hickoryoakscampground.com

Hickory Oaks Campground is a family-run campground whose website serves as its main information hub rather than a staffed booking portal. Because the campground has no regular office hours and no staff answering phone calls, the site is where you go to learn its processes, current camping availability, and updates. Contact is handled by email at [email protected]. If you are looking for a phone number to call or a live availability calendar, this site is not set up that way — plan on reading the posted updates and emailing instead.

What you can do on the site

The site is organized around a few practical sections:

• Events — announcements and happenings at the campground
• Plan With Us — how to approach a stay
• Reservations / Book Your Reservation — the reservation request process
• Photo Gallery and Video Gallery — a look at the grounds
• Testimonials — camper feedback
• Info — including Campground Features, Site Map, Rules, and FAQ
• Contact / Find & Reach Us — how to get in touch

The home page itself carries the most time-sensitive information, so it is worth reading before you email with a question.

Current status and key dates

The home page posts dated updates, and they matter if you are planning a trip. As of the posted 09/21/26 update:

• No additional reservations are being taken beyond what is already booked for October.
• The campground is closed and completely shut down from October 12, 2026 through March 1, 2027.
• New 2027 reservation requests must be dated March 1, 2027 or later to be reviewed, and requests will not be reviewed until that date.
• Email responses are very limited during the shutdown period.
• The 2027 season is expected to begin early to mid-May, depending on weather.

The shutdown is tied to the family starting the process of closing the campground, and the update asks campers to consider joining for the 2027 season.

If you already have an October reservation

The site flags a weather-dependent risk: the campground may need to shut off water at the campsites if frost conditions threaten the lines. Two other water notes apply:

• The northwoods showerhouse shuts down at the end of September.
• Water at the main office showers stays on as long as weather allows.

If the water does need to be shut off, campers already booked are offered either a 25% refund of their total bill or, if they choose not to stay under those conditions, a full refund. The campground says it will announce the decision once the forecast is clear.

Cancellation policy for 2027

The site states that updated cancellation policies take effect in May 2027, after the campground found last-minute cancellations needed firmer handling. For regular camping, the posted policy is:

The excerpt cuts off mid-sentence, so confirm the full policy on the site before relying on it for a specific booking.

How to get answers

Since there is no phone staff, email [email protected] with your question. Keep in mind that responses are limited during the October 12, 2026 – March 1, 2027 shutdown, and that 2027 requests dated before March 1, 2027 will not be reviewed. If your question is about availability, rules, or features, check the home page and the Info sections first — the answer may already be posted.

Hickory Oaks Campground has no regular office hours and no staff to answer phone calls, so email is the only contact method: [email protected]. Practical park information — features, site map, rules, and FAQ — lives on separate pages of the website rather than in one place, and email responses are very limited during the off-season shutdown (October 12, 2026 through March 1, 2027).

How to reach Hickory Oaks

The homepage states plainly that there are no regular office hours and no staff to answer phone calls. That makes the site itself the primary source for "our processes, our latest news on camping availability, and overall updates."

• Email: [email protected] — the contact method named on the page.
• Phone: not offered. The page says there is no staff to answer calls, so don't expect a call-back option.
• Timing: responses are "very limited" during the shutdown window, so plan around that if your question is time-sensitive.

Where to find park information

The site organizes information across several pages rather than a single info hub. Based on the site's navigation, these are the places to look:

If your question is about availability, news, or process changes, check the homepage first — that's where dated updates are posted.

What the current updates say

The homepage carries a dated update (09/21/26) that affects anyone planning a trip:

• October 2026 reservations are closed. No additional reservations beyond those already booked will be taken for October, because the family is starting the campground shutdown process.
• Full closure: October 12, 2026 through March 1, 2027. No reservations are taken during this period.
• 2027 season: begins early to mid-May, depending on weather.
• 2027 requests: new reservation requests for 2027 must be dated March 1, 2027 or later to be reviewed. Nothing will be reviewed before that date.
• Water at campsites: may be shut off in October depending on frost conditions. If that happens, campers already booked get a 25% refund of their total bill, or a full refund if they choose not to stay.
• Showerhouses: the northwoods showerhouse closes at the end of September; the main office showers stay on as long as weather allows.

