $40. They have fun things to do for all ages such as walking tours, canoe tours, making fishing poles out of cane and then fishing with it. The hay ride is fun. It stops to let you off to see the oldest living pine tree in Oklahoma and stops at artesian water free flowing spout to get a cold drink of sweet water. The hay ride cost $4. There's camping up by the office, down by the lake and stream or primitive camping off hiking trails in the mountains. It gets very hot in the day but the nights are great. So if your hiking be sure and take plenty water. There is all kinds of hiking easy to hard. The lake was not as clean as it was the last time I was there. They have a huge flock of geese that have made Lake Carlton there home this summer. I saw a pair of Bald Eagles and deer. I saw adorable twin fawns. The heat was a little too much for me this trip so I stayed in the lodge. It's is very nice with the most beautiful view of the mountains. Star gazing is awesome. The people that work at the park are very nice. The town of Wilburton is only 5 miles away.

Summertime fun

This is such a great park, one of the best I have ever been to for equine camping. Horses are very happy here, just remember to bring your coggins paperwork

nice

I have mixed feelings about Robbers Cave - there are so many different campgrounds and some are much better than others.  First of all, you have all the campgrounds around the lakes in the main park area.  The only one with decent bathrooms is the RV site on far side of the road from the lakes.  The rest either have vault toilets or top of the line 1940's, never been upgrade bathrooms.  However, if you don't mind primitive camping there are a ton of spots on the other side of the lakes that are less busy and although without bathrooms, if you stayed on the main side you may decide no bathroom is better than some.  The hiking is great in this area either way.  Definitely due a visit.  Campgrounds mainly in treed areas.  The park gets a lot of day use, so expect very crowded afternoons if you are in the main gate area, the crowds leave after dark though.

We love this park. If you're from Oklahoma you must visit. The park has so much to offer with several hiking trails, equistrian trails and stables, mini golf, and much much more. It gets pretty crowded during the day on the day use side. But you can stay on the other side of the park during the day and go over to the cave side in the morning or evening even the crowds die down. The bathrooms aren't anything to brag about but they did the job and did have hot water. We will come back again in the fall when the leaves start changing because it is absolutely beautiful.

Beautiful Park but can be busy

Campground was alongside the highway, however the highway divides the state park, sites up the hill are farther away from the highway. We stayed on a site that was basically parallel with the main highway, however the trees offer privacy and noise reduction. There is water access and many trails that are available. Some campgrounds are closer to the state park's main geological feature which are the caves that infamous bank robbers used. This state park offered what I would consider typical of Oklahoma state park trails. They are poorly marked, more challenging than advertised, and not appropriate for certain types of activities. Generally when in Oklahoma I prepare for the worst to avoid a negative experience, and it works well for me. Horses do access some of the trails so horse flies are prevalent in those areas, I recommend bug spray.

We do intend to return to this area to camp again in the future.

Pleasant

Our first Oklahoma camping trip lead us to Robbers Cave State Park in the southeastern portion of Oklahoma. It is located on more than 8,000 acres in the San Bois Mountains. The parks claim to fame is outlaws such as Belle Starr, the Dalton Gang, and Jesse James used it as a hideout from the law. This was going to be our first full week of vacation spent in the popup, and our first camping trip outside of Missouri. We selected Robbers Cave State Park for two reasons it’s distance was a little over 4 hours away, and the number of amenities it offered for our 4 year old on our extended outing.   

 The first thing this park did was challenge my perceptions on what the Oklahoma landscape is. This is a park is located in an old growth pine forest, located in the rocky terrain of the Sans Bois Mountains. The park is split in half by Hwy 2 with the east side of the park consisting of the RV campgrounds, cabins, and Belle Starr Lodge. The west side of the park includes Lake Carlton, the equestrian camps, swimming pool, miniature golf, and nature center. This layout was negative in the fact that we could not walk between two sides with my son because of the distance and elevation change, you could rent golf carts if you would like. The positive was that it kept traffic down in the campground from the day use visitors of the park. We booked site 23 in the Old Circle Campground, when booking on the Oklahoma state park website there are no photos of the sites, only short descriptions…sometimes. I will let you know there is a [youtube video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTHxLQrnYIs) that someone made driving around the old circle campground. I used this to take a look at our site after booking it.  Site 23 was a pull through site with full hookups located only about 5 feet off the main campground road. This could be a problem if the park was busy and there is a lot of traffic. Lucky for us we were camping through the week and this was not an issue. The site then on the opposite side held our own little secluded spot surrounded by pine trees down a slight slope from camper. We had a fire circle, picnic table, grill, and lantern post. We loved this site for this very reason. I will post pictures of both sides of our site below so you can get a visual. The bathroom and shower house is located in the middle of the old circle loop. The structure is very old and very dated stone structure, where you might find frogs sitting on shower curtains, spiders, and lizards (Those are just the ones that I witnessed). There is a newer shower house located outside of the Whispering Pines campground, next to the campground office and store. If you go to the newer one to take a shower make sure you have some quarters, or some dollar bills, because the showers cost money. Four quarters will get you 6 minutes worth of shower time.   

