Spruce Creek - Estes Park, CO

SPRUCE CREEK RV PARK

RUN BY:  Private

LOCATION:  Estes Park, CO

Utilities:  Water and Electric (30-50A)

COST:  at least $50-65 

OUR RATING (1-5):  I-3

NOTES:  If you like the commercial campgrounds where you neighbor is probably no more than 20+ feet away and you're camped on a small diagonal strip of bare ground, then you'll love this place.  I'm not meaning to be mean, but this isn't our style. Our grandson was visiting and we were taking him back to Alabama after the season finished at Glacier. We wanted him to see Rocky Mt Nat'l Park but we couldn't get in any of the RMNP campgrounds.  We ended up here. It was quite pricy. I was thinking it was $50 a night but Pamela thinks it was closer to $65.  It is closer to the park entrance.

Environment: Totally open. No trees.  There is a stream on one side of the campground. The sites were grass except for the parking area. 

Amenities:  They had a camp store, showers, playground, miniature golf 

Phone Service:  Strong Verizon signal

Location:  In the city of Estes Park, CO.

Camping Population:  The camping population was very mixed.  There were some large groups but they may not have been local.  At this price I doubt that you are going to find many permanent residents. 

Sites:  Narrow strips. Flat. 

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RATING KEY: category - score

Categories:
I - established campgrounds where one might spend a vacation or several days

II - boondocking, dry camping where there are no designated sites and no amenities but

one might choose to stay for more than a night.

III - over-night areas

You must remember that we are scoring 1 thru 5 according to things which are important to us: the environment, cost, amenities, location, safety, camping population, site, phone service   

St Andrew SP - Panama City Beach, FL

ST ANDREW SP, FL

A typical campsite on the water.
More than half are not on the water.

RUN BY: State of Florida

LOCATION: Panama City Beach, FL

UTILITIES: water & electric (30-50A)

COST: $24

OUR RATING (1-5): I-4

NOTES:  Let me start by explaining that we are not hot-humid weather people. We were in Florida in December and found it unbearable. Years of summer highs in the 60s with 13% humidity make you intolerant of 70-80s with 90+% humidity. Nevertheless, St Andrew is one of our favorite Florida destinations. The campground is on the bay and even those who don't have sites on the water can still often have a good view. There is good diving or snorkeling around the jetty.  It is 50+ feet deep on the channel side.  A neat experience is to have one of the large cargo ships leave the bay while you are diving at  50 feet. A great place for a family vacation, especially if you like the beach. There lots of great beaches inside the park. 

Environment:  The entire park is wooded with what I can coastal scrub. I'm not being derogatory. It has it's only beauty but it isn't what people from mid-America or the far north think of as forest. The soil is sandy. It took us weeks to get all the sand out of Sinni and Moe. Deer and alligators abound. 

Amenities: Very nice bath-houses, dump stations, play grounds, boat ramp and marina, camp store plus all of the amenities and services of the park. Just look at the map and you know you're within a couple of miles of almost any chain store you can name plus a plethora of bars, restaurants and night spots.  

Phone Service: Verizon is good. 

Location:  The park is at the tip of the peninsula which creates St Andrew Bay. The bay divides Panama City from Panama City Beach.  Approaching from east or west you should be on US98 and turn south on Thomas Dr.  Once you cross a large bridge stay left and follow the signs.  

Camping Population:  The campground is reservations with a limited stay, so you don't have to worry about long-term residents.  People visit St Andrew from all over the country. 

Sites:  The sites are very nice. Except for a few, they are all fairly well shaded. Obviously they are flat. Is there anything in Florida that isn't? (Sorry, couldn't help that.) 

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RATING KEY: category - score

Categories: 

I - established campgrounds where one might spend a vacation or several days

II - boondocking, dry camping where there are no designated sites and no amenities but

one might choose to stay for more than a night.

III - over-night areas

You must remember that we are scoring 1 thru 5 according to things which are important to us: the environment, cost, amenities, location, safety, camping population, site, phone service   

MEYRE-BIG ISLAND SP - Hayward, MN

MEYRE-BIG ISLAND STATE PARK

RUN BY: Minnesota State Parks

LOCATION: near Hayward, MN by intersection of I35 & I90

UTILITIES: none 

COST: $20

OUR RATING (1-5): I-4

NOTES:  Pamela and I have a great division of labor.  I'm happy driving and can go for hours, if needed. Pamela is the consummate navigator. When we're thinking about stopping for the night she'll start looking for unique, out-of-the-way places and comes up with places like this.  Our rule of thumb is "avoid interstates". In this case we were forced onto I-35 for about 30 miles. Pamela noticed this small state park. It turned out to be a treasure. Kudos to the Minnesota State Park system!  We stayed on the island.  It is not hard to find, but I did include a map.  If we had not needed to keep pushing westward this would have been a great place to spend a few days, if not longer. 

