Collins Lake

Oh boy. You definitely do NOT want to go to Collins Lake. No way. Especially not the sites I list below. Those are the worst. You’re right by the water, so the noise of the ducks, geese and various song birds will surely annoy you. You might even lose sleep due to the cacophony of waves gently lapping at the shore incessantly. The reflection of the clouds and sunsets on the surface of lake is downright obnoxious, like it’s trying too hard. And you’re so close, you can’t escape the relentless visual assault. If you’re not careful, you could end up literally losing hours of your life as you get sucked into just staring ahead blankly. What a nightmare. Just don’t go.

Or, well, if you really must, despite my warnings, maybe contact me offline so we’re not trying to book the same site.

Ok fine. This place was awesome. It’s funny how insanely nervous Richard gets when he makes reservations. He booked the site months ago through our Moon’s Camping guide and he’s been worried about it ever since. I kept trying to reassure him that his find of the place at Clear Lake puts him in a campsite karma surplus, and now, after this place, he can pretty much coast for a while. What I would like to do is go back when it is warmer so I can throw my kayak in the water. The whole weekend was rainy, with periods of hail. And though I love the sound of rain on the roof very much, it did not make for inviting boating weather.

The campground is huge, with lots and lots of sites offering electric and water hookups. There are also many lakefront sites to choose from, making it possible to launch right from your patio. Clearly, the place is hopping in the summer time and I’m sure it would take on an entirely different feel. There are playgrounds, and waterslide rafts, and designated swimming areas. Perfect for families with kids. For us, we’re thinking post summer crowds would be preferable. It’s about a three hour drive, but it’s easy peasy with nice roads that would be fine even after dark. We lost cell service just as we entered the campground, but there is pretty good wifi at the store/cafe/ice cream place. We asked in the store about summer crowds and, sure enough, it sounds like it gets packed with campers, as well as counselors from neighboring summer day camps. Apparently it is not uncommon to have a hundred people lining up to get ice cream. Duly noted.

This was a great find and surely a place we will re-visit, but maybe not during the height of summer.

Total miles: 132.1, 15.7 mpg, 3 hours 6 min. Site: 116, electric and water hookups, right by the lake. No cell service for ATT, but occasional bursts of 3G for Verizon. Campground store has wifi. There are showers and laundry facilities, as well as four dump sites. Other nice sites: 117*, 84, 52*, 54, 56, 56a, 56b, 60a, 64, 68.