Hopkins Prairie Campground

Amazing primitive campground there are only 21 sites and it's first come first serve . Spent 5 days there much less traffic around the campground with made it very peaceful. There are only toilets here no showers or sinks . The view of the prairie was amazing during sunrise and sunset . The view of the stars were unreal . Definitely a beautiful place. The road in is rough not bad in a jeep or truck .

READ THIS REVIEW FIRST: TL:DR bring cash to pay for the site, the roads are rough and unmaintained, there are ticks everywhere, it's a beautiful place to camp, you should stay here. If you are planning on camping here, it's 15 dollars a day. You will not be able to pay digitally. You must bring cash. There is a QR code at the site that will have you download an app to pay, however, there is nary any service there. I drove 20 minutes back down 19 to load the app only to discover all of the days were marked "FF," meaning "first come, first served." Meaning you have to ensure there is a campsite available to rent. My conundrum was that it was the heat of summer and I was highly doubtful that all of the sites were filled. I returned to the campground beaten and tired. I spoke with the groundskeeper and asked him if I could stay the night and drive out the following morning to track down an ATM to pay in full for the days I was intending to stay. He obliged and I went to set up camp. The sites are clean and tidy, and very spacious! They include food storage boxes for those pesky bears. Be mindful to store your food in air-tight containers as there are lovely little sugar ants that love to roam. There is a picnic bench, a fire pit, and a grill. There are all manner of insect life, including ticks, that will bug you. I practically doused my clothes in bug spray and fumigated my tent. Also, regular inspections of my dog's legs were in order. There is a bathroom unit with the tried-and-true kybo style. There is a hand crank water pump on-site but I couldn't get it to function. Regardless I came prepared with 5 gallons. Vehicles will frequently travel through the campgrounds, driving slowly, to spy out the sights and to plow through the ever present puddles. Speaking of puddles, if your undercarriage clearance is less than 10 inches, be very cautious, those puddles are a lot deeper than you think. The overnight experience was fantastic apart from the heat. Once the sun set, the fireflies, bats, glowworm beetles, and frogs all came out to play. It's a noisy night to say the least, but I would much rather that than the racket from the city. For daytime festivities, the trail is beautiful and marginally shaded. There is a lake nearby that my dog absolutely loved and after 2 hours there, I did not see any benevolent wildlife, i.e. gators. Loved staying here. Will definitely come back. Especially when it's not 95° outside.

Amazing landscape and breathtaking camping spots. The sunrise and sunset here are beautiful to watch as well. Gotta keep your food locked up cause the bear will snatch your food. Had one get me for a loaf of bread. LOL outside of that is truly worth the experience

We camped here, at the edge of the prarie, tucked under the oaks! It was lovely! Hiked the prarie a bit, the loop down to the swimming hole and drove over to another trail head to hike some more! We saw autumn wild flowers in bloom, many birds including a scrub jay and a Barred owl that sits in the oaks beside the bathouse to hunt the flying mammals as they emerge at dusk. (Regretably, the colonel population is down considerably over just a year ago!) We did a little 4-wheel driving through the sugar sand road through the dispersed camping areas around the lakes that dot the prarie. There's a boatlaunch for your paddling vessel and reportedly good fishing. Bonus: we got our $10 permit to go to a designated Plat of the forest where we cut a sandpine to take home for our Christmas tree! 🎄 Definitely a new holiday tradition. Vault toilets were clean. No potable water. There's a spigot for well water that's discolored by tannins and iron. There was no firewood to purchase, but plenty to scavenge near by. Follow the sound of the big saw. You're 30 minutes from the nearest store, so come prepared- including long sleeves and pants plus bug repellent- chiggers are wicked- don't sit on the ground! Also spotted bear poo on the trails. So hike in loud groups and consider bringing bear spray and know how to use it. Campsites offer a range of privacy, connected sites for groups. All had picnic benches and fire rings, most had raised grills. All had food vaults as this is an area of high bear activity. Camp host was friendly.

Was much better a year ago but now you have pay for the campground using an app. Hope your phone gets a good signal out there and you already have an account (I think it is recreation.gov account). Last year I would have given 4 or 5 stars. Just one penny pinching change really changed it for me. No campground host either. Anyway, the area is still the same just the management has changed.