Finding Camp grounds on the fly

[Woodbutcher]

How do you find a camp ground for an over night stay when traveling long distances. Years ago we just looked in a camp ground guide or watched for signs along the road. But there must be better ways now. This summer will be the first time in many years that I will need to stop along the way heading to a gathering. I have followed the Walmart threads, but what other tricks do you guys use.

Steve

[mikeschn]

We carry a couple directories in the car with us... A Woodalls, and a KOA.

In the afternoon when we think about where we might want to stop, we call ahead on the cell phone. They are always waiting for us. :-)

Mike...

[GuitarPhotog]

Smartphone with Google maps and GPS

Find my location, search nearby for "campground" and "rv park"

<Chas>

[Miriam C.]

You can look up campgrounds by state and write down the numbers for calling... Also look up State Conservation/Wildlife campgrounds. And let's not forget Reserve America.

[Gary and Cheri]

We always carry a KOA directory and if we feel there may be an issue we will call ahead by 2:00 PM in the afternoon. Even at that early we have found the hoped for destination is already booked. If KOAing you can make reservations at that night's KOA for the next night's if you are going someplace that may be full.

Generally a 500 mile day is our max and that is fairly leisurely to do if on the road by 9:00 AM and off by 5:00 PM. This also provides us with the option of cheap breakfast, lunch (usually peanut butter sandwich), and supper. Also like a pie stop if we can find a good one.

KOAs usually have a pool to soak in after a long days drive. Nice when hot out. They also often have a nice pancake breakfast or pulled pork supper out west.

Disadvantage - You pay alittle more but you are paying for peace of mind but most are not in an awesome forest or some other great place. It is after all a trailer park for short term stay.

Gary

[deceiver]

Our TomTom can download campsite info so when we travel we just ask for a list of campsites. It gives it to us with the distance. Choosing one gets you there. We do often use the state guides that are available from AAA to see what the amenities are like.

We did our entire 12,000 mile national parks tour like that last year. We had no trouble finding places. Usually state of federal campsites.

[Brian L]

pretty much the same as everyone else..a Woodalls directory and KOA directory. We try to pick up the state park information at the state Welcome Centers (for that we go back to the Interstate). We have used the GPS but after a couple of tries that ended up as fully seasonal sites that's a last resort now.

[07rascal]

We would rather stay at Walmart than a KOA!

We typically travel two lane roads and we look for small town city campgrounds as we pass thru. Typically $6-$8 a night is what we find, and nice little places taken care of by the town or township. We try and find NF or SF grounds, if there are any en-route also.

[Brian L]

We would rather stay at Walmart than a KOA!

.

Ends up costing as much at the Wal-mart by the time you end up shopping inside! And the showers are seriously better at KOA!

[Woodbutcher]

Thanks for the tips. I'll pick up the travel guides and keep them in the tear. I have an App for my Iphone that finds camp grounds but you need to know what town to search. That takes a lot of messing around as you need to follow a map at the same time. It is "Allstays Camp and RV App" does anyone have any other Apps that they use? I will write down all the tips you guys have. Some I would have never thought of.

[sagebrush]

Back when I motorcycle toured I would just ask the local qwikstop about a camping spot.( NEVER traveled the interstates, enough of that on 18 wheels ) Never had a problem with a place to pitch my tent. City park, county park, fairgrounds, private campground. NG armories. Met lots of GREAT people. Seemed the smaller the town the better the camping. One a SMALL town in Idaho an elderly gentleman saw us getting out the coffee pot in early AM. and invited us into his home for a real breakfast of home grown eggs ,home cured sowbelly(bacon) and fresh biscuts. BOYOBOY was his wife a GREAT cook!!! Seems he had been a motorcycle courier in WW-2 had great stories to tell. Can't get that at Wal-mart.

[Woodstramp]

Deceiver mentioned his Tomtom GPS. There is a site online called POIFactory.com where you can download Garmin POI files with this kind of thing. I've not done it, but I plan to when my TTT is road ready.

If the POI Factory POI files work like ordinary Garmin POIs then that will be kind of neat. On the road you just pull those files up and they are indicated by distance. The closest being at the top of the list.

[myoung]

Check out "Camp & RV" by Allstays. It's 4.99 on the App Store and works on both the iPhone and iPad. With the extra real estate on the iPad this app rates 5 stars!


Oops. Sorry, I see that you already have it. IMHO this is the best available. I don't find it at all difficult to use.

[Wolffarmer]

Man all this new fandango gadgetry. If you use a smart phone, camps near us. Will it return something that is not a commercial camp ground? When i was motorcycle camping use to use a Woodall's or what ever it was a little but mostly flew by the seat of the pants. Personally I like the less developed camps. If it is even a camp ground. I also like to boon dock. In recent years have slept on the Pony Express trail and the Donner party trail. Did not realize the Donner Party trail until the morning and i saw a sign. KOA's are to expensive. Last time I stayed at one I drove through the town when I left and saw there was a nice motel that would have cost less. Would have been a much sorter walk to the bath room/shower, TV, clean bed I would not have to clean.

Well, when I worked for Dell they didn't call me the team's Psychotic grumpy old fart for nothing.

Randy

[Gary and Cheri]

myoung,

What do you think of the app "Camp & RV" by Allstays. It's available on droid phones for $3.99 but is not getting very good reviews. Most negative reviews are because it does not give great information on enough BLM land or free city parks that nobody seems to know about. I don't know what people expect for very little money. What is your experience?

Gary