We hear the stories all the time about pop-up descrimination, but I wan't to know which campgrounds are the best. Nominiate your favorite pop-up camper campground. If someone already listed your favorite, then put a quote on it and tell is you second.... or third.... or 54th it.
I like many campgrounds that I have been to but last year we went to the Yogi Bear campground in Estes Park Colorado and that was a beautiful campground and very nice campsites. It is close to town and the owners are great.
we like valens conservation area near hamilton/burlington ont. very large private sites in a natural setting.
In this camping life (as a parent taking kids of my own in my own RV) I'm only into my second PUP season (tent camped now and then prior to kids). Most of my memories and CG experiences are as a youngster.
However, I really like some of the state parks in SW Ohio. Right now my favorite is Cowen Lake, though admittedly, the sample size isn't large.
I have a feeling in two weeks Brown County, IN is going to jump up to the top.
So far we like Lopez Lake, CA
It is close to home for us and it has fairly clean facilities. Peak season is hard to get into on the whim though.
Ludington State Park in Michigan.. But trying to get in there is like winning the lottery... Awesome park!
might have to break this into states or regions....
During the busy summer month's and fall month's members of this site could snap a picture or 2 and then in the dead of winter revisit this post and post a few campground pics with a comment or 2. Then for next year and beyond we would have a running itinerary of places to go and can see the campgrounds as they are and not on a campground website where a pic could be 10 or 20 years old. Just a thought.
Our two favorites are Winding River Campground between the town of Grand Lake and RMNP and Snow Mountain Ranch (YMCA of the Rockies) in Tabernash.
Both are family friendly with large camp sites.
Devils Lake State park in Baraboo Wisconsin. Beautiful sights, wonderfull lake with walking trails, bike trails, senic bluffs which reach 150-200 feet high and all for only $17.00 a night. Bad thing is that reservations are needed almost a year ahead of time. Very few spots are available the day of, that would be hit or miss.
I have to put my 2 cents in for the Ontario Provincial Park system. They are spread throughout Ontario and are usually centred in small towns that will give you a true flavour of Ontario cottage country, or small town life. Yes there are PP that are close to major centres such as Toronto.
The sites are well maintained, and some are quite spacious, and there are water and electric sites in most parks. Washrooms with showers are standard in all but the wilderness parks, as are planned activites that range from nature hikes with a naturalist, crafts for kids, etc. Swimming, lakes, and rivers is common in many parks, while several have swimming pools.
Generally, except for Holidays, the PP are relatively quiet, and sites are easy to reserve, although some of the more popular parks (Sandbanks) fill up quickly.
New York, Adirondack mountains.
Haines Falls, North & South Lake campground (NYS)
:-()
Well I HAD a favorite campground that has been gone for a long time now. (Opps my age is showing) Hermosa Meadows in Dorango CO. The land has sense been sold and partly taken over by the outlining river.
And up until last year I really loved Fun Valley in South Fork CO. It has everything you can imagine to do, close to a town and close to state parks, lots for kids to do etc. Problem had to do with the way I was treated by a security guard. We originally camped right next to one of the 8 or so fishing ponds and kept having people walk directly through our spot so we then moved to what we thought would be a quiet spot but the people directly behind us were very loud in the evening, couldn't sleep so I went and asked security to ask then to quiet down after 10pm or so and he told me outright they were NOT loud, etc. So as to plain call me a liar!
I have parents that used to spend their entire Summer there 2+ months, my sister (and her family) for a week or two, my aunt and uncle a week or two,: and us for at least 1 week every Summer! Now none of us will ever go back!
Looking for a new favorite place!
We are spending a week in Buena Vista Co and a week in Santa Fe NM this year.
:p
Persimmon Hill Campground (COE) (Enid Lake) MS
JP Coleman State Park (Pickwick Lake) MS
Piney Grove (COE) (Bay Springs Lake) MS
We love all three, and the fact that all three are 2-2.5 hours from the house. Persimmon Hill is almost always on the top 100 campgrounds list, JP Coleman is just so nice and clean, and Piney Grove has some incredible spots.
Petit Jean State Park, NW of Little Rock, AR.
Desoto SP not far from Chattanooga, TN (its in AL) runs a close 2nd.
Primitive camping along Black Creek near Hattiesburg, MS is always great. No really good campgrounds though.
