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norm35's avatar
norm35
Explorer
May 21, 2016

Summer RVing

We enjoy RVing with snowbirds in Arizona. However, we live in Southern California, a warm climate, and have been searching for similar types of activity oriented RV parks in cool climates where we can escape our summer heat.
  • You will find parks like that, mostly ownership or membership, in the upper part of the lower peninsula of Michigan. Spaces are sometimes open for rental when a site owner decides not to return to Michigan during the summer.

    Here too, as in the mountain West, summer is peak season and demandi is high, traffic coming from midwest industrial cities. Upper LP is summer destination for the wealthy of Detroit and Chicago, tradition going back to late 19th century when they got up there by train and boat.
  • Have you camped in the Sierra's at all? It depends on what you call escape the heat but I'm fine on the Central Coast or Grant's Grove (Kings Canyon) in the summer. Now I lived in the Central Valley at the time so I was escaping near triple digits to triple digit temps.

    Those are all accessible on long weekends for you. Great options above for longer trips.

    EDIT: sorry missed the action oriented parks
  • TexasShadow wrote:
    check out the Island Park, ID area.
    in particular, the Valley View RV park at Henry's Lake.
    It isn't fancy, but it's clean and has a GREAT view and is well located.
    There are thousands of nice parks in higher elevations. But, the OP was looking for a park with snowbird-type amenities and activities. There are no parks I Know of, (except maybe the Polson Motorcoach & RV resort in Polson, Montana) that are those type of parks in the mountain west.
  • Try driving in your state on CA395 for cool temps. Otherwise, the coast or get into other states. Like someone mentioned, you are probably not going to find a park similar to a winter snowbirding park with lots of activities and like-minded folks. Summer is for families. Fun Valley RV in South Fork, CO is definitely a family place with lots of kiddie activities.

    In summer we sometimes went to Escapees RV Club's park in Chimacum, WA on the Olympic Peninsula. Otherwise we were in national forest campgrounds or boondocking on national forest or BLM lands. It's easy to find 'cool' places. We didn't need planned activities. We did 4-wheeling or hiked.
  • check out the Island Park, ID area.
    in particular, the Valley View RV park at Henry's Lake.
    It isn't fancy, but it's clean and has a GREAT view and is well located.
  • You met the snowbirds, now you need to meet the full timers who Boondock in the higher elevations. Many of the fulltimers who camp in everything from vans to big A's go to higher elevations while trying to not travel far.
  • Summer is family vacation season. There will be very few parks that are older adult oriented and set up like the snowbird parks. There are some high end ownership parks in Michigan and in the Northwestern Coastal area that would be similar to some of the snowbird parks. Most all the other parks are going to be either overnight parks, parks in destination locations serving the two week and less guest or seasonal parks where there will be lots of family traffic.
  • norm35 wrote:
    We enjoy RVing with snowbirds in Arizona. However, we live in Southern California, a warm climate, and have been searching for similar types of activity oriented RV parks in cool climates where we can escape our summer heat.


    Look to the Mountains - Rockies - there are a number of "Summer" resorts on the West side of Yellowstone - Fun Valley in Colorado - Lake Toxaway has the old ORA resort.

    Do any of these help?

    BOL,

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