Private vs Public Campgrounds

[Landlover]

We used to go to Mill Creek, State Park, and Port of Kimberling. If you are a Coast to Coast member, Treasure Lakes is nice. We now own a lot and keep or fifth wheel at Ozarks RV Resort. It is a lil drive from town but it is worth it to us.

[HikerBob]

DW and I prefer state park, USFS and NPS campgrounds over private trailer park-like campgrounds (KOA, etc), though we found a nice one in Shoshone, CA with a hot spring fed pool and a short 10-12 mile bike ride to Tecopa and Tecopa Hot Springs County Park - Tecopa Hot Springs - Camping in Inyo County: Bishop, Lone Pine, Big Pine Independence, California. If you go, don't miss the date farm down on the Armagosa River SE of town.

[pdqparalegal1]

Originally Posted by wahoonc

Campgrounds are a crap shoot. I have seen beautiful pictures of some campgrounds that must have been taken when it was brand new a 100 years ago or the website builder found them on the internet somewhere.

The Midwest does have some great local campgrounds, not so many on the East Coast. We stay in a wide variety of both private and public. If we like it we go back, if not we don't. Sometimes you have no choice. Also will depend on the seasons. We have a couple of state park campgrounds in NC/SC that I won't go to because they are in rough shape, there are others that we go to again and again. The private ones are getting expensive, we looked at one that we have stayed at before and it was $78 a night in peak season and is packed. Not our cup of tea.

Aaron

NC/SC bad campsites; names please. We mostly go to NC/SC areas. Help us not make a mistake.

[kjpapa]

Originally Posted by gfarmcafe

We stayed at Cooper's Creek RV Resort last summer on Taneycomo Lake and had a good time, especially if you're a trout fisherman. Has a great guide who will put you on the fish! Since the river flooded last winter, you might want to call before going there. Short distance from the entertainment areas and old town Branson.

Corps of Engineer campgrounds on the lake are always good choices. Great locations with good sites and utilities. Good luck!

X2 on Cooper Creek. I believe it is the best RV choice in the Branson area. We have stayed there as long as two weeks at one time and have enjoyed every minute. Some people we have met there have been coming back for nearly 20 years. Right on Lake Taneycomo, great fishing docks and marina, rental boats, fishing guide, and an outstanding host. Also easy access to everything else in the area.

[kjpapa]

Originally Posted by cyn cyn

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Thanks for your timely comments about Branson. We would like to take our new TT on its maiden voyage. Can anyone suggest a pretty, wooded camping spot that isn't too pricey ?
Cyn

Lake Whitney State Park is wooded and has RV sites that are easy to get into. The town of Whitney, TX. is a bit off the beaten path, but has a good grocery market and a good hardware store. And is just a few miles from Hillsboro and I35. A good place to start.

[MCTroy]

We prefer the private parks. I feel much more secure in them as an owner our manager is always on site. Good luck getting anything fixed at an Ohio state park. After they get your money, you are on your own. Also, since we travel with two large dogs, private parks are usually more dog friendly. I spend a lot of time researching for space and facilities. Then I call for my reservations. If I don't like the staff's attitude on the call I don't make my reservation and look elsewhere. We have had all good sites in nice camp grounds but it takes time and making reservations early.

[DreiHunde]

Originally Posted by pdqparalegal1

NC/SC bad campsites; names please. We mostly go to NC/SC areas. Help us not make a mistake.

I'm sure there are bad ones out there, but we haven't found a "bad" NC/SC state campground yet! Some do offer more amenities and activities than others, but all are nice places.
Jordan Lake(all 3), Stone Mountain, Cedar Point, Lake Kerr (Satterwhite Point), Myrtle Beach, Huntington Beach are all nice campgrounds! Just do your research and you will be fine!

[Lefty59]

Originally Posted by cyn cyn

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Thanks for your timely comments about Branson. We would like to take our new TT on its maiden voyage. Can anyone suggest a pretty, wooded camping spot that isn't too pricey ?
Cyn

We stayed at the Indian Point Campground (INDIAN POINT, MO - Campground & Camping Details - ReserveAmerica - [NRSO]) when we visited Branson last year. It was pretty nice and certainly reasonably priced - and my Dad got 50% off with his Golden Age Pass.

[Old Bill]

ryand... DW and I were just in Branson for 3 nights two weeks ago. We stayed at Oak Grove Campground on the west side of the city, a full-hookup CG. We found it to be very clean, well maintained, and quiet. It's about 1/2 mile south of Hwy 76 on Gretna Road... which is also Hwy 165.

We spent one whole day driving around and looking at a lot of the other CGs, and found none of them to our liking; were either old and not well maintained, some were very hilly with narrow winding gravel roads to the sites, and a few were nice, but were several miles out of town.

If you want to be close to the shows and other activities, Oak Grove is perfect... and their rates are very reasonable. Google "Oak Grove Campground, Branson MO"!

[MacDaddy]

Originally Posted by pdqparalegal1

NC/SC bad campsites; names please. We mostly go to NC/SC areas. Help us not make a mistake.

paralegal I sent you a pm in regards.

We just got back from a 2k plus trip from the Midwest to the Appalachian mountain land. 2 of the best parks we stayed at were #1 a CG ran by Forsythe County in NC and #2 a National Park just outside of Asheville. Both were very clean, quiet, full service and had awesome CG hosts!

I am appalled that some of the places actually get away with calling themselves Campgrounds. We stayed at a couple of private CG's for 1 night during our haul out and back. Both were KOA's but in reality just full time trailer parks. In the future if it says KOA on it I'm not even looking at it.

[sonny bransom]

Originally Posted by ryand

Hi All-

Just returned from a trip to branson without the RV. This is a rare one for us for sure....we did miss the Camper for sure. The place we stayed was really nice but the beds were awful. My wife actually said when we woke up after the first morning that we should have camped....that how bad they were. But thats another topic.

We scoped out 4 campgrounds on the west side of town and I was disappointed to say the lease about the private CG offering. Compton Ridge (Closed and re opened last season) Now named something else was in my opinion run down and not really worth the price. Acorn Acres....Aside from the Junk yard at the entrance was alright but My wife did not approve. The Wilderness was very small, tight and cramped but prob the cleanest. Table rock state park was also a winner, however no shade in the FHU sites is a deal breaker.

In 5 years we have only stayed in one Privately owned CG and that was for an overnight stop while traveling... I think that the Midwestern State parks, COE and City/County parks have spoiled me and they are typically 1/2 the cost of most of the private offerings.

ck out Ozarks rv resort ,,,only about 30 mins from branson and it is GREAT

[BandJCarm]

COE campgrounds anytime we can. Most prevalent in the south. Rates for us old folks are about $9-$11 a night at 50% off, and the sites are wooded and huge usually. Not so many of these the further west or northeast you go, though. We have a book "COE Campgrounds of America" which is helpful. Our state parks are 25% off for seniors, but some states I've seen don't give any discounts to non-residents.

Just from observing while driving down the road, I'm disappointed in a lot of private campgrounds. Here, anyone with a pasture can put one up. I took a 38 mile drive yesterday and passed 9 separate places where you can park an RV. Most are just people's 5 acre house sites........but all have RV's in 'em!!! Can't remember the last time I saw an empty RV Park, public or private, anywhere..........