Kentucky favorite is Kinkaid State Park in Falmouth. Nice size lots, friendly people, beautiful park and pool, fishing, etc.
http://parks.ky.gov/findparks/recparks/kl/ (//%22http://parks.ky.gov/findparks/recparks/kl/%22)
Ohio favorite is Stonelick State Park just north of Goshen/Milford. They also offer nice sized lots with premium sites closer to the lake, and a great country store with homemade donuts just a few miles away.
http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/parks/tabid/789/Default.aspx (//%22http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/parks/tabid/789/Default.aspx%22)
In Vermont: Lake Elmore State Park.
Quote from: 4Campers;206966Kentucky favorite is Kinkaid State Park in Falmouth. Nice size lots, friendly people, beautiful park and pool, fishing, etc.
http://parks.ky.gov/findparks/recparks/kl/
Ohio favorite is Stonelick State Park just north of Goshen/Milford. They also offer nice sized lots with premium sites closer to the lake, and a great country store with homemade donuts just a few miles away.
http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/parks/tabid/789/Default.aspx
We'll have to try Stonelick soon. I haven't been since I was a kid. Would it be a good option for having a couple young kids?
Quote from: jeezy;206993We'll have to try Stonelick soon. I haven't been since I was a kid. Would it be a good option for having a couple young kids?
YES, they have all kinds of activities for the children, popcorn & movies at night, swimming, fishing, canoes, bikes, trails, and more. The camp sites are nicely set up, most are large and fairly level, and some of the premium sites are right on the lake. All reservations are done online now for Ohio State Parks, but they do offer a nice campground map with site info so you can pick a site that suits your need.:)
Blue Ridge, Coconino National Forest in Arizona
Quote from: 4Campers;207059YES, they have all kinds of activities for the children, popcorn & movies at night, swimming, fishing, canoes, bikes, trails, and more. The camp sites are nicely set up, most are large and fairly level, and some of the premium sites are right on the lake. All reservations are done online now for Ohio State Parks, but they do offer a nice campground map with site info so you can pick a site that suits your need.:)
Thanks. We'll have to hit Stonelick this year. We're pretty luck to be in close proximity to a handful of state parks with having Hueston Woods, East Fork, Cowan Lake, Caesar Creek and Stone Lick all within an hour of Cincy. And that's just the Ohio parks. Add in the nearby KY and IN parks, and the two Hamilton County parks and the options are pretty vast. We really like the state parks and have yet to start looking into the more expensive private CGs. Granted the pickings are slim around here on those.
jeezy-
We're in Cinci too. Yes, the pick of places to camp around here is a very good selection. We like Winton only because it's close, Miami is nice if you get in the right area. We didn't like Hueston Woods, too big. Same for East Fork. Big Bone and Kinkaid Kentucy State Parks are both nice. Have yet to get to Indiana, but hear there is a nice park in Versailes?
Quote from: 4Campers;207139jeezy-
We're in Cinci too. Yes, the pick of places to camp around here is a very good selection. We like Winton only because it's close, Miami is nice if you get in the right area. We didn't like Hueston Woods, too big. Same for East Fork. Big Bone and Kinkaid Kentucy State Parks are both nice. Have yet to get to Indiana, but hear there is a nice park in Versailes?
If you go a little further into Indy, try Brown County. Sounds like you don't like them big, but trust me, it's a great park.
The reason we like East Fork is that it's big and we can generally get a decent site at a moment's notice, where you often need to know weeks in advance to get into Winton. We've kind of settled on Cowan as our favorite at this point.
Just visited our Kentucky favorite again this past weekend, Lake Kinkaid (//%22http://parks.ky.gov/findparks/recparks/kl/%22) in Falmouth. Still a nice park with lots to do, and although it was near full we never had a problem with traffic or access to the restrooms/showers.
Going to try Versailles State Park (//%22http://www.in.gov/dnr/parklake/2963.htm%22) near Lawrenceburg, Indiana in a couple of weeks.
While I've enjoyed a few State Parks in MD and VA, I've really enjoyed my Thousand Trails membership and the campgrounds I've visited thus far (Orlando twice) (Chesapeake Bay 4 times) (Virginia Landing twice), (Colonial Beach) (Lake Gaston twice) (Peace river - 2 week stay) and Forest Lake. the members are like family - friendly, outgoing and chatty. Amenities are great for all ages and a popup doesn't feel low on the totem pole when next to a big rig! I've been learning all about full-timing and am gearing up for it.