Mary Smith Campground

The campground is nice, but we had a major issue with the number of wasps around the picnic table and food areas. They really need to address this problem because most of us got stung by wasps, and our neighbors even left early because of it.

We love visiting Mary Smith! The campground is clean and peaceful. The lake is beautiful, and the Pine Cove marina up the road has pontoon boats, kayaks and paddle boards that can be rented. The caretakers of the campground are friendly and do a great job keeping the tent/cabins and restrooms clean.

I was in tent camp #7. This camp is uncomfortably close to a glamping tent. I put up a screen an this made it passable. Fortunately this glamping tent was unoccupied for two of the three nights I was there. There is plenty of room to move site #7 closer to the lake and this would put more separation between the two.

What a gem of a campground! We went during an exceedingly hot time, which was a bit more work to endure but the campsite was lovely, the water sources were ample, cold and refreshing. Also, the camp host and her family are super friendly and kindly provided a great supply of firewood, which was excellent for keeping bugs away in the evenings. The fire pit was cleaned out, very well set up, and easy to use. The toilets were very clean, which was awesome. My only constructive feedback is that the waterfront was quite a bit of a walk. The permanent tent structures at the waterfront access were the only ones who got to enjoy easy access. We had an inflatable paddle board and it was quite a walk to the access point. Also, it felt a bit strange walking through others’ campsites to get to the waterfront. It would be wonderful if they created 1-2 other ways that us old fashioned tent campers could go enjoy the waterfront in a shared space. That said, it was a pretty nice experience all around.

This is a scenic campground, quiet, no RV's or campers, Nice site. Free firewood. Close to town but tucked away.

Tons of mosquitos and yellow jackets. Lots of dead trees and “toxic algae bloom” in lake. No potable water in September. Over all, probably won’t go back. Might be nicer earlier in the year.

This was incredibly lovely campground. We literally had it all too ourselves for our entire 4-day stay, so it was deliciously quiet. The campsite hosts were excellent and friendly and kept the place clean and stocked. Birdwatching and paddling around the lake were delightful.

Would have given 5 stars except for the “temporary” lack of potable water and would have still given 5 stars if we had been given notice of the lack so we could have brought our own. As it was, I mentioned it to the camp host that the website said drinking water was provided. She then notified her boss and THEN we received notice 40 minutes after arriving.

The lake was quiet when we were here before Memorial Day, and it is a great place to kayak, canoe, or paddleboard. Stayed in the glamping tents, which were spacious and clean. The shallow water near the shore is muddy with a lot of treefall in the water, making it quickly murky, and the bottom drops off fairly quickly. The campsite was fine, but no food storage or bear boxes on site could be a complication if bears are about, which the signs indicate they can be (didn't see or hear any this trip). Faucet water at the time we visited was non-potable, and there are no showers and only one flush toilet. Tried fly fishing from the shore area, which was a bust, but going over to the Trinity River below the dam there's great spots to drop your line in the current.

Enjoyed our "glamping unit" stay. Ray the campground host was friendly and helpful. Our unit was clean and ready. Despite being there during the heatwave, it was a beautiful view and very relaxing. We got to see a golden eagle, bald eagle and osprey. Spent time fishing after renting a boat at the marina. We made a trip to Weaverville to have a nice lunch and do some antique shopping. Glad the water was nippy to cool us off since it was 108'.

Nice to have toilets and sinks with running water. If you’re not glamping, you’ll work out bringing things up and down your campsite. Overall, a beautiful place to camp