Environment:  The campground was heavily forested.  It was young growth but, as you can see in the picture, the provides shade, privacy and beauty.  In the picture above you can't tell that the picture below is what we saw out our door.  

Amenities:  There are bath-houses but I didn't check to see if they are pit or flush toilets.  There was communal water nearby.  Our neighbor, who had the water in front of his place, offered to run a hose to us. The park has trails and nature areas. We did not see a camp store in the park.

Phone Service:  I don't think we had a signal here. 

Location:  This park is just a few miles from the intersection of I-90 ad I-35.  

Camping Population:  The campers we met were planning to max out the stay limit, mostly for fishing.  

Sites: The sites were quite private and relatively level.  

======================================================================

RATING KEY: category - score

Categories: I - established campgrounds where one might spend a vacation or several days

II - boondocking, dry camping where there are no designated sites and no amenities but

one might choose to stay for more than a night.

III - over-night areas

You must remember that we are scoring 1 thru 5 according to things which are important to us: the environment, cost, amenities, location, safety, camping population, site, phone service   

ILLINIWEK CG, COE - Hampton, IL

ILLINIWEK CAMPGROUND

RUN BY: Corp of Engineers

LOCATION: Hampton, IL

AMENITIES: Water and Electricity
           (30-50A)

COST: $15 (off season)

OUR RATING (1-5): I-4.5

NOTES:   This small COE campground is right on the Mississippi River across from Davenport, IA and very near I-80.  It doesn't have a lot of trees but it very green and has a panoramic view of the Mississippi River. There are no trails but there is a playground for the kids.  We only stayed here overnight when we were on our way back to Glacier, but we could see it as a nice campground for a short stay.

Environment:  The grounds are mowed grass and well kept. Not "wooded" but there are plenty of trees to make the area pleasant. No one can be very far from the river.  

Amenities:  Bathrooms.  Playground. 

Phone Service:  Verizon service was good. 

Location:  Just off I-80 on the Illinois side of the Mississippi from Davenport, IA. go south on IL State route 84 toward the village of Hampton. You must watch carefully for the gate. If you get to the village of Hampton you have gone too far.

Camping Population:  We have no true knowledge of the campground population since we and the host were about the only ones there in late April. If I were a local I'd go here frequently but I don't think you'll find people who "live" here. 

Sites:  All of them seemed relatively level, large and clean. 

======================================================================

RATING KEY: category - score

Categories: 

I - established campgrounds where one might spend a vacation or several days

II - boondocking, dry camping where there are no designated sites and no amenities but

one might choose to stay for more than a night.

III - over-night areas

You must remember that we are scoring 1 thru 5 according to things which are important to us: the environment, cost, amenities, location, safety, camping population, site, phone service   

Honeycomb, TVA - Guntersville, AL

HONEYCOMB CAMPGROUND

RUN BY:  TVA 

LOCATION: Guntersville, AL

UTILITIES: Water and Electricity (30-50A)

COST: $33

OUR RATING (1-5): I-4

NOTES:  This is an all-time favorite for us.  We have been here four times and each time we've had this same campsite.  It is right on Guntersville Lake.

Environment: The campground is heavily wooded. 

Amenities: nice bath-houses.  Playground. Camp store. Boat dock. Swimming area. 

Phone Service: Verizon available.

Location:  Just north of Guntersville, AL and about 20 miles south of Huntsville, AL. There is shopping in Guntersville. 

Camping Population: There are a lot of long-term campers but sites available for long-term are kept together. 

Sites:  The site that we always get is worth the money.  Not sure I'd want to pay $33 to be back away from the lake. The sites are nice. Not too close to neighbors. Some aren't particularly level.

=========================================================================

RATING KEY: category - score

Categories: 

I - established campgrounds where one might spend a vacation or several days

II - boondocking, dry camping where there are no designated sites and no amenities but

one might choose to stay for more than a night.

