Marathon Lake

National Forests in Mississippi — lakeside

Location: Raleigh, MS, MS

Price: From $5 per night

Price range: $5–$20 per night

Rating: 5 out of 5 (7 reviews)

Season: May through October

This location is available on a first-come, first-served basis only. Visitors are required to physically arrive at the campground to purchase and claim a site. Once on-site, you may be able to pay for your campsite(s) by scanning a QR code using the Recreation.gov mobile app, and the Scan and Pay feature.

Cell coverage (FCC estimate): none signal. Actual signal may vary in remote areas.

Amenities: Fire Rings, Picnic Tables, Flush Toilets, Showers, Dump Station, Electric Hookups, Camp Host, Boat Launch

Availability alerts: Set a free cancellation alert at camperwatch.org/campground/marathon-lake to be notified when sites open up.

Marathon Lake is a highly-rated federal campground (4.3/5 stars) praised by campers for being quiet, private, and well-kept. Amenities include a boat launch, lake trail, flush toilets, showers, and fire rings at an affordable $5/night.

Wildlife alert: Timber Rattlesnake present in area. Also common: raccoons, gray foxes, wild turkeys, red-bellied woodpeckers, and white-throated sparrows.

Insider tips for Marathon Lake: First-come, first-served basis only—arrive in person to claim sites Download Recreation.gov mobile app before arrival to pay via QR code Scan and Pay feature No cell service within 20 miles—plan accordingly Lake trail circumnavigates the entire lake for hiking

Skip Marathon Lake if: You need RV hookups—most sites have no hookups available. You require cell service—none available within 20 miles. You prefer advance reservations—first-come, first-served only.

Best time to visit Marathon Lake: May-October — Campground operates seasonally May through October only.

Nearby campgrounds: Shockaloe Trail Bc 1 (Forest, MS), West Bank Shelter (Okatibbee) (Collinsville , MS), Twiltley Branch (COLLINSVILLE, MS), East Bank Shelter (Okatibbee) (COLLINSVILLE, MS).

Cell Phone Coverage at Marathon Lake

Cell signal at Marathon Lake (Raleigh, MS): none overall signal based on FCC broadband data.

Coverage data source: FCC Broadband Data Collection (BDC). Actual signal may vary due to terrain, tree cover, and distance from towers. Camper reports are more reliable than coverage maps in remote areas.

CamperWatch
CamperWatch›MS›Marathon Lake
Marathon Lake — photo 1
Marathon Lake — photo 2
Marathon Lake — photo 3
National Forests in Mississippi — lakesideLive availability via Recreation.gov· synced every 30 min

Marathon Lake

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Raleigh, MS, MS★ 5 (7 reviews)From $5/nightFederal campground · book on Recreation.gov
On this page ↓OverviewConditionsPlan Your TripCommunity

This location is available on a first-come, first-served basis only. Visitors are required to physically arrive at the campground to purchase and claim a site. Once on-site, you may be able to pay for your campsite(s) by scanning a QR code using the Recreation.gov mobile app, and the Scan and Pay feature.

Best for:CampersNature loversFamiliesSites:Tent
LIVE · weather + fire + AQI + availability + wildlife

Verified facts

RIDB / Recreation.gov official database
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
SeasonMay through October
Stay limit14 days
HookupsNo hookups.
ADA sites24 sites
CampfiresAllowed
Max/site6 people

Amenities

RIDB /facilities /campsites · owner-verified
Essentials
Fire RingsShowersCamp Host
Recreation
Picnic TablesDump StationBoat Launch
Family & Pets
Flush ToiletsElectric Hookups

Straight talk

CamperWatch intel · curated from camper reports

Known issues, each with the workaround. Read before you book.

Known issuesFederal campground — book early. No hookups at most sites. Seasonal operations.
Skip it if:✕ You need RV hookups—most sites have no hookups available✕ You require cell service—none available within 20 miles✕ You prefer advance reservations—first-come, first-served only

Insider tips & when to go

CamperWatch intel · hand-curated entry

First-come, first-served basis only

arrive in person to claim sites

Download Recreation.gov mobile app before arrival to pay via QR code Scan and Pay feature

No cell service within 20 miles

plan accordingly

Lake trail circumnavigates the entire lake for hiking

Best: May-October

Campground operates seasonally May through October only

Things to do nearby

RIDB /activities /recareas + intel

Conditions today

Live
at campground coordinates

Cell signal

FCC BDC · quarterly dataset
T-Mobile
4G · 0%
Verizon
4G · 0%
AT&T
4G · 0%

FCC maps are theoretical — camper reports confirm signal.

