How do you find those tiny mom and pop campgrounds?

[holstein13]

Last week we visited Mount Rainier and stayed at the campground we thought was closest to the park entrance about 35-40 minutes away. As we drove there, I saw several tiny campgrounds with 4 - 8 campsites that we would have loved staying in.

I use the Allstays app regularly - they aren't listed there
I use Google maps - they aren't listed there
They aren't on my Rand McNally GPS

So where can I find these small campgrounds listed? Obviously some people know about them because I saw a few RVs camped out with full hookups. They have signs in front advertising them. Do you simply need local knowledge?

[2gypsies1]

missourijan wrote:
I haven't seen anyone else recommend this, we have used Don Wright's Free Campground books (east & west editions) for years. We have found many small city & county campgrounds in them.

We started out using his book but found that it wasn't being updated and many entries are very old. Some places were closed to camping now. When was yours last updated? Perhaps he did a new one.

[tatest]

I find them by finding them. Local tourist information centers may know about them, I tend to stop at those.

Don't expect places like that to be in directories, even the online lists have standards about facility size and what needs to be available. Other sorts of places that won't show up will be private (church, social group, tribal) campgrounds, and often the RV parks that cater to seasonal workers, particularly those doing long-term stays (unless you find a list particular to that market), and most lists tend to also exclude trailer parks that have a few RV sites.

My town has one RV park and a nearby state park that makes most of the lists or directories. Some include one or two of the COE facilities at a local lake, but there are additional campgrounds that do not get listed because they are too primitive. There are at least two RV parks that never get listed because they are also trailer parks.

[missourijan]

I haven't seen anyone else recommend this, we have used Don Wright's Free Campground books (east & west editions) for years. We have found many small city & county campgrounds in them. They also list many federal cg's. They are available on Amazon and list cg's that are less than $15. We also use www.freecampgrounds.com. Those large app's just aren't going to list the small out of the way places

[Naio]

Us out West wrote:
Actually if I owned a Rv Park, Resort, CG.... I would, or delegate someone, to make sure my business was up to date on all these search sites.

It's called 'good business'.

No need if they have plenty of business already 🙂

I don't think I have ever used satellite view to look for an rv park! I do use it for finding county, FS, etc. campgrounds, though. 'Here's a lake, so there's probably a campground. Oh, look, here it is!' Very useful.

[Us_out_West]

Actually if I owned a Rv Park, Resort, CG.... I would, or delegate someone, to make sure my business was up to date on all these search sites.

It's called 'good business'.

[Veebyes]

Sometimes simply by roaming around Google Earth you can find CGs. Trouble is, often CGs turn out to be graveyards when you zoom right in. Some will argue, same thing.

There is no one site for all of them. Allstays is pretty good. RVPRs relys on somebody actually taking the trouble to submit the information. Most can't be bothered so little gems go unreported. Not good for RVers or the CGs. As old as it is my 2011 MS Streets & Trips serves us well too.

[richardcoxid]

How about using GS Campground directory?

[mikhen]

Google maps.....instead of searching for a "city", type "campground near" your destination.

[sdianel_-acct_c]

I use www.woodalls.com you can search by distance from a particular town.

[sdianel_-acct_c]

I use www.woodalls.com or Google a search for the town.

[Us_out_West]

wecamp04 wrote:

Twomed wrote:
Try RvParky...either the free app or the website. Lots of out of the way places.

X2

RvParky has alot of good things but much more things that are way out of date so user be aware.

Couple examples:

Searched for Casa Grande, AZ where we winter. The place we use to stay at, Casa Grande RV Resort, but RvParky still lists it as Western Horizon Resorts-Desert Shadows. The CG changed owners over 4 years ago. Someone else noticed this and left a comment earlier this year but no change.

Also searched for Eloy, AZ where we now park for the winter. Similar story as they still show Desert Valley RV Resort as the Park but it also changed owners and has been The Silverado RV Resort for awhile.

Looking at RV Park Reviews and Good Sams their info is more up to date and thats who we use to gather info...not RvParky as you wonder how much more of their info has not been updated in years.

[Golfcart]

i use ultimatecampgrounds or rvparky when I want to camp off the beaten path. State parks are nice with amenities, but those little county/private parks are usually very peaceful

[dicknellen]

Idaho has a great RV Park/Campground & dump station booklet you can get on line at http://rvidaho.org/ also I have found that most states put out lodging info with RV & camping info in the back of their booklets. Dick

[wecamp04]

Twomed wrote:
Try RvParky...either the free app or the website. Lots of out of the way places.

X2