Hanks Creek Park

Large section of park was closed, looked like major flooding destroyed utilities there. Like most Army Corps of Engineers parks this one looks like it needs some TLC. Repairs and maintenance are needed at this park. Really good location for travelers coming from mid south to southern Texas. Easy to find and easy to get into. All of the spaces seemed to be on the small side. Ours was kind of remote related to the others and was pretty level. Really quiet park & wasn't very full while we were there. Lake looks healthy. Plenty of area to walk pets.

This was our second stay at Hanks Creek. Site 33 is big and on a small inlet of the lake. We were there in April but I think it might be hot in the summer. There’s lots of morning sun although the site is shaded in the afternoon. Lots of people seem to be fishing. We took out our inflatable kayak. The bathrooms could use a little updating and there was lots of dead bugs that were there the entire weekend.

We love camping at COE parks and this one was no exception! Site 07 Loop A had a huge area to the side and behind the site all the way to the water. Our only regret was that we only stayed 1 night! We were there in March 2021, the gate code was in our confirmation email and it was a contactless check in. We entered the gate code and went to our site, the camphost came by later to check on us. Site 09 would be an excellent site, it is a large pull through that overlooks the water.

Must make reservations online, the gate was unattended. There is a landline at gate to make reservation by phone. Gate code comes in email for entry, so if you don't have a reservation, you can't drive around and look. The exit gate has tire spikes - don't back up! All sites had lots of trees and shade. 1 bar AT&T LTE signal. Campground is at the end of a road, so it's quiet. Roads are bidirectional, get a map and look before you go, or just turn around....

This is a COE park & truly a hidden gem. I really don’t want to say to much about this park & give it away. The camp host have been here for years & treat this park with the love & care they would their own home. There are many sites right on the water and some away from it. We camped here 50amp, & water for $12.00 w/ American the beautiful pass discount. It was Halloween so busy but not crazy. I’m sure in the summer you need 100%deet but we didn’t have any problem. Easy to scoot right over to Livingston if you are a escapees member.

If you're looking for something off the beaten path, this can be a great get-a-way. We stayed in February and mostly had the campground to ourselves.

Many sites are well spaced, some with great water views. Others are just 'ok'. Choose carefully.

However it is also an older park, and most pads are cracked, uneven and have roots growing through them - which can be a leveling challenge. There's also a very active boat ramp across from the campground, and a semi-active one within the campground.

If you're not coming here to fish/boat - the sounds of boats may get to you after a while. Apparently in warmer months this is a very active locals favorite too. If it was warmer during our stay we could have launched our kayak right from our site however.

In the campground itself, there's not much to do - no hiking trails or such. You're also easily a 20 mile drive to the nearest 'town' for any amenities.

Also an arrival tip: there's no sign telling you where to turn. When you see the 'end of county maintenance' sign, take an immediate RIGHT. If you go straight you're in a private neighborhood. We had to stop, unhitch the toad and back up.

Cellular signal.. ahhh.. the reason we came here. To test mobile internet gear. Without boosters/antennas - AT&T was actually quite usable.. and Verizon quite iffy. With our gear, we were able to get 20 down / 4 up on AT&T, and 4 down / 1 up on Verizon. While we could get some signal on Sprint & T-Mobile, we wouldn't consider them usable.

We stayed here for 4 nights in one of the few (if only?) pull through sites. The site was configured a bit weird and had the hookups been on the other side, it would have been a lot more useful, but it wasn't enough for us to move. The park is very clean and well maintained. The bathhouses could have used a bit of a cleaning but it didn't stop us from using them at all. The showers were actually very nice.

We saw a sheriff vehicle one night and was wondering if something was up. Turns out that they make regular passes through the campground, especially on weekends, just to help deter any trouble.

This campground was very, very peaceful. It's a bit of a drive to get there but well worth it. Mosquitos were annoying but we've had worse.

For cell service, you can certainly use AT&T. We have a weBoost that took us from 1 to 2 bars up to about 3 or 4. With the booster, we could get about 10 down and 2 or 3 up. The front gate said don't even bother trying Verizon. T-Mobile was there but not very usable -1 bar with a booster if you're lucky.