Matt

Our first trip of 2023 was to Country Acres Campground in Gordonville, PA. And what a great campground to start our season! This is a great spot for visiting Pennsylvania Amish of Lancaster County and about a one-hour drive to Hersheypark.

Our site (# 837) was a good size for our motor home + toad. It was level and covered in gravel, like all sites and roadways within the campground. Our site had full hookups, decent wi-fi, cable TV, a picnic table, fire ring, and nicely kept grassy area between sites.

Becci was super nice at check-in and check-out. They offer a 2:00 pm check-out which we enjoyed. And there are free tickets available for the Amish Farmland Bus Tour. There’s a small, basic tree at the front office. The pool wasn’t yet opened for our stay. They offered a 10% Good Sam discount (which is nice).

Bottom line: We had a great time at Country Acres Campground and can’t wait to go back!

THINGS I LIKED:
Clean and well-maintained property
Quiet campground with friendly neighbors
All of the RVs appeared well-maintained with no seasonal sites
Easy access from Route 30

We met up with the Jersey Gems (FMCA chapter) and attended our first-ever RV rally. This is a great spot for visiting Pennsylvania Amish of Lancaster County and about a one-hour drive to Hersheypark.

We stayed in site #106 which was level, covered in clean gravel, had a paver patio with table and chairs, and a nice fire ring with more chairs. The site was spacious and nicely shaded with tall trees. Full hook-ups with 50-amp service all worked fine.

This is a 5-star campground EXCEPT that there was no wi-fi or cable. It’s 2023 and internet connectivity is important. Also, we had rain one evening and it would have been nice to watch tv or stream a movie.

Bottom line: We enjoyed our time at Lancaster / New Holland KOA and can’t wait to go back!

THINGS I LIKED:
Clean and well-maintained property
Quiet campground with friendly neighbors
All of the RVs appeared well-maintained with no seasonal sites

THINGS I DISLIKED:
No wi-fi service (at least in our area of the campground)
No cable (at least at our site)

We stayed at Association Island on Lake Ontario in Henderson, NY, for a three-night excursion to celebrate my daughter’s end-of-9th-grade and start-of-summer. We’re so glad we did!

When I made the reservation, this campground was a KOA, but has since changed owners and dissociated. They’re owned by Sun Outdoors who was willing to honor the reservation, site request, and discounted pricing. (Thank you, Sun Outdoors!)

The approach by way of a single lane bridge to the island is beautiful. Once on the island, it’s obvious that this is a great place for retreat. Surrounded by Lake Ontario, it’s a secluded and idyllic setting for a RV campground.

Our site (#G07) was on the sunset-side of the island and the last of the row beside a walking trail. It was wooded, roomy, and has full hookups, a fire ring, and picnic table. I could probably have fit another RV in the site and still had space to stretch.

The sites all seem to be well maintained, the campground has paved roadways, a marina for small boats, swimming pool, and ice cream shop. We didn’t explore off the island and didn’t use the bath or shower facilities.

Each of our interactions with staff was warm and friendly. We especially appreciate this when staying anywhere.

We met a bunch of people who’ve visited the park for several consecutive years - all of whom told us there have been many upgrades and improvements since the ownership change.

Except for the 9-hour drive through three states, we can’t wait to return. We paid a KOA-discounted rate of $88 per night plus a $25 site lock fee. We stayed in our 37’ Class-A motorhome.

We stayed at Baker’s Acres Campground in Little Egg Harbor, New Jersey, for a weekend in mid-August. So did the rains of Hurricane Henri!

Our site (#Zoo-1) was a level back-in with 50-amp electric, water, sewer, and cable. It was easy to pull in and accommodates larger rigs. The hook-ups were all well-maintained and worked fine. We had plenty of room to fit our car too. The site included a picnic table and fire ring. My favorite thing about this campground is that most of the sites have plenty of trees and shrubs for semi-privacy, shade, and a rustic feel.

This campground has been family run for over 50-years and has an interesting history that’s worth reading more about. Our site is located across from the pickle ball court which used to be a petting zoo (now the site # should make sense, right?). We came because we wanted to experience one of New Jersey’s oldest campgrounds. We liked the interesting vignettes they created around the campground as well as the goldfish pond near the office and store.

