What do you look for when choosing a campground?

[mikeysotp]

Just curious what others see as a priority when going camping. For us I would say it's the following list in order of importance.

1. Location. For weekend trips we try to stay within a couple of hours. For longer trips we have been slowly expanding out with our longest trip still only 5 or 6 hours away.

2. Must have a pool or at the very least a good river or lake for swimming. Our kids love swimming so we do what we can to keep them interested in going.

3. Big private sites. We go once a year for opening day of fishing and we are at a big pavilion for 8 Rvs and it is out in the open. Feels much less like camping to me. We love wooded campsites where you look out and see nothing but woods. You will typically find us on the perimeter of the campground away from the action.

4. Freshwater fishing either on site or close by.

5. High quality ice cream nearby is very important to us.

Of course there are other things we consider but those are the big ones. I prefer full hookups but we make do if necessary. There are a few places we don't go to any more because they are loaded with seasonal sites and we find that a lot of the people aren't very friendly to weekend campers. We also avoid places like the plague if we go and find lots of noise pollution like nearby major roadways or dogs in seasonal sites that don't shut up. If there were any campgrounds around here that didn't allow dogs we would probably be all over that. I'm sure there are plenty of dog owners out there that think the same thing about kids in campgrounds too so I guess it evens out.

[325BH]

Originally Posted by mikeysotp

Of course there are other things we consider but those are the big ones. I prefer full hookups but we make do if necessary. There are a few places we don't go to any more because they are loaded with seasonal sites and we find that a lot of the people aren't very friendly to weekend campers. We also avoid places like the plague if we go and find lots of noise pollution like nearby major roadways or dogs in seasonal sites that don't shut up. If there were any campgrounds around here that didn't allow dogs we would probably be all over that. I'm sure there are plenty of dog owners out there that think the same thing about kids in campgrounds too so I guess it evens out.

I could not agree more... especially about the permanent/seasonal sites. Not only do they make the place look like a little slum, they have attitudes. The very idea seems very bizarre to me.

The private campgrounds that have permanent/seasonal sites look like low-class trailer parks.

[wcaterino]

We are also in CT. What campgrounds have you been to in state that you like?

[Jeff_and_Abby]

With respect to the OP's priorities, we might suggest taking a look at a particular county or state park system within a reasonable distance ... "Generally" speaking, they don't encourage the seasonal types, there are usually stay limits (i.e. one continous week per month max) and there are some real gems to be found. Since our boondocking land is half-way across the country, we "make do" with a county park system that is about six miles away. "Make do" translates into "any weekend that we don't feel like rolling further to a state park."
----
In response to the OP's question, we like "remoteness" which we have found, translates into places that don't have FHU's, and more and more, even places that don't have DS's ... strange, how the people become more and more civilized, as one removes the trappings of civilization. But that is just our $0.02 opinion ...

[JustB_Rad]

Originally Posted by 325BH

The private campgrounds that have permanent/seasonal sites look like low-class trailer parks.

I would totally disagree with this statement.....at least at the campgrounds we have been to in Wisconsin. Most of the seasonals that are there for the long haul have nicer sites than my yard at home!

[5picker]

Originally Posted by mikeysotp

Just curious what others see as a priority when going camping. For us I would say it's the following list in order of importance.

1. Location. For weekend trips we try to stay within a couple of hours. For longer trips we have been slowly expanding out with our longest trip still only 5 or 6 hours away.

2. Must have a pool or at the very least a good river or lake for swimming. Our kids love swimming so we do what we can to keep them interested in going.

3. Big private sites. We go once a year for opening day of fishing and we are at a big pavilion for 8 Rvs and it is out in the open. Feels much less like camping to me. We love wooded campsites where you look out and see nothing but woods. You will typically find us on the perimeter of the campground away from the action.

4. Freshwater fishing either on site or close by.

5. High quality ice cream nearby is very important to us.

Of course there are other things we consider but those are the big ones. I prefer full hookups but we make do if necessary. There are a few places we don't go to any more because they are loaded with seasonal sites and we find that a lot of the people aren't very friendly to weekend campers. We also avoid places like the plague if we go and find lots of noise pollution like nearby major roadways or dogs in seasonal sites that don't shut up. If there were any campgrounds around here that didn't allow dogs we would probably be all over that. I'm sure there are plenty of dog owners out there that think the same thing about kids in campgrounds too so I guess it evens out.

The sad part is... it's neither the dog's nor the kid's fault.

[timfromma]

Full hookups, pet friendly close to whatever activity we are in the area to do, good reviews.

