Campgrounds
Millers Ferry Campground (Army Corp of Engineers)*****
Alabama River / William Dannelly Reservoir Camden AL
Location: Next to the damn
Dates of Visit: 5/18/2023 3 nights
Comments:
This campground is situated right on the Alabama River just above the Millers Ferry Lock and Dam. There are MANY sites that are right on the water with amazing views of the river with all of the sites being level and on concrete.
While the sites are on par with what we have come to expect from ACE campgrounds, the facilities are a little below average compared to other ACE campgrounds. We don't typically use these facilities so it's really not an issue for us.
Camden is 10 miles away. Unfortunately, road closure made the journey to town a little less convenient.
We had good cell service with Verizon, T-Mobile was very poor, and we didn't use AT&T..
Amenities
-
Paved roads and pads.
-
Level sites
-
Boat launch and fish cleaning station.
-
Playground
-
Flush toilets and showers
-
Amazing views
-
OK cell service
-
Laundry Facilities
Riana Campground (Army Corp of Engineers)*****
Abiquiu Reservoir, Abiquiu, NM
Location: Next to the damn
Dates of Visit: 9/2/2022 4 nights
Comments:
The campground is situated on a hillside, overlooking the Abiquiu Reservoir, with an amazing view. The Army Corps of Engineer campgrounds always seem to nail it and provide a wonderful campground experience. The sites are well laid out and they did a good job dealing with the sloping terrain. The pads are level and have a canopy over the picnic tables. There are 4 different loops. Electric/water loop, RV rustic loop, Tent loop, and over-flow loop.
Abiquiu is 10 miles away with Bodes Market being the only option for provisions (gas, limited groceries, misc goods), Espanola is 30 miles away with full services, and Santa Fe is 50 miles away.
The biggest surprise is we have great cell service here on T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon.
Amenities
-
Paved roads and pads.
-
Level sites
-
Boat launch and fish cleaning station.
-
Playground
-
Flush toilets and showers
-
Amazing views
-
Great cell service
A-J Acres Campground*****
Clearwater, MN
Location: 1300 195th St E, Clearwater, MN 55320
Dates of Visit: 5/27/2022 5 nights
Comments:
We normally stay at the St Cloud RV Park when we are in this area, unfortunately they were booked up for the holiday weekend, so we had to try something else. This was the only campground in the area with availability. Now we know why.
We first were greeted with a mile long gravel road with heavy washboard and numerous soft spots. Our agenda for our stay was going to require many trips in and out so this wasn't a great start. The campground is gated but I think its purpose is to prevent people coming without paying rather than keeping the riffraff out. The office is nice and has a reasonable supply of groceries, better than most, and offers pizza and a few other snacks. The roads in the campground are gravel/sand as are the pads (if you can call them that). We were instructed which way we were to pull into our site (pull thru sites) but the utility hook up is on the wrong side of the camper when you pull in as directed. I had to use an extension cord for the power and both the electrical and water hose now run across the area in FRONT of you camper so you are constantly walking over them. The sites aren't well defined and is somewhat haphazard in their arrangement. The site is mostly sand so you are constantly dragging sand into the camper. There are many seasonal sites and most were rather dumpy. Not just old rigs but no upkeep and lots of scattered crap.
Bottom line, we would not stay here again!
Amenities
-
Small beach
-
Boat access
-
Boat rentals
-
Electric/water hookups
-
Some hiking trails
-
Running water and flush toilets.
-
Small playground set
Gulpha Gorge Campground (National Park)*****
Hot Springs, AR
Location: Edge of town on Gulpha Creek
Dates of Visit: 6/4/2021 6 nights
Comments:
This is our 3rd stay in this campground. Our previous visits were on the Motorcycle with our little tent camper. We really like this campground but its always a crap shoot since they don't take reservations.
The campground is located on Gulpha Creek and the kids have a blast wading in the creek. It's not too deep and is great for wading and playing in the water.
The sites are full hook-up and only $30/night, which is a good deal. The location is great for those who plan an exploring Spa House Row and the city in general. The only down-side is they don't have showers, a problem only if you aren't self-contained, and they don't take reservations. This can make travel planning a little difficult.
Amenities
-
Paved roads and pads.
-
Full Hook ups (electric, water, sewer)
-
Hiking trails connect to the park that can take you downtown or up to the Hot Springs Tower..
-
Running water and flush toilets.
Left Tailrace Campground (Army Corp of Engineers)*****
Big Bend Damn, Fort Thompson, SD
Location: Right beneath the Big Bend Damn in Fort Thompson
Dates of Visit: 8/30/2020 3 nights
Comments:
This campground is situated right beneath the Big Bend Damn and has wonderful views of the Missouri river and the surrounding bluffs. This is a typical ACE campground with paved roads throughout the park, paved levels pads with cement area along the pad and cement picnic tables. Wind/sun shelters are strategically placed for the most protection. Only electric hookups are provided at the sites but water spigots are located throughout the park and a dump station is available. We had both Verizon and ATT cell service but T-Mobile was very limited. Boat ramp, playground, and even cement corn hole stands were available in the campground.
