http://www.camping-usa.com/forum/categories/campground-reviews--discussions/p13/feed.rss Fri, 24 May 13 05:45:44 -0400 Campground Reviews - Camping USA Forum en-CA http://www.camping-usa.com/forum/discussion/124/a-well-kept-secret-for-tent-campers Mon, 03 Jan 2011 12:08:12 -0500 CampingBot 124@/forum/discussions We really love this campground. There is one loop for tents and pop up campers only and that is where we stay. Site 100 has good privacy from neighbors. Bathrooms are very well kept and clean but can be pretty buggy. There are two .5 mile self guided nature trails that were a nice walk and very interesting. We have camped there during a few rainstorms and one of the unusual things about this campground is that it is on top of a limestone sink area, so no matter how much it rains and puddles, it is very quickly drained off through the many underground sinks. It is a beautiful park, the rangers are wonderful and it is very secure as they make regular rounds. There is a VERY small store at the campground that does not offer much and it is closed in the winter. But there is a small store outside the park entrance that has good firewood, and it is 6 miles from a large truck stop and 9 miles from walmart and shopping if needed. There is a nice pool during the summer and campers get half off the admission price, and good laundry facilities. All tent sites have electric and water. Even during peak summertime, the tent campground is never full. You can always show up on Friday and find a spot. While the campground is open all year, they usually close the tent loop on November 1st, unless there is good weather they will keep it open so call ahead and check if you are wanting to tent camp.]]> http://www.camping-usa.com/forum/discussion/125/nice-for-kids Mon, 03 Jan 2011 12:08:12 -0500 CampingBot 125@/forum/discussions My kids really love this campground. We have stayed in the Virginia Loop which is all non electric as we tent camp. The waterfront sites on this loop are great in the late spring for the kids to fish right off the banks. The pond at the campground is supposed to be stocked for fishing but all we seemed to catch there were turtles. Campground wide, there is very little privacy between sites however, so dont expect any. The campground can also be very noisy depending what time of year it is, and with little privacy between sites it can be an annoyance. the rangers do not seem to enforce quiet hours, as we were there memorial weekend and there were 3 campsites that were together and at 1am were still loud and disturbing the rest of the loop. While the rangers make regular rounds, they did not seem to enforce the quiet hours. The showers run out of hot water pretty quickly when the campground is full and there are not enough showers for the size of the campground so be prepared to wait or be flexible. SKUNKS ARE A PROBLEM HERE! they will come in the campsite even while people are up and around. The swimming beach is very nice, and the camp store is excellant. They also rent bikes there. There is a bike trail the circles the outside of the campground that is nice also, but it is worth the drive up to the nature center. They have a nice planetarium with nightly laser shows now on friday and sat nights during the summer. If you get to the campground early friday, there is usually a man at the main turnoff selling firewood. I would get this and not the campground firewood. It is usually pretty green and difficult to burn. We deal with the minor nuisances because this is a beautiful campground with lots for the kids to do and they love it!]]> http://www.camping-usa.com/forum/discussion/126/you-must-try-it Mon, 03 Jan 2011 12:08:12 -0500 CampingBot 126@/forum/discussions we stayed here in early june of 09. we loved the set up of sights. the shower areas needed up dated. the owner where very nice, and informative. this campground is on our top of the list to go to again. we camped on 15 ft. tt.]]> http://www.camping-usa.com/forum/discussion/127/bad-business-at-koa-pigeon-forge Mon, 03 Jan 2011 12:08:12 -0500 CampingBot 127@/forum/discussions My family recently had a very disturbing experience with Heather Kelch and her KOA campground staff. It seems that we were coerced into staying just long enough the morning after our stay so that we would have to pay for a second night. And, when patrons attempt to address their concerns with any of the employees or the owner/operator, Ms. Kelch, they are treated rudely, and even hung up on. Please do not fall victim to the Kelch's questionable business tactics. Do your family a favor and stay anywhere but the KOA in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. We stayed there in a group of young, RV owners with families who are eager to travel the country and will never again stay in a KOA campground.]]