Pawnee

We loved camping here! We were very surprised that our site did have trees and privacy after hearing from others that the Elk loop was bare from beetle kill. Lots of sites are bare, but this one is on the edge close to the Moose loop so plenty of trees. We did have to wait at the entrance gate until almost exactly our check in time at 2:00, but that was ok. Also, rec.gov had the check in and out times incorrect which was confusing, but the flexible and friendly campground hosts allowed us to finish our morning hike, giving us until noon to check out and into our second site (regular check out is 11:00). Something else surprising, the hosts said they often have same day availability due to cancellations and people who leave earlier than expected. Not sure I would take a chance and come up just for that, but it could extend your stay. So wonderful to walk to the trails and there are many to choose from from. The restrooms are super clean, although not as many and as closely spaced as usual, but it wasn't a problem. We were so happy to make reservations on cancellations as it is super hard to get a spot here. We will try again in the future! Such a gorgeous place.

We ended up changing from this site to site 34. Both were amazing and private, but 34 had more space and suited us better. Wonderful experience with friendly and helpful hosts, very clean restrooms, quiet, peaceful, and fantastic hiking - oh and the views from the lake! Book early but don't give up - we got in on cancellations!

Nice clean campground.

They take care of their site. Camp host stayed aware of the grounds and made sure to keep it tidy, including the restroom that was washed down three times a day. The facilities were clean and felt very safe. Easy walk to trail heads and the lake. Not crowded, space between sites was a nice amount.

Nice well maintained campsites, attentive hosts and absolutely beautiful surroundings with great trails to explore the amazing beauty.

Very hard to get a reservation. maybe limit stays to a week or less (instead of two weeks) so more people have an opportunity to camp. Disappointed no walk-in sites anymore. (or at least I did not see any.) Fire ban was in place, making it less fun, and no refund or partial refund when fires are banned.

A wonderful place to camp as usual! The new concessionaire company Vista has some great campground Hosts and staff.
The only downside is the limit of one vehicle per campsite while for many years you were allowed to have two. It is an additional 8 dollars per night for an additional vehicle. When I made reservations initially there was no mention of the extra vehicle charge. It did show up later in the Reservation reminder email. I am certain many felt a little ripped off. Still a wonderful campground!

Beautiful , quiet campground. Be prepared for cold and or windy conditions even in the summer months.

Great campground hosts; campsites and bathroom are kept exceptionally clean.
Site 39 is one of my favorites, however I had to leave after a single night for a one night reservation who was a no show. Actually sites 39 and 35, some of the nicest sites in Pawnee were no shows. Walking around Pawnee there were a number of no shows. The Forest Service needs to address the problem with no shows at Pawnee and Elk as there's an entire community of families that have been camping at Brainard for generations that can no longer reserve campsites except for a spur of the moment single night.
The Forest Service needs to decide if check out is noon or 11am, as although Recreation.gov and FS both state check out is noon, 11am is written as check out time on all the campsite posts once you arrive.

It is a disgrace that you must pay to park at Brainard Lake when you have secured and paid for a camping site at Pawnee. I was required to drop off my kayak, drive back to my campsite and then walk back to the lake. I could not even pay for a parking pass as I was unable to get an internet connection in the campground or nearby kiosks.