Bass Lake Campground, Dillon, SC

Date of Stay:  Saturday February 18 - Monday February 20, 2012 (2 nights)

Rate:  $18/night (PPA discount)

Website:  Bass Lake Campground
     1149 Bass Lake Place
     Dillon, SC 29536
     843-774-9100

Description:  Right beside I-95 so road noise can be a bother.  Packed sand and grass sites.  Pull thru FHU 50A.  Laundry in the bathhouse.  We stopped here on our way back to NC from FL because of the PPA discount rate which is good for 3 nights.  Pretty pond.  Nice owner walked the MH to the site.

Activities:  Just used as a stopover.  Convenient to I-95.

Trash and Recycle:  Dumpster near office.  Didn’t notice recycling.

 

 

Catch and release pond                                 Bathhouse with laundry in rear

Crooked River State Park, St. Mary’s, GA

Date of Stay:  Tuesday February 14 - Saturday February 18, 2012 (4 nights)

Rate:  $28/night

Website:  Crooked River State Park (GA)
     6222 Charlie Smith Sr. Highway
     St. Mary’s, GA   31558
     912-882-5256

Description:  Paved roads.  Two loops with the older one having 30A and water, newer having 50A and water.  Older loop has some sites that look out over the water with packed sand and grass sites but lacked privacy.  Newer loop has privacy plantings between sites which were packed crush and run gravel bordered by timbers.  We were on site 54 which was a large pull thru.  Reservations are not site specific so you get a better site if you get there by Wednesday.  Dump station is separate from the campground on your way out.

Activities:  Rainy while we were there but good place to ride bikes on the paved roads.  Paddle trails in the estuaries but can have tidal influence.  Nice boat launch.  Nice nature center.  Black flies/gnats were active.

Trash and Recycle:  Recycle bins beside the dumpsters as you enter the campground.  Aluminum cans, plastic bottles, and glass.

 

 

Typical newer loop site                              Typical older loop site

E.G. Simmons Park, Ruskin, FL

Date of Stay: Thursday February 2 - Tuesday February 7, 2012 (5 nights)

Rate: $24/night

Website: E.G. Simmons Park
     2401 19th Avenue, N.W.
     Ruskin, FL  33570
     813-671-7655

Description:  Paved roads, packed sand and grass sites, 30A and water at each site, two separate campgrounds each with a dump station and bath house.  First come (no reservations) with 14 day stay limit.  We were in site 55 of the East CG which was right on the water where we launched our kayaks to paddle the canals amongst the Mangroves.

Activities:  Great place to paddle a kayak in the Mangrove canals.  Right on Tampa Bay.  Public swim area and picnic area.  Our friends Dan and Tricia joined us one day for a paddle, and we were in a cove with Manatees for a couple of hours.  Lots of paved roads which was great for biking.  Several Osprey nests and other birds to watch on the water.

Trash and Recycle:  No recycling. Dumpster as you enter campground.