> http://www.camping-usa.com/forum/discussion/128/nice-campground-and-location. Mon, 03 Jan 2011 12:08:12 -0500 CampingBot 128@/forum/discussions This is a nice campground located in a good location to make a base camp and explore the Tahoe area. Because of this, it is very popular and reservations are a must in summertime. We went in November and were one of only two occupied sites on a Friday night, three on Saturday. The bathrooms are individual units and have hot water, easily the nicest campground bathrooms I have seen. Bears are a common visitor here, day and night. The rangers strictly enforce use of the bear resistant food lockers. If the rangers see your ice chest or food out, they will pay you a visit. The only reason I didn't go 5 stars is many of the sites are crowded together with little privacy.]]> http://www.camping-usa.com/forum/discussion/129/picacho-sra Mon, 03 Jan 2011 12:08:12 -0500 CampingBot 129@/forum/discussions Haven't been there for a few years but have been there twice. First time there the weather was very warm but not intolerable. Second time it was around 110-115 degrees during the day and upper 90s at night. Whew! Can't remember what the time of the year it was. Late fall I believe. Learned to handle the heat with a lawn chair in the water on the boat ramp. Water was cold so it was a heavenly match. The mosquitoes was horrible in the evening. Mosquito repellent is a must, even spray your clothes. When I didn't do that I got bit through my t-shirt. The trick was to be in your RV or tent at dusk or else. The road lives up to its reputation. I have a Class C motorhome 28 foot. It took about two hours for the trip from Winterhaven. The road was very rough and washboard like and the vibration was very bad unless you went very slow. Two spots in particular were very sandy and deep enough where I was afraid I might get stuck. I made it though and I hope it has been remedied. Good luck if it haven't. I didn't have a boat but I did catch a catfish off the bank. Fast current was not expected to my surprise. A great place to go and the solar shower was a great unexpected pleasure. When I camped there, cell phone reception was nil unless one climbed up some small peaks above the campground. Be careful of snakes and falling though. One recollection of one of my climbs though was of seeing a helicopter cruising slightly above the river and my being able to look down on them from where I sat up on the peak. Altogether a great camping trip.]]> http://www.camping-usa.com/forum/discussion/130/heaven Mon, 03 Jan 2011 12:08:12 -0500 CampingBot 130@/forum/discussions WE HAVE STAYED AT THIS PARK SEVERAL TIMES OVER THE THE PAST 20 YEARS.THE VIEWS ARE THE BEST WITH BEING NEXT TO THE OCEAN,AND BEING ON THE SPIT AND THE VIEWS OF THE GLACERS.]]> http://www.camping-usa.com/forum/discussion/131/our-favorite Mon, 03 Jan 2011 12:08:12 -0500 CampingBot 131@/forum/discussions THIS TOWN IS OUR FAVORITE PLACE IN ALASKA.THIS TOWN HAS IT ALL,GREAT FOOD,TRAIN SERVICE,CRUISE SHIPS,AND THE BEST FISHING IN ALASKA!WE HAVE STAYED AT THIS CAMPGROUND BECAUSE YOUR ARE NEXT TO THE OCEAN AND THERE IS SO MUCH TO DO AND SEE]]> http://www.camping-usa.com/forum/discussion/132/just-want-to-sit-back-and-relaxfish-and-swim-with-no-boaters Mon, 03 Jan 2011 12:08:12 -0500 CampingBot 132@/forum/discussions We love this campground..Hot showers and bathrooms,water,electric and satelite on campsites.Some have cable hookups.Dump Station on site.

Large lake to fish..The lake is not for boaters or swimmers...But it does have a large inground swimming pool..It also has a large playground for the kids.Has a large open field with playgroung to play volleyball,football etc..

If you look up their website,they have specials on the weekends..Some weekends for $35(entire weekend)..pancake breakfast,chilli weekends,and fireworks for July 4 wkend..only flaw is the large rock gravel on some sites.]]> http://www.camping-usa.com/forum/discussion/133/huzzah-valley-resort Mon, 03 Jan 2011 12:08:12 -0500 CampingBot 133@/forum/discussions We have camped at the Huzzah Valley Resort each year for many years. It is a beautiful area with horses in the pasture, a clean river, clean camping sites and cabins.
The partiers camp away from the family camping area. There is plenty of room for kids to play-at the playground or at the beach type area at the river. A security guard drives around the area thru the night so we always fell safe. We have never had any problems. The store has anything you will need for you camping, rafting,cooking and much more. Huzzah`s Bobs restaurant serves a breakfast buffet on Sat. and Sun. morn-scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, biscuit & gravy, cereal, fruit and juice, milk and coffee. Our family looks forward to our Huzzah Valley campouts.]]> http://www.camping-usa.com/forum/discussion/134/crowded-and-noisy-but-worth-it-for-yosemite. Mon, 03 Jan 2011 12:08:12 -0500 CampingBot 134@/forum/discussions All three of the Pines campgrounds are in the same area of the Yosemite valley floor. As you can see in the picture, there is not much privacy between campsites. And there are no sites empty more often than not. Early reservations (five months ahead)are a must for May through October.