 When we were not at camp we spent most of our time exploring the west side of the park. We spent two afternoons swimming in Lake Carlton. The designated swim area has a very rocky drop-off for an entrance, but once out it was very nice swimming.  There is a concrete pier that is located along the swim ropes that you can climb up and jump off of. Besides swimming you could rent peddle boats, canoes, and paddle boards to go exploring. There was a pool with two water slides and a splash zone, it is $5 dollars to enter for the entire day. My son also got to play miniature for the first time at the course located next to the pool. One word of warning the golf course is very dated with carpet ripped or completely missing in spots. This did not slow us down at all, it just needs a little work.  They also sell shaved ice at the miniature gold building.    

The Oklahoma Park staff were very knowledgeable, friendly, and willing to answer any of my questions. Also when you get to camp they will give you a schedule of all the events that are going on throughout the week you are staying. We did a hayride that lead us through the park to the stables where there is a petting zoo, we saw the second largest pine tree in Oklahoma, and drank water from anartesian well. They also had a campfire with stories and smores one night, a cane pole fishing class, and even a tour of Lake Carlton by canoe. Just make sure you have cash because each item does cost money. 

The last thing we did before leaving Robbers Cave State Park after our three night stay was to go and search for the outlaws in the cave ourselves. I will give you a spoiler alert, the hiking trail to the cave is steep and rocky with big drop-offs, so be careful with small children. It is a ¾ of a mile trail that my son absolutely loved. He was trying to find the robber that was hiding out. The hike was worth every hair raising nervous parent moment.    

It is a consensus with my family that we will need to return to this park again. It has so much to offer, and we did not even touch on the many miles worth of trails to hike or go for a horseback ride on.  We look forward to our return to continue the exploring and searching for the elusive robbers.

Our First Camping Voyage into Oklahoma

Great campsite. Had neighbors around us but it was very quiet. This site held 5 tent campers and 1 hammock camper and there was still plenty of room. Great fire pit and cement picnic table for cooking. Stayed here for a Jeeping event. The trails are just a mile or so away so it made them very accessible. Ample parking as well.

2 nights in Deep Ford Campground

We camp here every October at group camp 1. It’s a big site with cabins and a great dining hall. New playground as well. The hike up and around robbers cave is fun. Very nice view at the top. 

We stayed at the lodge a few years ago. I can recommend that as well. 

Wilburton is about 10 minutes away. There is a great Mexican restaurant there. 

One of my favorites 

We stayed in the Deep Ford loop, site 1. The site is really nice and sits right on the river. The downsides of the site are, sites 1, 2 and 3 are maybe 50 yards from HWY 2 and you get a good amount of traffic up until 9:00, and overnight you’ll still get a few cars and trucks driving by. The second thing was a little bit of bummer is that there’s not a lot of trees because power lines run right now the sites. These sites are also really rocky and sandy so it make for a bit of a chore to find a descent tent pad. The last thing that wasn’t great was the only water for the three sites was 2 sites over and if I hadn’t brought my Katadyn 3 liter filter it would’ve been awkward having to cut through 2 other people’s sites to get water. The site itself is very pretty and has a great fire pit (even though we bring our Solo Stove Bon Fire with us). The nice part of not having a lot of trees are you can see the stars so easily over the site. 

The park itself is awesome and the caves are an easy hike for kids, and dogs. The loop is less than a mile but there’s tons of rocks and little caves for the kids to climb on and in. There’s tons of playgrounds that the kids can play on and a pretty nice day use area. 

Be prepared

We came to get away from our house for a few nights during the Corona virus outbreak.  A lot of things were shut down and it was too early in the season to swim.  Despite all that we had an amazing time.