Baker’s Acres is well-maintained. The amenities include a swimming pool, lots of sports courts/fields, and a bunch of family-friendly scheduled activities. There is a camp store with all the usual items as well as bath and laundry facilities. The wifi service was ok, but costs $1 per day per device. Our Verizon cell service worked fine.

The front office staff were all friendly and we love that, especially when checking in at a new campground.

Drive time to Tuckerton Seaport is about 10-minutes and Long Beach Island is about 35-minutes depending on traffic. There are plenty of stores within a 5-mile drive if you should need anything including Walmart, super markets, convenience stores, and several restaurants.

Our only minor negative was that our site was sandy dirt which created a bit of a mess, especially after the rain. It is the Jersey shore, after all. This would have been 5 stars if the site had gravel, grass, or was finished with concrete. It’s a pet peeve, but I hate having to constantly clean up to keep the sand out of our RV.

This is a great old-fashioned campground close to LBI. We’ll can’t wait to go back!

We stayed at Holly Shores for just a one-night getaway over Mother’s Day weekend.

The park was easy to find and located just a few minutes’ drive from Wildwood beaches and a few extra minutes to Cape May beaches and attractions. The entry gate was tight with no room to park while registering. I ended up down the wrong way on a one-way road because there was no signage.

The front office staff was unable to provide any direction to our site. He gave me a black and white map and wished me good luck. We made it through the curvy roads to our site, but were disappointed at how tight a fit it would be for our 36’ motorhome. After some strategizing, I backed in on a diagonal or there’d be no way to open our slides. This was ok, but it meant forfeiting the use of about half of the concrete pad.

Our site (#H58) was cramped, but nicely wooded, as all the campground seemed to be. This was nice. Even though our stay wasn’t during hot weather, I can see how the shady park would be enjoyable during the peak summer months. The entire site was level and covered in stone, concrete, and a little grass. The water, electric, and sewer hookups worked fine. They offer cable TV, but we didn’t use it.

There’s a nice nature trail that starts at the back corner of the park and we even enjoyed wandering all around the park’s windy, tree-lined roads.

There was a small store at the front office for emergency items, but there’s plenty of retail stores and restaurants within 1-2 miles in case you need anything.

We were disappointed by the cramped site assignment because I’d indicated the size of our RV when making the reservation. There were a handful of empty sites that could have more easily accommodated our rig.

Other than the tight fit (which knocked off a star in my rating), this was a nice campground with a nice looking pool area and plenty of nearby places to visit in the southern tip of NJ. We’d certainly stay here again.

This was our shakedown cruise for our new RV. We stayed just for one night because the location suited our needs. Based on this particular trip, we weren’t looking for resort-type amenities.

The front office staff were friendly and inviting. That’s a great start!

The park and facilities seemed generally clean and in good order. I picked up a few items at the store which seemed stocked and clean. The park is on the small side, but made for a nice place to wander. It seemed nearly every site was occupied and there was a party going on in the pavilion, but it was still nice and quiet.

Our stone pull thru site was in a good spot, level, and came with a well-equipped and clean dog pen — perfect for our four-legged camper. The 50-amp electric hookup was good, the sewer hookup had two access points making it easy to connect.

The water worked, but included a leak which made our site really muddy and mushy. The poor drainage was the only negative of the stay as it meant having to do gymnastics each time we exited/re-entered our RV to put on/remove shoes. The campground staff person who escorted us to our site let us know the problem was discovered earlier in the morning and it seems nobody had a chance to repair it before our arrival. This would’ve been 5-stars if not for the drainage problem.

The wifi worked elsewhere in the park, but not at our site. We were in the mood to disconnect anyway.

I had no difficulty navigating our 36-foot motor home from the highway to the campground or within the park.

If we have reason to be in the area again, we’d return.

We had a great stay at Gettysburg / Battlefield KOA Holiday in Gettysburg, PA.

We stayed in a level pull-thru site (#14) with deluxe picnic table, swinging Adirondack glider, and fire pit . The site was big enough for our motor home and Jeep. Full hook-ups with 50-amp service. Lots of mature shade trees made the site more comfortable given the July heat. The paver patio with seating and natural landscaping with well-placed boulders made it quite comfortable.

Wow, what a great place to stay when visiting the town of Gettysburg and nearby battlefields. From the escort to our site and friendly interactions with the staff, we immediately felt at home. The site was covered with clean gravel (which I like to keep sand and dirt outside), the camp store was well-stocked, the pool was inviting, the utilities all worked great, daily trash collection was convenient, immaculate landscaping, and a 2:00 PM check-out make this place a gem when visiting the Gettysburg area. Just 15-minutes to historic sites, restaurants, and breweries. Everything seemed clean and well-maintained.