This campground is closest to Happy Isles which is the trail head for the popular Mist trail and Half Dome hikes. It is also within walking distance of Curry Village, which has a general store, sporting equipment store, bike rentals, hot food, and showers.]]> http://www.camping-usa.com/forum/discussion/135/a-popular-campground-in-a-popular-park. Mon, 03 Jan 2011 12:08:12 -0500 CampingBot 135@/forum/discussions All three of the Pines campgrounds are in the same area of the Yosemite Valley floor. This campground is next to a large meadow and set against the Merced River. The sites on the water's edge are the most popular and need to be reserved far in advance. Curry Village, which has a general store, sporting equipment store, bike rentals, hot food, and showers, is only a short walk from here. The stables are just across the river and can lead to some smells on warm summer days.]]> http://www.camping-usa.com/forum/discussion/136/kind-of-hidden-in-the-yosemite-valley Mon, 03 Jan 2011 12:08:12 -0500 CampingBot 136@/forum/discussions All three of the Pines campgrounds are in the same area of the Yosemite Valley floor, but North Pines is across the river from the other two. The road is closed to private vehicles beyond this point, so many people don't realize this campground is here. It is set between the Merced River and Tenaya Creek with many campsites in view of the water. The sites on the water's edge are the most popular and need to be reserved far in advance. Curry Village, which has a general store, sporting equipment store, bike rentals, hot food, and showers, is only a short walk from here. The stables are at the entry to the campground and can lead to some smells on warm summer days.]]> http://www.camping-usa.com/forum/discussion/137/not-likely-to-return. Mon, 03 Jan 2011 12:08:12 -0500 CampingBot 137@/forum/discussions We used to frequent this campground on trips to the coast. Many of the camp sites were well spaced from each other with lots of trees and bushes providing good privacy. But the last few times we have been here, there have been parties to 1:00 or 2:00 AM and equipment stolen from campsites. Even though one loop is adjacent to Bodega Harbor, there is a chain link fencing blocking access to it. You need to hike to get to the beach while other nearby campgrounds are on the water. And the state has raised the fee to $35 a night, much higher than the nearby campgrounds.]]> http://www.camping-usa.com/forum/discussion/138/hickory-lane Mon, 03 Jan 2011 12:08:12 -0500 CampingBot 138@/forum/discussions I HAVE STAYED IN THIS CAMPGROUND TWICE. ALWAYS CLEAN, FRIENDLY AND EAGER TO HELP. FISHING POND IS NICE FOR THE KIDS BUT THEY DONT OPEN IT TIL 7AM AND CLOSE IT AT 7PM. FISH DONT BITE DURING THOSE HOURS.]]> http://www.camping-usa.com/forum/discussion/139/away-from-road-noise Mon, 03 Jan 2011 12:08:12 -0500 CampingBot 139@/forum/discussions Approximately 40 acres in size, the park is located well away from road noise but easily accessible off Old Highway 395. Good signage and access for large rigs. 3 man-made ponds on the property attract birds and wild life and many of the camping spots on in lovely treed spots. We have a 40 ft. motorhome so are parked on a hill with full hookups. While we don't have any trees, we do have a panoramic view of the valley. Staff is friendly and helpful. Definitely recommend.]]> http://www.camping-usa.com/forum/discussion/140/not-worth-the-effort Mon, 03 Jan 2011 12:08:12 -0500 CampingBot 140@/forum/discussions This park is listed as one of the new KOA members but that, according to one of the staff, is an "add-on". Directions in the KOA guide do not include distances and make them very hard to find. The gate house staff is volunteer and made us feel like intruders. According to other campers, they are also not particularly helpful. There's a sign on the outside of the gatehouse "Whining $5 extra." (Someone's idea of humor?) We were escorted to our campsite and told once we got there that there were problems with the sewer so we wouldn't be able to use it. Paid $50 for one night in an open gravel site without a bit of green in sight. While the facilities - several small lakes, may have something to recommend them, we were very put off by the attitude and left the next morning. We're recently retired tourism operators, there is never an excuse for failing to greet guests politely and with a smile.]]> http://www.camping-usa.com/forum/discussion/141/desert-campground Mon, 03 Jan 2011 12:08:12 -0500 CampingBot 141@/forum/discussions This is an older KOA with long term sites and overnight spots. Well away from road noise but only a few miles from grocery and WalMart. The sites are level, gravel with trees between them. Full hookup is $35 per night. Good signage and easy access for big rigs. The owners, an Asian couple, have been there for 9 years. They are friendly and helpful. We have been there twice and use it as a jumping off point to visit Bisbee, Pima Air Museum.
