Bob M. Dearing Natchez State Park — Attraction in Contiguous United States

Loop "A" was closed. Looks like it has been abandoned. Stayed in loop "B" (sites 22-48) near the lake that was obscured by the thick undergrowth. A couple paths led to the lake but you only had what amounted to a 10x10 area clear of foliage on the bank. Lots of biting gnats and other insects and ticks were rampant. Also ticks were rampant. And my wife says to mention the ticks and how rampant they were. The ticks were eating flea collars off small dogs. Lots of low hanging branches to be avoided by 5th wheels and class A's. Bathhouse had a washer & dryer along with a vending machine for sodas. Water and electric (20, 30, 50 amp) but no sewer hookup. Concrete pads were nice at first but after the deluge most were covered with about 50% slippery slidin' mud. 2 pull thrus were available. If you like to watch satellite tv then you need to stay in 36, 37 or 39 and bring 200+ feet of cable and set your dish up by the lake. OTA TV had 3 public broadcasting channels with strong signal and 4 other stations that faded in and out. There were no cable hookups. We have verizon and had about 3 bars of 3G coverage. Several feral cats wandering about and I witnessed the ranger feeding them (nice man but he doesn't have to deal with cats foraging on the picnic table). The ranger checks on the cats more than the campers, seriously. Oh, and Do NOT take the State Park road off hwy 98 no matter what Siri says. Use the entrance off hwy 61. It was Memorial Day weekend 2017 when we went but all campers were quiet and respectful. We found one hiking trail but could only go about 150 feet because the footbridge was out. There was a creosote pole you could walk across but there was a sharp tree stump from a tree about 2" in diameter that would likely impale you if you lost your balance and fell off. Met lots of nice people. Prettiest spot is down by the office. That's where you get the best view of the lake. It's best to stop at your site if you've already made your reservations and drop off the rv then drive down to the office to register. The turn loop at the office is kind of inadequate especially if other people have parked their cars for the day. A day trip into Natchez was nice, casinos, tours, good food. No complaints as the wife scored on the slots over $400 using the $20 credit...

A few of us used the Reserve America website to reserve (we didn’t even check-in at the Park office) several RV campsites in the “B Loop” for a weekend. There was a sign on the campsites with our names and dates. We arrived late on a Friday afternoon and drove straight to our campsites and set up. We had little trouble backing. The campground is in a wooded area and each site had a level concrete pad, picnic table, grill, fire ring, 50/30/15 Amp electrical hook-up, water hook-up (mine leaked badly when used so to minimize mud around my Airstream, I only run water for showers), and a garbage can, but no sewer hookup.

A short walk away from the campsites is a centrally located bathhouse with showers and laundry facility (I only noticed one washer/dryer). The showers had a few hooks and shelves and were not lockable. A bit of a security concern for me. There is a short nature trail that starts on the edge of the B Loop and finishes on the lake. A sewage dumping station is located on the way out of B Loop. Occasionally a park employee would drive through to collect garbage and mark the sites that have been reserved. Overall, the other campsites look clean & well-maintained. The campground is nice and quiet. There are few lights in the campgrounds, and therefore I'm a little concerned about walking around at night.

My AT&T cell phone was barely usable. My Verizon 4GLTE jetpack MiFi, using external antennas, had 2 bars and was usable. A few Jackson, MS TV channels are viewable.

The Natchez State Park is located close to the Natchez Trace Parkway and only a short drive from the city of Natchez, MS. The roads going into and out of the Park are a little rough, narrow and curvy. The abandoned buildings are an interesting landmark.

We camped at the Natchez State Park in...

If I could in good conscience rate just the park, I would have given it 5 stars. It is easily one of the most beautiful places we have ever camped. The bathouses are clean and well-kept. The sites are giant. Unfortunately, I feel like I need to rate the entire experience for people. The road leading into the park is absolutely horrendous. We popped a tire going in due to all of the potholes. I could have chalked it up to just coincidence that the road was bad at the same time our tire would have popped anyway, but two other people there when we were also had popped tires. There is also a 20 minute or longer drive one way down these terrible roads for any supplies. They don't even sell ice, so come fully stocked. Don't forget tick spray because my boys pulled at least 10 ticks off of themselves after a hike (but that is just because it is the woods).

All in all, I am glad we went once, but we would not even consider going back unless the roads were fixed and Mississippi ain't ever in a hurry...