When it comes to finding a good campground, RVers have various
choices, from elegant RV parks with swimming pools, saunas,
libraries and entertainment halls, to barebones "boondocking"
sites where a level plot of dirt is about all you'll get. RV
Campsites can cost $50 night or they can be free. Generally, most
are in the $10 to $40 range.
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Here are the major types of U.S. campgrounds for Motorhome, RV,
and Travel Trailer owners:
National Parks: There are more than 300 national parks, many of
which have campgrounds. The famous ones, like those in Yellowstone
and Yosemite fill up fast in the summer season with all types of
RVs, but others - in lesser known parks - are great places to get
away from it all in a beautiful setting. Most National Park
campgrounds are primitive, meaning there are no utility hookups
for RVs. They are generally reasonably priced and often have flush
toilets, showers and evening nature programs. National Forests:
The U.S. Forest Service maintains 156 forests covering more than
190 million acres of land, 100,000 million miles of trails, 70,000
miles of streams and rivers, and about 4,500 developed campgrounds
. RVers looking for solitude enjoy these campgrounds, which are
most often in beautiful forests. They typically do not fill except
in rare cases, and then only in popular tourist areas, and they
are among the least expensive public campgrounds with a night's
stay generally running $5 to $15. Many are very basic, with only
pit toilets. But those in more popular areas may have flush toilets
, but seldom showers.
National Wildlife Refuges contain limited campgrounds, where they
do not interfere with wildlife preservation. Usually, there are
private campgrounds nearby.
Bureau of Land Management campgrounds: This federal agency
oversees 280 million acres of scenic outdoor recreation sites in
the western U.S., including Canada, with many camping sites. Until
recently, many BLM campgrounds were free, but now cost a few
dollars. BLM campgrounds are often found in the desert and scrub
lands. For star gazing, these campgrounds are very often the cats
meow. And cheap, too.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers maintains 53,000 campsites on
projects near lakes, rivers and oceans, and are reasonably priced.
State Parks: These are among the most popular camping areas in
America. Many state parks have campgrounds, which range from
primitive to more sophisticated ones with full or limited utility
hookups. Prices may range from a few dollars to $20 or more. Local
parks: There are thousands of these campgrounds, sponsored by
counties or even small towns. They range from very nice to very
crummy. Prices are usually reasonable, often by donation, and
sometimes even free.
Commercial Campgrounds: America's nearly 8,000 private campgrounds
-- perhaps better known as RV parks -- vary from the very basic to
luxury resorts with golf courses, swimming pools and other
amenities. Prices typically range from about $15 to $40 a night.
The best guides to commercial campgrounds are published by Trailer
Life and Woodalls and are available in most large bookstores.
