Which Corps parks stay open for winter camping?

We've been wanting to get the camper out on the lake once the garden is put to bed, and I'd love to go in November or December when it's quiet. Problem is I can't figure out which Corps campgrounds are still open after the season ends.

I dug up a 2022 release that said Dam Site, Devils Fork, Choctaw and John F. Kennedy stayed open for winter camping from Nov 1, and Cove Creek, Sugar Loaf, Shiloh, Hill Creek, Mill Creek and Narrows closed for the season. But that's four years old and I can't tell if anything has changed. The Corps open campgrounds page is there, but I never trust it to be current.

Has anybody camped out there this late in the year recently? Would love to know what's actually open right now. Also any cold weather camping tips, because last time we went in March I about froze my toes off in the middle of the night. Heater, bedding, whatever you swear by.

Honestly I'd just call the project office at (501) 362-2416 before you load up the camper. Those winter schedules can shift, and the website is usually the last thing anyone updates. I haven't camped out there this late myself, so I can't tell you what's open right now. Last I knew Dam Site and Devils Fork were the ones people mentioned for winter, but that's secondhand, so double check. Ask about water too. In my experience some of the loops shut the water off once it gets freezing even if the campground is technically open, so you may need to fill your tank before you get there.

For the cold, since I spend every fall Saturday standing on a youth soccer sideline and have learned a few things:

- The pad under you matters more than the bag. Cold comes up from the ground. A foam pad under your air mattress makes a big difference.
- Fill a Nalgene with hot water and toss it in the foot of the bag. Toes stay warm till morning.
- Wool socks, and a hat to bed. Sounds silly but it works.
- If you run a propane heater, crack a window and get a CO detector. Not worth risking.

Hope you get the quiet trip, December on the lake is hard to beat.