I stopped at this campground with my daughters on a road trip to California. We were able to slip in without any reservations. There were almost no campers due to the smoke from the wildfires and the water slides and pool were closed for the same reason. They looked pretty cool, but I can’t vouch for that or tell you how much the fee is. The fee to tent camp is $20.

There are warnings about rattle snakes around which freaked out my daughters a little bit. We didn’t see any. It’s mainly a warning to be aware of your surroundings.

The lake is disgusting and slimy. There is a boat launch and were people fishing on the lake with boats. There are warnings for pregnant or nursing women not to eat fish from the lake. Before we went down to the water, a staff person at the campground was very kind when we asked about swimming. She said it was safe, but seemed to have some apprehension and added that it was murky. When we got down to the lake there was a dog and the dog’s owner and one other person in the water. The other person got out of the water rather quickly. My daughters and I got out of the car and stepped down into very slippery sludge. It was thick and stuck to the bottom of your foot or shoe like when you step in cow dung.

We continued to try to brave it wading into the water. It was extremely slippery. I looked for something firm to stand on and saw a strip of what looked like blacktop nearby. I went to stand on it only to find myself nearly knee deep in a clutch of - what my uncle later told me was bullfrog eggs.

At that point we got out and decided to try to find a different place to swim. We had to scrape our shoes to get the sludge off then we drove to the city pool which wasn’t very far away. Unfortunately it was closed too. Then I found out that there’s a swimming reservoir at the very top of Lithia Park. It took us a little while to find it, but it was PERFECT. The water was very cool and very clear with a nice pebbly bottom. I recommend finding this spot. it’s heaven. This is the address of the pinned location on my maps: 632–698 Granite St, Ashland, OR 97520

Sleeping at the campsite was pleasant. The birds were vibrant during the day and early morning. The night animal noises were also pleasant. The campground was quiet as there were few campers. The staff were kind and checked in on us.

The bathrooms were clean except that I think the showers were turned off. It’s 50 cents for a 4 minute shower, but the coin slots were blocked. Maybe because there were so few campers?

Overall the campground was good and probably very popular on a usual basis. I would avoid the lake altogether and find the swimming reservoir instead. I will probably stay here again if in Ashland in the future. The price is very reasonable, the staff is helpful and friendly, the bathrooms are clean, and the nearby swimming reservoir is heaven. I didn’t give it more stars because the lake is so disgusting.