Lake Russell Recreation Area

GREAT!!! 👍

We have been coming here since the early 70s when the park was the "original" Lake Russell. When the swimming area had kiddie slides, a floating dock out in front of the swimming area you swam too. When you had to take a bath in the lake. You actually had to pump water out of a well on loop C picnic area (now it's a trail to the dam). If you had # 8 site when the "original" Lake Russell was there, it was the best site in the campground. It was on the point, which is just woods now. We had a jon boat that made it a lot easier to get water back to our camp. My brother's, sister's and I where kids at the time. So life happened, we all got older, we had kids, work, etc.. so one day I thought I would return the favor to my dad and start taking him back up to Lake Russell because he was getting up there in age. He always loved it up there. So every October, for the past 15 years, my Brother's, Uncle's, cousin's and now our own son's go back to camp. I think in the early eighties the park change. It became modernerized. Paved roads, new bathrooms with hot water.... Site #33 loop B is the best site now. Seems like the park changes hands a lot on who's running it because some years its really kept up, and some years it's not, but for the last 15 years, overall, it always brings those memories back, and that, is priceless.

Great area. All amenities functioned well. Awesome, helpful staff!

hot water heater had be reset bathrooms never clean no toilet paper bring own

This campsite was awesome. Plenty of space and a beautiful view. It was so quiet and peaceful! Our campsite was close to the bathrooms which were very clean. There was a short path to the lake where my partner and I got to fish. This campsite is about 20 minutes away from Panthers Creek Falls, which we visited after checking out of our campsite. We will certainly be back. Beautiful campsite!

Lovely
Wish I could have stayed to see the leaves change💕

Tentsites were flat, lots of ants. I cleaned up debris and trash on my site, before setting tent……..
Trails not well marked; and no trail maps available.
Disappointing

I really enjoyed the fact that there wasn't great cellphone coverage there. We go camping to "disconnect" and it's one of the biggest things I look for in choosing a campground.

I use to love this campground. The camp host is now completely away from the campground loops. We just stayed 2 nights and only saw the camp host once. No one cleaned or even checked the restrooms while we were there. One family was set up for the week in a site that was showing “available” online and 2 vehicles came in to park overnight without paying or setting up at all. No wonder they don’t have the money to make improvements. The camphost didn’t even know we were there until late on our 2nd day. They had “Restrooms Closed” signs posted but a camper told us they had just reopened. When they reopened, no one even bothered removing the signs while we were there. The rate is too expensive for the lack in care for this campground. Sad to see it go downhill so bad.

I camped on Site #20 in mid-June '24. The site was almost level, side to side, with a very slight doward slope toward the rear. It's a nice, large, shaded site, with picnic table, fire ring and lamp post. The site is on the outside of a left hand curve, so it's almost a straight back-in. I camped during the week, so few campers, and no other campers in Loop B on my last night, so it was very quiet. The bathhouse was fine and just short walk up the road. There are numerous hiking trails and mountain/gravel bike loops nearby off Nancytown Road. No utilies at site, so prepare accordingly. Also, there is a low crosstie retaining ledge, maybe 3"-4", so short I wouldn't call it a "wall" that lies perpendicular to the site, so accessiblity may be limited to campers in wheelchairs, etc.