daverouthier

Great Army Corps of Engineers Campground; well maintained, and quiet. Easy access, well-spaced, level, paved, electric only sites; each w/ a picnic table and fire ring. Large two-sided dump & fill station just outside park entrance w/ plenty of room for even the largest rigs. The ACOE campgrounds are hidden gems, that are often discounted to $7.50-$15 per night when using National Park Senior or Access Passes. We paid $10/night for a great 30A electric site overlooking the Coralville Dam.

16-MAY-20: Campground currently closed due to COVID-19. Parked at the neighboring trailhead, walked through campground to get some photos. 12miles / 20minutes to Front Royal, Virginia, which has all amenities. 32 sites, level enough, most have tent pads, are large enough for medium-length RVs (sorry, didn't measure), with room to park a tow vehicle. Very clean area, each site has a fire ring and picnic table. No hookups, but fresh water available at spigots around the park. Clean bathhouse on-site. Nice brook/creek behind the campground that can get very rough and flood during sustained heavy rains; wouldn't recommend trying to swim in it. Lots of people fishing the brook downstream. Very easy access to Elizabeth Furnace Day Use Area, and numerus Easy-to-Difficult Hikes. Hike maps and trail info available at www.alltrails.com and www.hikingupward.com
Self-Registration station.
Campground Host site next to Bath House.
Site Rates are $16/night in 2019/2020, and rates go up to $20/night in 2021.
National Park passholders are entitled to 50% discount.
Fort Valley Road (VA 678) is 1-lane each direction; narrow and winding; wouldn't recommend for Class A's, and could be tough for trailers over 26'.

All FCFS sites; no reservations. Arrived midday on a Saturday at the end of July and there were still two sites available. By Sunday afternoon, most sites were empty. Campground has four loops, all are generally level sites. Lake is not meant for swimming; solid non-power boats only; no inflatables, no SUPs. Probably the best bathhouse I’ve ever seen; clean large, individual rooms; each w/ tall & short shower heads, sink w/ mirror, toilet, and a bench seat. Should be five stars, but lake quality dropped it by one star. Would definitely stay here again!

Nice small Corps of Engineers campground on the Oregon / Washington border. Sites are mostly pull-thru; majority are 30A&50A w/e, but there are a few with w/e/s. One centrally-located bathhouse with one shower stall each men & women side. One washer & one drier. Even with families w/ kids & dogs, park was very quiet. No significant noise from train tracks approx 1/2 mile away. Occasional noise from power boats on the Columbia River, but none after dark. Note: US Army Corps of Engineers campgrounds are open to the public; reserved through https:www.recreation.gov

This small USFS Campground has a water fill and dump station, and a few reservable sites with electric, otherwise it’s dry camping. Most sites are back-in, have a shaded picnic table, but with only a couple exceptions, the sites are pretty short (<30’). VERY clean flush-toilet bathrooms & hot showers. 0-1 bar Verizon & AT&T cell signals; clear satellite shots to Southern sky. The road in to the area from Wyoming Hwy 530 is paved, leading to a boat ramp and a VERY small store; come with a stocked refrig/cooler. It’s a great place to stay if first time to the Flaming Gorge Recreation Area, allowing easy access to explore the MANY dispersed camping locations along the West side of the reservoir for possible future free camping. Would have given it more stars if not for the boat storage area / junkyard near the entrance to the campground.

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Blackfoot Reservoir Campground is a gem! A little North of Soda Springs, ID, it’s a off the beaten path. On-site water spigots have standard threads, but very high pressure. There is also a dump station on site. Fill your fresh tank just after the pay station; water quality was good. Sites 1-16 have 15, 30 & 50 amp connections, have fire rings, nice covered metal picnic tables, are nearly level, and are all gravel, except for one fully paved handicap accessible site. Be Zero to 1-bar cell signal for all carriers. All sites have good solar access, and clear satellite shot to Southern sky. Power at site 2 was “clean”. We arrived at noon on a Wednesday, and even by 5pm, there were still many vacant sites. No bath houses, but multiple clean and stocked pit toilets. If you boat or fish, this CG is right on the reservoir, with a paved boat ramp and floating docks. We WOULD stay here again. $10 per night ($5 w/ NPS Senior or Access Pass), plus $5 more (no discount) for the sites w/ electric.

