Made our reservations through Recreation.gov. Arrived on a Sunday afternoon and it was a very busy place. With its large river access I imagine it attracts all the local boaters. The playground attracts lots of children. Many large rigs arrived on Monday and the local traffic seemed to disappear.

It's a beautiful park by the AR River with lovely grounds to walk or bike. Shower was a bit moldy but usable (why I gave the cleanliness rating only 4 stars). Sites are very well spaced and you can take your chairs to the river or use the picnic benches ( some in pavilions) scattered along the river full of waterfowl and occasional boaters and huge barges.

We stayed in B2 which faced the river. If we return, I'd choose a river site but this was nice too except our 34 ft class A FDDS opened right onto a silty patch that forced us to navigate our entry into our motorhome and wipe our shih tzu's little feet really well before he came in. Despite us taking off our shoes, it was hard to avoid silt on our feet.

It is warm here but many still use their fire pits creating lots of smoke. We had to close our windows to avoid that.

As mountain bikers, we were able to visit Angry Dave's bike shop and get a few repairs and visit with the knowledgeable folks there who gave us a free AR trail book and repaired my front end suspension and added a new tire. Their two border collies are an added bonus sure to put a smile on your face. They were friendly to my little shih tzu who was welcomed. They have wonderful high-end bikes to check out. The Pinnacle Mountain Trail system was a shaded easy trail system that can be accessed right from this campground. If you like staying close to amenities, this is a great place.

Lake Conroe is located In a rural setting but close enough to Willis and Conroe services. Spaces are large and the landscape is well managed although I was taken aback by the application of herbicides that we try to avoid. Golf cart traffic was an interesting nuance for us, seems like everyone has one. People that we met were friendly. One couple had an incident where someone had gone into their motorhome and stolen their dog. After highly publicizing it in the campground and alerting them of the measures they were taking to finding their fur baby, the dog mysteriously reappeared back in their motorhome days later. 

We were here in mid August when temps & humidity were high. The lake and pool are well managed and the time and effort put into their property is apparent. The bathrooms, showers and laundry were pristine. 

We camped in site 31 which was nice for view and privacy but when rain came down, the soil from the above sites washed down hill. We were basically sitting in a pool of mud. Our bench was almost unusable due to age and warping. I probably should have but didn't report that to staff. Because of the heat, we spent very little time out there. Although we like to walk, I would recommend they put dumpsters at that lower end of the campground. Aside from these shortcomings, we would return there again.

We were greeted by a camp host who provided us with a map and a few local directions. She even provided a handout for obtaining inspection, registration & licensing for our Texas residency. We investigated this issue before embarking on this journey but weren’t told we’d need social security cards in order to get a driver’s license. For those looking for residency, bring a current license, and passport with your Social Security card.

As for the Escapees campground, The sites are large, either grass or gravel and offer full hookups which we appreciate being it’s Aug. - warm & humid. Most of the residents we’ve met are like us, full timers but here for years or months. Many live in what are similar to park models. Most are friendly and tend to be our age (64)or older. For members, there is a Care Center that we haven’t been able to visit due to Covid.

The sounds of cicadas are much like a cacophony of lumberjacks. I love the sound.

Livingston lake is huge but we haven’t had the time to visit. Would be a refreshing change in this heat. There is a clean pool here at the park.

I spoke with the owner in making our reservation. She asked me to call her when we were 3 miles out so she could help us navigate our 34 ft motorhome in. She timed it perfectly. As we approached the gate, she was there waiting. Although we only pulled in for one night, the owner - Carol - is kind, caring, friendly as well as an animal lover. In addition to running this immaculate & artistically accented park, she’s taken in others as apprentices, giving them Work experience & shelter.

She spent time telling us of the local flora & fauna as well as provided handouts on the resident owls, volcanoes & other area attractions. We enjoyed several roadrunners that weren’t shy.

The Passport America savings made this privately owned park a “must stop again” place. We’d love to come back to explore the geological attractions. We’d definitely go back again.

We were graciously greeted by a neighbor who shared a few local favorites for biking , water access & historic gems. Shouldn’t the office make that available? We never saw or heard from a staff member for the three nights we stayed. We did speak with office staff to make the reservation who told us we’d be across the street for lake access for paddleboards. It was impractical to walk the boards. We couldn’t find close access. Having a handout to show your guests where to go would have been helpful. We did drive and pay to get into the Pace Bend County Park. The park was well worth the $3/person senior access fee. There are also mountain bike trails, but too warm & humid for us to bike.

The bathrooms & laundry were clean but old & could use a bit of TLC.

The campground is forest service-like, some gravel and dirt. There’s lots of green including the trees. The large grassed area that surrounded our site, #1 could have been better kept. Seeds that looked like cockle burs or goats heads were ubiquitous making it difficult or impossible to walk on the grass, especially for our small dog. We were constantly tending to his feet.

At $60/nt, the most we ever paid for a site, we expected luxury. As Thousand trails members & dry campers, we’re accustomed to primitive conditions. But not at that price.,

This year round campground offered large spaces for any size motorhome. Since there were only a few other campers during early October we found it quiet where the only sounds we heard were bird’s calls & taking flight. Bald eagles & river otters were common sights. There are bathrooms, showers & trash disposal. Bathrooms were clean, usable but a bit industrial looking. Showers were dark with walls and floor that were gray concrete. We saw the camp host on our this day there who was kind and offered some info on the firing we saw & heard. Apparently they catch sturgeon & transport it to a fishery where they harvest sperm & eggs. The resulting fry are returned here where the seals or sea lions are waiting. The going is to scare them off & give the sturgeon a fighting chance. The only recommendation I would have is better campsite management. I’m leaving 4 stars because of trash left scattered by previous campers along the bank & in the campsite which could have easily been removed.