Heather S.

Pigeon Forge, TN

Joined October 2020

Sandwiched in on all sides! And the noise!!

This is a 4 acre parking lot with a good number and quality of very small amenities (pool, dog park) with 60 “sites” sandwiched between roads and very active train tracks. It is NOT a campground.

Owners for several generations have built out the space well but never should have started. Then they’ve been totally dishonest in their marketing of a litany of amenities listed and pictured but skipping the road running the length of the narrow property on one side, with active train tracks and highway along other side. Meanwhile, you are packed in here such that you don’t put out your awning or any exterior items and weave your way through the next RV’s bump out, utility pedestal and septic hook up to get in your door.

With AC on, windows and shades closed, we can hear neighbor AC, TV, loud/long trains, cars on road and highway day and night. Train is so close that it shakes our RV.

Good level ground with gravel and some trees, but ridiculous to call this a campground and pay $60 for lower end “sites” on a weekday. Goes up from there. They have a liberal cancellation policy after first night when you see how bad it is. But if you have area plans, finding & reserving someplace else, moving etc. is a HUGE interruption. Or they could just be honest in their advertising & cut way down on sites smooshed together.

We expressed dissatisfaction and ultimately got 10% additional off beyond our 10% Good Sam Membership. It should have been much more. But don’t accept less, or better yet, don’t come in the first place. Unbelievable that this lot, not campground, is virtually full.

A money machine!

Good:

  • Flat site with concrete pad and patio
  • Wooden picnic table
  • Dog park with a couple trees, benches, water, obstacles, doggie bags & garbage
  • Access and proximity to sound and nice beach
  • Paved trail for walking or biking going north or south along Hwy 12 right outside campground
  • Well kept bathhouse - better on Sound Side where it’s newer
  • Amenities in great condition like mini golf, playground, tennis court

Meh: <>Full hookup although water pedestal was way forward and separated from sewer and electric. No idea why it’s different here than other campgrounds but it makes for lots of obstacles to avoid when parking. And after parking, we had to move our RV forward to reach the water spigot even with our long hose. <> Indoor and outdoor pools and hot tub - nice to have and good size but could use TLC <> Not enough activities esp. considering size of campground and site cost. But water balloon fight for kids was very well organized with lots of balloons, and kids rewarded with ice cream coupon for picking up balloon litter. Win/win!

Bad:

  • Sites were way cramped – they really pack you in.
  • They tell you to be considerate and not cut through sites but can’t contribute a few feet to offer a path rather than walking a long way around. THEY should be considerate!
  • Most expensive campground we’ve ever been to even just for two adults. But cable, kids, dogs, extra adults each cost $3 - $8 more daily. It REALLY adds up to be ridiculous. We hooked up to cable and got it for free. We refused to claim extra people and pet. Even the people Boon-docking in their van for one night in their cheaper sound site - arriving late and leaving early - paid $98.
  • Only 4 ocean front sites on northeast corner, at most, have any chance of seeing the ocean from the site. Between dunes, campground roadway, pavilion and parking between all other oceanfront sites and beach, we’d a been hoppin’ mad if we’d paid an extra $50 nightly for those.
  • It’s windy, people are slobs, and they do pick up some litter, but not nearly enough. There was lots of litter on sites, caught up in bushes and grasses, mowed over when they mowed without picking litter first, caught up in sound next to their wooden boardwalk. We asked repeatedly for them to clean up. Staff was friendly but ignored us so…really Not so friendly. GM got involved and made it happen, but still plenty more. We picked up some. They need a staff cultural change to constantly pick litter and not mow without picking litter first.
  • Tennis court was new and in fabulous condition with lines for pickle ball and youth tennis too. But only open when office was open beginning at 9 AM. It’s HOT then. We brought our own rackets and went to play early in the morning before seeing sign and locked gate. Ugh!
  • No fire pits provided like at KOA two doors south and they tell you that if you bring your own fire pit it must be off the ground. Sheesh! We brought ours but it was too windy for us or anyone else to do a fire, leave our awnings, canopies etc. up anyway. Bummer!

Ugly: — Wi-Fi is pretty much zero. We connected a time or two in four days from our site in early morning/dark hours but couldn’t even check email. Only places to get on were at hotspots in clubhouse. Staff says it’s because people are streaming/overloading. Nope, it’s because they need to update their system for their 400 sites.

Pretty good?

Pluses: Nice, clean, updated facility with excellent amenities including heated lazy river. Good location for commercial stuff in PF, Dollywood, getting to several areas in different direction of Great Smoky Mountain National Park.

Minuses: Lots of add in costs to use some amenities like pedal carts, no balls for games. WiFi was horrible all 3 days there You are packed in with other RVs everywhere.

Just OK

Pluses: Nice river and lake Excellent WiFi Helpful staff for parking

Minuses: Bathrooms are yuck - need redone Campground is loud from frontage road and running parallel/below Highway I-40 AND train going by.