III - over-night areas

You must remember that we are scoring 1 thru 5 according to things which are important to us: the environment, cost, amenities, location, safety, camping population, site, phone service   

THEODORE ROOSEVELT NP - North Billings, ND

THEODORE ROOSEVELT NP 
 (Southern Unit)

RUN BY: National Park Service

LOCATION: North Billings, North Dakota

UTILITIES: none 

COST: $20

OUR RATING (1-5): I-4.5

NOTES: This is a lovely campground, but you must appreciate the badlands to enjoy it to the fullest.  The area is called the Badlands of North Dakota and is just south of Theodore Roosevelt's ranch.  We were sitting in front of Willy when one of the dogs started growling quietly.  Since we were only able to stay overnight we hadn't unhitched Willy from Moe.  When I got up to investigate I found a Bison trying to go between the two. He finally decided to walk around. They spent quite some time grazing just a few yards from our front door. The park is beautiful and you need to drive the 20+ mile loop. 

Environment:  The campground was in a grove of trees but they were small and few were tall enough to provide much shade. As you can see from the picture it was grassy.  

Amenities:  there were bath-houses and communal water 

Phone Service:  none

Location:  There are two units to the park. This is the southern one which is on the north side of I-94 just a few miles east of the ND-Montana state line. 

Camping Population:  NPS has stay limits. 

Sites:  The sites were large and relatively flat.  

======================================================================

RATING KEY: category - score

Categories: 

I - established campgrounds where one might spend a vacation or several days

II - boondocking, dry camping where there are no designated sites and no amenities but

one might choose to stay for more than a night.

III - over-night areas

You must remember that we are scoring 1 thru 5 according to things which are important to us: the environment, cost, amenities, location, safety, camping population, site, phone service   

Willow CG, NFS - Manila, UT

WILLOW CAMPGROUND

RUN BY: National Forest Service

LOCATION: Ashley NF, Flaming Gorge Nat'l Rec Area, UT
Rt 44 south of Manila, UT

UTILITIES: none 

COST: $18

OUR RATING (1-5): I-4.5

NOTES:  The CG is a small but it does have a camp host during the high season. We were there in October.  It is right on Sheep Creek which is just beyond the fence you can just make out behind Sinni in the picture.  The Kokane Salmon were spawning.  Beautiful setting.

Environment: There aren't a lot of trees in the campground but, as you can see in the picture, it was a beautiful setting. 

Amenities:  There were pit toilets and communal water. 

Phone Service:  None

Location:  The campground is several miles south of Manila, UT.  There is no appreciable shopping anywhere nearby.  Basic can be obtained in Manila, but we'd suggest that you go with empty black and gray water tanks, full propane and water, and everything you want. 

Camping Population:  There are a lot of fishermen and families on vacation. 

Sites:  The sites are quite large and fairly level.

======================================================================

RATING KEY: category - score

Categories: I - established campgrounds where one might spend a vacation or several days

II - boondocking, dry camping where there are no designated sites and no amenities but

one might choose to stay for more than a night.

III - over-night areas

You must remember that we are scoring 1 thru 5 according to things which are important to us: the environment, cost, amenities, location, safety, camping population, site, phone service   

Watts Bridge, IFW - Ellis, ID

WATTS BRIDGE ACCESS

RUN BY: Idaho Fish & Wildlife

LOCATION: US-93 south of Ellis, ID

Stopped for the night along the Salmon River

UTILITIES: none 

COST: free

OUR RATING (1-5): II-3

NOTES:  This beautiful spot is a fishing access to the Salmon River just south of the Lost River pass from the Bitterroot into the Salmon.  There are no identified sites.  We picked a spot where we had a good view of the mountains and the river. 

Environment:  Beautiful cottonwoods. 

Amenities:  pit toilet  (smelled) 

Phone Service:  none

Location:  About 17 miles from any shopping.  Challis, ID - population 1085 - is the closest town. The river is beautiful. 

Camping Population:  There was only one other unit when we arrived.  They appeared to be locals who were there fishing.  There is, however, a stay limit. 

Sites:  n/a

=========================================================================

RATING KEY: category - score

Categories: I - established campgrounds where one might spend a vacation or several days

II - boondocking, dry camping where there are no designated sites and no amenities but

one might choose to stay for more than a night.

