We stayed 2 nights in order to ride the train and did receive a discount on the camping cost. The park has been privately run for several years and is kind of shabby. Many sites were occupied by "monthly" renters, some were oil workers and some not. Many people driving through quite fast and no one stopping them. Wi-Fi only worked at the office. Unfortunately the train ride was not at all scenic, but the staff were very friendly and nice. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Another great campground. Lots of shade. The Texas State RR runs right through the campground, walking distance to the Rusk Depot. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
This is a pretty basic RV park but it is in a nice setting with easy access right of US-84. The sites are not huge but they were more than adequate for our coach and dingy. It is pretty much a first come first serve park and the office does close at 5 PM. The staff was very friendly and helpful. For us this was a one-night only stop on our way West and this was perfect for a good night's rest. The water pressure was fine and the electric was stable. They have Wi-Fi at the office only but cell phone service was OK and our air card worked OK. We would stay here again when we are in the area. This State Park offers steam and diesel train rides between here and Palestine, TX but we did not have time to take the trip. We camped here in a Motorhome.
I was very disappointed with this park. When we checked in we told that it was now a Good Sam park. If we had came in after dark we would have wrapped our 35 ft. motor home around a tree or trees. In 40 years of camping I have never been in a tighter spot. We camped here in a Motorhome.
This is now operated by the historic Texas State Railroad. They are making improvements as they go. Not all sites are full hook up only (1-32). No assigned sites, this is a first come, first serve and the office closes at 5 p.m. The sites are mostly level asphalt but very narrow, with small pull through loops on either side of the road for 32 sites, Very large rigs may have difficulty. Some of the sites sit very close to the highway so noise is a problem. The main draw is the historic train rides to Palestine (about 1 1/2 hours each way)and/or the occasional theme rides during other times of the year. The tickets are pricey $124 for two adults and one child. The train trip was nice but not really a good value for the money. There is also a small splash pad for the kids, playground, and several open areas to play. If it weren't for the train, we would have rated the park just above average. We camped here in a Motorhome.
This campground has so much potential and is under new management, so there is much promise. We paid for a full hook up site, plugged into the 50 amp plug but only received 30 amps. Trains only run on week ends and were told to pick our own site, so we moved, 3 times to be able to receive 50 amp service. The site we were in was the least of tall trees, thus were able to use the satellite. The pull through sites are barely that, all on a half circle type of pad and you have to be careful of the large trees pulling in. We camped here in a Motorhome.
We had the park to ourselves because the train wasn't scheduled to run on the two days we were there. The assistant camp host came by and invited us to tour the train restoration facilities which was very interesting and a pleasant surprise. I don't remember the exact rate but it was very reasonable so I put $15.00. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Typical Texas State Park camping, however lot of pull through sites. The Railroad is on site and the railroad organization runs the park. Park is a little close to the road but overall very sold park. Could get crowded during railroad events, we were the only ones there during a Feb weekend which probably added to our enjoyment. We camped here in a Motorhome.