Nothing fancy but value for the money.]]> http://www.camping-usa.com/forum/discussion/142/silver-falls-state-park Mon, 03 Jan 2011 12:08:12 -0500 CampingBot 142@/forum/discussions The falls are so pretty and the walk is just divine!]]> http://www.camping-usa.com/forum/discussion/143/easy-get-away. Mon, 03 Jan 2011 12:08:12 -0500 CampingBot 143@/forum/discussions Even though this campground is located near populated areas, it feels more like open space when you stay here. The views of the back side of the Sierras are impressive. And there is a fair amount of wildlife in the area (the coyote serenade was quite pleasant). We were there in winter, so really appreciate that the bathrooms are heated. I think this park has recently been updated. All of the sites now have shade structures over the tables. And the tables are set on leveled areas as well. And all sites had paved parking aprons. Even the asphalt looked new. The camp site photo above represents the sites well.]]> http://www.camping-usa.com/forum/discussion/144/nice-little-campground Mon, 03 Jan 2011 12:08:12 -0500 CampingBot 144@/forum/discussions We camped here in 09 with friends. Plenty of room on the sites for each of our fifth wheels. Nice grounds and very clean rest rooms and showers. Well kept campground that I will visit again. Ruthie (the owner) was great and very helpful. The only reason it didn't rate a five is that it does not have sewer hook ups. The dump station is convenient and clean.]]> http://www.camping-usa.com/forum/discussion/145/ish-embarrasing-for-a-county-park- Mon, 03 Jan 2011 12:08:12 -0500 CampingBot 145@/forum/discussions Short pads, water available only by dragging 100' hose to your site. Terribly smelly pit toilets, house keeping inside is terrible. Shallow well water is marginal for drinking. No dump station, some sites somewhat inaccessable to larger rigs. Many tasteless nick-nacks scattered around the grounds. Excessive alcohol use on the grounds, permitted and participated in by caretakers. Swimming at own risk only. Boat ramp very poor condition. Parking for extra veh'l is at a premium.
The $15 camping fees made these problems easier to over look, with the drastic fee increase ($28-$22/nite). Needs a total rebuild. This is a very poor value. My advice is to look else where.]]> http://www.camping-usa.com/forum/discussion/146/nice-campground Mon, 03 Jan 2011 12:08:12 -0500 CampingBot 146@/forum/discussions This is a nice campground with many activities for all. The owners are polite and are making many improvements. Some of the campers that were staying here in the past are leaving because they do not feel that the new rules apply to them. That happens in campgrounds when there are new owners. The owners and staff are polite and are constantly making improvements. The pool is now heated and there is great catch and release fishing in the pond. Weekends are full of events and activities for everyone. This is a very nice and safe place to camp.]]> http://www.camping-usa.com/forum/discussion/147/cajun-campground Mon, 03 Jan 2011 12:08:12 -0500 CampingBot 147@/forum/discussions Great place to camp with kids. We are new to the RV family and only live 5 miles down the road, but the people that own it are great. The sites were very clean and we never had to worry about our daughter. It was the perfect place for us to break in our new camper, we will be going ther alot this summer. They have paddle boats that were really nice, and my daughter loved getting snowcones every day.]]> http://www.camping-usa.com/forum/discussion/148/great-serene-park Mon, 03 Jan 2011 12:08:12 -0500 CampingBot 148@/forum/discussions Ted and I stayed here for about 6 months while our home was being finished. The staff is wonderful and the park was beautiful. Jennifer and Letty are a great team in the office. They know everyone and are always helpful and smiling. The park is undergoing some remodeling including painting, street work and I hear they are redoing the restrooms as well. We made many friends in out time here and we will continue to visit the park managers. I would recommend this park to my friends and family.]]> http://www.camping-usa.com/forum/discussion/149/this-park-rules Mon, 03 Jan 2011 12:08:12 -0500 CampingBot 149@/forum/discussions THe park was close to alot of attraction Houston, Galveston and Kemah offers. The3 concrete site were very spacious we had a front and back yard. The on-site manager was very helpful. She helped us with dirctions, places to eat and even places to shop. We are telling all our friends about this park.]]> http://www.camping-usa.com/forum/discussion/150/great-place-to-stay Mon, 03 Jan 2011 12:08:12 -0500 CampingBot 150@/forum/discussions We stayed at Pismo Sands for 7 days while our children, ages 9 and 7 were on Spring Break. We found the RV park to be very clean and very neat and very visually appealing. There is also a security coded entrance to the park so there is a level a security. Each space is paved, fairly level and they all have nice patches of well-maintained grassy areas (with sprinklers,no driving or or parking in the grass in order to protect the sprinklers.) Most spaces had fire pits. We have a 45-foot motor home and towed our chevy tahoe. Pismo Sands accommodated us well. There are additional parking spaces available for $5/day. The rv spaces are not too close together, so you have breathing room! There were rules that needed to be followed - strict 5 mph speed limit. Driving through vacant RV slots is not permitted for safety reasons. Pets must be on leash at all times when walking them, you must pick up after your pet - there are Pet Stations located throughout the park that provide plastic baggies and a pit in which to dump your pet's 'deposit'. Pets cannot be tied outside of your RV to a tree or anything of that nature. They are not to be left unattended outside, in a kennel or not. We didn't have a problem with that, but would have preferred to be able to kennel our dog outside for a little while for some fresh air.

