BEST & WORST: Campgrounds, Stealth parking spots, Roadside must-sees, etc...

[Daydreamin520]

Hope folks will share their BEST and WORST here, either from your travels or what you could recommend to see or avoid in your home towns, especially if it is not the typical "tourist trap."  Thanks.

 

CALIFORNIA - Sacramento CA area - Bear River Campground off the 80, in Colfax, on the way to Reno.  BEST.  Have not been there in decades but a sweet spot to camp right along the river.  If they will allow the van on the road to the lower campground, that is the one you want.  Rafting, tubing, gold mining....  I want to go back, so if anyone HAS been there recently, please give an update.  (why can I not PASTE a link into the message?) Look up www.placer.ca.gov/departments/facility/parks/parks-content/parks/bear-river-park-campground  ... or some such thing.

 

MAINE - Old Orchard Beach, south of Portland.  BEST.  A shabby chic tourist community that will make you LOVE Maine.  Six miles of sandy beach, a world famous pier, amusement rides, fireworks at night during the summer.  Filled with folks from Boston, New York, French Canadians ... but the locals are there, too.  I like to go last week of summer/first week after Labor Day... so you get to see the crowds and then the "ghost town", when all the locals let their dogs reclaim "their beach."  ("We got ah beach back, a-yah!")  Must haves:  Pier French Fries with salt and vinegar.

Edited January 25, 2015 by Daydreamin520

[radin2son]

We had to think awhile; not that easy a question.

 

We define a good NV campground as one with fairly level sites, available water (power and shower always appreciated), access to trails or beaches and dog friendly (for now, just don't tell our dogs).

 

Kirk Creek (USFS) Hwy 1, Big Sur. Found this in the late 60's and went there often through the mid 90's. On bluff with beautiful sunsets and 2 ways to get to the beach. Also trails across the road (new and harvested old growth redwoods. Banana slugs.) No sites at Kirk Creek, just drive up Nacmiento road and camp on the mountain ridge or go all the way to San Antonio de Padua mission on the National Guard base. Planned to go there again in December 2012. Now there is a reservation system, no water and a camphost who will sell you water. No flowers for your hair. Winter storms there and here kept us in the desert.

 

Others in no particular order: Humbug Mountain, OR, Sisters municipal campground, OR, Beverly State Beach, OR, Hoh rainforest/Olympic National Park, WA, Dosewallips State Park, WA, Kodachrome Basin State Park, UT, Canyonlands/Neddles National Park, UT, Big Bend National Park, TX, St. Joseph Peninsula State Park, FL, Ten Mile Island, BC, Liard Hot Springs, BC, and the list goes on and on...

 

KOAs can fall into this as well when you need a shower, laundry or you run into school breaks. The one in Milton, FL was more like a park, plus they gave us a free breakfast. Some individually owned parks are very good as well. One we really liked was Caribou RV south of Whitehorse, YT.

 

Worst: Most campgrounds along the California coast, the worst being parking lots. Generally, they are overused and worn out. Any campground anywhere you are next to big rigs that must run generators and their hvac. Nothing like hearing a furnace cycle on and off through the night.

 

National Parks can fall into this category as they often are the worst placed and most poorly run. The campgrounds are dog friendly but the trails are not. Our problem, not necessarily yours.

 

No specific worst campground because you always have your NV tent or whatever. Much, much better than a bad motel.

[radin2son]

Weather also influences what we think of campgrounds.

 

Arches National Park has a beautiful campground close to several trail heads. In mid- November, 2012, we got several hikes in before an early winter storm hit. High winds, snow and a temperature in the mid-teens. We had to pull down the top and all our water froze, except for 2 bottles in a ratty old LL Bean ice bag. We had enough to make coffee and waited for the sun to warm things up. Will we go back? Probably not, due to no dogs on the trails and having to drive to/park at most trail heads. Should you go there, absolutely!

 

The cold didn't deter us from staying in the area, so we went to Canyonlands/Sky Island. When I asked the ranger if there were any sites available, she told us we would be the only ones. The sun was out, but it was cold. Icicles were hanging under each of the pine logs of the ramada (shade for summer). Beautiful! Too cold to hike, so we may return. (Just before you enter the NP, you pass Dead Horse Point state park. 4x4 roads here, actually all round Moab.) Bring lots of water!

 

Some campgrounds are better due to the weather. The sun was shining and it was warm when we arrived at Liard Hot Springs, BC on their first long weekend (Queen Victoria Day). We were told to stay where ever we could find a place because all of Canada would be camping. Mostly right. This was our one and only (for me) hot springs experience. I got out of the water too fast and did a face plant on the newly remodeled decking.

 

The next day, not heeding the advice, we continued our journey to AK. At a RCMP safety check point, I had to explain what happened to my face. Cesspool was his description of hot springs, but he liked our NV. We had trouble finding a camp site. Even closed campgrounds were full. We found one at Destruction Bay, YT. Mile Post described the campground as popular for swimming and sun bathing. The entrance sign said boil your water for 10 minutes and no tent camping due to Bears. The lake was frozen solid and there was blowing snow. It was beautiful; we had a site. Only 2 other campers there and we picked a sheltered site away from the lake. We used our water. Later, a large grizzily bear walked by, just 2 sites away. We just watched, and he didn't bother to look our way. (In Fairbanks, AK the university museum has a stuffed grizzly 8' + tall. This means he would be looking me in the eye while looking out the pop top window.)

 

The weather got worse and RCMP shut down the road before we could reach AK. Ended up in the RV parking lot of a gas station, convenience store and laundrymat. The only thing missing, a restaurant and bar, which you will find at many. Was this a great campsite? Yes, we had power and water until both were lost due to the cold. No problem, we took showers earlier and had fixed dinner. We were however cold...

Edited January 28, 2015 by radin2son

[Daydreamin520]

Lol... you won't win me over with ice and cold stories, no matter how beautiful the scenery.  I saw enough of that stuff my first 18 years of life, in Maine. 

 

I knew I would actually be making "lifestyle" changes when I bot this High Roof... no more full access to drive-thru's, no more car picnics on the top level of parking garages (a fave to-do with my grandson).  Now, rather than loving the look of a tree canopied street, I am zigzagin' to avoid roof scrapes.

 

My goal is to do at least one weekend jaunt a month until summer and then head out for a longer trip.  One crazy tho't is to plan one trip around Drive-In Movie theaters (I SO miss the DeAnza here in Tucson).  I guess that could even be a long weekend run, do a 3 or 4 nighter, with the grandson in tow, maybe.

 

(P.S. - I am also fortunate to have a military ID, so when I do plan trips I chart any and all military bases along the way.  In a pinch, I can drive on base, use the showers at the gym, and take a nap in the vehicle feeling pretty dang safe.)

Edited January 27, 2015 by Daydreamin520

[radin2son]

We set a goal of monthly use or 12000 miles a year to justify our NV. We tend to travel in spring and fall, which often means snow. This past June, we travelled to Wyoming and the Dakotas. Snow in Wyoming and tornados, heavy rain and flooding in the Dakotas. Scary stuff for us.

 

We have an external shower and hot water (works off engine heat), so we use this when there is sufficient water and the camphhost is off duty. Actually, this is considered dumping gray water in some places, so we have to watch for rangers.

 

My family has roots in Machias, via the Maritimes snd Scotland. They have a clan reunion every summer. We may end up there and Canada this summer.

 

One other important campground feature is the presence of at least a pit toilet. We no longer want to dig holes, but still carry a shovel. We also like trash pickup. Many WA state parks have gone to pack it out your self as a money saver.