Selection of Campgrounds??

We keep a journal for each campground we stay at and return to ones we like if we are traveling thru that area again. We only make reservations at peak times but do call ahead before turning off the "main road".

Another place to look for a site if you are close to a city is a mobile home park. Many have a small amount of sites set a side just for RVs, both short term and long term. We stayed last summer 5 minutes from downtown St. Paul, MN and loved it.

sdianel wrote:
I map our route, then locate places we want to stay. I then look on www.woodalls.com and locate the actual city of a couple of campgrounds. Then I check the reviews on www.rvparkreviews.com to narrow down to one. Once we arrive, we make the decision on how long to stay. If we like it, we take advantage of their weekly rate. We have found that if we arrive from Sunday thru Thursday early in the day we can usually find a site unless it's a holiday or special event is going on in the area. If we want a popular area in their peak season, we make reservations, otherwise, we take our chances. Most Corps of Engineers park and state parks are booked solid on the weekends during the summer. We can usually find a few days open there during the week. We use Passport America and Good Sam for discounts and take advantage of weekly and monthly rates. Even some KOA's have monthly rates that are not posted on their websites.

just wondered if you go back to the same places, frequently, or always looking for other good places, parks etc.

We have, and do use rvparksreview, but have lost confidence in it because of the wide range of complaints vs praises. Woodalls, GS, does a lot of puffing, like some of these burger commercials, the picture doesn't match the real thing. We have noticed that some parks are not listed at all, not that we could find., the information here is always good, so thanks for that.
We have to start using the weekly or monthly rates more often.

If you like public parks - national parks, Corps of Engineers, etc. you might consider volunteering in them. How many folks can actually 'live' in a national parks!! Some of our best sites have been found this way.

Why not start with RV Parks Reviews, find some highly rated CG's in an area you want to visit and then call a few with specific questions if you have any.
We never pick a CG without seeing what http://www.rvparkreviews.com/ has to say.
Good luck,

I split my time between public and commercial parks. While I prefer public campgrounds for their natural ambiance and larger sites, commercial parks offer more amenities at cheaper rates when staying for a month. Some public campgrounds will allow a 30 day stay, but I've found it is rare to get more than two weeks.

Summer is a good time for me to sit and visit the grandkids. Unfortunate in one regard, as N. Florida does get hot. Fortunate in another as I'm sitting for a month at a time and not competing for weekend space at many campgrounds. I'll float between 3 parks; two private and one city park which offers FHUs and allows a monthly stay. Each has it's advantages and disadvantages while providing me with some diversity and all are within close proximity to family members.

Once school starts, my travel days are generally Mon and/or Tue. I usually don't have a problem securing a site for a week or two as a walk-up. Did I mention that I don't make reservations? The "geezer pass" provides me with 1/2 price camping in federal parks and my home State offers the same to it's seniors at age 65. Popular area are best visited during their shoulder season.

If public campgrounds are your fare, there are numerous C.O.E. parks along the Savannah River and it's big lakes from Thomson, GA to Pendleton, SC. Many are open spring, summer, and fall; a couple year 'round. You'll also find some SPs on the GA and SC sides of the river that offer reasonable camping rates and a little diversity in scenery. With the "geezer" pass, the overall costs can be mitigated by alternating between the two if desired. Also, you might look around the Wilkesboro, NC area along W. Kerr Scott Dam & Reservoir. Several COE parks are waiting for you. If you like bluegrass music, MerleFest might be of interest. Heading east along the NC/VA line near I-85 you'll find more COEs and SPs at Kerr Reservoir. Then, there are lots of City and County parks that offer their particular charm in between. US Campgrounds/info will assist you in locating many across the country.

Having driven some 800,000+ business miles over the past 30 years, I'm constantly amazed at what I've missed in between as I travel some of the same routes today. I suspect that you will slow down,
recognizing that as part of the journey, there's a lot to take in and experience along the way. Your destination will always be there when you arrive. Travel safe.

We also go for the small out of the way parks. There are usually trees, grass and larger sites. We have also found several city or county parks that were very nice and inexpensive. The city parks usually limit the stay to 2-3 days, a few a week or two. When we leave MI, we have one in southern MI, one in Indiana, 2 in Illinois that are all nice and less than $15 per night. Most city parks have at least 30 amp and some with water or at dump where you can fill with potable water.

We just came back from vacation and one state park we stayed at was the Kickapoo SP on the Indiana/Illinois border. You had electricity with shared water and I think it had a dump site. There were a lot of trees and it was on a lake or river. There were 2 families doing the work kamping. He said that is how they take vacations with their kids. There were several places within 2 hours or more in Indiana and Illinois depending on your interests.

In Pontiac, IL there was a 4H and Gun club campground that was $12 a nite. It was out in the country and quiet. They have barns and stalls for people to bring their animals for 4H events. Because it was during the week and there were no festivals, carnivals, etc. it was easy to pick your own spot and decide how close or far away from your neighbor you want to be. Downtown Pontiac has museums - old Pontiac dealership, History of Route 66, Military museum (upstairs)- all are free, but of course will accept donations. In the alley behind the Route 66 museum that have John Waldrip Land Yacht that was made from a 1966 School bus that you can tour. Everyone was friendly.

There was a nice, former KOA campground in Elkhart, IN. Some spaces were shaded, some not. You had space between sites. It is a good central location to visit smaller cities, South Bend, Goshin, etc. for different museums, antique stores or Amish museums or farms where you can purchase different things. There is also the RV Hall of Fame. If you are going to stay in that area for awhile, go about 1 hour east to Auburn, IN for 9 different museums for cars, military, etc. It is also not far to the Michigan State Line.

Other places we stayed at were crowded or were military - so we could stretch our money on the trip since we are not full timers.

I had the same wish list when I started out full-timing. Doesn't exist.

What works for me is when I get tired I find a CG. If the CG turns out to be real nice I ask if they have a monthly rate. And that's where I will sit a spell.

I broke down needing repairs in the 'middle of no where' in Georgia. I found the nearest CG on the map just to get off the road before night fall and when I pulled in it was incredible! Tucked into the woods, big sites, lakes and walking paths and....$250 a month electric included.

I ended up staying there for 2 months!

So that's I how I do it now. No planning, I just stop for the night at some no name small off the road CG and that is how I am finding all the hidden treasures and the 'nicest' people to camp next to.

I map our route, then locate places we want to stay. I then look on www.woodalls.com and locate the actual city of a couple of campgrounds. Then I check the reviews on www.rvparkreviews.com to narrow down to one. Once we arrive, we make the decision on how long to stay. If we like it, we take advantage of their weekly rate. We have found that if we arrive from Sunday thru Thursday early in the day we can usually find a site unless it's a holiday or special event is going on in the area. If we want a popular area in their peak season, we make reservations, otherwise, we take our chances. Most Corps of Engineers park and state parks are booked solid on the weekends during the summer. We can usually find a few days open there during the week. We use Passport America and Good Sam for discounts and take advantage of weekly and monthly rates. Even some KOA's have monthly rates that are not posted on their websites.