west branch state park

Went to the annual Halloween camping weekend the first of two. Weather was bad rained a lot. Leaves were in fall colors. Looked spectacular over the lake. As to the Halloween decorations thy have gone downhill over the past 3 or 4 years. It used to be people custom built displays and it was hard to place in the competition. Now the big custom displays are gone and it's store bought tombstones or air machines that place. In addition 70% of people didn't decorate. We were really disappointed will be going to East Harbor State Park next year for Halloween.

Stayed one night, a Sunday. Wish we could have stayed longer. What we liked:1. Most of the RV sites are leafy, treed, and private.2. Many RV sites are level.3. Young lady at registration office was exceptionally friendly and helpful. It's so nice to be greeted with a smile.4. Michael J. Kirwan Reservoir is breathtaking.5. Electric, water, and sewer at many sites; electric and water only at many more.6. Clean, modern restrooms/showers/laundry, though we didn't use them.7. You won't find yourself on top of other campers like you do at private campgrounds. The camp sites are laid out with a generous amount of space between them.8. We stayed in September (school is in session), so it was really quiet, though with the spacious distance between camp sites, I believe it would have been suitably quiet even when the park is full of children.9. There are sites available with a direct and close water view.10. Horseback riding and boating, though again, we were there just to park for the night and couldn't take advantage.11. Beach for swimming; I've stayed in campgrounds where campers were not allowed in the water.12. Big, beautiful playground for kids.What we didn't like:1. I was shocked to see camp sites directly across from the office and right at the entrance. I would never want to park so close to the cars coming and going. But I suppose the park put sites this close to the action because these sites are on the water.2. It's a personal thing with me: Neatly groomed lawns at a campground give it a private resort feel. Maybe it's because I'm nearly 60 and remember the rustic campgrounds of my youth, but green lawn (there was lots of it) just doesn't feel right in a state campground. But I'm sure there are those that like it. Overall, a well laid out, well maintained campground. Would we return? Yes. Worth the $30 nightly fee.

The last time I went to West Branch was about 28 years ago. There was nothing but a beach and a crumby outhouse! Wow - what a difference. We did not have a reservation and went anyway on a lovely weekend. The camp sign said full, but they let us rent a Group Camp site for $40. Pretty steep, but the view of the lake was worth it, we were far away from most of the rest of the camp sites and it was very peaceful. So, I would recommend making a reservation, we just got lucky. The shower houses and bathrooms were very clean. The campsites were well spaced and the campstore had good deals on end of the season stuff. There was plenty of rpom to park our trailer with our Kayaks. We trailered to an are of the lakes in a "No wake" zone. Saw 7-8 species of birds plus lots of turtles sunning themselves on logs. Be sure to check out all the little out of the way coves where its too shallow for fishing boats. That's where the interesting wildlife hangs out! Even the bathroom at the shallow beach launch area was nice- clean and not smelly at all! Overall we had a very nice visit and would go back any time they are not having big campground events. We want to get away from it all!

Yesterday our family and friends ( total 18 ) rented two boats and spent the day on the water at West Branch. We did water skiing, tubing, fishing and swimming. It was great fun and a good time was had by all.

This is a beautiful State Park nestled in the country. We stayed at a campground nearby, Country Acres Campground, and visited the beach here at West Branch State Park. The water was nice and clean, lots of green grass and wildlife around. We'll be back!

My family stayed three nights at the West Branch State Park campground where we had an overall pleasant experience.For the most part the campground was nice. We reserved site 22 (a RV location) which came with a spot to dock our boat, however the campsite was about 30 feet above the water. This meant someone had to climb down the hillside to access the boat, then pick the rest of the party up at the dock across the campsite. This was not a major problem, just a slight inconvenience, and certainly not a reason to avoid that section of the campground.Some members of my party thought the showers could have been a little warmer, but overall they appeared to be what one expects from a campground. The shower house and restrooms were large and relatively clean.The lake is spacious- we spent two days tubing on the water and never had any problems. Well worth a visit for those looking to boat.The trails throughout the park are worth exploring. Although we only had time to do a few of them the ones we hiked were all well maintained, clear of fallen trees, and well marked. We only completed the trails by the campground, no more than 4 miles overall, but all were welcoming to hikers of any skill level.Overall West Branch State Park is worth the visit. The section of the campground we stayed in was quite during "quite hours" and only a short walk to the wash house. The lake was nice, and the trails well maintained. Well worth a visit or a stay.

