DeSoto State Park

PRO

Senior discount
Site 40 level asphalt surrounding by gravel
Asphalt pad under moveable picnic table
Metal campfire ring with cooking grate
Campground entrance only by code thru gate
Toilet/shower facilities very clean and adequately stocked
4 trash dumpsters near exit gate
2 washers/dryers in toilet/shower facility and also at Park Headquarters
Quiet except for distant train whistles
Saw lots of deer

CONS

Not a dark sky friendly Campground as there are street lights at every other campsite. Who camps under a street light anyways??!!!
Desperately need some trail management on the trails from the campground to the toilet/shower facilities. One trail had exposed cable. Anyone challenged would need to drive to toilet/shower buildings as trails are not walkable friendly
No privacy from other campsites and the main campground roadway
Utility hookups are at the one end of site 40 need your longest hoses and cords! Don't unhitch until you are sure hoses and cords will sufficiently reach connections. We saw a lot of campers that didn't check and had to re-hitch and move to reach connections.
Campground WIFI worked only outside toilet/shower facilities

I stayed in the "lower loop", site #84- It was a back-in. It seemed to me that the pull-through sites are a little closer together and there aren't as many trees. Didn't use the bath house, but it seemed clean and well-maintained. The staff was friendly and were attentive to keeping the campground looking good.

Quiet- there were quite a few deer that wander around the campground and they were a common sight. DeSoto Falls is about 6 miles away, you receive a day pass that covers fees there when you camp. My price was $36.75/night, which included taxes and fees and that was with a senior discount (62+).

The WiFi was actually fairly good, considering. Did not use the cable TV.

They mention not following GPS and that is true- you will wind up on some very curvy narrow roads if you follow the GPS. Use the driving directions they send in your confirmation email.

We decided the morning of to book a 2 night weekend trip to Desoto SP. I booked our site online with no issue. We arrived after hours but got a call from the office before they closed letting us know the gate code so we could go straight to our site. We booked site 65 based on another review and loved it! The site was level with no clearance issues. The best part was a creek that runs through the back of the site. We could sit around the fire ring and hear the water. The connector trail to the Orange Trail was not far from the site. We also used the Silver Trail to connect with other trails. We liked the access to trails straight from the campground. The bathhouses were clean with laundry room in the back. They’re in the process of adding a firewood/ice machine hut at the host site. It is a little pricey, but had nice amenities (full hookup, cable, wifi). This was our first trip to Desoto and it won’t be the last.

Sites aren’t perfectly level but you’re in a hilly area so I guess that is to be expected. We had no problem getting in and level with our 38 ft travel trailer. Back in sites are crushed gravel. Pull throughs look to be paved. Sites have a grill and a fire ring. There are many trails in the area as well as the falls. We only stayed one night so we didn’t get around to partake in them. Will definitely revisit this campground the next time we come back through the area. We stayed in back in site 91.

We had not camped at Desoto in about 10 years - BOY have they made improvements!
The roads are all newly paved (as of 2021), there is new power, sewer, cable TV. Everything was excellent: the power stayed at 120v, the water pressure was excellent. We didn't try the cable - we don't go camping to watch TV.
The sites are mostly well spread out - the pull throughs are a little close but not bad. They have several "buddy" sites that would be great if camping with friends.
The bath houses were new and super clean and neat with floor to ceiling tile, stainless panels, etc.
Cell service is just a bit weak (ATT) but held at 1 bar.
WiFi was 2 to 3 bars in campsite 26 although the bandwidth was just strong enough to watch some YouTube videos.
Only complaint was the levelness of the campsites. Having spent all that money on grading, paving and new gravel you'd think someone could have bought a level. We backed up into the site and it was one bubble off LR and three front to back. My front jacks wouldn't quite get it level. If you go for the upper loop, try the sites outside the loop, not inside, as the inside sites you're backing uphill.

DeSoto State Park is one of my favorites. I’ve camped here in fall, spring, and now summer. All seasons were great atop Lookout Mountain where the campground is located. There are two loops connected by a pull-through section. All sites are full hook up (W/E/S). Upper Loop is slightly more open, but on its periphery some of the sites have steep drives to less than level sites. Upper Loop has spottier WiFi, but the closer your site is to the bathhouse, regardless of loop, the better it is. I streamed music. The pull-throughs, which are many for a state park, are desirable but lack the privacy that is more commonplace with the loop sites. No standing grills either. The Lower Loop, my favorite, has some terrific sites with privacy, and it’s less breezy in the fall. You really can’t go wrong, but there are a few so-so sites. Be prepared to back up a hill for many spots. Cable TV is grainy. OTA TV is Spanish from North Georgia. Oh, and the bathhouses are kept immaculate.
As for entertainment, check out the swimming pool. It’s very large and free for campers with the yellow card upon checking in. We spent two days there and loved the diving board. We also swam in Little River. Check out DeSoto Falls, a state park exclave a few miles up the road. The nearby town of Mentone is pleasant, but so too is downtown Fort Payne.