Bottom Line: This is a great campground in a great location and we can’t wait to go back!

THINGS I ESPECIALLY LIKED:
1. Beautifully landscaped site
2. Well maintained and clean campground
3. Close to town of Gettysburg and battlefields

We had a great stay at Gettysburg / Battlefield KOA Holiday in Gettysburg, PA.

We stayed in a level pull-thru site (#14) with deluxe picnic table, swinging Adirondack glider, and fire pit . The site was big enough for our motor home and Jeep. Full hook-ups with 50-amp service. Lots of mature shade trees made the site more comfortable given the July heat. The paver patio with seating and natural landscaping with well-placed boulders made it quite comfortable.

Wow, what a great place to stay when visiting the town of Gettysburg and nearby battlefields. From the escort to our site and friendly interactions with the staff, we immediately felt at home. The site was covered with clean gravel (which I like to keep sand and dirt outside), the camp store was well-stocked, the pool was inviting, the utilities all worked great, daily trash collection was convenient, immaculate landscaping, and a 2:00 PM check-out make this place a gem when visiting the Gettysburg area. Just 15-minutes to historic sites, restaurants, and breweries. Everything seemed clean and well-maintained.

Bottom Line: This is a great campground in a great location and we can’t wait to go back!

THINGS I ESPECIALLY LIKED:
1. Beautifully landscaped site
2. Well maintained and clean campground
3. Close to town of Gettysburg and battlefields

We stayed at Sparrow Pond Family Campground for a special long-weekend to view the Total Solar Eclipse. Their normal season doesn’t open until later in April, but they opened for 5-days for people like us who wanted a good spot for the eclipse. Since the normal season hadn’t yet opened, not all amenities/facilities were open but they put on a lot of activities to make the stay fun.

THINGS I LIKED:
Easy access to Lake Erie and Presque Isle State Park
Clean and well-maintained property with lots of activities
All of the RVs appeared well-maintained without trashy-looking seasonal sites
Nice campground with friendly camping neighbors
Friendly and responsive staff interactions

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE SO MUCH:
The site was nice and in a great location with a view of the pond, but wasn’t level

WOULD WE COME BACK?
Absolutely, this is a nice place with plenty of things to see and do in the area

HOW I CAME UP WITH MY STAR RATING:
★★★★★ everything was perfect with no room for improvement
★★★★ this is a great place with one or more minor flaws
★★★ average in all ways — not great, not horrible
★★ major issues or poorly maintained, we wouldn’t likely come back
★ a terrible place in my opinion and I’d never return

We stayed at Shady Pines MH & RV Resort for a one-night getaway just for the camping experience.

The park was easy to find and located just under 3-miles from the Garden State Parkway.

The front office staff person was polite and prepared for our arrival.

I reserved this site using Campspot. The rate was $65 plus $23 in fees for a total of $88 for one night.

Even though I provided accurate dimensions for our motorhome, the site was inadequately sized to accommodate the full length. The much bigger problem was that it sloped so much it was impossible to level. I didn’t have enough blocks to prop up the leveling jacks enough to level the RV. I called the front office and was given another site to try. That didn’t work any better. I called back and was given a third site which was the worst so far. Then, at the fourth attempt we could get level. The site was still on a decline, but not as bad as the other three.

Our site (#71) was too short for our 37’ motorhome. I made it fit, but measured just 3-inches of air between the back of my RV and the back of our neighbor’s RV. Three inches! The site had not been checked since its last guests left because there was refuse (used bandages, a used propane canister, etc.) that should have been cleaned prior to check-in by new guests. The water, 50-amp electric, and sewer hookups worked fine.

Other than a small swimming pool and a small fenced area for dogs, there were no amenities.

In speaking with our neighbor, it became apparent that there are several people working on assignment for a nearby decommissioned nuclear power plant who live at this campground. Shady Pines caters to long-term and year-round guests as well as manufactured homes/trailers that are permanent. We were the only motorhome in the entire park. This is ok, but a sign that while this place suits their needs, it doesn’t do much to attract couples and families on overnight trips and vacations.

Due to the sloped and not-so-clean sites, lack of amenities, and full-price rate charged, we won’t be back.