Gun Creek Campground

Easy drive to the campground about 20 min from I-70. Great reception at the gate with all our questions were answered. We called ahead to see if we could check in early and they were able to check the site availability and we were able to get in early. Site 58 is in cardinal loop which only has electric (20/30/50 amp). We filled our FW tank at a station on the way in and dumped our tanks on the way out. Site 58 is asphalt and needed 1" leveling on the passenger side, it slopes to the rear. The bath house was clean with individual lockable shower rooms and full bathrooms too. Other loops have water and electric or full hook up in a few locations.

Easy access from I-57. DO NOT reserve Site 28 or the two next to it, super downhill. Site 24 was level. Many sites are very much downhill especially those on the lake. Most sites are close together. Bathrooms and individual showers were adequate. Great sunsets across the lake.

The Rend Lake bike/hike trail provided many miles of hiking.

AT&T cell signal needed boosting to stream. 3-4 bars of 4G. Many HDTV channels.

Stayed one night, camp checkin was very friendly. Campsites 8 & 7. Comfortable and staggered to give some privacy. Huge American persimmon tree - but At probably 60-80’ height you need special picking equipment if it’s allowed!
Freeway noise is audible but not a problem.
Nice lake/reservoir, which there had been a trail along the shore area.

This COE needs work campers who actually WORK. As seasoned COE work campers ourselves, it’s unfathomable that we would arrive at our site with a filthy pad, a full of ashes fire pit and a huge dead fish lying on top of the grill at site 36 just behind our camper which smelled!
We had to park 3 feet over in the grass on the drivers side just to let our steps down to get in and out of the 5th wheel because the drop off from the asphalt was 10” into the dirt.
I called a park Ranger who did send another Ranger over to see the issue and his comment was “I’ve only been here since February, and this site needs gravel!”
All concrete picnic tables could use a good pressure washing as they are covered with years of food and debris.
This is the 4th COE we’ve been to in 5 days and every one of our sites were poorly cared for.
We increasingly get the feeling that COEs don’t care about the campers, maybe it’s a government thing. But because we are full time campers/work campers ourselves find the state of these campgrounds upsetting.

We had to get a couple nights at the last minute so we had to stay in two different spots. Be warned that
maybe 25% of the spaces are really slopped and our 37 foot Pusher would not level in either of the spaces. That's with the air dumped in the front air bags and the back wheels lifted off the pad. Be sure and block your front tires if you try this. The grounds of this and all the other parks around the lake are really clean, well manicured and you couldn't ask for much more. There are too many sites to list that are very sloped but 84, 29.and site 1 are all pretty steep. A short trailer or a 5th wheel would not have a problem I don't think. There is also a state park very nearby that has electric and had many more vacant sites if you can't get one at one of the COOP's campgrounds. I'd go back again but be sure and look at the details on Recreation.GOV as many of the sites list the slope when you check. Look at site details-Driveway details- then scroll down to "need to Know" this is where they list the slop. Site 29 says -3.5 degrees but is more than that