Jason, Kelly & Stormy

It was an easy stop off as we traveled east on US-380. There were several open spots, most not very level and about half on grass. There appeared to be a couple long-term residents, but nothing that would make us uncomfortable. We did not attach to power since this was a short overnight stop. It is just off of US-385, so a fair amount of road noise. It was fine for an overnight stop and the price is right.

We arrived at the end of the season of 2021 and had our pick of spots. Drove in and parked, then unhitched and drove back to pay. If you reserve online, you will also have to pay a processing fee of $10. We chose site 11 as it was right on the water and had it's own path to the lake. It shows as a 25' site, but we had no problem backing in with our 30' trailer with room for our truck. If you had driver-side slides, a 30' trailer wouldn't work, but definitely Airstream-friendly. We noticed most sites were conservative on length. Many have a slight to moderate grade, so be aware of that. There are some nice, short hikes in the area, clear waters for on-lake activities, and a 10 minute drive to the village of Rangeley, where great food and beverages are available. The road in is a bit rough, but it's rural Maine, so expected. Would highly recommend and plan to go back.

We’re staying for two nights mid-week, so weekends may be different. The campground is easy to get to, but take it slow in the park because there are several tight spots, some on curves, that are not wide enough to accommodate two large RVs without one going onto the dirt.

The one bathouse in the loop is clean and enough for the amount of campers currently here, but I could see things being much different if the sites were full.

The sites are mostly shaded, slightly sloped and relatively close to each other. They do a good job trying to leave some green buffer between most spots. Unlike many parks, I would not try to squeeze into a spot reported as being any smaller than the full length of your RV, including hitch/bike rack/etcetera. They were not generous with sizing.

There are some very nice hiking/biking trails throughout the park and a short distance from the campground. I highly recommend you download maps before hitting the trails as connectivity was virtually nonexistent and the trails are great to explore with numerous intersections.

Finally, the price for our spot with electric only (a few water spigots are dispersed throughout the loops) was $34, but there’s also a $6.50 transaction fee to reserve online.

It’s the perfect stop off of 15 before crossing into Canada via Sweet Grass and the price is reasonable for a site with power. Shelby has grocery, gas, and propane with a few decent restaurants and a Car Quest you can have packages sent to for pick-up and the Post Office accepts general delivery, so a great last stop in the lower 48.

The need to know info…The water spigots are scattered within the campground, grills are only on the outside (back-in) spots, and there are only a handful of picnic tables between all the sites. The restrooms are pretty clean, but very outdated and worn. The stall doors don’t latch in the men’s room and the shower stalls are what one might consider “semi-private”. The stall walls are pretty short.

If you’re passing through and need a place to stay, I’d recommend it. Just be aware of it’s quirks and keep your expectations realistic.

The drive in has numerous very tight curves on a very narrow road. Meeting other vehicles in these turns was quite unenjoyable. Once in the campground, the host came out and was very helpful, even offering us a site with a nicer view; however, that site had a greater than 90-degree entry and I wasn’t up for trying to back our trailer into that tight a spot, but it did have the nicest view.

We did a lap around the CG to get to our spot and noticed the roads, which were all one-way except the main, outer loop, did not have markings to show the correct way one should go. We also noticed many (most) spots would only be suitable for a truck camper or class B, even then, the power outlet may be on the wrong side.

The positives are that, if you can arrive safely and get a spot suitable for your rig, it is very pretty, full of trees (many pecan trees), has a little deer heard, and the facilities were very clean and looked to be brand new. We would come again if we had a smaller rig and could get one of the “good” sites. We stayed in site 23, which was right along the road with a steep drop off outside the passenger side of the camper. It was easy to get into and had the power on the correct side as well as a nice view of the lake through the trees. It would not be a great site for privacy on a busy day as it is right along the main road to the marina, so gets the most traffic.

We had reserved site 180; however, due to some trees, we got good and wedged in while trying to back into the spot. One on the driver side of the truck and one on each side of the spot made it too tight to push our camper back in since we couldn’t Jack-knife it without damaging the anti-sway/weight distribution hitch (ProPride). Fortunately, with my wife on the verge of tears, a terrific state park maintenance employee came to our rescue and helped guide me out and got us a different spot. As a note, on the day we were leaving, he mentioned they would be cutting down the trees at the entrance to site 180, which would have been a beautiful spot…if we could have gotten in.

Now for the review. The park is beautiful and everyone we met was super friendly. The loop we stayed in within Campground 1, had lots of trees/shade, nice space between sites, multiple potable water fill spigots, a laundry with two clean washers and dryers as well as a deep sink, pretty clean showers and restrooms, and multiple paths to the adjoining waterfront walking/biking trail.

The park has a large boat launch and marina, complete with snack bar and ship’s store. There are some very nice hiking/biking trails within the park that can be short (around a mile) or joined by connectors to get around 12 miles. Roads are a bit steep and curvy either way you approach the park, but was not an issue. Proximity to Branson is very good and we would absolutely return for a longer stay if we’re back in the area.

We arrived during “The Big Show” for the first time, so weren’t sure what to expect. The access is easy, but if you want some open space, you’ll need to be prepared to go further into the lands. We went three washes in and found plenty of room with ample room between “sites”. This is boondocking at its best. Quiet, no fees, close to necessities, Quartzsite is close enough, but not too close. We will definitely be back.

Access was very easy and the sites were well spaced out. Easy to dump on the way in and/or out. We had a “beach-side” site with wonderful views of Boulder Basin and a frequent visitor (coyote) that seemed pretty docile. We stayed for a week and would have stayed longer had we not had other reservations elsewhere. It had good proximity to Boulder City with everything you might need, and a short drive to Henderson, which is much larger. We took day-trips to Valley-of-Fire SP for some otherworldly hiking and Willow Beach for a paddle up the Colorado. We would definitely stay here again and look forward to a future visit.

Access was easy off 80, but road noise was minimal. The loops do have some branches that are growing into the road making it a bit tight to avoid scratches even in an a relatively low Airstream. We found a terrific spot with good views, plenty long enough for us at a bit over 32’. Water was off and there was no dump, so plan accordingly, but there were dump stations with water just outside of Cheyenne. Hiking was terrific and Laramie was close for a nice day trip. Winds can be strong through this area so time it right or be prepared for strong gusts, but worth the inconvenience. Lastly, make sure any entry points for critters are sealed up. We did get a little mouse in the camper with us. We’d definitely stay again despite our visitor and challenging winds.

Easy access along road to Red Rock Canyon SP. there are no hookups, dump-station, or cell-service, so know what you’re getting into and don’t expect what this campground doesn’t have. We spent a full week and enjoyed the quiet, except for a couple nights with neighbors that didn’t quiet down until 2am. There are incredible hiking opportunities nearby and only 30 minutes to the craziness of Las Vegas. The pit-privies were kept very clean and the hosts were very nice. The biggest downside is the unknown of the campsites. Many could easily accommodate a 30-40’ rig, but the information online wasn’t completely accurate and some sites were pretty sloped/uneven. The campground was full almost every night as it is a very popular winter destination for climbers/hikers. I wouldn’t try to go without reservations, but would definitely go again.