We really enjoyed our stay here. We originally had planned to stay 5 nights but our scheduled got pulled in to help my brother move so we had to cut our stay short. The only down-side is the distance to provisions. Chamberlin is 30 minutes away. Fort Thompson does have gas, liquor, and small grocery but Fort Thompson is a Indian Reservation town and they didn't want outsiders stopping.
Amenities
-
Paved roads and pads.
-
Level sites
-
Boat launch and fish cleaning station.
-
Playground
-
Flush toilets and showers
Langor Campground (National Forest)*****
7464 US-212, Red Lodge, MT 59068
Location: 6 miles south on Hialite Canyon Road just south of Bozeman MT.
Dates of Visit: 8/10/2020 4 nights
Comments:
This campground is nestled along Hialite creek in Hialite Creek Canyon. Many of the sites have direct access to the creek for wading or fishing. The campground has beautiful surroundings and is VERY quite at night. You are at some elevation here so the nights do really cool off. I had frost on the truck windows in the morning. There is a reservoir 3 miles up the road that is a popular kayak/canoe/swimming destination and the also is hiking trails that are connected to the campground. So why only three stars? First, there was not access to drinking water to fill our tanks. There are spigots but they were shutdown. Unfortunately the web-site didn't tell you this so I had to go chasing drinking water after we arrived. Second, there is absolutely no cell service here. You have to drive 3-5 miles down the canyon to get service.
Amenities
-
Gravel pads in the park but the roads were paved.
-
Pit toilets.
-
Bear boxes are provided at every site.
-
20 minutes from downtown Bozeman.
Red Lodge KOA*****
7464 US-212, Red Lodge, MT 59068
Location: 5 miles north of Red Lodge MT
Dates of Visit: 7/27/2020 3 nights
Comments:
We don't normally stay at KOA's, mainly because of the cost. This place was no exception at $57/night plus tax. Our decision to stay here was entirely driven by the location. We wanted to take in the Beartooth Hiway and Chief Joseph Hiway and staying in the Red Lodge area seemed like the best option. I had looked for boondocking options using freecampsites.net but the options seemed limited and we wanted to be able to reserve a spot and this was really our only option. Now that we have been in the area I found NUMEROUS boondocking options along hiway 212 going into the Beartooth range that we would have stayed at, Live and learn.
This KOA is your typical KOA. Laundry room and bathrooms were clean and well maintained. Staff was friendly and helpful. And as typical, the sites were pretty tight. We literally had about 2 feet between our awning and our neighbors trailer. All of this is typical of all KOA's and most RV parks. So our only real criticism is the cost.
Rating this is difficult. There is no complaints about this park. It fits the profile of all KOA's. If you like staying in RV parks, and don't mind spending the money, this will be a good option for you. I just have a hard time looking past the VALUE. AT $57/night I really would expect paved roads and paved pads instead of gravel but I suspect location drives the price.
Amenities
-
Gravel roads and pads in the park.
-
Swimming pool
-
Camp store
-
Full hookups, electric only, and tent sites
-
WiFi but not in range at our site.
-
Good Verizon, AT&T, and limited T-Mobile service
-
Close to town
-
Laundry room
-
Showers
-
Bike rentals
Big Horn National Forest*****
Hwy 16 & Canyon Creek Road/National Forest Road 25
Location: 39 miles west of Buffalo WY on Hwy 16
Dates of Visit: 7/17/2020 10 nights
Comments:
This is not a developed campground but a boondocking spot on national forest land. The Big Horns are loaded with dispersed camping spots. This particular location is at 9200 feet so the nights definitely get cool. The spots for camping start about 1 miles off of Hwy 16 on Canyon Creek road. This is a popular location so expect MANY campers to be here especially on the week-ends. We found the area to be busy on the week-ends but it was almost a ghost town during the week. Once really nice benefit of this location is the close proximity of the Leigh Creek RV dump station. Made dumping and getting fresh water a breeze. Without the moon during our stay this place was extremely dark. You couldn't see your hand in front of your face at night. It was also extremely quite during the week. Almost eerie when you aren't used to the quite.
The biggest draw back to this site was the lack of any cell service. We did find a location 6 miles away in a parking area where we could get 1 bar of Verizon. Otherwise you are 40 minutes from Buffalo and 30 minutes from Ten Sleep to get cell service.
There is a restaurant a few miles down the road at Meadowlark Lake. The cinnamon rolls are awesome. We didn't eat any meals here but the menu look reasonable. They also have WiFi for customers. This appear to be a popular spot for people to come, eat, and get connected on-line.
Whitetail Campground (National Forest)*****
Whitetail Loop, Hill City, SD 57745
Location: 16 miles NW of Hill City SD
Dates of Visit: 7/10/2020 7 nights
Comments:
Campground is located 1.5 miles (gravel) off of Deerfield Road. The setting and location is beautiful but there are a few draw backs. Many of the sites have the picnic table and fire pit on the wrong side of the site. Cell service is non-existent for T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T, You have to drive all the way into Hill City to get Signal. These are mostly minor issues and the first 4 nights here were fabulous. Unfortunately a group came in later in the week that had no clue to camp etiquette. All were using generators and the site next to us was using a contractor generator and of course they put it on the back side of their trailer which is in our face!! It's hard to decouple issues with other campers and the campground itself. While I'm glad we stayed here I'm not sure I would plan a stay here again in the future.
