Dreher Island State Park — Attraction in Peak

We booked a 2-day stay in Camper Cabin #3, checking in December 24th. Because we were running a little behind schedule, I called to confirm that somebody would be there (since it was Christmas Eve) for our arrival. I called twice and left a voicemail, and I received no callback. I called a third time and someone picked up. They said they would leave our key on our cabin’s porch. This was our first time coming to this campground, but we were given no map, no instructions on where to go...so we had to figure that out in the dark by ourselves. The cabin itself was so cute! We were so excited to have a nice, cozy place to stay and couldn’t wait for coffee and pancakes by the lake the next morning. Then...we discovered bed bugs. We thought “okay we can stick it out for one night.” I emailed and called the number on the confirmation email and got no response. I understand...it’s Christmas Eve. But then, at 1:30 AM, we realized our bed (with our linens we brought) was infested with bed bugs. We had no choice but to pack up and leave. It was freezing cold, but we had to vacate. We drove straight home (a 2 hour drive) and have been cleaning, sanitizing, drying all our belongings we had with us all day today (the 25th). I have emailed and called multiple times since our departure with no response. Again, I know it’s a holiday...but when you have guests staying on your property, you should be accessible at least within 12 hours. I am going to continue to reach out until I hear back from somebody. I’ve requested a refund and am hoping management will do right by us. We can’t even get comfortable in our own home worrying we missed some and brought them in the house with us. So disappointed in our experience with a park/campground I had heard so many good things about. *UPDATE: I did finally get to speak to someone in the office on 12/28. She was very apologetic and assured me the matter would be looked into and handled right away. I received an email saying I would receive a full refund and that they were “so sorry for the inconvenience.” I’m very appreciative of that, but I still feel like my other 3-4 voicemails should have been...

Picnic landing pad 1. Let me tell you something if you had a choice. Going with number three would have been the flattest option and a little more level but we only had the option for pad number one. You can pull in at the top of the location and drop all your stuff off and then park maybe 300 ft up the road in a nice little parking area that was with wide open parking on the busiest day of the year. Because typically only people with the picnic area parked there so it's a lot of room. There are some rocks getting down to the water so it's not just sand. Pretty big rocks to climb on to get into the water and take up about 5 ft. But I have kids at various ages and they were all morning capable of climbing down through the rocks to get into the water definitely a perfect spot to reserve for 35$ bucks 100% would recommend. We got there in the whole park. Was packed crazy full on a Saturday but the quiet little place to get to for the picnic pads was amazing. Quiet and had tons of room between you and the next landing Pad comes with a flat pad and a picnic table and also a tiny charcoal grill you typically see at a park. This spot has room for two hammocks. We use both. It was amazing. If you sit in a chair by the edge of the water, there's a Cool breeze that comes in in the afternoon. Also, in the morning it's really sunny at the picnic table, but there's a nice tree that provides shade by midnoon and all afternoon, it's nice and shade. Also nice bathrooms within 50 ft of walking distance directly across the street...

Over the past 3 years my family and I really enjoy staying at Dreher Island campground. There seems to be plenty of tent sites, rv spots, and cabins on the water to stay for a few days. While not every spot is on the water everyone still has access to the lake. When driving through, take it slow and easy through the big loop as there are plenty of twist and turns along the way. • We pull a Grand Design 310 5Th wheel (13’6” tall and 101” wide) through the loops and didn’t have a problem with clearance or road width. The roads have a few areas where the roots made natural speed bumps so slow down when you see them. • If you are staying more than a few days, like us, you may need a portable dump tank 🚿🚽 (or just use the facilities on site - they are well kept). Plenty of water pressure at our site and the power was clean and constant. Cell phone coverage is 1-2 bars (T-Mobile) & 3 bars (Verizon). Starlink reception depends on the season due the the tree cover. In December, where most of the leaves had already fallen, our internet speed was just fine for streaming and work (some buffering at night). There’s adequate distance between sites - see your neighbors if you want to but not so close to where they are in your business… • Of all the campgrounds around the Columbia area, this is by far the nicest! We feel there is something for everyone at the lake winter Sumer spring or fall. If you don’t mind the extra travel time to and from Columbia - this is the perfect place...