I will stay in the old circle campgrounds next time, they looked like they had bigger spots with more privacy than whispering pines.

We tried a few trails but were too hard for us.  We have a daughter with cerebral palsy that we pull in a wagon and the trails were too rough for the wagon.

We did hike up to see robbers cave and the terrain was beautiful.  It made me sick that people would carve into the rocks and spray paint the cave.  But all in all it was really nice and we will try to come back when the pandemic is over and warm enough to swim.

Escaping Rona

Stayed in the Redbud campgrounds. Camp was decently clean upon arrival. Perfect spot. Trails were fun. Drove around park to look at other campgrounds to plan more visits. The eagles nest was the only one we found dirty. Must have been extended recent and park staff hadn’t had the opportunity to clean. Wish people would take care of things!!!

Great campground.

Had a great time fishing at our campsite. Were the only ones at this campground. You’ll have to find this treasure spot. Took a hike with the pups and babe to robbers cave, lots of people visiting.

Right on the river

     The trip started out, to get away from being quarantined at home because of the COVID-19 virus. Within a few hours of getting our campsite setup we were hunkered down because of tornado threats all around. Some funnels were spotted north of us and west of us then the news said one tracked south of us. The thunder so close and loud you could feel it. After the bad weather passed to remained of the time was beautiful. 
    This Ouachita  (pronounced wash-it-taw) mountain area is where the Jesse James gang hid out along with other outlaws such as Belle Star. 
    We stayed in the whispering pines campground in old circle #20. It was a good spot with plenty of shade and great amount of room to relax. We will definitely be coming back here in the future. We loved it. 

Started with a bang

Has several camping spots right by the river. Lots of mowed open land between camping spots. The trail to the eponymous cave has many branching outs and is an interesting and not too long hike.

Riverside camping

We booked our site online after having looked at the rv sites a few weeks beforehand, so we knew what we were getting, and having lived in the area most of our lives we are quite familiar with the park, we stayed on the old circle drive and what impressed us the most was tbe fact that there were not alot of flying insects, the girls rode bikes, swam at the pool and in the lake, the wife and I fished along the creek below the dam, all in all it was a fun weekend, the scenery was awesome as always, my only complaint was the goose droppings down by the lake, there is quite a large flock of geese that were not there 15years ago

Fun time

Camping at Robber’s Cave State Park you will quickly discover that no matter what your overall preference for camping style, they pretty much have you covered. On a recent trip I visited the park and discovered that from primitive to improved sites, equestrian areas, atv areas they have a bit of everything. The camp even has options for those who aren’t feeling quite as adventurous and want to live in a bit more of the creature comforts we all have at home with cabins, a lodge and yurts. 

  

The area itself is filled with historic mystery as it was formerly known to be the hide out of some of the West’s most infamous and notorious bank robbers. From Jesse James and the Younger Gang to Belle Starr the area once served as an excellent place to hide their treasures and watch out to make sure no one was coming. 

  

The mountains around this area are beautiful and have towering trees and rolling waterways. You will find 3 lakes here that can keep you occupied wether you like to fish, boat, kayak, peddle or swim. Additionally amenities such a nature center, swimming pool, grocery store and mini golf make this site perfect for families who are wanting to find a little fun and adventure without having to go very far. 

  

Hiking around this park is abundant and there are miles upon miles of trails to explore with some being very easy and user friendly and others posing a bit more of a challenge. 

  

The campgrounds themselves are pretty standard throughout with picnic tables, lantern hooks, grills and fire rings. Many also have prep tables located just beside the grill making dinner very easy.

  

 I found that not all campsites were created equally however in way of restrooms. The primitive sites on loops were not evenly placed near restrooms, and a restroom could be a bit of a tall order if you are camping on some of the loops. You would expect that from the hike in campsites, but might want to plan carefully for a stay at the primitive sites based on your need for these facilities. 

  

Not all facilities offer showers either. Showers are located centrally for all to use and you can easily walk to these or park beside if you are staying a bit further away.

  

 I did notice that there is camping on both sides of the highway with each having its unique advantages and disadvantages. The primitive sites mostly are located on the side with more recreation, while the more improved sites, cabins and lodge are located on the opposite side. This side also offers hiking and has some improved spaces of interest but the vast majority of the popular spaces you will want to check out will be located just across the small highway. 