Amenities:
-
1.5 miles of gravel to campground and gravel roads and pads in the campground.
-
No cell phone services.
-
Pit toilets
-
Fresh water was available for carry only. No water fill ups.
-
Picnic area and water access to Deerfield Reservoir.
Poole Knobs (Army Corps of Engineer)*****
493 Jones Mill Rd, La Vergne, TN 37086
(615-459-6948
Location: 15 miles SE of Nashville TN,
Dates of Visit: 6/2/2020 3 nights
Comments:
What a beautiful campground located on the shores of J Percy Priest Reservoir. Not many amenities but the sites on the banks of the reservoir had amazing views. Some of the sites had obstructed views but most sites on the outside of the loop were amazing. The sites on the inside of the loop, however, were problematic. The sites are located on the side of a hill and were steep to get into and not level. Would be very problematic for most equipment.
There are two loops of campsites. The lakeside loop has electric and water hookups (no sewer) while the other loop is dry camping. The dry camping loop does have multiple bath houses. One large house with showers while the other two were just toilets.
Access to amenities is unlimited since it is adjacent to Nashville suburbs. Walmart is 5 minutes away. The campground retains the country feel even though it is so close to suburbia.
Amenities:
-
Paved roads in the park with gravel pads at the campsites.
-
T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon service was excellent. Throttling was evident on Verizon in the evening but the other providers were good..
-
Lake access.
-
Showers
-
Dump station
Cherokee Landing (Thousand Trails)*****
1385 Old State Line Road
(731-376-0935
Location: Hour east of Memphis TN,
Dates of Visit: 9/22/2019 8 nights
Comments:
This campground felt like it had died a couple of years ago but no one bothered to tell them. Lack of maintenance and upkeep was very noticeable. Had the feel of an abandoned campground but yet there were still a few campers here. Even when this place was new there were clear issues with the layout and site construction. Many of the sites weren't level and while all sites had a small cement pad to placement of this pad was often in a poor location. What's sad is this place actually has potential. The campground surrounds a small lake and is away from congestion. But the poor site construction and lack of family oriented activities is clearly limiting it's draw. There also is a very limited number of full hookup sites. We were fortunate to get the last one.
Access to provisions is another weakness of this campground. There is a small grocery 10 miles away but a Walmart or larger grocery is 30 minutes away. Memphis is about an hour drive and has all you could need.
Given the limited number of Thousand Trails campgrounds in this part of the country we will likely stay here again.
Amenities:
-
Paved roads in the park but as so worn that they are about the same as gravel.
-
AT&T and Verizon service was good. Throttling was evident on Verizon and network congestion was notice a few times.
-
Pool
-
Laundry room (was clean, functional, cheap).
-
Controlled access
Kenisee Lake RV Resort (Thousand Trails)*****
2021 Mill Creek Rd, Jefferson, OH 44047
(440) 576-9030
Location:5 miles south of Ashtabula OH and Lake Erie.
Dates of Visit: 8/28/2019 2 nights
Comments:
Beautiful RV campground located in the Ohio country-side. Immaculate kept grounds with large open grassy areas almost feels like you are camped in the middle of a golf course. The roads inside the park are gravel but are well maintained and surprisingly wasn't dusty. The sites are level (no level blocks needed)gravel with grass areas next to the RV pad.
This is a much smaller campground, with fewer amenities, compared to some of the recent parks we have been at but it had all of the amenities that we enjoy. A single small pool and small lake (large pond) with a couple of small playgrounds is the extent of the amenities in the park.
All of your shopping needs are within 10 miles but the biggest limitation of this campground is the lack tourist/recreation activities in the area. But if you are looking for a peaceful get away, this is it. The nights were very quite and peaceful with the crickets the only sound filling the night air.
Amenities:
-
Gravel RV pads are level.
-
T-Mobile signal was week but still have 4G with 2Mb/Sec speeds. AT&T and Verizon service was exceptional withge with no evidence of throttling.
-
Pool
-
Couple of small playgrounds
-
Laundry room
-
PEACEFUL
-
Groomed grounds
-
Controlled access
Brennan Beach RV Resort (Encore)*****
80 Brennan Beach Rd, Pulaski, NY 13142
(315) 298-2242
Location: Just outside Pulaski NY on the shores of Lake Ontario
Dates of Visit: 8/26/2019 2 nights
Comments:
This RV resort is a rather large campground (just under 1400 sites!) with sections of seasonal and transient sites located on the shores of Lake Ontario and close to the Salmon River. The transient sites are separate from the seasonal sites which is a refreshing change. Main roads are paved with gravel loop roads. Each site has a gravel parking pad with a cement pad with a picnic table. Both wooded and open loops are available for transient visitors.
The facilities were impressive. Access to the park is gated and you are greeting by nice registration building with a very professional staff working the counter. The recreation complex is very large with a pavilion that is surrounded by the well appointed camp store, "restaurant", game room, and three swimming pools. The restaurant serves pizza, fried fish, and a variety of other sandwiches. Not a white table cloth affair but a convenient amenity. Adjacent to the pools is a large playground, basketball court, tennis/pickle ball court, horse shores, volleyball net, and ball field. They got it covered!
