Teardrops n Tiny Travel Trailers

I just got this email from Woodalls... figured I'd share it with you. No affiliation btw...

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Check out these latest campgrounds, now available for online reservations at Woodalls.com

My GPS has campgrounds programmed into it's database. I haven't used it for that purpose (since I have always had a plan on where I want to stay) but if I traveled cross country, I would probably use it to find a campground if I needed to.

I camped for a month out west in a tent with three kids. I never made one reservation. We stayed in National parks, state parks and lots of private campgrounds. I never had trouble finding a site with no hook ups. KOA was great because I was alone with my kids...security at these campgrounds are pretty good and the people are always nice and helpful. It was a trip of a lifetime...just wing it, makes the adventure all the better.

Doris

Those west of the Mississippi are lucky, way more national parks than on the east side.

doris s. wrote:I camped for a month out west in a tent with three kids. I never made one reservation. We stayed in National parks, state parks and lots of private campgrounds. I never had trouble finding a site with no hook ups. KOA was great because I was alone with my kids...security at these campgrounds are pretty good and the people are always nice and helpful. It was a trip of a lifetime...just wing it, makes the adventure all the better.

Doris

this will be more my approach...like i said..i dont know when im leaving, where im going, or when ill get there...

being that i have no set destination, it will be hard to plan...my reason for the post was just to get input on the general idea of the different types of campground situations others have encountered...i just hope that i wont encounter the event of ---pulling into to a town/area late at night ready to camp, and the only place for miles to camp wont allow my camper because i "dont have a flush toilet" or because its "home-made", or because of some other rule...lol



i will most definitely be looking to take advantage of "free" places to camp each and every chance i can get...im planning to be equipped to boondock/drycamp for at least a few days at a time....at some point, im sure ill be looking to "homestead" somewhere for a few weeks or month and look for some kind of work to supplement my expenses to keep me going...(im a fabricator/welder--would think, i can find some sort of work pretty much anywhere, fairly easily)

so..as i had mentioned..ill be pretty much "living" in my camper for a while...

thanks for all the input..

Finding a spot is significantly easier when school is in session, from September to May.....

In the north, always wise to check ahead. After Columbus day, many c/g's close for the season.

Arne wrote:

In the north, always wise to check ahead. After Columbus day, many c/g's close for the season.

You're right, Arne. ...Good Point!

Arne wrote:In the north, always wise to check ahead. After Columbus day, many c/g's close for the season.

interesting point...i never thought about that..

I agree with Ageless about the state parks. Here's the link to New Mexico's. http://www.emnrd.state.nm.us/PRD/ParkTours.htm Most, but not all, have overnight camping. Most of the National Forest campgrounds here close for the winter. Enjoy your trip.
Barbara

I don,t know if it,s the same in the U.S. but along the Transcanada Hwy west of Winnipeg many of the small towns have municipal campgrounds usually located in the or beside the town park. The only drawback I ever encountered was sometimes the local kids like to party in the summertime. The wife and I stopped at one near the Sasketchewan/U.S. border a few years back [this was way off the No 1 hwy] during harvest time and we had the whole thing to ourselves for the night. It might be another option for you.

When I travel to the US camping, I always make reservations. It makes crossing the border easier. The border agents seem appreciate when you have a named destination. I don't like paying the $9.00 Reserve America fees for reserving in NY State parks, and being bound to a choice in advance, but my time is worth more than that to me to prevent a secondary inspection. That being said, I cross into the US at the Ogdensburg-Prescott entry point and the border agents on both sides are pretty friendly and it's not busy. I hope it stays that way. It's also worth it to not have to drive from campground to campground in the 1000 Islands looking for a vacancy in July & August.

I only encountered this kind of thing once, but it was not a problem.

It was an RV park in Tualatin Oregon.

What they meant by self-contained, was that they don't want dining canopies and cookstoves taken outside, like a campsite. But that's because they are an RV park, not a regular campground.

They had showers and bathrooms, and did not care if a toilet was in an RV or not.

So I parked my cargo trailer there among some RV trailers and $500,000 motor homes. That's when I was house shopping to move back up to Beaverton.

I spent Oct & some of Nov camping in California and a bit in Oregon and Washington State. I had no problem finding campsites on the go ... especially since it was off-season (for all except Joshua Tree NP). In CA, I stayed at the National Parks, National Forests, county parks and private campgrounds. In WA & OR I also stayed at their State Parks.

Unfortunately, many of the CA State Park campgrounds were closed by the time I arrived ... or, I just couldn't bring myself to pay their higher fees of $35/night when I could easily find a close-by county, National Forest or private campground for less (and with more amenities).

I wish there was a single, definitive resouce for all places to camp, both fee and free ... but, I haven't found one. While on the road, I use a combination of AAA campground books, and search for sites that come up on my GPS programs. When I'm planning a trip, I use those as well as a variety of web sites.

Enjoy your trip!