Buck Creek State Park — Attraction in Springfield

We stayed at Buck Creek fir a week, Sunday to Sunday. They offer electric and non-electric sites. The paved parking pads are pretty level. They have rental quad pedal bikes, basketball courts, playgrounds, volleyball, shuffleboard, extensive hiking and bridal trails, a sandy beach, marina and camp store. The camp hosts decorated for fall/Halloween more than any campground I’ve seen. There were lots of children who behaved quite well. At night the place was quiet. There were three problem areas. The restrooms were clean but of five stalls in the women’s side, three had doors that didn’t latch. When my husband told the camp host that someone had rubbed excrement on the toilet seat, they told us to go to the park office. The showers were hot and strong. We tried without success to reserve out site through Reserve America online. So I called. They told me that sites were all walk ins. We got there, selected a site, used the envelope system and set up. On Monday morning the camp host told us that we would have to move as our site because it was reserved for the weekend. All other reservable electric sites were also reserved except for walk-in sites #1 and #2. If we waited until Friday they might be gone. We moved only to find a note on the closed camp office that “all electric sites” were booked for the weekend. We called the campground, the park office and every number listed. Nobody answered except for the park police who knew nothing. We left messages. We worried that our planned birthday celebration wouldn’t happen. By later in the afternoon we had it straightened out but the mixup should not have happened. We had a wonderful week. Beginning Nov. 1st, all sites are walk-in. #13 has lake views. #1 and 2 are right near the basketball court. The skeleton staff...

I went on a hike at buck creek. I started opposite of the reservoir. The ditch filled parking lot was full of trash, including many beer cans & bottles, and condoms. Trying to look past that, I began my hike. There was no clear cut trail to follow, just some semi worn path that had weeds that had overgrown into trees, then cut down & left on the so called trail. I joined the railroad track as the map suggested. I was unclear whether or not I joined the track at the right location due to a lack of defined trails and or signage. The entire time I was on the tracks, I felt uneasy knowing a train could come from either direction at any given moment with little available space to get out of the way. Some spots were nearly impossible to move aside with water filled ditches, weeds, & various growth along the tracks. I don't understand why a state park encourages walking on a railroad track anyway. Finally, I came to a sign that read, railroad property: no trespassing. I turned around and began my walk back to my vehicle. Along my way, I decided I would stay on the tracks because they left less of an uneasy feeling than the so called trails with cut weeds that I nearly tripped over several times along the way. I drove to the reservoir where the trail was said to go. This location looked perfect. Obviously, they keep up the area where the office and visitor center is located. I recommend starting your hike here, then turning around once you start feeling uneasy. Not a long enough hike to make me drive the distance. I hike a minimum of 3 miles per day. Anything less than 4 miles is hardly worth the drive. I have Glen Helen virtually in...

HORRIBLE place to camp! We were incredibly disappointed with this location. Booking was a nightmare because there was no information the website, hours are completely wrong in terms of the office hours (we asked and they told us one thing to show up and were closed). We had to book a non-electric site because it was fully booked (no big deal) except for the fact that if you book an electric cite you have access to the bathrooms (which were DISGUSTING and no soap let alone cleaned) and other amenities which you dont in the non-electric cite. It would be ok if it wasnt such a walk to get to a bathroom which are not available if your non-electric cite. While they are trying to practice social distancing the cites are so close together thats its impossible. You are literally right on top of the person next to you with NO PRIVACY! You literally can see what everyone is doing in the camp cite which really takes away from the "camping" experience. The camp cite was so nice to give us a camping spot right next to the main road which again has no privacy! When we 1st got there we were promply greated by a couple (which I assumed worked there) to warn us that the people next to us were very loud the night before after asking if we were associated with them (yeah great 1st impression 🙄). Its 2.5 miles into the woods which would assume you would be surrounded by nature..yeah right! Beach thats near by was a disappointment since its littered with rocks in the water. The "mariana cafe" is a joke so dont even bother. There are a lot more issues with this place but honestly i would never visit again! DO NOT COME HERE! This place...