Down on the lake is a very large beach with lifeguards on hand. Also down by the lake is a food truck.
Our stay here was short but I will say I was impressed with this place and could easily see staying here for a longer duration.
Amenities:
-
RV pads are level with a cement pad adjacent to the RV pad
-
Good location.
-
Limited T-Mobile with no 4G . No AT&T service. Good Verizon coverage with no evidence of throttling.
-
Beach
-
Playground, tennis/pickle ball courts, basketball courts, horseshoes, ball field.
-
Laundry room
-
3 swimming pools
-
Camp store
-
Restaurant and food truck
-
Controlled access
Patten Pond RV Resort (Encore)*****
1470 Bucksport Rd, Ellsworth, ME 04605
(207) 288-3338
Location: Just outside Ellsworth ME
Dates of Visit: 8/5/2019 10 nights
Comments:
The location of Patten Pond RV Resort is great. 10 miles to Ellsworth, 30 miles from Bar Harbor/Acadia Nation Park and 15 miles from Bucksport. All possible needed services and provisions are within 15-20 minutes.
The campground is located on Patten Pond (really a lake) with beach and canoe/kayak access. The majority of the campsites are shaded and level. There is a loop up by the office that isn't shade but would provide good satellite access if that's what you are looking for. The laundry room and showers are clean and in good shape. The number of seasonal sites seems to be much less compared to other Encore parks we have been in.
The staff was excellent, friendly and attentive. The only down-side was the dust from the gravel roads in the campground and access was not controlled.
Amenities:
-
Camp pads are gravel/sand and level.
-
Good location.
-
No T-Mobile 4G signal but voice/text roaming was available by AT&T. We had good signal for Verizon but was virtually unusable except in the middle of the night due to network management on our pre-paid plan. We used our AT&T hotspot exclusively during our stay.
-
LP is available on-site.
-
Beach
-
Playground
-
Laundry room
Seawall National Park Campground*****
ME-102Alt, Southwest Harbor, ME 04679
(207) 288-3338
Location: Southwest Harbor in Acadia National Parkl
Dates of Visit: 7/29/2019 7 nights
Comments:
The National Park campgrounds in Acadia are limited for RV's. Seawall campground has 1 loop that is open to RV's but are with no hookups. There is a dump station with potable water available in the RV loop ( C loop). We enjoyed the location and access to the beautiful ocean shore at the entrance of the campground, the clean restrooms, and paved roadways in the park. The sites were gravel but all were pull thru sites. Some sites were very levels and some weren't. While the bathrooms were flush toilets/running water there were no showers available in the campground.
We enjoyed our stay here but the lack of any hookups and showers limits the rating.
Amenities:
-
Paved roads throughout the park.
-
Camp pads are gravel/sand.
-
No T-Mobile 4G signal but voice/text roaming was available by AT&T. We had good signal for Verizon but was virtually unusable except in the middle of the night due to network management on our pre-paid plan.
-
Bus shuttle available providing access to the island.
Pinehirst RV Resort*****
7 Oregon Ave, Old Orchard Beach, ME 04064
(207) 934-5526
Location: Old Orchard Beach Maine, just south of Portland
Dates of Visit: 7/15/2019 14 nights
Comments:
We really enjoyed our stay here. The location is awesome. Just far enough off of Hwy 1 to get away from the traffic but still close enough to all of the good stuff. An easy bike ride down to the beach in the morning makes for a great to start the day. 20 minutes to Portland and all it has to offer and provisions are also close by.
The park does show it's age but is still an enjoyable place to stay. 3 swimming pools, 1 for adults only, multiple laundry services, on-site propane, all full hookup sites, provides all of the amenities you need.
Paved roads thru-out the park make walking and bike riding a pleasure.
There is a section for the transient/non-seasonal stays but we were placed in the middle of a seasonal section likely because we were staying for 2 weeks. The site was large and level.
A big plus was the lobster shack at the entrance of the park that would cook your lobster so you could take it back to your campsite to enjoy!
Amenities:
-
Full hookup sites
-
Paved roads throughout the park.
-
Camp pads are gravel/sand.
-
Good T-Mobile and throttled Verizon signal. The Verizon tower was clearly high usage since our pre-paid service was heavily managed and unusable at times during peak times. If you didn't have a plan subject to management you would be ok with Verizon.
-
Free cable TV is provided.
-
Hot showers and flush toilets.
-
Multiple laundry rooms.
-
3 swimming pools.
-
Propane on-site.
Sturbridge RV Resort*****
19 Mashapaug Rd, MA 01566
877-877-0704
Location: Between Sturbridge andSouthbridge MA
Dates of Visit: 7/13/2019 2 nights
Comments:
I have some reservations about my 2 star rating. The park has many things going for it but these things are less important to us compared to the significant down-sides.
Let's start with the positives. There is a beautiful pond in the middle of the park. There are no weeds and they have a beach area and a fishing dock. Families were having a GREAT time enjoying the pond during our stay. They have an indoor swimming pools, nice play ground, volleyball, basket ball, and nice outdoor areas for gatherings. While these things might be great for families they really aren't important to us.
