Blackhawk Campgrounds

I have been going to Blackhawk since I was a little girl. No — I take that back I have probably been going to Blackhawk since I was in the womb! Needless to say, for many, many, many years my family made Blackhawk our home-​away-​from home 3 times a summer. My memories of Blackhawk are all good. There’s stories, memories, thoughts and experiences that I would never, ever be able to duplicate anywhere else that I had here. We’re talking my first time skinny dipping, hiding in the dryer so my parents wouldn’t find me after dark, and seeking cover in the pavilion from tornadoes as we watched the wind and rain rip away and blow around the tents and bits around us.
Ahhh, Blackhawk.
But this isn’t a memoir, so I will stick to the things I know now.
«Back in my day» the general store was off the beach, but floods and old age weathered the store and they tore it down. Now the beach looks messy, overused and completely neglected. Campers rarely swim in the lake anymore. This might be because there is now two in-​ground pools near the entrance of Indian Village, but I still think the dirty lake is the bee’s knees.
«Back in my day» the majority of the camp sites were all for transient campers. Now the majority of the campground is permanent sites. There’s pros and cons to this. One is that I knew a few people with permanent sites and if you’re lucky enough to be in the «in» crowd, you know that having a permanent site and friends all around is like one big family that parties together every single (weekend) night (and the occasional weekday, depending). There is something very special about knowing the right people who have permanent sites here. We’re talking late night karting in the woods, drunken bon fires, crazy stories to retell when you’re sober in the morning…
(Back in my day, they even had a live bear in a cage!)
But if you’re an unlucky one to not have a permanent site, I can see that Blackhawk would be a pretty boring place if you’re in for just the night or two.
There’s cabins all around now to rent, in Indian Village and near the beach. I’ve never been inside one and haven’t had the pleasure of staying overnight in one, but they look well cared for and large enough for a small family or a group of friends.
I love that they put on fun events in the summer, from music to bingo to prom, etc. It’s a fun place if you know where to look, how to get around, and who to hang with.
Blackhawk is not nearly as special, clean, or «cool» as it once was when I was younger, but I give it 5-​stars because it holds a very special place in my heart. It used to be family run and it was clear they all cared for the grounds well; the point is, they cared. You can tell it’s changed hands a few times and even the restaurant is owned by someone separate from the person who owns the grounds. Things seem much more disjointed now then they ever were.
My suggestion: stay in Indian Village, on a water site, bring flip-​flops for the showers by the beach, bring a comfy chair to people watch, bring a cooler full of beer, ignore the dirty water and dive in to the lake. This place is it!