Tent camper, site #30. Deep into the piney woods and swampy outcrops of B.A. Steinhagen lake, I camped under the shade of a huge magnolia tree alongside very tall pines and oaks. Alligators are present all day and night near the water. They aren’t a nuisance. Good utility hookups, nice covered eating area, the grass all over the area is very lush and well kept. Bathrooms are okay, I didn’t use their shower because there isn’t much airflow and I probably would’ve sweat even more after taking one which would defeat the purpose. Not a whole lot of tent sites w/utilities, us tent campers are a dying breed amongst public campgrounds and it’s sad. My site was isolated on one side, RVers all along the other side. Lots of music from frogs, birds, etc. One raccoon came to sniff every night but I know not to leave any crumbs or accessible food. Dollar General and gas station are less than 2 miles outside of the park at a small blinking light intersection. Perfect !

Easy navigation around sites, some areas are mushy where water settles but it’s a barrier island so it’s expected. Best shower units I’ve ever used! There’s even a dishwashing station! So convenient! There’s a small visitors center of some sort by the dumpsters at the entrance/exit that sells ice during business hours. Good thing because civilization is about 6 or 7 miles away, so be prepared when you cross that bridge to get to the island and then traveling to the end will make you feel more isolated (in a great way) therefore please get everything you need in one trip! GREAT SAND ON THE BEACH! I can only explain it as “sugary”! No courseness to it at all, all beautiful and white.

There are many options to camp at this state park. There’s RV sites, tent sites (both primitive and “cushy”), cabins, cottages and screened shelters. my past experience with screened shelters were always dusty, dank, spider-filled shacks that I would only store my cooler and belongings in (tightly sealed) but these at Martin Creek were IMMACULATE to say the least! They seem cob-webby from the outside but once inside, the concrete floor is smoother up the edges of the walls about 2.5’, reducing entry of insects via cracks in the joints of floor and wall. The park employees vacuum these areas, as observed when I passed others that had recently vacated. The rafters in these shelters were spaced out far enough for me to hang my hammock. 4 people slept inside without air mattresses or camp pads and slept wonderfully (flat surfaces are good for our spines sometimes) not a big in sight. There is an electrical outlet inside as well as a light, and there is an outlet outside as well. Small lock on inside, watr spigot and doIble lantern hook nearby as well as a wooden/metal picnic table (good condition). I slept in Shelter #6 and it was a few yards away from the water’s edge. Great views of a small lilly-pad laced bay and we caught 7 catfish using normal nightcrawlers as bait. Fried them up for lunch the next day and they tasted like heaven! But, everything tastes better when you’re camping. We had also set up 4 tents around the area (not disturbing local flora/fauna) and we slept to the deafening croaks of frogs. Only 1 raccoon came upon our camp area to a spot where someone had thrown a corn cob, otherwise, we take all the necessary steps to avoid crossing paths with those relentless nighttime furry bandits. Shelters 7-9 are also located in great areas of the lake nearby, there is the power plants across the lake and for some reason, we like to believe that it was the reason we had ZERO mosquitoes! Many house flies and the non-biting ants were everywhere but not to the point of insanity… they list this ant as an issue on their website I do believe. I’d take this shelter over a hotel stay ANY TIME!