When registering they greet you at the gate and drive you around the park in a golf cart so you can pick a site. While this might sound like a nice amenity it's actually a necessity. The electric/water sites are in a wooded hill-side over looking the pond. Sounds great but there are so many trees, very narrow road, lots of trees, and and extremely un-level sites. You have to choose the site very carefully if you are going to stay in this loop. The full hook-up loop has more room to navigate and the sites are level but you are crammed in very tight space. We were only going to stay 2 nights and I didn't want to deal with the hassle of dealing with the elec/water loop so we decided to stay in the full hook-up loop and just deal with the tight space. Heck, we could only open the awning a few feet before it would hit our neighbors rig.
The location of the campground is close to provisions only 5 miles to Sturbridge or Southbridge. Both have full provisions.. We were glad we only spend 2 nights !
Amenities:
-
Full hookup sites
-
Gravel roads throughout the park.
-
Camp pads are gravel/sand.
-
No T-Mobile and throttled Verizon signal. The Verizon tower was clearly high usage since our pre-paid service was heavily managed and unusable at times during peak times. If you didn't have a plan subject to management you would be ok with Verizon.
-
No TV signal. Cable is provided but we didn't test it out.
-
Hot showers and flush toilets.
-
Pool and hot tub.
-
Small fishing/swimming lake.
-
Game room.
-
Store with limited supplies
Nearby Attractions:
-
Old Sturbridge.
-
Great scenic riding
Gateway to Cape Cod*****
90 Stevens Road, Rochester, MA 02770
508-763-5911
Location: Rochester MA, 20 miles from Cape Cod.
Dates of Visit: 7/9/2019 4 nights
Amenities:
-
Full hookup sites
-
Sand roads throughout the park.
-
Camp pads are gravel/sand.
-
Good T-Mobile and Verizon signal. The Verizon tower was clearly high usage since our pre-paid service was heavily managed and unusable at times during peak times in the evenings.
-
Limited TV signal. Better antenna might give acceptable results.
-
Hot showers and flush toilets.
-
Pool and hot tub.
-
Small fishing lake.
-
Game room.
-
Store with limited supplies
Nearby Attractions:
-
Plymouth Rock
-
Cape Cod within driving distance
-
Battleship Cove and Maritime museum.
Comments:
This is somewhat of a typical Thousand Trails park, Sand roads throughout and rustic sites. In general it was very similar to Sea Pines RV Resort in New Jersey that we spent a month at but it didn't have the lovely lake and the pool area wasn't as nice. We had heavy rain one night and we had a river running down the road and thru our site. The only saving grace was the sandy soil was able to absorb the water rather quickly.
The sandy roads made it very difficult to bike around the park. The entrance/exit is laid out rather poorly and made it a little difficult to maneuver.
The campground is somewhat isolated but yet not too far away from provisions. Grocery store (Aldi, Walmart, Stop and Shop) as well as home improvement stores (Lowes) are within 5-6 miles.
Campground was ok for a 4 night stay but I'm glad we didn't book 2 weeks here.
Wompatuck State Park *****
204 Union St., Hingham, MA 02043
(617) 895-8245
https://www.mass.gov/locations/wompatuck-state-park
Location: 15 miles south of Boston
Dates of Visit: 7/2/2019 7 nights
Amenities:
-
Electric sites, no water or sewer hookups. Water and dump station is available in the park.
-
Paved roads throughout the park.
-
Camp pads are gravel.
-
Good T-Mobile and Verizon service.
-
Good TV signal.
-
Hot showers and flush toilets.
-
Miles of paved walking biking trails.
-
Small fishing lake.
Nearby Attractions:
-
Boston!
-
MANY area beaches within minutes
Comments:
This is a large State Park and campground. There is a section for electric and non-electric sites. The size of the sites vary and you must pay attention when making reservations to make sure the selected site will accommodate your rig. Sites are mostly level side to side but some sites have allot of slope front to back. All sites are shaded There are miles and miles of hiking/biking trail. The asphalt was quite rough but it was still enjoyable riding.
This park is a little gem right in the middle of town. It appears that it is a little bit of a hidden secret since the park wasn't completely full over the 4th of July.
Old Chatham Road Campground *****
310 Old Chatham Rd, South Dennis, MA 02660
(508) 385-3616
Location: Cape Cod in South Dennis
Dates of Visit: 6/24/2019 8 nights
Amenities:
-
Full hook-up sites
-
Swimming pool, hot tub, game room, playground
-
Good T-Mobile and Verizon service.
-
No TV signal
-
Paved roads throughout the park with some having cement pads
Nearby Attractions:
-
Wonderful scenic rides central to the Cape Cod area.
-
Easy access to Provincetown, Marla's Vineyard, and Nantucket.
-
MANY area beaches within minutes
Comments:
We really enjoyed our stay here. The majority of sites are seasonal rentals, just like most Thousand Trails/Encore parks. Not a problem but it is a different atmosphere from more transient RV parks.
All the roads are paved in the park, which we really like. The sites are mostly gravel with some having a cement pad. The sites are level and can be somewhat tight.