  

On the improved camping loops you will find most of the RV campers. These sites are placed closer together and have improved pull ins as well, unlike the hard pack of the primitive camping/semi improved camping areas. Additionally, these areas have both water and electrical connections and can really squeeze a lot of size into each spot. 

  

On this side of the park, a grocery store is within walking distance of the improved camping area and easy to access for park information as well as supplies you might need. 

  

Unlike many parks which are a considerable distance from town, the community of Wilburton is only a short drive from this location and has several restaurants, stores and fuel stops. This makes it very convenient if you are spending more than a couple of days out at the park and want to venture out for anything you might need. 

  

Tips: 

*   Research your site before selecting one online through the booking system or in person. This will save you a lot of headache if you are needing a restroom that is closer. 
*   Bring sunscreen!! Despite having wonderful shaded areas, the water is a HUGE draw here and you will want to be able to have fun in it without issues. Don’t forget waterproof sunscreen. Try the trails or rent a boat. The Robber’s Cave trail is the most exciting hike in the park in way of history and challenge, you will enjoy finding the cave that once housed some of the most notorious in the West through a series of inclines and scrambles. Through this is not for everyone, it is able to be navigated by most.

Lots of Options For Camping

Wasn’t able to spend much time here, but camped in the atv area and had an ok time. The sites were close together so there was very little privacy but it was quiet for the most part. No restrooms that I saw but there was water and electric. The drive to the park is less than fun. We were only 3 hours away but drive felt way longer due to slow country roads and construction. I doubt we’ll be back just because of the drive, but if it’s nearby it’s pretty nice! 

why did I camp in July?🥵

A little bit of everything for everyone. We prefer the more primitive sites. lake Ray Wallace and Eagles Nest campgrounds within the park are awesome. The caves themselves are great to hike to from I believe 7 different trails. We've gone 3 times already this year. They have an equestrian RV area, plus others dotted throughout the park, a swimming pool (which boggles my mind considering there is great lake swimming), playgrounds, mostly family environment. 

Love it here

Usually when my friend and I go tent camping we have some hiccup in our plans—rain, damp firewood, lack of wood and ice to be purchased on site, trouble getting good maps, freezing to death at night, etc, but this trip really went without a hitch! They have a good website through which you can pick your campsite. We ended up with a pretty one by the creek that was more secluded than the others. It didn’t have a bathroom, but it was easy enough to drive over to the next site. 

What is fun about Robber’s Cave is the variety of things to do. On our first day we went directly to the Cave area and enjoyed climbing on the rocks! Many views were pretty and the cave was not too puny either. The next day we explored more trails—one that was good and challenging—and then rented a kayak for the lake. It was only $5 for an hour! They’ve got mini golf, horse shoes, and a show cone stand to boot. The little camp headquarters also had plentiful ice and dry firewood to buy. 

I guess if I have any criticism it would be that the bathroom was a bit dingy, but, heck, it had toilet paper! They also could have had better maps of some of the trails—we got just a little lost on one of the offshoot trails near the cave—but that’s what made it an adventure, really. 

A hassle-free camping trip all around!

I love Robbers Cave. It’s one of my most favorite places to camp. There are over 40 miles of hiking trails and the views are incredible! I prefer to camp away from people and toilets don’t matter, I tent camp around Lake Wayne Wallace or Eagles Nest. Watch the trails bc you could end up on the horse trails and be very sad lol. 

Beautiful place to get away

I love this small park.  It offers a lot of amenities, but overall it’s about the cave trails and lots of hiking opportunities.    We went in the early fall so too cool to enjoy the small lakes but our campsite had great views of one of the lakes.   

Great Escape 

Whispering Pines Campground is where we stayed within the state park. It was a beautiful and peaceful setting within the trees. The roads were paved so easy to push wheelchair around. Nice trails but not wheelchair friendly. There is a nice lodge that people can rent rooms and a nice meeting place overlooking the valley. We camped in the summer but fall camping would be beautiful with all the changing colors.

There are actives going on around the area you. An participate in so kids would love it.

https://www.travelok.com for reservations

Beautiful setting

There are several campgrounds to choose from. We chose the Deep Fork campground because it offered several spots along the Fourche Maline River. Great fall views and perfect autumn weather. There was only one other overnight guest, although there were a few fisherman during the day. 

