We just went to Texas on a 15 day trip from Pennsylvania.I booked a few weeks ahead but had no trouble getting sites. That was Mid march to April 2nd.We stayed exclusively at state and federal campgrounds.We have a dog too. We usually take her with but have left her in the trailer for up to 6 hours. She's a Black Lab and is well behaved. We have taken her in the canoe too. People who say they can't find sites are usually looking for sites on summer weekends or holidays.Yes, those will be booked early. We usually leave on a Sunday and come back on a Thursday or Friday which makes it easier to get a site. We also try to go in spring and fall. I can tell you even in March, most of the campgrounds were fairly full, but we had no trouble getting sites.We are not fussy about hookups. We usually like to have at least electric but have stayed at a site with no hookups on occassion. RV's are self contained so you don't need hookups if you know how to conserve. In those sites without hookups, we usually take a Honda generator to charge batteries and so my wife can use microwave or blow dryer.So don't make excuses, do it while you have the chance. I've been camping for over 50 years and love it.
