Tiffany B.

The Dyrt Pro

Chicago, IL

Joined September 2018

Basic w a few amenities

I dont know why it’s listed as closed for the season. The registration office is closed but campsites are reservable online and are available first come first serve w self pay as of May 16 2022. The closed for the season on Hipcamp appears to be in error. Mostly close together sites but the scenery is gorgeous. Right outside Saguaro Natl Park but also in a county park itself. Nice bathrooms, plentiful water fountains for filling. My site was supposed to have shade awning per county reservable website… it did not. Only a handful of sites actually have shade structure. There are no showers but there is a large handled faucet w hot running water behind the bathroom in C loop you can clean hair off with.

5 star if you pick the right sites

We booked the last site available so I think with some careful reviewing of site map and asking over the phone about specific needs this is a 5 star spot, but it isn’t particularly pop up friendly. There are primitive tent sites and an assortment of electric + sites. The grounds are gorgeous, lots of space around the lake, so so so very quiet and clean. We have a small pop up. Generally we chose more primitive or small electric only sites. No rigs like ours were in the tent area so not sure if that is an option. Almost ALL the spaces are side by side shared double lots in the cinnamon teal loop. At least 40% - amazing if you’re group camping, but I like my space and privacy. Quiet hours 8pm- 7am. Showers/toilets in each loop. No outlets in bathroom for hair drying etc. showers were cold after minute 2 and each unit was a full bath so also cold and wet. None of this would matter at a cheap site but a hook up is $65/night. Surrounding town is cute with amenities. Visit The House for a meal.

Nice quiet and dark

A one day stop for us. Sites are nice and all pretty close to a man made lake. Stocked with fish and a really amazing set of dinosaur tracks you can hike to. Facilities are a little dated. Bathroom could use an overhaul but it’s not a very big or busy campground.

Pros and Cons

Reservations can be made online as of 2019 so expect fewer FCFS sites. This is an always full, very popular campground. Being close to the Indiana Dunes is the draw. The campground does offer shuttles on some days from the campground to the parking lot near the National Lakeshore making it accessible to campers when the beach parking lots are full (every weekend). This is a noisy campground. Surrounded by train tracks they roll through late and early and you will hear them. The property itself needs some serious maintenance and the descriptions for spots are WAY off, with sites being listed as RV that are way too small and the pictures and occasional sizes listed to individual sites are not correct. Our friends have a large pop up and were unable to fit in the spot. Bathrooms closed for cleaning at 8:00am on Sunday morning!!?! Also the Mather loop bathroom showers are DISGUSTING. I think the Mather loop is older and the sites and facilities are more worn out. They desperately need to be power washed. There is mold everywhere. Finally, while I know there has been a ton of rain and there isn’t anything that can be done, the entire area behind our campsite was a cesspool of mosquitos with no maintenance to improve low ground areas. Site 32 described as 35 foot pad, too short and too narrow for large popup camper with pickup. Someone needs to go through and do a better designation as most sites look to be park and tent sites.

Perfect RV camp spot

Probably the nicest state camp group designed with full RV sites I’ve seen. We have just a pop up so mix it up between hook ups and primitive spots when we are traveling. The is a heavily occupied camp group with some reserved sites and some one night FCFS sites. End of April every site was full. Nice shower facilities, but u like KOA there are natural and manmade barriers very strategically placed. Good jumping off point to Lincoln forest day hikes and white sands area. Really beautifully landscaped. Our site backed up right to the mountains. Gorgeous at dusk/dawn.