Fmiser

2 Reviews
1 State Visited

Recent Reviews


4

Almost in the river!

The pads are are within 30 ft (10 m) of the Mississippi River, just below Lock and Dam 20. The barge tows pass within 40 ft (12 m) of the shoreline. This makes for a fascinating closeup view of the passing tows. The towboat engines do make a bit of noise but not enough that our sleep was disturbed even with the windows open. The trains running by less than 100 ft (30 m) behind the pads were much louder and did disturb our sleep, though fortunately it was typically multiple hours between trains.

We were there just as the river had receded enough for the park to open. We we pleased at the effort the city put into cleaning and clearing the park so soon after the water was low enough for access. Talking with some locals, it seems the park is usually pretty full during the summer season, but it was nearly empty while we were there. Maybe the fact the river water was still over one end of the access road had something to do with the lack of visitors.

The kids enjoyed the playground, everyone enjoyed watching the barge tows going by, and the price was very nice.

While I was there, I did not discover any WiFi.

In summary, we very much enjoyed our visit and if in the area again I will try to stay here again!

Date of Stay:
 May, 2013
Rate Paid:
 $18.00

3

Rustic Ozark hills

It is a very rural setting, and could make a good destination, not just a waypoint in a trip. I was there early in the season, so it is no surprise it was quiet. The grounds are pretty and the lake looks like it would be fun during a hot summer.

Marble Hill is about 10 minutes drive and has basic retail stores like gas stations and a grocery store. Cape Girardeau, with lots of retail options, is less than an hour away - even for a timid driver.

But a couple points not clearly covered in the official information.

There are a lot of seasonal visitors, so the actual number of available sites is quite a bit less than the total.

The campground is in the Ozark hills - and so the roads are steep and windy. The main entrance road is well cared for - but steep. The road to the campsites varied from fair to poor. I was there during and after heavy rain and part of my complaint with the roads was soft ground and insufficient gravel - both of which will not be a problem when the weather is dryer.

They have three groups of RV sites, "A pads", "B pads", and "H pads". What I saw of A and B as I drove by looked like they were leveled and graveled sites.

The "H pads" are not. The ground is rocky, but there is no gravel and finding a spot that's close to level is up to the skill of the person parking. The map implies sites perpendicular to the road - but I don't think my tongue jack is tall enough to level my trailer if I parked that way. And - again because of the rain - the ground was very soft and the surface slick and muddy. So I parked where I could, not where I wanted to. The road down to the "H pads" is quite steep and was soft enough I was rather concerned my two-wheel drive truck wouldn't be able to get the trailer out.

Conclusion. I liked it. I would stay there again - but I would use the "H pads" only if the weather wasn't too wet.

Date of Stay:
 April, 2013
Rate Paid:
 $27.00