I am new to RVing and am planning our first trip south this February. I have a destination chosen, but now I am searching for a list of campsites that would be open at that time on the many routes south. Being Canadian I am used to seasonal dates and find it odd that some of the northern states campgrounds don't list open/closed dates on their websites. If anyone knows of a list or individual campgrounds that are open in February on the popular routes to Florida from Toronto and could point me in the right direction I would be grateful. I am pretty sure we will be selecting one night in a motel on our way south before we get into warmer weather.

We start from west central Illinois in Jan. and don't count on any being open until we get south of central Il. but really more southern Il. and beyond. Very few public campgrounds will be open or will be open with no services. Whittington Woods(private) is a good one along I-57 near Benton. On our 2nd day much further south there are many more options. Get the RV parks app. and call the campground/

When we used to head south in January or February these are the ones we saw as our options.If you are going down I-75 Harbortown RV Resort in Monroe, Michigan advertises as being open all year round. Can't comment on the place as I have never stayed there.The KOA at Bluffton/Findlay, Ohio is open all year round but there is no water, no comfort stations, no dumping stations and no one in attendance. I only use it as a last resort.Our favourite is Kentucky Horse Park, just north of Lexington, Kentucky. The sites at that time of year are electric only but there is water available at the dumping stations. The comfort station with showers is clean, large, heated, and open. It's a bit of a long day for us but we head out real early the first day.South of Lexington you will find many places are open all year round. When we used to travel at that time of year I have de-winterized as early as Kentucky Horse Park and as late as Southern Georgia. It is all weather and forecast dependent.This may start a whole bunch of comments but out of the two most popular routes to Florida from our area I prefer I-75, especially at that time of year. It is about 100 km. longer but you have more 3 lane sections and the total elevation is not quite as high so you have less chance of running into surprise severe weather. I take the east bypass around Cincinnati because of construction and road condition but I go straight through Atlanta. You are from Toronto so Atlanta will be a piece of cake. There are other ways to get there but this routing is purely my preference.

When we cross at Detroit, we have used Walmarts at Finlay, OH Lima, OH Dayton OH and Flying J at Florence KY. Then we head west to Tom Sawyer's in West Memphis, AR but you wouldn't go that way for FL.We go down I81 / I95 when we go to FL crossing at Gananoque.From Trana, I don't know which is better for you: I75 or I81/I95.

Thank you all for your quick responses, Detroit is probably the route we will take as I am not at looking forward to negotiating the mountain crossings of I77 or I79 in the dead of winter, unless Mother Nature is really kind this year.

Cqyqte wrote:Thank you all for your quick responses, Detroit is probably the route we will take as I am not at looking forward to negotiating the mountain crossings of I77 or I79 in the dead of winter, unless Mother Nature is really kind this year.That's precisely why I move over to I95 at Winchester VA

Season Opening Dates for Campgrounds on southern routes

Jayco-noslide
Explorer
Sep 29, 2016
We start from west central Illinois in Jan. and don't count on any being open until we get south of central Il. but really more southern Il. and beyond. Very few public campgrounds will be open or will be open with no services. Whittington Woods(private) is a good one along I-57 near Benton. On our 2nd day much further south there are many more options. Get the RV parks app. and call the campground/
63-Coupe
Explorer
Sep 29, 2016
When we used to head south in January or February these are the ones we saw as our options.

If you are going down I-75 Harbortown RV Resort in Monroe, Michigan advertises as being open all year round. Can't comment on the place as I have never stayed there.
The KOA at Bluffton/Findlay, Ohio is open all year round but there is no water, no comfort stations, no dumping stations and no one in attendance. I only use it as a last resort.
Our favourite is Kentucky Horse Park, just north of Lexington, Kentucky. The sites at that time of year are electric only but there is water available at the dumping stations. The comfort station with showers is clean, large, heated, and open. It's a bit of a long day for us but we head out real early the first day.

South of Lexington you will find many places are open all year round. When we used to travel at that time of year I have de-winterized as early as Kentucky Horse Park and as late as Southern Georgia. It is all weather and forecast dependent.

This may start a whole bunch of comments but out of the two most popular routes to Florida from our area I prefer I-75, especially at that time of year. It is about 100 km. longer but you have more 3 lane sections and the total elevation is not quite as high so you have less chance of running into surprise severe weather. I take the east bypass around Cincinnati because of construction and road condition but I go straight through Atlanta. You are from Toronto so Atlanta will be a piece of cake. There are other ways to get there but this routing is purely my preference.
joebedford
Nomad II
Sep 29, 2016
When we cross at Detroit, we have used Walmarts at Finlay, OH Lima, OH Dayton OH and Flying J at Florence KY. Then we head west to Tom Sawyer's in West Memphis, AR but you wouldn't go that way for FL.

We go down I81 / I95 when we go to FL crossing at Gananoque.

From Trana, I don't know which is better for you: I75 or I81/I95.
Cqyqte
Explorer
Sep 29, 2016
Thank you all for your quick responses, Detroit is probably the route we will take as I am not at looking forward to negotiating the mountain crossings of I77 or I79 in the dead of winter, unless Mother Nature is really kind this year.
joebedford
Nomad II
Sep 29, 2016
Cqyqte wrote:
Thank you all for your quick responses, Detroit is probably the route we will take as I am not at looking forward to negotiating the mountain crossings of I77 or I79 in the dead of winter, unless Mother Nature is really kind this year.
That's precisely why I move over to I95 at Winchester VA
rr2254545
Explorer
Sep 29, 2016
Goodsam has a very good tool- used it often

To find campgrounds open all year
GO to Good Sam Club Plan a Trip
http://www.goodsamclub.com/travel/campgroundsandrvparks/Default.aspx
Put in state and city
Uncheck good sam parks only
Search
Under Camping Filters
Click the 5th one down “Open All Year”
Search again
Irish2
Explorer
Sep 30, 2016
Check out rvparkreviews.com.
Dutch_12078
Explorer II
Sep 30, 2016
If you're coming down I-81, there's a KOA in Jonestown, PA, north of Harrisburg, that's open year round. The rest of the way down, most of them are open year round once you cross the PA state line. Jonestown would be about a 7 hour drive from Toronto.

In several years of heading south on I-81 in January, we've only once held up for an extra day at the I-81/I-77 junction due to weather issues on the Fancy Gap run down to Charlotte.
Padlin
Explorer
Sep 30, 2016
Not really my style of camping, but when looking for cold weather campgrounds, KOA's are pretty much all open.
almcc
Explorer
Sep 30, 2016
When we go south each winter we stop at the following "open all year" full service campgrounds. We start early (in November) but these CG's are set up with heated water taps so you should have water over the winter.

Harbortown RV resort in Monroe Michigan
Bluffton Fort Wayne South KOA
Woods N Waters RV park near Columbus Indiana
Bowling Green Ky KOA

Probably not on your route to Florida (we head west to California) but Natchez Trace State Park near Jackson Tn.