Finding a campground

[bhh]

We've gotten back into camping after a nearly 20 year hiatus (life got in the way). We had a couple of trips earlier this year and just returned from a 3 campground, 9-day trip. We had mixed luck on campground selection.

Our trip style normally is to use the camper as a rolling motel/restaurant. That is, park somewhere, head out in the morning to see the sights, return in the afternoon and have dinner, a walk, and a nice evening in the campground.

Probably the worst choice this trip was a private campground that to our surprise was nearly all temporary residents there for transient work or with RVs that would give "trailer trash" a lowered status. One bath house's roof had fell in, the other was dirty, pool water looked like pea soup. Surprisingly, we drove past another as we were leaving that was similar. Sometimes, there are reviews that indicate this, but not reliably. I'd really prefer to flock with birds of a feather and have people that are there for a few days then move on (we found one like this, serendipitously).

I have used Google Earth to scope out the area but that does not help determine this, always.

So is there a rule that there are things that you should look for? Are semi-permanent sites common for independent campgrounds? I don't blame them for doing what they need to do to make a profit, but it's not my cup of tea.

[2dogtravellin]

2+ on RVParkReviews.

Another good site/app is Allstays. You can pick what kind of park you want: private, state, county, military, etc and what ammenities are important to you, as well as the area. I have it on my computer and my wife has it on her cell. We'll use the computer to plan in advance and the cell app to find one on the road.

[tpi]

Use review sites mentioned. Commit only to the first night (if possible due to popularity of area) and move if things aren't right for you.

[Doug33]

I use RV Reviews all the time. The only issue being CGs that have very few reviews or the reviews are old. Like Olympic event judging, I tend to throw out the best and worst reviews, because some people get upset about the strangest things that have no influence on my selection.

Lately I've been trying to go to state CGs that have at least electric hookups. Typically their sites are larger than private CGs. If only staying for a few nights, I can drain the tanks at the dump station on the way out. Unfortunately my home state of NJ does not offer any utilities at their CGs, so we only go when we don't need heat or A/C.

[tomman58]

I also agree with RV Reviews. I also use Excel spreadsheet for all my camps along the way. I use Google maps to check out the area around the RV site. I also call and check as to site availability and big rig status. With a trailer 40' in length we are careful to make sure we can get in and out. I figure miles and time needed for each leg of journey. Normally traveling 10 to 15 thousand miles a year.

[pitch]

We don't very often plan ahead. There is no way to tell how many miles we will travel in a day. Several years ago it took us 5 travel days to get to St. Pete from upstate NY.
We start looking about 3:00 PM and like to be settled in no later than six.

[garmp]

I'm a big fan of US Campgroundsclicky. If you're military or 100 DAV, there's a great site militarycampgrounds.

[lbrjet]

Dick_B wrote:
I use the Good Sam Travel Directory and frequently stay in KOA's.

Same here.

[allen8106]

grampscamper wrote:
RV Park reviews

We use this to help us select RV campgrounds. This is only one option and not always 100% reliable. If you're planning a trip you have the option of posting here. You could ask what sites to see and campground recommendations for areas you plan to visit.

I do the same thing only a few steps further when I am traveling to unfamiliar territory. I built a spreadsheet where I input the campgrounds last 10 ratings and last ten camping costs as listed on RV Park Reviews. I then average the rating and average the cost across the ten numbers for each category. I then sort by rating, highest being first, and then by costs, lowest cost being first. This gives me the best rated parks at the best possible costs. I pick the top 3 or 4 and read several of the reviews on RV Park Reviews. I base my decision on these three things, Ratings, Cost and Reviews. If a see that one of my top picks has some issue that others don't like then I have to decide it that's a deal breaker for me.

I have used this for two long trips we have taken and couldn't have asked for a better outcome on the campgrounds/RV parks we stayed at.

[craz_z]

Rvparky if you use a smartphone sit at the gas station when winding down your day pick the best one call for vacancy without driving and searching all over for a place worked awesome this summer on 2500 mile journey

[dpowli]

Another vote for rvparkreviews,com and Good Sam. Haven't hit a "bad" park yet in our 4 seasons of camping...in fact they have all been great!

[ncrowley]

Another fan of www.rvparkreviews.com

[Dick_B]

I use the Good Sam Travel Directory and frequently stay in KOA's.

[sdianel_-acct_c]

Once we decide where we're stopping, I first look on www.woodalls.com and select a couple that meet my criteria. Write down the name of the town. Then I check www.rvparkreviews.com and make the final choice. So far so good. Also before we go there, I use www.googlemaps.com earth view and zoom in a look at the layout and location and access. If it doesn't look good, I go to plan B.

[Alan_Hepburn]

Like others, I rely on rvparkreviews.com and Good Sam for reviews. As a last resort I'll look for a KOA...