Hardridge Creek Campground

Hardridge COE campgrounds would have been better experience without excessive ant-festation. After one night we woke up with marching ants all over our rig. We tried to spray water + vinegar, but only slowed them down a bit. The lake shore is even worse with mounds and channels.

The whole campsite is huge with some closer to the lake. There is a small swimming beach in the lake view loop. There are hiking trails that no one have used in a very long time.

The scenic area coming in from the northwest is bucolic and beautiful. Horse ranches and plenty of cattle farms. Rolling hills and meadows. Twenty miles northwest of Hardridge Creek is the historic small town of Eufaula, Alabama. Driving through felt like going back in time. Old southern mansions and plenty of charm. But after leaving town, and for several miles along the way into Hardridge Creek, my AT&T cell phone stated “no service”. While checking-in the hosts told me I would be lucky to even get one bar, if any. They had switched to Verizon. Our original site #6 did have one bar of AT&T so we went ahead and set up even though we would be limited to phone calls, texting, and checking our email. Later I took my afternoon bike ride to get the lay of the land and noticed there were some other lakefront sites further down (Higher numbers) that got two to three bars so I rode back to the office and changed my reservation to a pull-through site #46.

This campground is made for fishing and boating. We do neither, but having a beautiful lake view outside our door and windows, a clean and well-maintained site to relax in, and for the most part easy roads to ride the bikes on made for a pleasant and relaxing stay. The restrooms were very clean, with plenty of hot water. And as typical there was a washer and dryer available at each restroom that charged a measly dollar to do a load of laundry. Hardridge Creek turned out to be a welcome surprise and we will definitely be back for a longer stay.

Side note: Barb’s Country Kitchen in downtown Eufaula is definitely worth a visit to eat lunch and have a look around. The nicest people own the restaurant and their employees are magnificent. Buffet style country cooking. Fried chicken, catfish, meatloaf, greens, lima beans, and black-eye peas are among the many choices. The atmosphere is quaint and country, bathrooms are clean, and the desserts will prove to make you forget all about your diet.