Deer Creek State Park — Attraction in Monroe Township

We had a wonderful weekend camping at Deer Creek State Park. The weather was great for late July. No rain and while hot during the day, the humidity wasn't bad and it was actually chilly at night. The campsites were spacious, though if I were going to knock a star off, it'd be because of the weird sites. If you are in the first loop, it looked pretty flat and very wooded. Once you got out to the second loop where we were in the 40s and 50s they were more exposed and the terrain varied greatly. From some with tight spaces due to vegetation, to others that are down steep embankments or back a long way. Needless to say, as the sites seem more geared towards campers than tents, you'll need to bring a long extension cord to get power from the hookup to where a tent could actually be pitched.

Otherwise, can't really complain about anything. There is a great camp store that offers slushies, ice cream, the normal camp store fare, as well as cute little souvenirs and cast iron cookware. They also have free mini golf, bike and disc golf disc rentals, and have reasonable ice and firewood as well. Outside of the attendant stamping my passport with the wrong stamp, I couldn't think of anything negative to say.

As I mentioned, there is mini golf, disc golf, a fenced in dog park area, a story book trail, a nature center with some nice hands on activities. They also have at least three or four little free libraries. Our young one thoroughly enjoyed the playground, as well.

There are a variety of relatively short hikes. On ours we hiked by the lake, a pond, and over multiple bridges. The paths could have been a bit better marked at a few intersections where we had to guess which way to go, but those weren't common.

We didn't stay in the lodge, but went up to it before heading home for a naturalist's event where they had a rat snake and a turtle for people to view, as well as turtle shells, snake skins, etc. to handle, in addition to some field guides you could take. The lodge also had a nice gift shop as well. The view from the lodge out at the lake was very nice. It looked like it would be a really nice place to stay.

Finally, we also drove around the lake a bit to the beach area. It seemed like a nice area. The beach was sandy, not noticing any rocks or anything. There is a nice playground up at the top of the hill leading down to the beach which proved to be a good spot to let the kiddo burn off some energy. There was another area with a playground by the dam, but we didn't try out that one.

All-in-all, a really nice park with some great amenities. I'd say it is one of the nicer state parks we've camped at. I will say, we didn't use the showers since we were only there for the weekend, so I can't speak to those. We only used the restroom near our site which did not have...

Disclaimer: I want to be clear that the budget cut induced staffing shortages negatively impacted most aspects of our stay so it wasn’t a 5 star experience, but most staff here are doing their best with the situation. We stayed and ate in the lodge. We did the naturalist kayak trip and brown rat snake program. We were part of a group so used a large conference room throughout the weekend. Parking is ample. Entrance to the lodge is great and you are treated to a lovely view of the lake. There’s wonderful sitting areas in the lobby and a deck. The room was clean, good size, comfy bed and sitting area, and small, but nice to have balcony. The restaurant food and drink are good. The service is good, but understaffed and several are inexperienced. The naturalist programs were wonderful. Rylee is enthusiastic and knowledgable. We planned to go to the nature center, but she brought the snake to the lodge lobby. It was fun to see the restaurant workers come out to visit the snake. Then on Saturday we did Rylee’s kayak. She was a great instructor, made us feel safe, was very knowledgeable about the animals and the park. This is a no miss activity! Rolling Hills trail was good and shaves a mile off walking to the campground vs the road (2 miles vs 3 miles), but it needs some TLC and Eagle Scout projects to reduce the bush whacking, a bit of poison ivy, and missing bridges. We’ll tell you about the pool once the lifeguard shows up. We love there is an indoor and outdoor pool. Added: Outdoor pool is pretty cold even in August after many 95+ degree days. Mostly enough chairs. You do have to navigate other guests not sharing i.e. reserving areas and not being there for hours. We walked most of the campground and it’s well shaded and good services. We’ll be...

We recently enjoyed a spring break stay at Deer Creek Lodge in a clean and comfortable cabin. The location was perfect for our family, with a playground right across the road (though a few more slow down signs for cars would be ideal). The lodge itself has a charming, rustic feel with a mix of old and new design elements. While slightly dated in some areas, it was still very clean and inviting.

Areas for Improvement:

Arcade: This was a bit of a letdown for our kids. With a limited selection of games, many malfunctioning, and a focus on claw machines, the arcade could use an upgrade with more engaging and working games.

Restaurant: The food quality at the lodge restaurant wasn't the best for the price. While our waitress did an amazing job managing the entire restaurant on her own, it seemed understaffed.

Highlights:

Cabins: Our cabin was clean, comfortable, and perfect for a family getaway.

Playground: The playground across the road was a convenient spot for the kids to burn off energy.

Overall Atmosphere: Deer Creek offered a relaxing and fun atmosphere perfect for families with both adults and children enjoying their time.

Overall:

Despite a few shortcomings, we would recommend Deer Creek Lodge for a family vacation. With its comfortable cabins, beautiful surroundings, and relaxing atmosphere, it provided a great escape. However, some improvements to the arcade and restaurant would make the experience...