Wildlife nearby

iNaturalist · research-grade · 8 km
Alert: Timber Rattlesnake present in area. Also common: raccoons, gray foxes, wild turkeys, red-bellied woodpeckers, and white-throated sparrows.

Location

Leaflet · OpenStreetMap tiles
Open in OpenStreetMap ↗
N/A· National Forests in Mississippi
Getting there →

From Forest, go south on Hwy 35 for 8.5 miles to Homewood. Turn east on Morton-Marathon Road and go 9 miles. Turn south on Forest Service Road 520 and go ½ mile to entrance. Another route would be to go south on Hwy 501. Turn east on Morton-Marathon Rd. and go 3 ½ miles. Turn onto FS Rd 520 and go ½ mile to entrance. From Raleigh, go north on Hwy 35 for 15 miles to Homewood and follow same directions above from Homewood. An alternate route is to take Hwy 18 east to Hwy 501; go north 15 miles: tu

Campground entrance

Google Maps API

Community

#community · posts, photos & Q&A · AI-moderated (Claude Vision)

Pro tips

  • Book on recreation.gov exactly 6 months ahead at 10am ET — National Forests in Mississippi fills fast in peak season.
  • Check current road conditions at National Forests in Mississippi before arrival — seasonal closures common.

Frequently asked questions

RIDB facts + intel · FAQPage schema, speakable
How much does Marathon Lake cost per night?+
Marathon Lake costs $5–$20 per night. Hookup options: No hookups.
What season is Marathon Lake open?+
Marathon Lake is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Does Marathon Lake have hookups?+
No hookups.
What is the maximum RV length at Marathon Lake?+
Marathon Lake is primarily a tent camping facility.
How do I make reservations at Marathon Lake?+
Marathon Lake is a federal campground — book 6 months ahead at Recreation.gov. Set a free CamperWatch cancellation alert to be notified the moment a site opens.
What is the cell service like at Marathon Lake?+
According to FCC coverage maps, cell signal at Marathon Lake is rated none. FCC maps show theoretical coverage — actual signal in remote or heavily forested areas may be weaker.
What season is Marathon Lake open, and what are check-in times?+
Marathon Lake is open May through October. Check-in is 2:00 PM, check-out is 12:00 PM.
Compare campgroundsPlan a multi-stop trip
●Data sources on this page
Recreation.gov — Live site availability — updated every 30 min
recreation.gov · RIDB API
National Weather Service — Live hourly forecast + active alerts
api.weather.gov · open-meteo.com
Google Air Quality API — Live AQI at exact campground coordinates
airquality.googleapis.com
iNaturalist — Research-grade wildlife within 8km
api.inaturalist.org
Google Pollen API — Today’s tree, grass & weed pollen forecast
pollen.googleapis.com
FCC Broadband Map — Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile 4G/5G coverage data
broadbandmap.fcc.gov · quarterly
Sunrise-Sunset.org — Sunrise, sunset & golden hour for today
api.sunrise-sunset.org
Google Street View — Campground entrance & access road imagery
maps.googleapis.com
RIDB — ADA sites, hookups, toilets, pets, campfire rules, bear boxes, max RV, activities, contact, directions
ridb.recreation.gov · /facilities /campsites /activities /links /recareas

CamperWatch never fabricates data. Where data is unavailable, it is not shown.

$5 /night★ 5 (7)
SeasonMay through October
Check-in2:00 PM
Check-out12:00 PM
Reserve on Recreation.gov ↗
Dates full? Get an availability alert
FAQ
How much does Marathon Lake cost per night?+
What season is Marathon Lake open?+
Does Marathon Lake have hookups?+
All 7 questions →

Nearby Campgrounds

Forest campground camping

Shockaloe Trail Bc 1

Forest, MS

From $7/night

Forest campground camping

West Bank Shelter (Okatibbee)

Collinsville , MS

From $50/night

Forest campground camping

Twiltley Branch

COLLINSVILLE, MS

From $14/night

East Bank Shelter (Okatibbee)

COLLINSVILLE, MS

From $50/night

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