  

We didn't use the restroom facilities, but they looked like they had seen better days. Fire rings and grills were okay. Concrete picnic tables.

  

Lots of hiking options throughout the state park. We saw some incredible views on the Robbers Cave trail. It was poorly marked, but even if you wander off the trail you will be okay. If you go too far you hit a dirt road the loops around the back of the trail and you'll know to circle back to the trail area. 

  

The main camping area near Whispering Pines had a park office and a small grocery store. Not a huge selection, but you will find the essentials.

  

Cell service was spotty throughout. One spot you wouldn't have service and 30 feet further you'd have decent LTE (Verizon).

  

I would definitely visit again. The lake appeared to have some summer activities available, including a pool. But the autumn views and weather will be my choice time to visit.

Beautiful area, facilities could use some updating

We booked a Deep Ford campsite online but were disappointed when we arrived. The sites were really close together with almost no privacy. There were a lot of people parked in the campground lot for fishing during the day, so it felt pretty cramped. Luckily, you can change your reservation online. We drove around to all of the different tent sections and found a much better option at Eagles Nest. It was wooded and the sites were more spread out. It had a stone fire ring, a table, a grill, and a lantern pole. There are no bathrooms nearby, but there are several throughout the park that are just a quick drive away if you really need them.

If you're looking for less crowded spots, it seemed like Eagles Nest and Lake Wayne Wallace were the best options.

Campgrounds Vary

Our first visit was in November and the fall color was stunning.

Early March for this visit and definitely winter scapes...but still beautiful.

Trout fishing just steps away from camp and we had the whole campground to ourselves for the night.

The afternoon hours did have some rambunctious local teens, but they kept to themselves. Can’t blame them - I’d have hung out here in my teens too if I lived close.

Just up the road on the main lake they are building a new restaurant overlooking the lake. They are getting a new office and other upgrades too.

Kayak rentals and horse rides nearby. Plus lots of hiking. 

2nd  Visit - will again given the chance

We absolutely loved this park. We got a last minute reservation and got only site we could.  We do not recommend DF004.  It is a small site right on top of neighbors. The good thing is there are bike/hike trails attached to loop.  The bouldering was so much fun and my kids played for hours. We would love to go back to some of their better sites. 

Great Park Small Campsite 

We stayed at Bobcat tent camping and loved it the spots were spaced enough apart where you are not on top of other campers the spots were very clean also the front office is great at helping out if you want to move spots last minute I will say we had no service at all so be prepared for that :) 

Great tent camping

Went camping with my 7 year old son. Camp site was right in the river. New restrooms/showers were under construction but they had a portable comfort station in our campground. 

Great first camping experience

I had Eagle’s Nest to myself… in June. No perks out there, but if you are looking for quiet and distanced sites, this is the site for you in the park. Robber’s Cave itself if a cool little walk on the rocks, though the cave itself has been ravaged by tourists or locals with a need to make their mark. Sheesh. Still, worth a stop if traveling through the area.

Eagle’s Nest Campground

This was a great camping spot we hiked all of the trails got lost for a little while they are not marked the best but we wasn’t on a time schedule so it was great! Really good views and a very relaxing place. 

Pretty good spot good hiking trails 

Robbers Cave is filled with great hiking trails and you are surrounded by absolute beauty while you are there. 

One of our favorite parks

My family visited Robber’s Cave over Labor Day weekend. We camped in the equestrian campground and it was more than we imagined it would be. The restroom and showers were the nicest we’ve seen and were well taken care of.  We enjoyed hiking all over the state park and horseback riding at the Robber’s Cave Stables. 

Equestrian Campground

Whispering pines had newer bathrooms, but Old Circle was a little more spread out. The Bell Star Loop trail was accessible from the campground, I recommend hiking that. The lodge was under construction and there’s a new Swadley’s Foggy Bottom Kitchen going in by Lake Carlton. Both should be open next year. We came early November, the trees were all changing and the weather was perfect.

Wonderful fall foliage 

We had a wonderful girls weekend at Deep Ford! The bathrooms were new and well maintained and that hot shower was AMAZING after a long hike! 

The trail wasn’t maintained well and we wandered off trail on multiple occasions but it was easy to pick up again. The view from the top of the bluffs was stunning and well worth the nearly vertical spots in the trail! 

We’re already planning our next trip. We felt very safe and the park Ranger was visible on multiple occasions. 

