We try and get to Emerald Lake State Park at least a few times every summer. It's an awesome park for kids, and the turquoise water is a dream to cool off in. There's a small, sandy beach at one end of the lake, with a bath house and changing rooms nearby. Swimmers can swim out the a small island in the middle of the lake and check out the rope swing (I hope it's still there).

The campground is large, with three camping loops. While there are trails down to the lake from the campground, none of the sites are waterfront, or even water view. In fact, many of them are perched on a steep ledge, making them a bit sketchy for families with kids. If you have little ones, check out the map before you reserve a site and find one on the opposite side of the ledge.

The campground is super busy on summer weekends, but if you want solitude, hike some of the beautiful trails in the park. We especially loved the trail around the lake - quiet with good swimming all around. The vista trail has an awesome view of the lake from across the road, and the meadow trail leads to an old cemetery, which is kind of fun to explore.

There is some road noise from the campground at night, but overall this is a pretty fantastic camping experience.