A dingy place. The ground was swampy the only dry places are the gravel pads in the sites. I wouldn't tent camp here.
On the plus side, strong AT&T and T-Mobile cell signals. (I don't have a verizon device)
The campground is pretty wide open, so there isn't much privacy, but it is absolutely beautiful!
I had the luck to arrive when there was some heavy weather moving through the area, which made for some absolutely beautiful skies.
The drive in was exciting. Lots of sheepish hills and turns. As long as you go slow, you'll be fine. Leaving on the other hand was terrifying. Being the down hill version of the drive in.
A note on cell service. There is none. NONE. No AT&T, no Verizon, no TMoblie. They campground doesn't have WiFi either.
If you were planning on going out to do stuff off the state park, there's nothing nearby.
We brought our kayaks and had a nice day paddling around the lake.
We arrived and got setup only to find out the water didn't work. We had crawl into the bushes to get to a hose running down from a campsite up the hill. If we'd have had a long enough hose, I would probably have forgotten that entirely, but having to find a hardware store to get a hose, was annoying.
The place had an overall dingy, old feeling.
This was my third trip to the Playa, but the first time I went without there being an official event.
My favorite part was the trip to hot springs. They were amazing.
We camped in the middle of the Playa a good ways away from the other people that were there.
Suggestions:
- Bring 2 gallons of water for every day you are there.
- Bring along your own bathroom facilities!
- Pack out everything you pack in, more if you find anything laying around.
- Bring LOOOOOONG stakes for anything you are tying down to the playa. The winds can be incredible!
The manager/owner went above and beyond. We called and said we would be there at around 6:30 (the office closed at 6) and arrived a little later than that. He was waiting for us.
We got a spot down by the river, started a fire, had dinner and went to sleep to the sound of the river running. The place is beautiful and I wish I had more time to spend there. I will definitely be going back when I can spend three of four nights.
This was a very nice family campground with a fair number of seasonal campers.
There are a few breweries in the area and at least one distillery. We had full hookups a picnic table and a fire ring. The bathrooms were clean, but old and there are a couple of "cabins" on the property. They are wooden sheds with varying levels of accommodation.
Had a nice time camping for two nights. If you like small breweries, about 20 minutes away is Stewarts Brewpub. They have been around since the 1990s!
We parked the trailer in the pouring rain. Now I own rain gear… Go figure. :-)
We spent 4 nights there and it was amazing. There is so much to do in the area.
We took our travel trailer down for a long weekend at the end of the season. It was pretty full, but didn't feel crowded. There are a few (seasonal) restaurants with in a few minutes walk/drive.
There is an unmarked speed bump on the way in, so go SLOOW.
I spent an overnight in this beautiful place. I was all alone in the campground. A few people drove down to the water while I was there. The place is a "lovers lane" of sorts.
The road in is AWFUL. But slow driving is the cure for that.
There are a few spots suitable for a small travel trailer, but most of them are better suited to tents.
The campsites were nice and level and reasonably large. I chose a site near the bathrooms, which were quite annoyingly closed. The campground was located right next to a busy road. So, there was road noise through the night.
I was happy I got to charge my batteries, though.
I met a squirrel that was so spoiled by previous humans that when I accidentally dropped a bit of food on the ground, he ran right up, over my foot grabbed it and then ran about 10 feet away and ate it.
Driving in I got a little worried I was getting lost, but I drove on. I arrived on a Wednesday evening. I had my pick of campsites, because I was the only person there!
The water was off, but I was prepared to wilderness camp later in my trip so, that was no big deal.
It was so secluded, I heard nothing but nature for over an hour before a plane flew over.
If you have a trailer, I do not recommend this spot. there is a very tight hairpin turn on the way in. My six foot long trailer barely made the turn!