Our children found lots of other children to play with and had a ball. Most of the other campers were quite friendly. My kids swam in the pool and enjoyed it quite well. The ladies showers and restrooms were quite clean and neat. From what my husband tells me, the men's showers and restrooms were equally clean and neat. Even though we have a wonderful shower in our motor home, we all used the showers at Pismo Sands a couple times. They have a laundry room, which we didn't use, but it looked fine from what I could see. There is a small playground for the children, which my kids liked. There are rental bikes, but those are quite pricey at $12/hour. The staff was very friendly and helpful.

Pismo Sands is not on the beach, but is just about a 5 minute drive to the beach, which makes it quiet and peaceful because the traffic going to the beach is not exactly next to the campground. There are some RV slots, I believe they are numbers 109 - 114 that are very small and butt up against a somewhat busy street. We were in slot 70 and had no problems. The Amtrak passes through 2 or 3 times a day, but is not a bother.

Pismo Sands is under new management now, not sure how long but like I said earlier, the staff was great! The quiet hour times from 10 pm until 8 am were observed well by all the patrons that were there when we were. There are several people who live there. The spaces that I saw which were occupied by full-time residents were neat and not cluttered. And there were some that I didn't even realize were residents until another resident told me. We enjoyed staying there and can't wait to stay there again.

The town of Pismo Beach is adorable and fun and it's about a 5 minute drive from the campground. Fun things to do - drive on the beach (that was a real treat for us as we had never done that before. The rental ATVs were VERY expensive.) Walk on the pier, stroll downtown Pismo Beach, shop the various stores, eat at the Cracked Crab - the crab bisque is to die for!!! You can get a bucket of different kinds of crabs or shrimp and the bucket is brought out to you, and the contents are dumped directly on the table for you to eat! That was fun!! Hearst Castle is about a 75 minute drive but WELL worth the drive and the tour. If you go fishing on the Pismo pier, you can bring your fish back and clean them at the RV campground because they have a designated fish cleaning area.

There were lots of other RV campgrounds in the area. We found them to be too close to the beach, had close-together RV spaces, not enough grass and/or trees. Can't wait to go back to Pismo Sands!]]> http://www.camping-usa.com/forum/discussion/151/nice-spot-between-desert-and-forest Mon, 03 Jan 2011 12:08:12 -0500 CampingBot 151@/forum/discussions Ochoco summit is a clean and quiet campground right at the transition point from Ponderosa Pine forest and Eastern Oregon Desert. A worthwhile place to camp if you are traveling through oregon or visiting the nearby Painted Hills.]]> http://www.camping-usa.com/forum/discussion/152/home-away-from-home Mon, 03 Jan 2011 12:08:12 -0500 CampingBot 152@/forum/discussions We stumbled upon this campground in 2009 as we were on a Day trip.. Its a small campground with a BIG HEART!!! We stayed 3 times last year and can't wait for May 1St to get here so we can go back..Sherrie and her Sons are very freindly and make you feel so welcome, we almost feel like Family!!! The Bath Houses are very Clean and have plenty of Hot Water....]]> http://www.camping-usa.com/forum/discussion/154/good-if-have-a-boat Mon, 03 Jan 2011 12:08:12 -0500 CampingBot 154@/forum/discussions The beach is not very good.]]>