Portland Riverside Marina & Campground *****
37 Riverview St, Portland, CT 06480
(860) 342-1911
http://www.portlandriversidemarina.com/campground/index.htm
Location: on the Connecticut River south of Hartford 15 miles
Dates of Visit: 6/17/2019 7 nights
Amenities:
-
Electric (30/50 amp)/Water.No sewer hook ups or dump station on site.
-
Access to the Connecticut River.
-
Good T-Mobile and Verizon service.
-
Good TV signal.
-
Cement pads for the RV.
Nearby Attractions:
-
Wonderful scenic rides.
-
Gillette Castle
-
Hartford
Comments:
There are really only two redeeming factors for this campground. 1. Access to the Connecticut River 2. Beautiful view of the river. Otherwise this would have only gotten 1 star. There are no bath facilities in the campground. There are bathrooms at the main marina office, that is quite a trek away, but no showers. There is no dump station. There is a city dump station 1 mile or so away but it is only open M-F. There are no trails, playgrounds, activities, etc. that is available for those staying at the campground. You drive thru the marina boat yard to get to the campsites and the road is terrible with lots of potholes. You feel like you are off-roading. The road going thru the campground has many large low spots that fill with water so you are driving thru mud to get to your campsite.
Hersey RV Resort & Campground *****
493 S Mount Pleasant Rd, Lebanon, PA 17042
(717) 867-3967
Location: 8 miles from Hersey PA
Dates of Visit: 6/14/2019 3 nights
Amenities:
-
Electric (30/50 amp)/Water/Sewer. A few sites with only electric and water.
-
Nice roads thru the park. Main roads are paved, loops are gravel.
-
Multiple Bath houses & camp store. 2 Laundry rooms.
-
No reliable T-Mobile service. Verizon signal was ok but we fell prey to network management and was virtually unusable during our stay.
-
Very limited TV reception.
-
Groceries & restaurants just minutes away.
-
Swimming pool, playground, pavilion, arcade.
-
Fishing pond.
-
Indoor spa for adults.
-
Controlled access to the park.
Nearby Attractions:
-
Hersey museum and amusement park.
-
Lots of scenic rides in the area.
Comments: This was a very short stay for the park was one of the nicest Thousand Trails parks we have stayed at. The only down-side was the lack of internet service. The resort is located by Mount Wilson. The drive up to the park is beautiful. There are miles and miles of wonderful scenic rides in the area. We would definitely like to return and spend more time at this park.
Sea Pines RV Resort & Campground *****
609-465-4517
1535 Route 9, Swainton, NJ 08210
https://www.thousandtrails.com/new-jersey/sea-pines-rv-resort-campground/
Location: Jersey shore just north of Cape May Court House.
Dates of Visit: 5/20/2019 25 nights
Amenities:
-
Electric (30/50 amp)/Water/Sewer. Not all sites have sewer but they have a free honey wagon that will service twice per week for non-sewer sites.
-
Gravel roads and pads. Roads are very rough.
-
Multiple Bath houses & camp store. Laundry room was closed at the time of our visit.
-
Good T-Mobile and Verizon service with reasonable data speeds.
-
Very limited TV reception.
-
Groceries & restaurants just minutes away.
-
Access to multiple beaches within 10 minutes. Avalon is the closest beach.
-
Swimming pool, playground, pavilion, arcade, and very clean swimming and fishing pond with sandy beach.
-
Controlled access to the park.
Nearby Attractions:
-
Jersey shore with miles of groomed beaches.
-
Easy hour drive to historic Philadelphia.
-
30 minutes south of Atlantic City if gambling is your thing.
-
Cape May light house.
-
Cape May Zoo (free).
-
Cold Spring village.
-
Lots of brewery options in the area.
Comments: We ended up staying 4 weeks at this campground. We originally planned for 2 weeks but we had to extend our stay to work through medical appointments. The staff were excellent in helping us extend our stay.
This is a rather large park with 500+ sites. Many are seasonal sites but there are plenty of sites for short-term stays. The park is a typical 1000 Trails park that is in need of some updating. Bath houses and pool areas were up to date and in good shape. The gravel roads were VERY rough and there were some big potholes that were filled with water the entire time we were here. They did work on the roads during our stay and they did improve. The road dust was terrible but the rain helped keep it down. This campground could be a little challenging for large rigs since the sites weren't angled and there are lots of trees close to the road. It could be tricky backing into sites.
We had an awesome large corner site that actually had a cement patio with ample room for our screen room and trees for our hammock. We could have easily parked 3 vehicles in additional to our travel trailer on this site.
We enjoyed our stay but it was tempered due to the medical issues
Cape Henlopen State Park *****
(302) 645-8983
15099 Cape Henlopen Dr
Lewes Delaware 19958
Location: At the mouth of Delaware Bay
Dates of Visit: 5/13/2019 7 nights
Amenities:
-
Electric/Water sites. No full hookup sites. 3 dump stations in the park.
-
Paved pads
-
Paved roads.
-
Multiple Bath houses, laundry room, camp store.
-
Lots of bike paths and hiking trails. Bike access to Lewes and Rehoboth Beach.