This is a very nice campground and state park. We went the weekend that the park Sponsored the Thomas the Tank Engine Train ride. This was awesome. The park is very clean, relaxing, and a joy to be in. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
We had a great time at the Thomas the Train event, and we even took the Fall Steam Train Excursion out of Palestine. The park was full, but well maintained. We always like staying here. The pull thru spaces are convenient, but I suggest getting there early because the park is dark at night. We learned that they hard way two years ago for the Polar Express. We will definitely be back. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Typical Texas SP camping, but I think the railroad organization now operates the park. Pick ur site, lots of shade, some pull thru sites that are partially paved. Good water pressure, electric voltage and easy driving. Having the train close was a nice adder. Rusk is on our return list. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
We stayed here to enjoy the Polar Express train that runs on the Texas Railroad. The park was very well kept, the facilities were clean and the kids loved the playground. All the sights are pull through and are all along the road, so you don't feel like you are squished in, side by side. We will come back again when we ride the train in the future. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
This is our favorite state park. Not only is the place absolutely beautiful, but it is very family friendly. Unlike most of the state parks in Texas, this one has sewer hook ups, and all of the sites on our side were large pull through. There is a large playground area, and sites on the perimeter face away from the street for privacy. This place is very family friendly and the staff is wonderful. Be sure and take a ride on the Texas State Railroad which leaves from the depot there in the park. It was the highlight of the weekend, so pack a picnic and enjoy the trip. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
We were parked beside the train wye, which was a thrill. The park is well cared for and provides a level of service above State Park expectations. Will stay here anytime we are in East Texas. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
We spent a week with our granddaughter(9yo), who had a wonderful time. Beautiful, small park off Hwy 84. Some traffic noise. We will return. Park is very popular and fills up fast every afternoon. Suggest calling ahead. TX State RR within park and walking distance. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
This is a very nice clean state park. Roads and sites are blacktop. Site we had was so
wide motorhome and tow car sit side by side on site. One part of park has a lot of trees to park under. Park has a nice size fishing pond you can use,
railroad depot, and places to walk. You can ride old steam train from camp site to Palestine and return most of the year. Campground was a lot of
fun. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Review Rating
[ 9 / 10 ]
2003
$12
A small but clean and comfortable park in the Texas State Park system. Pull-Thru sites
are asphalt and mostly level. Most of these sites are well shaded. The park hosts and Rangers are friendly and helpful. There is room for the kids to play, ride bikes and explore. The park has a 15 acre stocked lake. It also offers paddle boats and canoes for rent. Since this is a station for the Texas State Railroad it is convenient for watching or riding the trains that run from there. This is a nice park for a weekend or a week. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Camping here was a great experience, from start to finish. The person who took my reservation via phone was friendly and polite, and the campground was clean, well laid out, and quiet. Although the office/store was closed when I arrived late, it looked very nice and orderly. The showers and bathrooms are tastefully decorated, modern and clean. This is a well-run business. We camped here in a Tent.
We ended up here pretty much by chance since our original destination was in the path of the hurricane in LA. My wife called them to see if they had space. They told us there the Texas Potjie Festival was that weekend but they could put is in the front which is basically overflow. They also warned there would be somewhere in the neighborhood of 500 to 600 people there. I thought it was great of them to let us know before we got there. The "overflow" area had full hookups, 50amp service in a grass covered area. The owner said that even it if rained we would be OK since underneath was a base pad. The staff was great and even though I am not a big crowd person, the KOA handled the event well, the people were great and we had a good time. Lots of trees and a tree covered tent camping area. Staff works hard to keep the place nice. Then only drawback was fire ants invading us. It was a great weekend with great people. I would recommend the place. We camped here in a Motorhome.
We really had a great time at the RUSK KOA. We came here to go on the Polar Express ride in Palestine and were pleasantly surprised by the cleanliness of the grounds and the friendliness of the staff. They have a nice little store/shop on site as well as a place to refill your propane bottle. Some of the sites have a concrete "deck" area. We also rented a cabin so that the inlaws could come along and it was spotless (this is coming from a guy who is a germaphobic). They had satellite TV in the cabin as well. I went to the store to buy a bundle of firewood and they delivered it to my campsite as they said they did not want me to have to wait for the guy to bring it out. I think the guy almost beat me back to the cabin. There was a pool but it is shut down for the winter, nice little playground for the kids. ATT Cell signal was good (no 3g, just edge). The Wi-Fi worked great. The price reflects the rate for the campground with a KOA discount, not for the cabin. We will be back to this park. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
We had never stayed at the Rusk KOA, so we decided to give it a try. We were very pleased with the helpful staff and clean facilities. Our site was very level and we had a strong Wi-Fi signal in our rig. We will definitely be back when we are in that area again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
We were only passing through so we don't know about the surrounding area. Nice campground. Wish they had cable, but they have Wi-Fi, so at least we could play on the computer. The pool is a salt water pool which was too cold for me, but I bet it would feel good when it was over 100*. Showers are clean but small. We camped here in a Motorhome.
