Falls Lake State Park (Rolling View CG), Durham, NC

Date of Stay:  Wednesday September 21 – Saturday September 24, 2016 (3 nights)

Rate:  $23/night during week, $27/night during weekend and holidays

Website:  Falls Lake State Park (NC)
   4201 Baptist Road (gps 36.0048,  78.7273)
   Durham, NC 27703
   919-676-1027

Description:  Initial review here.  Paved roads with gravel sites of W/E (30A) in loops A and B.  Loop C is no hook-ups.  We stayed on site B36 in the woods.  We thought the shade would help to keep us cooler but we were parked under a hickory tree and the nuts were loud when they fell on us.  The bath house still needs cleaning and a fresh coat of paint would help too.  The whole park could use some TLC (like fresh gravel on the sites maybe).

Trash and Recycle:  Several trash cans in each loop for garbage with recycle (aluminum, glass and plastic) cans at the bath house and dump station.

Activities:  We had sped up the last couple weeks of our summer travels to get back to visit with family in NC when we realized that if we traveled a little farther that usual, we could surprise Dan in Youngsville for his birthday.  This cg is about 40 minutes away from Korkie’s Kampground (driveway) where D and T stay to visit their folks in NC.  We enjoyed time with them and Kork.  She is so nice to open up her house like she does.  It was great to all sit outside in her screened porch looking out over her back yard and pond.

 

On site B36

 

Kork gave Dan “mustard and biscuits”         Kork’s kitchen full of friends and family

Long Branch CG (Center Hill Lake COE), Lancaster, TN

Date of Stay:  Sunday September 18 – Wednesday September 21, 2016 (3 nights)

Rate:  $13/night (Access Pass discount)

Website:  Long Branch CG
   478 Lancaster Road (use gps 36.09903,  85.83176)
   Lancaster, TN 38569
   615-548-8002

Description:  Located near I-40 about 50 miles east of Nashville, Tennessee on the spillway side of Center Hill Dam on Caney Fork River.  We stayed on site 35.  There are 60 sites here with 3 of them being FHU (50A).  The rest are W/E (50A) with fine gravel manicured sites and paved roads.  All sites are reservable.  There are several that are sat tv friendly (30, 26, 27, 29 and 32 to name a few).  There is a boat ramp to the river near the spillway and across the dam (which you drive over) is another ramp and a nice Nature Trail of 0.75 miles.  There are other COE campgrounds and a state park on this lake.  Next to site 25 is a concrete stairway leading to the river which is full of trout.  There are two bath houses and both have inexpensive laundry.

Trash and Recycle:  There are a few dumpsters in the cg but no recycling.

Activities:  The mornings were foggy but the water was clear and cool.  Many people enjoyed kayaking the river to the spillway and there were quite a few people fly rod fishing.  We stood on the bank at the bottom of the steps next to site 25 and watched the water rise after it was released at the dam.  We could see some Brown trout and Brook trout.  The current increased and the lazy river got about 3 feet deeper in about 10 minutes.

 

On site 35

 

View from our patio                                Boat ramp to Caney Fork River

 

Center Hill Dam spillway

 

Information signs

 

Driving over the dam…  Center Hill Lake on one side and Caney Fork River on the other

 

Center Hill Lake                                         Caney Fork River

 

On the dam                                           Buffalo Valley Nature Trail

Old Post Road Park CG (Arkansas River COE), Russellville, AR

Date of Stay:  Thursday September 15 – Sunday September 18, 2016 (3 nights)

Rate:  $10/night (Access Pass discount)

Website:  Old Post Road Park CG
   1063 Lock and Dam Road
   Russellville, AR 72802
   479-968-7962

Description:  Located in west-central Arkansas near I-40 and the town of Russellville (pop. 29,000) on the Arkansas Rivier at the Dardanelle Lock and Dam.  The cg has about 40 sites and 3 of those are first come first serve.  The road and sites are paved and all have W/E (50A).  Some have a shelter over the picnic table.  We stayed on site B15 and got sat tv somewhat.  There is a very steep boat ramp to the river and the town has a soccer field complex at the entrance to the cg.  There is a separate park with basketball and tennis courts along with disc golf.  The Arkansas River Visitor Center is near the Lock and Dam.

Trash and Recycle:  There are several dumpsters in the cg and the check-in office has a basket for drink cans recycling.

Activities:  Morning walks were enjoyable with a bit of wildlife sightings such as deer and raccoons.  There is a paved path that goes around the soccer fields under the trees.  The cg filled up on the weekend so it may be hard to get a spot during the busy summer season.  Russellville is a large enough town to get whatever is needed for a nice visit.  The Visitor Center is small and closed on the weekends.  It was hard to time the ships correctly to watch them come and go at the lock but they do have some traffic.  It was quite hot and humid here and we heard Southern accents again.