Beautiful Fall Weekend

The state park is situated on both sides of a main road and is broken down to several smaller campgrounds throughout the park. Campsites vary from primitive to water and electric, so there is something for everyone.  The state park also offers cabins, yurts, and wagon sleepers if you're looking for something different.  Each campsite has a fire ring, table (concrete or wooden), trash hook, grill, and a pad to set your tent on. The sites on the southwest side of the road are alongside a small river, while those on the east side of the road are on a hill. 

The state park has a lot of amenities which have significantly improved over the past three years. This is not the campground for you if you're wanting to be isolated as it can be busy. Pretty cool spot to bring the family as you can explore caverns, hike, use ATV trails, fish, MTB, and swim. Some camping spots are farther from toilets and showers than others.

Rugged and improved

Remains one of my favorite Oklahoma State Parks, and we always enjoy the scenery and off-road jeep trails in Thundering Pines area. Many hiking trails of varied difficulty, all scenic, and fishing - including trout - in the waterways. Seeing the actual “Robber’s Cave” should be done, but I think you only need to do it once in your life…the graffiti ruins some of the ambiance. 

The jeep trails now require a $10/day fee and are only open 8am to sunset; used to be free and open all the time, and maintained by local volunteers…hopefully they’re still maintained with the trail funds. Trails have lots of variety, from beginner to difficult, all well-shaded and several seasonal creeks for small water crossings.  Rocks won’t cut up your tires like Disney, which is a BIG plus. Trail maps available in the park office, or on GAIA. 

We brought our teardrop trailer, and when booking, I was told I had to book an full RV site. Wanting a theoretically quieter campground, opted for Deep Ford campground, site 5, as the majority of the sites in here are tent sites. 

The campground itself was clean, with about half on the east bank of the Fourche Maline creek. If you stay near the entrance, around sites 4, 5, and 16-17, you can hear the rushing water over the ford (and see it from your spot at 16-17). Single stall restrooms and hot push-button showers are located at the entrance to the campground, as was our site, so while we had easy access, we also got lots of traffic. 

4 and 5 are VERY close together, with the picnic tables and fire pits sharing the same small patch of grass. We had a neighbor with a bumper-pull RV in 4 our last night, and ended up eating at the same table because we were sharing the rest of the space, so might as well! Our little trailer and jeep had plenty of room on the pavement, but I can’t imagine cramming two full-size RVs in each spot. 

Personally, we’d try a tent spot next time - teardrop is fully self-contained and doesn’t need hookups (we did plug in, since we were paying for it), and there were several other folks parking their small trailers on tent sites. Would stay at Deep Ford again, but it is definitely popular. Younger Campground also looked nice and quiet, but does not have their own set of restroom/showers. 

We did take a turn around the Pine Trails(?) - I think, couldn’t get Pine Needles out of my head - RV campground at the south end of the park, on the east side of the highway. Lots of trees and shade, but all of the spots except the ADA spots were gravel. There were several trailheads into the ATV area. 

Great park, regret the spot

Pretty fun, lots of areas to do some bouldering, rappelling, rock climbing

Robbers Cave

We stayed at Bob Cat crossing, and it was fine for the most part. There’s a campfire ring, a table, and a double lamp pole at each site. The campground is close to a pavilion with lots of tables and grills, and some pretty clean bathrooms with hot showers. It really was beautiful out there and there were a million things to do that were close by; we really enjoyed our stay for the most part. There is firewood for sale at the office, but word to the wise, bring your own wood because they charge $6 for 4 really pathetic twigs.

The biggest problem I had was with #004. It’s on a horrible slope, and so is the picnic table, which caused our food to continually roll off our plates. There is no flat ground for a tent, so we would wake up in the night from sliding off our sleeping mats. It’s also really close to the road and the RV campground, so we would get woken up by cars and golf carts going up and down the road at night. Other than that, we had a pretty good time.

Beautiful scenery, mediocre campsite

We truly enjoyed staying here! From the great hiking, to the fun buildings there’s so many opportunities to explore. Great temps too. 

Phenomenal Adventure

We stayed at Pine Trails campground which is semi modern but no bathrooms. This is well disclosed so you must be self contained. There are ATV trailheads in the campground so it might be noisy but this weekend it was almost deserted. Tall trees, gravel semi level sites, and huge fire rings. The park itself is phenomenal…so much to do but the hiking is the best. Don’t miss the Cave Trail!