Has anyone stayed at Otter Lake in the Poconos?
We are going to Otter Lake next week. Has anyone stayed there recently? Do you have any suggestions on what to see and do in the immediate vicinity? Thank you for any help that you can offer.
Forum Discussion
We were just there last week, 7/27-8/1, for the first time and while we love the campground, we definitely won't be going back. At least not in July because the mosquitoes were HORRIBLE. Clearly i wasn't thinking when i made the reservation only a week or so prior. The lady in the office told me she had been having complaints all summer due to the rain, but they haven't sprayed.
The good: two pools - though the lady in charge at the indoor pool appeared to be a bit short with teenagers & younger adults and just wasn't overall polite. Otherwise, both clean & inviting. Heads up, you need a quarter to run the hot tub jets and dry sauna. :? (Back to lady in charge - she thought it was a deal that you could get that service for only a quarter. ok, i can see that...except i don't carry money to the pool) Activities: Softball - the kids & adults played every single evening that we were there & appeared to all have a great time. Tennis & racquetball courts are in great shape. Loved that we could use our own kayaks. Sites, our site was great, easy in & out on the end with plenty of room. Didn't really see any site that i would've minded having.
The Bad - Mosquitoes - I know it's not the campgrounds fault directly, but man, 1 can 40% DEET for each of us 7 campers for a week, benadryl and lotion...EEEK Lady at indoor pool - she could be at least a wee-bit polite. Bathrooms - while clean, they need some re-freshening. Toilets are separate from the unisex showers and the showers we used lacked a handicap accessible one. Which, when i asked about at check-in, none of the ladies in the office knew if they even had ONE anywhere. (we were in need of one this week). Dump station - used the top one and we left with our grey water still on board. Nothing worse than a black tank backup, while fighting off the darn mosquitoes on the way out. It was clearly in their lines because it would back up & then trickle down through - give away should've been all the water laying there before i started. ICK
We were warned and i had read to watch for an older guy at the gate that was supposed to be mean, but alas we did not have the "joy" of meeting him. Every guy there was always friendly & waived us through. They were a stickler for the enforcing the bike rule too. My teenager was nicely reminded each night after the softball game to not be riding, but he took his chance cause we were quite a bit away from the field and the games went on pass that 8:30 time-frame.
Would we really not go back? Not in a rainy summer, no way. But if it's dry, it would be a consideration.
The good: two pools - though the lady in charge at the indoor pool appeared to be a bit short with teenagers & younger adults and just wasn't overall polite. Otherwise, both clean & inviting. Heads up, you need a quarter to run the hot tub jets and dry sauna. :? (Back to lady in charge - she thought it was a deal that you could get that service for only a quarter. ok, i can see that...except i don't carry money to the pool) Activities: Softball - the kids & adults played every single evening that we were there & appeared to all have a great time. Tennis & racquetball courts are in great shape. Loved that we could use our own kayaks. Sites, our site was great, easy in & out on the end with plenty of room. Didn't really see any site that i would've minded having.
The Bad - Mosquitoes - I know it's not the campgrounds fault directly, but man, 1 can 40% DEET for each of us 7 campers for a week, benadryl and lotion...EEEK Lady at indoor pool - she could be at least a wee-bit polite. Bathrooms - while clean, they need some re-freshening. Toilets are separate from the unisex showers and the showers we used lacked a handicap accessible one. Which, when i asked about at check-in, none of the ladies in the office knew if they even had ONE anywhere. (we were in need of one this week). Dump station - used the top one and we left with our grey water still on board. Nothing worse than a black tank backup, while fighting off the darn mosquitoes on the way out. It was clearly in their lines because it would back up & then trickle down through - give away should've been all the water laying there before i started. ICK
We were warned and i had read to watch for an older guy at the gate that was supposed to be mean, but alas we did not have the "joy" of meeting him. Every guy there was always friendly & waived us through. They were a stickler for the enforcing the bike rule too. My teenager was nicely reminded each night after the softball game to not be riding, but he took his chance cause we were quite a bit away from the field and the games went on pass that 8:30 time-frame.
Would we really not go back? Not in a rainy summer, no way. But if it's dry, it would be a consideration.