What a find! We were heading south and happened to find this park on our way. It is a new KOA and is really nice. The people were great. The only bad thing for us was that the park wasn't south enough and hence colder than we wanted to make it our winter home. Great place and we'd love to spend more time here. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Very nice park and friendly staff. We are new to RV'ing, and the staff was very willing to help and answer our questions. The bathrooms were clean and the sites were easy to navigate. We will stay here again. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
Rate reflects KOA membership. Be sure to use the map at the bottom of their web page or call ahead for directions. Do NOT trust your GPS/Navigation, or you will end up in the wrong location (like I did)! As others have noted, about as friendly a park as you'll ever visit. More shade trees would be nice: so they've planted some! I look forward to returning when they've grown up. Either way, a highly recommended park. It's clean; has excellent WiFi; with easy access and set-up. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Our site was out in the middle of the park with no shade. Sites were crush rock and ours was not too level from side to side. We only stayed for two nights to take a break from driving. Would stay again for an overnight. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
New KOA. Good roads to get into the park and throughout the camp ground. Level sites, hook-ups are easy to use. Cement patio with patio furniture rather than a picnic table-a nice touch. Stayed 3 nights. Would stay again. Not much going on at this time of year. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
Stayed here 8 nights due to illness/death in family, first by myself and then with my husband. All staff members were friendly and kind. Arriving alone, I was escorted to my site. The park is well maintained and very pleasant. The restrooms and showers were virtually immaculate. WiFi was included in the rate and the signal was strong. The park was quiet and I slept soundly. We already have reservations to return there over the July 4th weekend! Thanks to all the staff for your help and kindness during a very difficult time. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.
This is a relatively new campground. It is a very pretty campground and in very good condition. Some of the sites have shade, some don't. But there are new trees in place. The sites have a concrete pad with a table, umbrella and 4 chairs. The staff were friendly and obliging. The Wi-Fi was great! We have a 40 foot fifth wheel, which our site accommodated with no problem. I was impressed with this campground and would stay here again in a heartbeat. We camped here in a Fifth Wheel.
I'd give it a 10, but you have to have something for Thousand Trails. $38.79/night for a 50 amp premium site #22 with a view of the hills and the sunset. Our site had a concrete pad for the picnic table and we had a fire ring for camp fires. We stayed for four nights. Highest point in Cherokee County and 5 minutes from the The Texas State Railroad Rusk to Palestine Steam Engine train ride. The Texas Capitol of Austin is 231 miles away. Built on top of the old ghost town of New Birmingham of the 1890s, but no remnants are visible. The owners/office staff were extremely helpful and went out of their way to make our stay a pleasant one. Everything is like new. Sites are level on well-packed fine crushed white gravel. There is plenty of space between sites (20 feet) and there many sites long enough to accommodate the largest rigs with toads. New cabins are available for rent . Wi-Fi is good and cell phone reception is good. I was able to sign in to a Virtual Private Network for work so the encryption ports are not blocked like they are in some parks. In the piney woods of east Texas you need to be aware of poor cell phone reception, WiFi existence and skunk populations. There were no skunks here. There are tall trees all around the edge of the park and the young planted trees in the park do not interfere with satellite reception. The park has restrooms and showers that are like new. They also have a small gift shop, meeting building and propane is available. The small town of Rusk is two minutes away so grocery, gasoline and gift shopping are handy. We will definitely stay here again. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Very nice KOA the pullthrus are nicely arranged so you can get a large RV into them. The management has recently planted many trees and bushes but it will take awhile for them to mature then this place will be beautiful! The space sizes are typical KOA size however space #25 is a 80' pullthru with one of the best overlooks (sunset) I've ever seen. I would have rated them higher but they advertised a hot tub in the TACO Guide and DON'T have one. The management is very friendly and willing to help. We camped here in a Motorhome.
Very nice, new park. Very clean and easy to find. The only thing we did not like is that the camp sites are very close together and the park almost looks like a big parking lot. It does have a nice view at the end of the park. The staff was very nice and helpful and the town of rusk was pretty neat. We camped here in a Travel Trailer.