Cancellation policy for 2027

The page notes the policy was tightened after last-minute cancellations. As of May 2027, for regular camping: 10+ days' notice gets a full refund; under 10 days' notice does not. The excerpt cuts off there, so check the site for the complete policy before booking.

Practical sequence

1. Read the homepage update first — it's the only place dated changes appear.
2. Check Campground Features, Site Map, Rules, and FAQ for the specific detail you need.
3. Email [email protected] with anything not covered, and expect a slow reply during the off-season.
4. If you're planning for 2027, date your request March 1, 2027 or later.

For the 2027 camping season, Hickory Oaks Campground's cancellation policy for regular camping is: cancel with 10 or more days' notice and you receive a full refund; cancel with under 10 days' notice and you receive no refund. The campground states this policy was tightened after it "learned a lot this season" and concluded it needed to be "more firm in dealing with last-minute cancellations." The policy takes effect as of May 2027.

The 2027 policy at a glance

The site's announcement describes this as the policy "in place for 2027" and notes it applies "as of May 2027." The excerpt available does not break out separate rules for different booking types beyond "Regular Camping," so if your reservation is anything other than a standard campsite booking, confirm the terms directly.

How to actually confirm your refund

Hickory Oaks has no regular office hours and no staff answering phone calls — the website is the primary way the campground communicates its processes and updates. That changes how you should handle a cancellation:

1. Email [email protected] with your reservation details and the date you're cancelling.
2. State your cancellation date clearly so the 10-day threshold can be applied to your specific booking.
3. Expect limited responses during the off-season. The campground says email responses will be "very limited" during its shutdown period, so don't wait until the last minute to cancel or to ask about a refund.

Because the 10-day line determines whether you get anything back, the date you send your cancellation email is the detail that matters most.

Timing traps to watch for

The cancellation policy doesn't exist in isolation — the campground's seasonal shutdown creates a second set of deadlines:

• Closed and completely shut down: October 12, 2026 through March 1, 2027. No reservations are taken during this window.
• New 2027 reservation requests: must be dated March 1, 2027 or later to be reviewed. Requests cannot be reviewed before that date.
• October 2026 reservations: the campground is not taking any additional reservations beyond what it already has for that month, because the family is beginning the shutdown process.

If you're trying to cancel a 2027 stay, note that you can't get a review of anything until March 1, 2027 — so a cancellation email sent during the shutdown won't be processed on the spot.

A separate refund rule for October 2026 campers

Campers already booked for October 2026 face a different situation. Depending on frost conditions, the campground may need to shut off water at the campsites. If that happens:

• Campers who keep their reservation receive a 25% refund of their total bill.
• Campers who decide not to stay under those conditions receive a full refund.

The northwoods showerhouse shuts down at the end of September; water at the main office showers stays on as long as weather allows. The campground says it will announce its decision once it can determine the forecast.

What to do before you cancel

• Check your notice window first. Count back 10 days from your arrival date — that's your refund cutoff.
• Email rather than call. There's no phone staff, so email is the working channel.
• Don't rely on a quick reply in winter. Between October 12, 2026 and March 1, 2027, responses are deliberately limited.
• Confirm your specific case. The published policy covers regular camping; if your booking differs, ask by email before assuming the same terms apply.

If Hickory Oaks Campground shuts off water at the campsites in October, campers who already have reservations will be offered a choice: stay and receive a 25% refund of their total bill, or cancel and receive a full refund. The campground has stated it will only take this step if frost conditions make it necessary to protect the water lines from bursting.