[757Dave]

It depends...

If we are going to visit family, then we are looking more at location and convenience. If we are just going out for a little R&R then we tend to do the COE, State Parks, etc.



Happy travels...

[n-e-d]

Priorities would be 1. level site 2.Some privacy(could be wider site or tree/shrub screening) 3.strong but not overbearing management 4.near sights/attractions/trails we generally dont spend much time in the campground
We can do with or without hookups

[bikendan]

Big private sites are our #1 priority.

[mikeysotp]

Originally Posted by wcaterino

We are also in CT. What campgrounds have you been to in state that you like?

Can't say we have fallen in love with much here in CT. Hidden acres is probably our favorite in state. Pine Acres in Mass is really good and not too far over the border. Probably the best campgrounds we have been to so far are the two Moose Hillock campgrounds. One is in Lake George, NY and the other is in New Hampshire. Both have HUGE private sites, biggest heated pools in a campground in New England, and have lots of stuff for the kids to do. In the winter we keep ours on a site at Nickerson Family Campground in Chaplin, CT. No pool but that is moot since it is winter anyway. Tons of privacy there in the winter since the place is empty and it is right on a trophy trout river. We pay $450 from the day after Columbus day until the 3rd week of April and we can stay 10 nights during that period.

What campgrounds do you like around here?

[A32Deuce]

Originally Posted by wcaterino

We are also in CT. What campgrounds have you been to in state that you like?

Mystic KOA is very nice, other wise not too many up there. Stayed there to go to Rhode Island.

[mjones12]

Originally Posted by JustB_Rad

I would totally disagree with this statement.....at least at the campgrounds we have been to in Wisconsin. Most of the seasonals that are there for the long haul have nicer sites than my yard at home!

I have seen it at both extremes. I guess it depends on where you are and what management will tolerate.

[timfromma]

I like Kettletown state park. No hookups though.

[spock123]

We look for full hookups close to where we want to see, DW likes 50amps. We were just in a park and in comes a camper and they come out with 14 dogs. I said oh lord I'll have to get my dog whistle out but they never made much noise.

[Mr Havercamp]

We only search out State Parks or ACOE facilities and the occasional State Forest dispersed site. We prefer places with undeveloped sites as in grass or gravel as opposed to concrete or asphalt pads, with as much privacy as possible, most preferably wooded. We will look for electric only sites and tend to shy away from full hookups. We have no desire to camp at privates parks nor do we want swimming pools and the other amenities that come with those etc. If I want all those types of amenities we'll search out a condo or hotel. We have a different definition of what camping is, which is a long way away from RVing IMO. To us a KOA or other type place is not a campground.

[TheGerman]

Same here. Coming from tent camping along 4 wheel drive trails to a small travel trailer (Wolfpup 16) I still prefer to go to small remote FS and BLM campgrounds. I can conserve water and battery power to last for 4-5 days and still live in relative luxury compared to living out of a Jeep.

[Fiddler Dan]

I check out recreation.gov first. The campsites are almost always large sites on lakes or rivers. The amenities are listed on the website. You can get a pass that makes it very reasonable.

[awellis3]

DW and I have decided our trips fall into two categories: Camping or Touring. For camping, as you may have guessed, we seek out small, out-of-the-way places for their natural beauty and serenity (think ACOE, state parks). We boondock occasionally but prefer electricity if available. Water is an added bonus but not necessary. We're there to use the park and hang out in camp.
For touring we view our trailer as our hotel efficiency. We plan to be off site most of the day sightseeing so a more developed campground/RV resort is usually where we wind up. So it depends on the goal of the excursion.

[bwodom]

Even in our small camping club, we notice that every member's priorities are very different. I think it depends a lot on the purpose of your trip and your reason for camping.

If you are getting away for a weekend, then quiet and privacy are likely important and hookups may not be necessary, depending on how long you can go on your tanks. If you are going for a week or two and enjoy sightseeing, then accessibility to those locations becomes more important as does the hookups you desire.

For us, basic priorities would be: sites that are easy to access and level (doesn't matter whether paved or not if they are level and sound) with good utilities, i.e. good water pressure, dependable electric, clean bathhouses and clean well-equipped dump stations. (And a plus is finding pull-through sites). If we have only W/E sites then we definitely want clean restrooms!

Once our basic needs are met, then we could care less about the expensive extras like pools, gift shops, and golf courses, particularly if we are there for rest or sightseeing. Those type of campgrounds are more "vacation" spots and we have used them for longer family trips, mostly for the benefit of the kids.

Different strokes for different (RVing) folks!