III - over-night areas

You must remember that we are scoring 1 thru 5 according to things which are important to us: the environment, cost, amenities, location, safety, camping population, site, phone service   

Camp on the Kentucky - Versailles, KY

Kentucky River from our campsite

CAMP ON THE KENTUCKY

RUN BY: Private family owned

LOCATION: near Versailles, KY

UTILITIES: full hookup w/ 30 and 50A

COST: $30.00

OUR RATING (1-5): I-4

NOTES:  We have stayed here twice. The CG is right on the Kentucky River. Not a lot of shade but a beautiful valley. A bit pricey at $30/night. There are showers, laundry facilities, and a large community room where they enjoy watching Univ of Kentucky sports on TV. It is about 13 miles from Versailles and shopping. It is safe and has a few long-term residents.  They have a boat ramp. There is excellent fishing and great kayaking.

Environment:  The campground is down in a deep gorge right on the Kentucky River amidst heavy woods.  

Amenities:  A few items available at the commons with showers and laundry. 

Phone Service:  Verizon is poor.

Location:  About 13 miles from Versailles, KY.   Away from any shopping area. 

Camping Population:  There were a number of long-time residents.  Our neighbor was working a short-term job in a nearby town and decided to camp instead of find an apartment.  Other neighbors were locals who had left their units and went to the campground on weekends. 

Sites:  Not a lot of shade in any of the sites but large and right on the river. 

======================================================================

RATING KEY: category - score

Categories: I - established campgrounds where one might spend a vacation or several days

II - boondocking, dry camping where there are no designated sites and no amenities but

one might choose to stay for more than a night.

III - over-night areas

You must remember that we are scoring 1 thru 5 according to things which are important to us: the environment, cost, amenities, location, safety, camping population, site, phone service

Blue Bluff COE - Aberdeen, MS

BLUE BLUFF RECREATION AREA

RUN BY: Corp of Engineers

LOCATION: Aberdeen, MS

AMENITIES: Water and Electricity, some with sewage

COST: $22-24

OUR RATING (1-5): I-3

NOTES:   We did not stay at this campground but checked it out while staying at one about 10 miles away. 

Environment:  Somewhat open in a heavily wooded area along the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway.  The woods are those you expect to find in southern Mississippi - heavy undergrowth, some tall pines and lots of different hardwoods.  

Cost:  $24-26/night

Amenities:  Water and electricity (30-50A).  Some had sewage.  Dump station. No camp store or laundry. 

Phone Service:  Verizon was available but not consistent. 

Location:  Pamela was a bit uncomfortable because it was near a prison and not quite as well-kept as the other COE campgrounds along the waterway. 

Camping Population:  Lots of local fishermen.  

Sites:  Roomy. Easy to park. Hard surface.  

======================================================================

RATING KEY: category - score

Categories: I - established campgrounds where one might spend a vacation or several days

II - boondocking, dry camping where there are no designated sites and no amenities but

one might choose to stay for more than a night.

III - over-night areas

You must remember that we are scoring 1 thru 5 according to things which are important to us: the environment, cost, amenities, location, safety, camping population, site, phone service   

Frank Jackson SP - Opp, AL

FRANK JACKSON SP

RUN BY: State of Alabama

LOCATION: near Opp, AL

The view that greeted us in the morning

UTILITIES:  water, electric (30-50A), sewage 

COST: $35

OUR RATING (1-5): I-4.5

NOTES:  We were heading south with family and picked this Alabama State Park to stop for the night. Even in the dark we could tell that it was a class campground.  When we awakened we were greeted by a beautiful campground, with some trees. We were right on the lake. We wished that we had time to stay longer. We met some other campers who were all from Alabama and camped here routinely.  It was so clean and tidy that it looked more like a fancy campground from a movie set - rolling hills, wooded sites, immaculate bath-houses, playgrounds, etc. It is definitely on our list to visit again.   

Environment:  beautiful treed campground on a lovely lake.  

Amenities:  playground,  laundry and bath-houses 

Phone Service:  good Verizon 

Location:  Just a short distance north of Opp, AL 

Camping Population:  There were a number of locals who had left their units at the campground and use them on weekends. However, overall presentation was clean and safe. 

Sites:  Nice roomy sites not too near neighbors.  Some on the lake.   Paved

=======================================================================

RATING KEY: category - score

Categories:
I - established campgrounds where one might spend a vacation or several days

II - boondocking, dry camping where there are no designated sites and no amenities but

one might choose to stay for more than a night.