Military FamCamp somewhat off the beaten path. Only has 12 FHU sites, but they are level and very easy to access. Sites are conveniently across the street from the base Commissary. Good water and clean 20/30/50 amp electric. No showers nor bathrooms at campground. Being sandwiched between the commissary and base main gate, there is a lot of vehicle noise all day & night. Not a bad campground, but could easily be 4 or 5 stars by just adding a bath/shower house and a noise fence. Would stay here again if passing through the area.

Great campground a few miles East of Rapid City, SD, providing an excellent spot to base when visiting the Black Hills area. Because it is on an active US Air Force Base, campers must have appropriate identification with base access rights. Active and retired military, with ID, qualify. Though it is on an active military base, aircraft noise is very low, and practically non-existent on weekends. All sites are well maintained, clean and level, with main loop sites all being nice wide concrete pads with picnic tables and charcoal grills. Other RV sites are also level, but gravel. Tent sites are all no-shade, but also have picnic tables and charcoal grills. On-base gas station right across the street, and commissary 0.5 miles away. Be aware that due proximity to Sturgis, SD, (and the massive Sturgis motorcycle rally) this campground is difficult to get reservations last week of July to mid-August annually. Also, during the rally, there are often 300,000+ visiting motorcycles in the Black Hills. If you ride, great; if you don’t ride, recommend picking another time to come. Will DEFINITELY stay here again!

Fort Robinson State Park is an activity packed park in Northwestern Nebraska, with some interesting history. BUT, know that the price listed for camping does not include taxes & fees (~$2/day), nor cost of Park daily entry permit ($12/day). Still a good deal, but be ready when you check in. There are tons of hiking trails in the park, from “easy” up to “”hard”. There are also jeep tours, short and long horseback trail rides, stagecoach rides, chuckwagon meals, breakfast or dinner among the nearby buttes, an indoor swimming pool, and the “Trailside Museum”, each for a fee. The on-site restaurant has a small menu, but there’s definitely something for everyone, and the portions are LARGE! Campsites are well-spaced and generally level. Bathrooms & pay showers are clean and well maintained. Showers use quarters, change machine takes $1 & $5; $1.50 for 4-1/2 minutes. A little bit of road noise (trucks engine braking) from adjacent US Rte 20. Could not find an on-property guest laundry. Would stay here again.

DON’T TRUST GPS while still on pavement; turn at brown highway sign for Toadstool Geological Park.
Nicely maintained US Forestry Service Campground off of NE-2, North of Chadron, NE.
14 miles down a gravel road; condition generally good, but a few spots of severe washboarding. Go slow!
6 First-Come / First-Serve gravel sites; our 25’ trailer fit, but just barely. Parked tow vehicle in day-use parking 50’ from our level site (#1). We arrived 1:00pm on a Sunday; only 3 sites filled. All sites have their own regular & recycling trash cans, and a shaded/covered picnic table. Two pit toilets between site 6 and pit toilet. No water at campground; come prepared. $15/night ($7.50/night with NPS Senior or Access Pass). Great solar, great satellite shot to Southern sky, 1 (occasionally 2) bar Verizon 4G LTE. We stayed 2 nights; arrived in 100+ heat, setup and sat drinking water rest of afternoon. Nice dark night sky for star gazing. Morning of day 2 hiked the 0.8mi. loop trail through rock formations. The hike isn’t spectacular, but it’s relatively easy, the paper trail guide is informative, and does have 35 million year old rhinoceros tracks (cool!). WOULD stay here again if in the area.