Why the water might be shut off

The campground's own update explains that October camping may coincide with freezing temperatures. To prevent possible bursting lines, Hickory Oaks may need to turn off the water at the campsites. This is a weather-dependent decision, not a planned closure of the campground itself.

The campground says it has seen years past where it stayed warm enough to keep the lines running, but it wants campers to know the possibility exists. It has committed to letting everyone know as soon as it can determine the weather forecast and conditions.

What stays open and what closes

So even in a best-case October, the northwoods showerhouse is already closed. The main office showers are the fallback, and they stay open only while weather permits.

Your two options if the water is shut off

If Hickory Oaks does shut off the campsite water, campers who are already booked get one of two outcomes:

• Stay anyway — receive a 25% refund of your total bill.
• Choose not to stay — receive a full refund.

The campground frames this as an offer to "those already booked," so the choice applies to existing reservations rather than new bookings.

What to do before you arrive

• Watch for the campground's weather update. It says it will notify campers as soon as it can determine conditions.
• Decide in advance which option you'd take, so you can respond quickly once the call is made.
• If you rely on campsite water for your rig, plan for the possibility that you'll need to use the main office showers or bring your own supply.
• Remember that email responses are limited during the shutdown period, so don't wait until the last minute to ask questions.

The bigger context for October 2026

This water advisory sits inside a larger set of changes. Hickory Oaks is not taking additional reservations beyond what it already has for October 2026, because the family is beginning the process of shutting down the campground. The campground is fully closed from October 12, 2026 through March 1, 2027.

New reservation requests for 2027 must be dated March 1, 2027 or later to be reviewed, and the campground says it cannot review any requests until that date. The 2027 season is expected to begin in early to mid-May, depending on weather.

If you have an October reservation, the practical takeaway is simple: you'll either keep your stay at a 25% discount or walk away with a full refund, and you'll hear from the campground once it knows what the weather is doing.

Hickory Oaks Campground is not taking any additional reservations beyond those already booked for October, and the campground shuts down completely from October 12, 2026 through March 1, 2027. If you want to camp in 2027, your reservation request must be dated March 1, 2027 or later to be reviewed — the 2027 season itself is expected to begin in early to mid-May, depending on weather.

Key dates at a glance

Why October bookings are being limited

The campground is beginning its shutdown process, which is why no further October reservations are being taken. The posted update notes this is tied to the family starting to shut the campground down, and asks campers to consider joining for the 2027 season instead.

What October campers should know about water and showers

If you already hold an October reservation, the water at campsites may need to be shut off depending on frost conditions. Two specific points from the update:

• The northwoods showerhouse closes at the end of September.
• Water at the main office showers stays on as long as weather allows.

If the campground does shut off water to protect lines from bursting, campers already booked have two options:

1. Stay — receive a 25% refund of the total bill.
2. Cancel — receive a full refund.

The update notes that in past years it stayed warm enough to keep the lines running, so this is a possibility being flagged in advance rather than a certainty.

Planning for 2027

Because the campground has no regular office hours and no staff answering phone calls, email is the contact route: [email protected]. Two practical consequences follow from the closure window:

• Any 2027 reservation request dated before March 1, 2027 will not be reviewed.
• Email responses will be very limited during the shutdown, so expect delays if you write between October 12 and March 1.

Cancellation policy change for 2027

Starting May 2027, the cancellation policy becomes stricter. For regular camping, the posted terms are:

• 10+ days' notice — full refund.
• Under 10 days' notice — no refund.

The update states this change came from lessons learned with the current system and the need to be firmer about last-minute cancellations. If you are booking for 2027, treat the 10-day mark as the cutoff that determines whether you get money back.

Quick checklist before you email

• Confirm your intended dates fall on or after March 1, 2027.
• If you already have an October 2026 booking, watch for word on whether campsite water will be shut off, and decide between the 25% refund (stay) or full refund (cancel).
• Send requests to [email protected] and allow extra time for a reply during the shutdown period.