III - over-night areas

You must remember that we are scoring 1 thru 5 according to things which are important to us: the environment, cost, amenities, location, safety, camping population, site, phone service   

Ft Pickens NSS - Gulf Breeze, FL

FORT PICKENS

RUN BY: Gulf Island National Sea Shore (NPS)

LOCATION: Gulf Breeze, FL

UTILITIES: Water and Electricity (30-50A)

COST: $26  

OUR RATING (1-5): I-4

NOTES:  If you are looking for a great place to combine camping, beaches, and history, this is the place for you.  The park is on a long barrier island that has historically been a defensive position for the naval yards at Pensacola. The naval airfield is the home of the famous Blue Angels and you will likely see them practice if you are there on a Thursday morning. We had been snorkeling when they started and sat in the water watching them right over-head. The beaches are beautiful.  Ft Pickens was built around 1837 and was used through World War II.  There are historic guided tours as well as self-guided. Large gun emplacements are all along the island from WWI and II.  It is typical Florida weather, which is far from our favorite, but if you have to put up with the heat and humidity this is a lovely place to do it. You can ride bikes for miles and there is also a nice nature trail.  Kayaking and boating is good on the bay-side. Beaches are magnificent on the gulf-side.  Fishing is limited to a specific fishing dock unless you are a Florida resident. 

(I apologize for no pictures. I used a "real" camera when I was there and haven't transferred the pictures to this computer. I'll try to rectify that asap.)

Environment:  Very open. No shade. Sandy.  We were here in October and it was still hot and humid, but you are on a barrier island.  It has that rugged coastal appearance.  It also suffered a hurricane a few years ago which is why there are almost no trees in the campground. 

Amenities:  There is a camp store nearby.  There are bath-houses 

Phone Service:  Verizon was available 

Location: about 7-10 miles from Gulf Breeze, FL which is right by Pensacola. 

Camping Population:  NPS has a stay limit.  

Sites:  hard surface. Plenty of room - not too close to neighbors.  Sandy with no trees. 

=======================================================================

RATING KEY: category - score

Categories:
I - established campgrounds where one might spend a vacation or several days

II - boondocking, dry camping where there are no designated sites and no amenities but

one might choose to stay for more than a night.

III - over-night areas

You must remember that we are scoring 1 thru 5 according to things which are important to us: the environment, cost, amenities, location, safety, camping population, site, phone service   

Green River CG - Dinosaur NM, UT

GREEN RIVER CG, DINOSAUR NM, UT

RUN BY: National Park Service

LOCATION: On UT-149 via the Dinosaur Quarry park gate.

I think we found the only big cottonwood in the campground.

UTILITIES: none 

COST: $26

OUR RATING (1-5): I-4

NOTES: The park straddles the UT-CO state line. This portion of the park is accessible by way of UT-149 from Jensen, UT. You are in the high desert. There are cottonwood but no heavy forest or shade. The campground is on the Green River with a beautiful view across the river. You can not access the river from the campground.

Environment:  A large open campground with a few cottonwood trees with beautiful scenery. 

Amenities:  flush toilets and communal water source.  It does have a dump station.

Phone Service:  No phone service

Location:  Inside the Dinosaur Nat'l Monument Park a few miles beyond the Dinosaur Quarry gate accessed from Jensen, UT.  

Camping Population:  Run by Nat'l Park Svr there is a stay limit. 

Sites:  sites were hard surface and roomy.  

=====================================================================

RATING KEY: category - score

Categories:
I - established campgrounds where one might spend a vacation or several days

II - boondocking, dry camping where there are no designated sites and no amenities but

one might choose to stay for more than a night.

III - over-night areas

You must remember that we are scoring 1 thru 5 according to things which are important to us: the environment, cost, amenities, location, safety, camping population, site, phone service   

Audubon SP - Henderson, KY

AUDUBON STATE PARK

RUN BY: State of Kentucky

LOCATION: Henderson, KY

UTILITIES: Water and Electricity (30-50A)

COST: $15 (off season)

OUR RATING (1-5): I-4

NOTES: This is a great little campground for weekend get-aways or passing through.  It is just off the highway, which does produce some noise, but is very convenient if you are traveling through or visiting the northwestern Kentucky or southwestern Indiana area.  It is about 7-10 miles from downtown Evansville, IN. a city of about 150,000.  Lots of shopping within a few miles of the campground. 

Environment: Well wooded at the edge of a small Kentucky State Park. There is road noise but it didn't bother us.

Amenities: There is a dump station. There is no store and no laundry facilities but you are very near shopping, etc.