-
Cell Service: Good T-Mobile and Verizon service with reasonable data speeds.
-
Very limited TV reception.s
-
Groceries, restaurants, and other shopping 20 minutes away
-
Access to multiple beaches.
-
Disc golf course on-site.
-
Fishing pier.
-
Cabins and tent sites.
-
Nature center.
Nearby Attractions:
-
Delaware Seashore, Air Mobility Museum, Cape May-Lewes Ferry
Comments:
Great campground that has recently been updated. Wonderful paved roads in the park with ample bike paths and hiking trails. A 16 mile loop goes from the park to Rehoboth Beach to Lewes and back to the park.
This is a very large park with lots to do. Its located right in the middle of Fort Miles and multiple WWII observation tours.
Photo Album: https:
Thousand Trails at Chesapeake Bay *****
(770) 622-4188
12014 Trails Lane
Gloucester, Virginia 23061
Location: 13 miles north of Gloucester on the banks of the Piankatank River which is a tidal river connect to Chesapeake Bay.
Dates of Visit: 4/29/2019 14 nights
Amenities:
-
Electric/Water/Sewer sites.
-
Gravel pads
-
Combination of paved and gravel roads
-
Multiple Bath houses and laundry room.
-
Pond for fishing and paddle boating.
-
Cell Service: No T-Mobile service and good Verizon service with reasonable data speeds.
-
No TV reception
-
Groceries, restaurants, and other shopping 20 minutes away
-
Two outdoor swimming pools, 1 indoor hot tub, grass "beach".
-
Tennis courts, miniature golf, and horseshoes.
-
Very large Community pavilion, 1 covered outdoor section, 2 indoor sections with 1 for adults only.
-
Food service on the weekends.
-
Propane available on-site.
-
Secure gated access.
-
Store with some limited provisions.
-
Boat ramp
Nearby Attractions:
-
Jamestown, Williamsburg, Yorktown, Richmond, Norfolk, to name just a few.
Comments:
We scored a wonderful campsite right on the bank of the Piankatank River. The boat ramp was right by our site that made launching our boat very convenient. The sites were a little tight but we really enjoyed our stay here. Very peaceful during the week but the pace did pickup here on the weekends.
This campground definitely falls into the category of RV resort with all of the amenities. There is something for everyone.
This is a very large campground with 5 major loops. 4 of the loops are full hook-up, 1 one loop is electric only.
Photo Album: https://photos.app.goo.gl/FPchXp77iqDPokb26
Oregon Inlet Campground *****
(252) 441-6246
12001 NC-12 Nags Head, NC 27959
Location: at the north entrance of the Cape Hatteras national seashore.
Dates of Visit: 4/26/2019 3 nights
Amenities:
-
Electric/Water sites with paved pads
-
Bath houses with shower.
-
Cell Service: Good T-Mobile and Verizon service with reasonable data service
-
4 TV channels
-
Groceries, restaurants, and other shopping close by (10 miles north)
Nearby Attractions:
-
Cape Hatteras national seashore
-
Just on the other side of the dunes from a beach on the Atlantic.
-
Wright Brothers Memorial site.
-
Quaint water front of Mateo.
Comments:
Northern most Cape Hatteras National park campground with recently upgrades facilities. Majority of the campgrounds in the Cape Hatteras National Seashore don't have any hookups. This campground has numerous electric and water hookups. The bathrooms are numerous and very clean. The showers are outside stalls but the water is warm and it gets the job done. Sites are close together with no privacy but the pads are paved and the sites are grass. Sites are a little tight to get both a tow vehicle and a trailer parked. There are no trees so bring your own shade.
Goose Creek RV Resort *****
(843)873-0692
350 Red Barn Rd, Newport, NC 28570-5138
Location: on the shores of Bogue Sound over-looking the barrier island of Emerald Isle.
Dates of Visit: 4/22/2019 4 nights
Amenities:
-
Electric/Water sites
-
Bath houses with showers
-
Laundry facilities
-
Boat launch
-
Cell Service: Good T-Mobile and Verizon service with reasonable data service (10-25mps)
-
4 TV channels
-
Groceries, restaurants, and other shopping close by.
Nearby Attractions:
-
Emerald Isle
-
Hammocks Beach
-
Quaint downtown of Beaufort.
-
Shackleford Banks Island (ferry) with wild horses and good shelling.
Comments:
We really enjoyed our stay here. Majority of our recent stays have been in State Parks with wonderful nature opportunities but limited luxuries. This was a great change of pace with nice grass sites and paved roads thru out the park. We had an awesome site right on the water. We enjoyed just siting outside doing nothing!
Photo Album: https: https://photos.app.goo.gl/FRjwyBPgihJsb2rN7
Givhans Ferry State Park *****
(843)873-0692
746 County Rd S-18-30
Ridgeville, SC 29472
Location: 25 miles West of Charleston SC
Dates of Visit:
Amenities:
-
Electric/Water sites
-
Walk-in tent sites
-
4 cabins
-
1 bath house with showers
-
Hiking trails
-
Beach with Kayak launch
-
Cell Service: No T-Mobile service, Verizon had reasonable data service (10-15mps)
-
No TV signals
Nearby Attractions:
-
Charleston
-
Edisto River
-
USS Yorktown
Comments:
The park is situated on the Edisto River, longest free flowing backwater river in North America, at the end of the Edisto River Kayak/Canoe trail. This is a great site for canoeing, kayaking and small boating.
