Part of me wants to keep this place a secret and of course here I am telling it all. This is our second year in a row visiting this beach and campground for a week long stay. If you want the privacy, peace and quiet of a campground and feel like you have your own little piece of the beach then you need to come here. Coming into the campground you ride along and first stop is a little hut on the right for check in with the volunteer staff. Straight ahead is the camp store that is always well stocked with all your camping needs, groceries, ice lots of items to decorate your camper and site with gifts and clothing. The view to the right lets you see the newly redone dunes put in place along with some camp sites. The campground has had a lot of rain lately which has created a lot of standing water which the camp staff have been using sump pumps to remove. The campsites are your typical sand and gravel base with some sites level to up hill a bit. Wildlife is abundant from the daily deer visits to the teeny tiny pesky mosquitoes. There are a handful of trails for hiking and bicycling on. A nature center is on site that shares the history and nature of the island via visual and audio information. The bathhouses are clean and well stocked. The beaches are clean and with minimal campers heading out to the beach gives you a lot of space to spread out and have some beach fun.

First time staying at Chester State Park. Checked in at the Ranger’s station with friendly staff and a small store front with ice available. Picked pull through site 16. All 25 of the sites are on mostly level ground. The lake from the campground has a fairly new access via a ADA compliant walkway with lighting leading to swings, benches and Adirondack chairs surrounding a rock fire pit. There are benches facing the lake for sitting and or fishing and a new deck that provide even better views of the lake. The trails are well marked and wide that run along the lake edge. There is fishing, kayaks and canoes at the boat dock for rent and to our children’s disappointment no swimming in the lake. The other side of the park has the boat dock, playgrounds for the kiddos and plenty of grassy areas and picnic tables for sitting by the lake. Also there is a professional disc golf course on site. Last but not least the bathhouse is up to date, clean and well stocked.

First time visit to Hickory Knob camping. Check in was easy and staff were nice and helpful. The camp store has most of your camping needs and other items. Bathhouse is clean and well stocked with toilet paper. There are no paper towels or a air blower for washing your hands. Our site was for the most part level with a bonus little cove by the lake water for sitting and swimming. The camp site is well shaded with trees.

So we hooked up the camping gear and headed down to camp the weekend. We are big fans of space between neighbors and noticed right away that these sites are rather close to one another. The views helped make the closeness bearable. The bathhouses are clean and well stocked. Staff is friendly and helpful. The walking trails are well laid out and easy to walk on. The on-site store is well stocked with all your camping needs and there is also a nature center with taxidermy wild animals and history related to fishing gear. There is a free library available and laundry facilities at the store. They have check in and self check in available at the store. Lots of brochures from other state parks and things to do nearby.

Pros- Friendly and helpful staff everywhere. Our sand and grass lot was level. We had nice neighbors all around us. Our family loved the pool and the kiddos couldn’t get enough of the pirate themed water park and lazy river. They have a well stocked store. A restaurant and game room. A food truck was also available daily. Easy access to the beach. The bathhouse was clean, well stocked and climate controlled.

Cons- We were all packed in snug like sardines. Traffic is busy always.

Hello happy campers. Stayed at site 172. Nice level spot with your neighbor right behind you and across the street. Our three year old said we were living in the jungle since we are surrounded by a multitude of trees and plant life. We love the shade. We saw deer, birds, squirrels and several raccoons. I suggest you keep all food put away since I watched one carry off someone’s food from their campsite. The store is stocked with everything you could possibly need or that you forgot to bring. Staff is friendly and helpful. Beach is clean and best of all not crowded. If you like history and nature, don’t forget to see the lighthouse and the nature center. One of the highlights of our stay was getting to participate in a loggerhead sea turtle nest being opened and watching four baby turtles being released to the seas.

From the main entrance is a winding wooded road to the main store. There you find friendly and helpful staff, parking for vehicles and campers, a store with all your basic needs and other little goodies. Firewood and propane are also available. Inside the store they also have a mini library you can borrow from and next to that a nature area with a live snake and turtles. Our site was easy to find, level and best of all near the waters edge. The kiddos enjoyed playing putt putt, the playground and the beach area. There is also plenty of history to see, experience and learn about.

Upon enterIng the park there is the check in/ Convenience store wIth helpful frIendly staff. The store has park related gIfts, toys, snacks, drInks and campIng related supplies.There are plenty of quiet lake front camping spots available with bath and shower houses nearby. The mostly level roads and trails are great for bicycling. A playground for the kiddos is also here and fun per the kids.