Finding places to stay

[jjrbus]

Have not done any traveling since 2008, will be going on a long trip from SW Fl to the NW, via Yellowstone starting in May. No particular route in mind other than Mt Rushmore.

Is there a good or better source for finding places to stay as we travel? Wal Mart and rest areas are ok here and there, but have small tanks (Toyota RV) so will need facility's at least every 3 days.

Jim

[Veebyes]

Much depends on the type of RVer that you are.

There is the weekend warrior staying in the same few CGs withing easy driving distance of home. This camper has no need of a directory. He knows his local CG, & sites, well.

There is the seasonal fulltimer. This one follows the seasons & has the favourite CGs to stop at as he migrates from summer to winter CGs.

There is the vacationer. This one has a few weeks a year, usually with family in tow, to get the best bang out of limited time. Price has importance but location & attractions will carry more weight in CG choice. Walmarts & such will do as quick overnights between home & a far away destination.

Then there is the longterm traveler. This is the RVer who is most likey an empty nester, retired, still calls a sticks & bricks home, but has plenty of time for travel. Trip duration is measured in months, not weeks. This is the one who most likely spends the most time using the most resources for finding CGs along the way. We fall into this group.

Trips are usually over 2 months duration, 3000 miles to 12,000 miles long & have a few events to be worked into it. In order of checking CGs RV Park Reviews is first stop. Check for Passport or GS discount (not a requirement). No on first 2? Check Allstays. It is rare that further looking is required beyond Allstays.

Booking what must be booked, while keeping some flexibility for time here & there takes some doing.

[monkey44]

Lots of folks on here mention Allstays ... Me too. There's a reason for that.

A lot of websites show CGs and some show one particular type, but Allstays pretty much has it all, and an easy method to find the kind you want (NP, SP, etc) and area you want. It also updates frequently as best we can tell.

[4runnerguy]

I use this campground map to find places along our travel paths. Shows both private and public CG's. Click on the camping icons and you'll find a link back here to do a search on that particular CG (sometimes I have to modify the search parameters to get more hits). If available, there's a link to the CG website and in some cases, a link to RV Park Reviews. You can also get a Google search by clicking on the link. All-in-all, this map gives a good first pass on what might be available in an area you're looking to spend a night.

[trailertraveler]

In my experience no one directory or website lists all the campgrounds, RV parks or other possible overnight or longer term stopping locations. I use the following websites to find campgrounds along our route:
RV Park Reviews
Passport America
Allstays
RV Parky
Woodalls
Free Campgrounds
Free Campsites
U.S. Campgrounds
National Forest Campground Guide
Ultimate Public Campground Project
Corps of Engineers Campgrounds
Bob’s Cheap or Free Campgrounds
Dean’s List
Boondockers Welcome
Harvest Host
Days End Directory
Don Wright’s Guide

I prefer the ones that show locations on a map rather than needing to know the city to search for. Several of the above websites also offer a download of their data which can be imported into mapping programs or a GPS. I find this particularly useful because I can then see the locations along any proposed route. The Discovery Owner's Forum and POI Factory have a large variey of downloads for GPS and mapping programs.

[mdcamping]

jjrbus wrote:
WOW, thanks for all the responses! Lots of info, will sort through it over the next few weeks and decide which route to go. Jim

Hi Jim

When researching particular routes I use RV Park Reviews Simply click on a state and magnify in or out to find the rv parks/campgrounds that interests you. All rv parks/campgrounds are directly linked to reviews which makes a useful tool when planning trips.

Mike

[jjrbus]

Been looking this over a bit here and there. I also looked at Passport America and wondering if anyone is using it to find places as you travel? Jim

[ct1964ups]

jjrbus wrote:
Have not done any traveling since 2008, will be going on a long trip from SW Fl to the NW, via Yellowstone starting in May. No particular route in mind other than Mt Rushmore.

Is there a good or better source for finding places to stay as we travel? Wal Mart and rest areas are ok here and there, but have small tanks (Toyota RV) so will need facility's at least every 3 days.

Jim

Jim,
we like allstays if we know the towns we might be going thru....and then rvparky if just rolling along...can put in location fill out the filters to use and it will give the location along the route.....all on our phones...Chuck

[magnusfide]

Veebyes wrote:
There are just soooo many ways to find CGs. Some virtually useless. Many are great. Allstays

Double ditto on Allstays; they have a much more complete listing.

[jjrbus]

WOW, thanks for all the responses! Lots of info, will sort through it over the next few weeks and decide which route to go. Jim

[Jim_Shoe]

I carry the KOA book and supplement with RV Park Reviews. I haven't found one yet that didn't have FHUs and at least some cable and WIFI. I need FHUs for medical reasons.

[tatest]

I've found the Trailer Life/Woodalls (now combined into Good Sam) directories useful when traveling. They are also available on-line through smart phone/tablet apps, as are other directories like RVParky and AllStays. My wife liked to stay at KOAs so we also carried their directory.

Online directories might be more up to date, and some might be more extensive by having lower standards for listing but I've found the printed versions adequate and they are useful where I don't have high speed data service.

[Veebyes]

There are just soooo many ways to find CGs. Some virtually useless. Many are great. Allstays

[Dick_B]

We carry the Trailer Life Campground Directory also the KOA directory and we have a smart phone and GPS all of which can help find either a place to stay or restaurants or other services.

[wxtoad]

We prefer staying at public campgrounds - federal, state, city or county - and find them using The Ultimate Public Campground Project. It has far more of those types of locations in its database than any of the other sources mentioned.

WxToad