The roads within the park are paved but the campground roads are hard packed sand. The sites are rather large and are also sand. There is vegetation that does give some privacy between sites. The sites are reasonable in size.
We loved this park. Very little bugs compared to the last two campgrounds we were at. The paved roads within the park were great for biking. The bath house was ok, I've seen worse, I've seen better.
The negatives for us was the lack of T-Mobile cell service and the distance to services. The nearest real grocery store was 20 minutes away.
Photo Album: https://photos.app.goo.gl/DwVEHU49Hbk75YzF9
The Oaks at Point South (Thousand Trails) *****
(843)726-5728
1292 Campground Road, Yemassee SC
Location: Just off of I95, 1/2 way between Savannah and Charleston.
Dates of visit: 4/11/19 to 4/15/2019
Amenities:
-
Full hookup sites
-
Two bath houses with showers and laundry facilities.
-
Laundry
-
Club house with billiards and games.
-
Hiking trails
-
Pool
-
Cell Service: Good signal for T-Mobile and Verizon
-
Free cable TV
Nearby Attractions:
-
Savannah, Charleston, Hilton Head Island
Comments:
Roads in the park are gravel and the pads are rock. The sites are tight, which is expected in an RV park, but the biggest issue is with the lack drainage! They had rain a couple days before we arrived and there is standing water in the roads,between sites, and some sites were under water. Our site was virtually unusable outside during our 4 days. It was a challenge to hook up the RV to the facilities since the area of the services was under water or mud.
Fort McAllister State Park *****
(912)727-2339
3894 Fort McAllister Road, Richmond Hill GA
Location: Short drive south of Savannah
Dates of visit: 4/1/19 to 4/7/2019
Amenities:
-
RV and tent sites with electric and water. A few sites are full hook up.
-
Two bath houses with showers and laundry facilities. 1 new bath house was still under construction.
-
7 cottages.
-
Outside exercise equipment set
-
Hiking trails
-
Paved roads
-
2 boat launches, 1 right by the campsites, 1 by the park entrance.
-
Kayak and paddle board rentals.
-
Nice docking facilities.
Nearby Attractions:
-
Savannah
Comments:
Roads were paved but the pads were sand. While the sites have electric and water the campground is quite rustic with a remote feeling.
The campground was under renovation with 1/2 the sites closed as well as 1 of the bath houses.It does appear that some of the sites will be full hook up.
The campground is actually situated on an island and is surrounded by Redbird creek. The boat ramp at the entrance of the park is on the Ogeechee River. Redbird creek does eventually connect with the Ogeechee River down stream a few miles.
This is an amazing campground. The sites are HUGH and easily accommodate the largest big rigs. The pads are gravel but level. Plenty of space between sites and are well shaded but there isn’t under growth between the sites. The bathrooms/showers were clean and well maintained. One bath house has individual bath/showers, the other was more traditional men/woman facilities. The laundry facilities in the one unit was not in operations, the other laundry room was clean and in good shape.
This is an ideal location with great access to the river, 10 minutes from services (groceries etc.), central to many nearby attractions.
This is a popular campground and reservations fill quickly. Need to reserve in advanced.
The one negative is the no-see-ums. There are relentless! Bring bug spray and be ready to deal with the bugs. My legs look like I was shot with a shotgun.
Crooked River State Park *****
(912)882-5256
6222 Charlie Smith Sr Highway St Marys GA
Location: 10 miles north of St Marys Georgia on the shores of Crooked River.
Dates of visit: 4/1/19 to 4/7/2019
Amenities:
-
62 RV and tent sites with electric and water. A few sites are full hook up.
-
Two bath houses with showers and laundry facilities.
-
11 cottages.
-
Wildlife pond with viewing blind.
-
18-hole miniature golf course
-
Outside exercise equipment set
-
Hiking trails
-
Paved roads
-
Boat launch with bait shop.
-
Nature center.
Nearby Attractions:
-
Cumberland Island National Seashore
-
Jekyll Island Historic Area and Beach
-
Hofwyl-Broadfield Plantation Historic Site
-
Submarine Museum
-
Downtown St Marys
-
Sapelo Island
-
Historic town of Darien
-
Fort King George Fort
-
Fernandina Beach
Comments:
This is an amazing campground. The sites are HUGH and easily accommodate the largest big rigs. The pads are gravel but level. Plenty of space between sites and are well shaded but there isn’t under growth between the sites. The bathrooms/showers were clean and well maintained. One bath house has individual bath/showers, the other was more traditional men/woman facilities. The laundry facilities in the one unit was not in operations, the other laundry room was clean and in good shape.
This is an ideal location with great access to the river, 10 minutes from services (groceries etc.), central to many nearby attractions.
This is a popular campground and reservations fill quickly. Need to reserve in advanced.
The one negative is the no-see-ums. There are relentless! Bring bug spray and be ready to deal with the bugs.