We just got back from our first time visiting Douthat State Park.
Upon arriving, we stopped at the guest check-in to pickup our reservation confirmation and other park info.
The desk attendant was friendly and helpful.
When I asked her about certain trail details, she highlighted the trails on a map as she showed them to me.
When I asked about elevation details, she showed me another map with elevation info.
We talked about our different Appalachian Trail exposure and experience.
From the check-in, we went to our campsite.
We tented in White Oak Campground.
We were able to get on site before 4:00pm, which may explain the noise around our campsite, as they were mowing and weed-eating.
We set up our tent and electric supply.
The bathhouse was very clean, as was the whole campground.
We, and, possibly one other, were the only tent campers in White Oak Campground.
During our stay, rv's of various types and sizes were definitely the majority.
The campground was extremely quiet at night.
Campers had fires, went to shower, etc. and then I could not even hear other campers conversing from their campsites; very quiet, tranquil, and peaceful.
We hiked around Douthat Lake our first day in after setting up.
It was a nice, leisurely walk.
The grounds were clean; we enjoyed the sights.
The next day we hiked from White Oak Campground up Tobacco House Ridge Trail to Blue Suck Falls Trail, and on to Tuscarora Overlook.
It was 8.37 miles with 2,049 elevation gain according to my stats.
Blue Suck Falls had a little water flow. It was a nice spot to rest, sitting on the rock chair.
Tuscarora Overlook was worth the trek. The view was tranquil.
We hiked back the way we came and were glad to be back at our campsite.
We enjoyed showers and grilled hotdogs.
We definitely look forward to coming back and have already reserved a cabin for October.
Douthat State Park is a lovely park.