Trip date: June 2023
Campsite: Six Pines, Site 113
We pulled into camp after sunset and to our dismay, there wasn’t a map at the entrance of the park. After looping around the campsite for the third time we needed a new gameplan. Eventually we figured out that we had to enter the park through a different entrance to reach Six Pines campground. We pulled up a little after eleven and parties were in full force. Site 113 is next to two group sites. We put on headlamps and setup our green Cabella’s tent, blew up a few sleeping pads and tried our best to sleep through the heat, noise, and BUGS.
Site 113 is located on the inside corner of the loop, directly across from the primitive bathroom. The site was slightly larger than some of the others around the loop and features a large tree for shade. Although it is close to the bathroom, we couldn’t smell much (note this for later when we talk about sites we didn’t like). Park on the grass. Access to West Lake Trail & Six Pines Trail from the Six Pines Campsite loop. We liked that Six Pines was a smaller campground than the main loop and was more spacious for tenting. My mom would have argued that she missed out on the modern bathrooms that the main campsite has.
Other sites we liked:
- 103 – Located on the inside of the loop. Fairly large spot. Less shade, towards the top of the loop so potentially more driven traffic.
Other sites we didn’t like:
- 112 – Proximity to the bathroom, this site was smelly. Water faucet also had the potential to make this site a little swampy.
- 114 – Tucked away with lots of trees and bugs. Again, low rating due to proximity of the bathroom.
- 104 & 107 – Entry to the West Loop Trail, which means a lot of foot traffic through your site.
What We Ate
Friday Night Dinner: Ate at home prior to driving
Saturday Breakfast: Instant coffee (10/10, campsite hit!), hard boiled eggs, oatmeal with peanut butter (8/10, classic but boring)
Saturday Lunch: Tuna packets w/ corn tortillas (5/10, better for backpacking than car camping)
Saturday Snack: We had to refuel on firewood which brought us out of the State Park to a nearby gas station. While we were out, stopped by the Dairy Sweet in town (11/10, great idea)
Saturday Dinner: Hotdogs on the fire (8/10, classic but boring) w/ instant mashed potatoes (9/10 very easy and tasty)
Sunday Breakfast: Gas station coffee (? not really a meal but we made it)
Hikes & Trails
Favorite Trail(s): West Loop Trail to East Loop Trail along the lake shore. Trail distance is 5.4 miles. You’ll get to scope out the cabins along the East side of the loop. Trail is well maintained and easy.
Least Favorite Trail: Six Pines Trail. Should’ve been a shortcut from the day use area to Six Pines Campgrounds. Not well marked, with many deer trails. We ended up in a bunch of stinging nettle plants. When you cross the bridge, turn uphill!
Other Considerations
The river near North Flats was shallow, clean and fast-moving. Very refreshing place for a river walk. Water coming from underground spring feeds in just before the bridge which makes under the bridge the best place to stand to cool off your tootsies.
“The Cave” marked on the map was very cool and absolutely worth stopping at (especially on a hot day). Bring a headlamp and be ready to crawl.
Fishing was available but not very accessible. The river is stocked with Trout, so make sure to get an upgraded license. And bring a bug net because the bugs along the water made it impossible to enjoy yourself. We did not fish for this reason.
Bugs. So many bugs. The flies showed no mercy. Buzzing 24/7. You need a day tent with bug nets to sit at camp. All of the trees also had silkworms hanging down, less annoying than the flies but still an infestation. For this reason, we will not be returning.
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