Well maintained campground on a beautiful lake. Well laid out sites, some larger than others and many with water views or access if desired. Paved roads throughout which is a must for the younger kids on bikes. Fishing access throughout the camp plus dedicated boat launch. Camp only swim beach with sand (not large but great size considering this is for the camp guests only!). There is a very nice newer post-n-beam main bathhouse with laundry just as you enter. Most other bathrooms appear to be the typical block construction. We camp in a travel trailer so have very little input about the actual condition of the shower houses/bathrooms. Nice large centrally located playground apparatus for the kids, swings, sand boxes and sand volleyball area. We have always encountered the nicest staff members throughout the park so never an issue as some have commented. Camp store is well stocked with various necessity items, ice-cream novelties, slushies and of course there is firewood to purchase on-site. This campground sells out every weekend and with good reason!

I have been going here for over 40 years now! About 10 years ago, they re-vamped the park by adding over 100 new sites, 3 new shower houses, a new playground and a camp store. A few years later they added a campers boat ramp and beach. Most of the sites sit in the woods, so their is a lot of privacy. One of the nicest in the state!

This is a beautiful campground, unfortunately the Park Rangers ruined it for us and I'm doubting we will return. They kept yelling at us if our vehicle was touching a blade of grass and if your not in your camper and sleeping by 11:00 prepare to get a "talking to" buy one of their rangers. We were on a corner site and he literally was 20ft away drove by us with his head hanging out the window and yelled at us for talking!! I can assure you we were in no way being loud. I understand there are quite times at campgrounds, but this border lined curfew.

We have starting camping with our Travel trailer last year and have stayed within 2 hours of our home typically. West Branch state park stands out as my favorite camping experience. The park is clean and staff is so helpful. The shower and bath houses are new and kept very clean. Our family enjoys riding bikes, hiking and fishing and this park has it all.

We have been coming to Westbranch for years.. Unfortunately this year in Memorial Day weekend the park rangers ruined our camping! We are not a rowdy bunch but we were harassed along with out neighbors about cars being 1 inch on the grass. They snuck around at 11p to all the campsites to tell us quiet hours started at 11p and were weren't even loud.. Just sitting by the fire!! They stopped me and pulled me over with the light for making a rolling stop at the check in station!! We all felt like Big brothers was constantly watching!!

Great open spaces, picnic areas, camping, swimming, hiking, and even a great marina....and all on paved roads with ample parking! This is truly a hidden gem for any outdoorsy family to enjoy! We took our dog there for a nice walk in February, but we have visited this park so many times, camped, swam, rented boats at the marina...it is really a favorite place of ours for over 40 years!We used to go nearly every summer weekend when we had an apartment to "escape"...we kept our sleeping bags in our Chevy van that we had carpeted the whole area just behind the captain's chairs, and we kept a box ready with our camping cookware, etc. and we would just camp in the "primitive" area and cook on our campfire and enjoy ourselves! Truly peaceful!

What a great family experience! Beach, boats, jet skis, and more. Rented a boat from the marina for the day to tube and swim in the lake! Couldn't have been better!

The park was very clean , roads well maintained. Lots access for public bathrooms. roads well marked. My only concern was the lake was murky and cloudy ? the cleanliness of the water.For swimming lots of geese present wear your shoes lake rocky and animal/bird feces on shorline

This is a fantastic state park with good amenities all around it. It has a swimming beach and camp site for class a to motor homes. Three launch ramps including the camp ramp and one more primitive launch aria on the upper end of the lake makes four total on this unlimited horse power lake. It is a good lake for Bass Crappy Musky and Channel Cat. Unfortunately they ended the Stripper and Wipper stockings. The week ends get a little crowded with sport boats skiers and jet skis. It also boasts many trails and plentiful wildlife.