I liked this forest and thought it was very pretty. Good distance to beaches, although I didn’t see a way to walk to the beach - we drove. I would not chance the forest roads in a sedan. You might be okay if it stays dry but if it rains you will not be in good shape. Lots of roads and trails to explore.

Pros and cons of each campground

Campground 1 Pros: can park in your site, further apart, no highway noise Cons: only have access to a tiny part of the lake, breeze kind of blocked by trees

Campground 2 Pros: beautiful lake view and easy access to water, prettier view, more breeze Cons: traffic noise, cannot park in your site

Both campgrounds have a bathroom (I did not use so not sure of conditions). Every site has a fire pit, bbq pit, picnic table, and lantern pole.

Would definitely camp here again.

Giving the pros and cons

I tent camped on site 2. The BBQ pit was not there on this site. The tent pad was rocky (not sand) so bring a sleeping bad or air mattress if you’re tent camping. Also bring a long extension cord.

Was nice being in front of the water and saw quite a bit of birds. The campground was quiet and relaxing despite being in the middle of the city. The bathrooms were ehhh. Not sure of the men’s, but the women’s only had one useable stall. Three stalls total - on without a door and one was out of order. I didn’t use the showers but definitely weren’t the greatest looking showers I’ve seen at a state park.

I saw a ton of deer, birds, and squirrels and the walking trails were nice and led up to the natural science museum.

The primitive area looked nice for tent camping but basically the same amount of privacy as the spots with electricity and water. Just depends what you’re wanting out of the camping trip.