Phone Service: Excellent reception with Verizon.

Location: The campground is wedged in between highway US 41 and Audubon State Park.

Safety: Good

Camping Population: No long-term residents.

Sites: Sites are roomy. Ours was quite level.

=======================================================================

RATING KEY: category - score

Categories: I - established campgrounds where one might spend a vacation or several days

II - boondocking, dry camping where there are no designated sites and no amenities but

one might choose to stay for more than a night.

III - over-night areas

You must remember that we are scoring 1 thru 5 according to things which are important to us: the environment, cost, amenities, location, safety, camping population, site, phone service   

About AMERICAN CAMPGROUNDS

Welcome to our new blog site all about campgrounds we have discovered in the USA.  Very soon we will be posting blogs about over 30 campgrounds that we have either used or specifically checked out.   If these posts are not already up, please be watching for them.  We will post them as soon as they are ready and we will be editing as needed. Hopefully in the near future we will be adding pictures and maps. 

Nitsitapiisinni & Moe at White Oak CG - COE - Alabama
Just stopped for the night but want to return.

Pamela and I are full-timers.  We are residents of Montana and work as volunteers for the National Park Service at Glacier National Park in northwestern Montana from the first of May to the end of September.  After that we head south - everywhere, except Canada, is south of Glacier - and visit National Parks, National Forests, Corp of Engineers Rec Areas, State Parks and a host of other camping areas.

Pamela is a college biology professor, currently on disability, with a love for the outdoors. She not only has an expertise in things biologic but she's becoming quite an expert on the geology of our country. Pamela was a triathlete before severe arthritis ended her career with double-knee replacement.

Our vintage trailer, Willy at home in Glacier NP.

I'm Russell.  I'll be doing most of the writing with Pamela's oversight and approval.  I'm a retired psychotherapist who also loves the outdoors.  I used to do ultra trail runs -  runs and races of 40 miles or more on wilderness trails.  I stopped running trails when we moved to Montana because in the Rockies runners are just fast food for lions. But I also love hiking, climbing, biking, kayaking and even scuba diving in cold mountain lakes. After we started volunteering for the National Park Service I began my avocation, wildlife management.


We live in a 20 foot camper trailer with no slide-outs pulled by our Ram 1500 4x4, Mighty Moe, loaded with our toys. We started in a 16 foot, 35 year old vintage trailer named 'Willy', which we loved, but had to go bigger to get a walk-around bed that was necessary for medical reasons. Our current trailer, which we have named "Nitsitapiisinni" (Blackfeet for 'our way of life') and call "Sinni" for short, is a 2017 Springdale. We bought it in July of 2016 and have been very pleased with it. We decided that it would not only be fun but could be very helpful to other travelers if we were to share some of the very out-of-the-way places where we stop.  It just made sense that we include all campgrounds we visit and set up our campground reviews as a blog to make it easier for everyone.  We didn't hit the road this year until April because of Pamela's three surgeries but between the end of April and mid-December (2016) we have covered 8,902 miles and spent a total of $720 on campgrounds.

Watts Bridge Access, Idaho Fish & Wildlife - free camping
on the beautiful Salmon River 

One thing you will want to remember about us is that we prefer to be out in the woods, wilderness, on a beach, or anywhere except in a town or a commercial campground. There are lots of reviews of commercial campgrounds on the web if that's what you like.  We have nothing against having a concrete pad with full hookups, but we will not sacrifice the beauty of nature to have such things, nor will we pay excessive amounts of money for such conveniences.  We are probably happiest when we're simply stopped along a beautiful stream many miles from "civilization" without any amenities. It doesn't hurt that such places are either free or perhaps $5 a night.  Those of us who travel the west are aware that there are so many more beautiful places just to stop for a night than there are in the east. We have never stayed in a Walmart parking lot but we have stopped at Pilot stations where they often have a separate area for campers. We do this ONLY when we need to get from point A to point B quickly and don't have time to seek out a place like those we will be describing. We also have more free access areas and small national forest campgrounds in the west. BUT, those of you traveling the east have many more Corp of Engineer campgrounds. We have found these to be a treasure but they are almost all well away from heavily inhabited areas which is exactly what we like.

You must remember that we are going to rate these campgrounds according to things which we like or dislike.  We have tried to include enough comment and details for you to make an informed decision.

HAPPY TRAVELS!

Pamela Smith and Russell Vance