Sunrise Campground — Richard Bong State Recreation Area

We love a nice, quiet place to camp and were delighted when in August only half of the Sunset campground was full and those in it were quiet. Our spot, #320 had great tree coverage for privacy and while most of the spots did there were some on the inner circle that didn't have as much. The State Park was quite pretty and we loved that it was only an hour and a half from our apartment in the city.

They said the ticks were bad but we sprayed intensely and just didn't walk in the brush and we didn't see one so I think with basic measures you can avoid nasty experiences. Mosquitoes were out but not the worst out of the campgrounds we've been in.

We weren't by the flush toilets but the pit toilets weren't even that bad and the campground on the whole is really well taken care of. We loved the little book available for our daughter with activities in it too by the camp host.

We will definitely be back again!

The campsite itself was very nice. It was grassy and had made private by the bushes surrounding it. The sites are well spaced and pretty big. Be sure to stay in Sunrise campground if you want flush toilets and showers. Otherwise, there are only pit toilets.

The bathroom was about what one would expect at a campground, but the showers were very nice. The showers are new, clean, and private. The water was very warm and did not smell like well water. The only down side to the showers were that there was nowhere to set your stuff in the stall. I had to set my clean clothes on a bench outside the shower.

There are many hiking/walking trails, bike trails, and horse trails. The blue/green trails are near the campgrounds and are very nice. They are mostly prairie, but there are some forested parts of the blue trail too. The blue trail was a moderate 4.8ish mile hike with 5 or 6 steep hills. Otherwise, it was completely flat land. The green trail is a shorter hike that would be better suited for kids. 

Now, when it comes to the "beach", don't get your hopes up. It is more like a marsh than it is a lake, so the water is very murky. I could not see my hand below a few inches of the surface. The water smelled like horses and because the ground is not sand underwater, it was uncomfortable on my feet. There is a sign that says the water quality is fine, but it wasn't a pleasant experience.

I am not one to be deterred by the murkiness of water, but something about this one just felt kind of gross. The smell probably played a large part in that, but it didn't seem right. Also, the water remained pretty shallow so it was more of a place for kids to splash around in than for swimming. 

There was a playground by the beach and a volleyball net. There seems to be many more activities to do at this State Park, but if you are just going to camp, it is just fine. 

It is about a 20 minute drive from town. You need a state recreation pass to enter (can get one there) so that added $11/night to the price of the campsite. I would probably give it a higher rating if I was a kid, but that lake was a real bummer for me. I heard there was a beach and was really hoping to be able to swim.

Depending on what you're looking for obviously during the week like most campgrounds very peaceful and quiet lots of places to hike and kayak depending on what kind of camping you're doing RV travel trailer tent camping I found my campsites pretty nice mostly campsites are surrounded by woods so you don't see your neighbors as much as you would at a standard Campground. Only have camped here in the fall so I am not sure what a summer camping trip would be like there but overall it is a very nice place to visit