Michelle I.

Hot Springs, AR

Joined March 2021

Beautiful campground on a pretty lake

Big campground on a lake. Campsites are mostly level, are various sizes and offer various amounts of screening between sites. Look at the photos.
Of all of the campgrounds in the area, this one wasn’t fully booked. I assume it’s because most of the sites are fairly primitive in that they didn’t have water (and/or electric) and that some campground loops have only pit toilets. There is only one, centrally located, bathhouse. Despite the “primitive” accommodations, the toilets, pit and running water, were very clean and the showers had plenty of hot water, were clean and drained well. I’d only planned to stay here one night, but I liked both the campground and the surrounding area so much that I stayed another night. I highly recommend this campground if you can deal with the pack of amenities.

Beautiful park in a beautiful setting

Lots to do here, great trails for hiking. The campground was nice, some spots were more level than others and there wasn’t much screening between sites, but in all the setting was beautiful and the park was worth the visit. The bathhouse was clean . The hot water in the shower wasn’t that hot, but I reported it to the office in the morning and they seemed inclined to investigate.
I’d definitely stop here again.

Beautiful park, nasty facilities

I went back and forth on whether I should give this rating two stars or three. In the end, I chose three stars because the mountain itself is so amazing. Geologically this was great place to visit and the trails were well marked and maintained. Beautiful hike. The campground was beautiful but the facilities were run down and dirty. It had, by far, the nastiest park/campground facilities I’ve seen in Kentucky, North Carolina or Virginia this year. I know this park is mobbed on the weekends, but I checked in on a Tuesday and stayed for two nights. The facilities, including the campground bathhouse and the park’s “comfort stations” were dirty, smelly and had bugs in them. The trash in the bathhouse was not emptied in the two days I was there. There was not a single exterior light to the bathhouse, not even something as reasonable as a motion sensor light that would be more energy efficient than a constant lighting option.
Compared to New River State Park, despite the giant Stone Mountain, this was the bottom of the barrel.

Awesome little campground and park

Relatively small campground but well maintained. Some sites are very well screened and others are very exposed. Depending on weather and wether or not you have solar panels on your rig, these open spaces can be a blessing or a curse. Look at the site photos, they’re accurate.
Bathhouse was cleaner than average, though there were some intimidating cobwebs in the corners. It’s not a big park, but there are a few miles of trails you can explore. These are some of the best marked trails ever.
All in all, well worth the reservation fee and a great place to relax. Enjoy!

Wonderful park, great campground, can’t say enough good things ...

Well maintained, large campground. Plenty of bathroom/shower facilities located around the campground; clean and functional. Lots of good hiking nearby, as well as other outdoor activities (that I didn’t do). Informative visitor’s center with helpful rangers onsite (even on weekends). Great history lessons about the Big South Fork area, interpretive hikes (which I did do) and fair warning about the ticks.

Beautiful park

Nice campground, wide variety of campsites, most of them level. Decent bathhouse/facilities, clean and adequate for the number of folks using them. Nice hiking trails. I didn’t use the other amenities offered at the park and I missed the visitor center being open. The camp store was also closed, but I believe it’s either closed for COVID or just hasn’t opened for the season.

Nice park, hilly sites

Really nice facility near town. There are a lot of uneven campsites, so bring your leveling blocks. That said, great campground. The facilities were clean, the park was well kept and the train whistles were far enough away that they didn’t interrupt your sleep! No real hiking but there was boat access to the lake. It’s a good spot to just be outside, light a fire and toast a marshmallow.

Awesome place, especially if you have kids

Stayed in the Creekside Campground. It’s not a large campground, but that’s ok since it shares one bathhouse (four showers in individual shower rooms around the back side of the facilities). There’s a sink outside the bathhouse for dishes and a laundry room with two washers and two dryers (one was out of order during my stay). Despite obvious crowds/popularity, the sites and facilities were clean and well maintained. Well maintained hiking trails, options for paddling around the lake and swimming in warmer weather. It looks like there’s quite a bit to do during the season and there appear to be park hosted classes, activities and events, also during the season.

Nice clean campground, despite its popularity!

I made my reservation on the Recreation.gov app. Showed up at 2am and got in the gate without a hitch; the system worked well. Nice campground, nice sites, lots of folks out as it’s spring break. Despite the crowds, the restroom/bathhouse was clean and in good order. Got up and took a walk around the park in the morning and I was really impressed. I highly recommend this campground, especially if you’re into playing in the water.

Beautiful facility

This park is amazing. There is a lot to do, from golfing to some hiking. Looks like it’s great for kids and families, but I’m a single traveler. For me, the campgrounds were crowded and tight, though everyone around me respected the quiet hours. I’m a tent camper, so I appreciate running water and clean facilities if I’m going to come in from the woods and camp in a civilized space. These facilities were not very clean, two of three toilets were missing seats and I really didn’t want to touch anything (with or without COVID being a consideration). I camped on a Monday, so I understand that it was a busy weekend and the facilities likely weren’t yet cleaned, but in addition to camper use, the facilities were buggy, cobwebby and in need of a deep clean and significant refreshing. So … four stars because of the beautiful setting. From a camping perspective it left me wanting and I’ve enjoyed better overall experiences and facilities for 1/3 the price.

Amazing hospitality!

I’d been looking for a place to stop and kept striking out. I called Pines and they had a spot available so I took it sight unseen. I was absolutely thrilled when I pulled in. Lou and Pat were amazing. Lou insisted on helping me back into my site so that my door was perfectly placed on the picnic table pad. He showed me the hookups and amenities of the camp. The bathhouse was sparkling clean. The site was beautiful. They do only accept cash or checks, but I’d absolutely recommend Pines for your travel break.