Nolin Lake State Park Campground

I’m writing this review directly from the park itself.  This campground is much smaller – only thirty-two sites.  Each spacious site has water and electric hook-ups, and many of them afford a view of the water.  If you want to camp here, do a reservation. 

 

Site 31 at Nolin Lake State Park Campground

We currently inhabit site thirty-one, which gives us a unique view of the lake, a nestled section of water where an occasional fisherman on a boat might cruise through looking for his latest catch.  There’s a tiny path from our site that leads down to the water, but be careful, it’s quite steep!  Bring your fishing poles to this campground.  You don’t even have to drive elsewhere if you select a site next to the water.  You’ll have your own piece of the lake!  Just keep in mind some of the trails off the campsite to the lake are narrow and very steep.  If you have bad knees and high expectations  of a private island setting, you may be disappointed. 

 

Upon our Friday arrival, we purchased firewood.  Instead of picking out our own bundles, it was delivered to our site and the kind gentleman employee unloaded it himself.  On Saturday morning, we wanted to check out the hiking trails.  Needing a map, we stopped at the check-in office and a lady told us where we needed to go, but there was no map available!  

 

Feeling adventurous we took to the trail anyway.  There is a map available for viewing at an information station at the head of the trail. It wasn’t so bad, just stay on the path.  It makes a loop back to where we started.  We took the Waterfall Loop which is about 1.6 miles, but the waterfall was dry.  For mountain bikers, there is a new trail that loops around approximately eight miles, which splits off of the Waterfall Loop.  The new trail is called the Omega Loop.  We saw a father and son on a bike outing and it appears very challenging.  Lots up hill, winding trails through the woods.  Thumbs up on the added adventure to this state park!   By the way, both trails are for mountain bikers and hikers, so please be aware and respect each other’s presence. 

An unsuspecting me leaving bathhouse.

 

The bathhouse gets an thumbs up from me.  Clean, modern amenities and that’s all I can really ask for.  I hate walking into a campground restroom only to feel like a hockey mask is going to peer at me from under the stall.  The other side of the bathhouse has an indoor laundry facility and vending machines. 

 

Site 31 looking over to 32.  Nice distance between sites.

Our neighbors this trip were the kind of people you hope you never camp next to.  This can happen at ANY campground so I don’t want this to reflect badly on the campground itself.  There was a crew of at least a dozen people camping at the site across from us.  They took great pleasure in laughing and talking as loudly as possible all day and nearly all night.  It was like a forty-eight hour birthday party with your annoying Aunt Edna cackling the whole time!  Even well past the established quiet hour, the noisy campers continued their revelry.  These were not rednecks or metal heads, but middle-aged fifth wheel camper owners who walked their sweater-wearing dogs.  They finally quieted down, and I’m not sure if someone complained or if an attendant had to shush them, but I was happy to finally go to sleep.   Sleep at last!  Oh but wait, the same noisy crew decided to chop wood at six-thirty the next morning.  What?  This can’t be! I wanted yell at these inconsiderate campers.  So I do only what I can do.  I take a deep breath, shake my head in annoyance and choose to get over it.  It was time for coffee anyway. 

 



Our final morning here, Sunday, it’s thirty-nine degrees outside.  Our heat is keeping us toasty but I must enjoy my coffee wrapped up in a blanket under the awning.  The fog is lifting off the lake and I can hear a wood-pecker off into the distance.  Squirrels are gathering nuts for breakfast and I envy their freedom.  They have no office to report to come Monday morning.  If only I could make a living visiting campgrounds and writing reviews!  But I do this for free because it’s what I love.

 

Pros: 

·         Well-maintained campground/friendly staff

·         Clean bath houses…zero creepiness!

·         Camp sites are spacious and there is a nice distance of separation between sites

·         This campground is very accommodating for both the RV (large fifth wheel to a pop-up) and the tent campers.

Cons

·         Zero bars for cell phone reception/zero 3G network/zero Internet – you’re camping anyway!

 Click here to learn more about the park.