 

On site B15

 

Our patio and view towards the river

 

               Very steep boat ramp                Huge rock formation across the river from the ramp

   

Nice walking path around the soccer complex

 

Lock and dam…                             cargo waiting to go through

Snake Creek CG (Tenkiller Lake COE), Gore, OK

Date of Stay:  Tuesday September 13 – Thursday September 15, 2016 (2 nights)

Rate:  $10/night (Access Pass discount)

Website:  Snake Creek CG
   18576 W Snake Creek Road (gps 35.6475,  94.97222)
   Cookson, OK 74427
   918-457-5674
  
Description:  Located in the foothills of the Ozarks in eastern Oklahoma on crystal clear Tenkiller Lake, a COE project from the mid 1950’s on the Illinois River.  We stayed on site 18 which is gravel W/E (50A).  There are about 110 wooded sites here with either gravel, paved or concrete sites.  Most sites are W/E 30A (only five 50A which are all first come first serve).  Some are FHU 30A.  There are a total of 44 first come first serve sites.  There is a swim area and two boat ramps.  Also there is a separate Snake Creek Cove Marina.  Practically zero Verizon reception which meant no internet or phone.

Trash and Recycle:  Several blue dumpsters throughout the cg but no recycle.

Activities:  Quiet here during the week.  Great natural setting for walks.  We drove over to the marina for good Verizon reception. 

 

On site 18

 

On site 18

 

Fall is in the air                                            Neighboring marina

 

Canada geese                                         Fox squirrel

 

Boat ramp                                         View from the ramp

 

Tenkiller Lake has a rocky shore and bottom making the water very clear

Linn County Park, LaCygne, KS

Date of Stay:  Sunday September 11 – Tuesday September 13, 2016 (2 nights)

Rate:  $17/night

Website:  Linn County Park
   23095 Valley Road (follow signs to Marina to check in)
   LaCygne, KS 66040
   913-757-6633

Description:  Located in east central Kansas on 2600 acre Lake LaCygne (cooling reservoir for KCPL coal-fired power plant).  No swimming or skiing allowed, only fishing boats.  We stayed on site 112 in View Point Loop next to some permanent residents.  There’s no stay limit here so some sites are very messy.  Paved roads with gravel sites having W/E, mostly 30A but a few 50A like ours.  Check in at the Marina to see which ones are available at this all first come first serve cg.  They even have a few FHU sites but I imagine they are all taken by the residents.  Nice dump station located in the back of the park along with a few rustic cabins.  We enjoyed a waterfront site but there were many 30A sites available in a more wooded setting in several different loops.  There are about 113 sites here.

Trash and Recycle:  Trash cans located throughout the park for every 3 – 4 campsites.  No recycle.

Activities:  Not much to do here but it is a nice place to walk and see deer and wild turkey in the wooded area.  There is a fish feeder in our cove that goes off automatically.  We noticed it at 1:00 and 4:00, and some huge catfish love it.  Nearby small town had a decent grocery store and Dollar General but not much else.  They say that cygnet swans show up here occasionally.  That would have been awesome to see.

 

On site 112

 

Patio view with fish feeder in cove                       Trashy resident neighbor

 

Deer picking out a campsite                 They were abundant in the wooded area

 

KCPL coal-fired power plant keeps the lake warm even during winter… at dusk

Mozingo Lake RV Park, Maryville, MO

Date of Stay:  Wednesday September 7 – Sunday September 11, 2016 (4 nights)

Rate:  $25/night (reserved sites $35/night)

Website:  Mozingo Lake RV Park
   25055 Liberty Road (HQ)… follow signs down 245 St.
   Maryville, MO 64468
   660-562-2323

Description:  Located in northwest Missouri, this large, nice City Park on a thousand acre lake offers a lot of activities.  There are 75 first come first serve and 33 reservable sites.  The day use area has many picnic shelters, a swim beach, boat ramp and a nice golf course.  There is a separate tent camping area along with a separate equestrian rv camp and several family cabins along the water front.  The roads are paved and the pads are concrete with W/E (50A) at each site.  We stayed up a cove on site 63 sheltered from the lake winds.  There is a nice bath house with laundry facilities too.  This park was built around 2005.

Trash and Recycle:  Couple of dumpsters at the dump station and a barrel to recycle drink cans.

Activities:  Enjoyed the quiet time during the week and walked the nice wide concrete sidewalk around the park.  Nice place to ride a bike too but a bit hilly.  The nearby town of Maryville, MO (pop. 12,000) is large enough to have most any kind of shopping needed.

 

On site 63

 

View from our bumper                             Site 63 from the shore

 

Sites on the point get lots of wind

   

Nice walking/biking trail

 

Nice place for a picnic                                       Boat ramp

                

                                  Day use shelters                Mozingo family were pioneer settlers here in mid 1800’s