rin1

Nothing fancy, but it was a great place to stop for the night. Both times I've stayed I arrived after dark and was only passing through, so I opted not to set up the tent and instead slept in my crossover, which is set up to sleep in with a Luno air mattress. The area was well lit at night, and I felt very safe.

The campground: It was small, mostly quiet, flat, and had a decent amount of shade. The area I stayed in had pull through spots that faced the water (a reservoir, I believe). There's a small dock on the water. My site included a picnic table, grill, and water spigot. I'm not sure about electric hookups and dump stations, since I have no need for those things. The bathrooms were clean, and had both toilets and showers.

Booking: The campground does not take reservations, which I think is great, as it allows me to be a little more spontaneous. There's a self-pay station in front of the bathrooms near the entrance to the campground. I stayed here on a Monday night in late October, and had no problem getting a site. The cost depends on if you're there in the off-season or not, but I believe the most expensive fee is $25 for RVs.

The area: Ellis is a small town. If you're arriving later in the evening I would recommend stopping to eat somewhere prior to arriving in Ellis. In the morning, I made a quick detour down the main street and saw a café, a pizza place, and a Mexican restaurant. There's also a railroad museum. The campground is pretty close to the highway; right off the highway are a couple gas stations with fast food places inside.

Cell Service: I have Verizon, and my service was good enough to stream a live hockey game. The campground said it had WIFI, but I didn't try it out.

The best part of this campground was its proximity to everything in Monterey. While I had no real attraction to the campground, I also had no complaints.

The campground: Located uphill from the rest of Monterey, the campground has lots of trees and deer. The bathrooms and showers were clean. Fires were prohibited when I visited. The staff were friendly.

The area: There are multiple roads you can use to access the campground; if you have a large RV I'd recommend looking at them ahead of time, because one was curvy and narrow. I had no difficulty navigating it in an SUV. It's a quick trip into downtown Monterey from this campground, and not much longer to the ocean. I really enjoyed driving down to the coast and sitting on a rock watching the sea otters float over the waves. Monterey is a lovely town with plenty of things to do.

Booking: In November, I showed up here pretty late in the evening and had no trouble getting a spot. Just stop at the front and pay once you know where you're staying for the night. It's a little pricier than I'd like for car camping, but I couldn't find anywhere else nearby.

I stayed the night here in late April, and it was absolutely gorgeous. The campground is in the middle of a forest with a large creek running around it. It was springtime and everything was so green, there were wildflowers popping up all over the place. The sound of the creek running right behind my camp site felt so soothing. I wish I could have stayed a few more nights; the place was a little bit of magic.

The campground: The road that loops through the campground is paved, and for most (if not all) campsites you park right at your site. My campsite included a large firepit with a grate that you could grill on, a picnic table, and a paved parking space to pull-in. Even though the place was over half full, it felt very quiet. I stayed towards the back of the loop, and the creek ran just below my site. There were clean pit toilets and a trash receptacle across the road from my site. The only downside: there are places where the creek runs over the road a little, so that might cause issues if there's heavy rain in the forecast.

The area: About a thirty minute drive from Rolla, where there are plenty of places to get food or supplies. I didn't have a lot of time to explore Lane Springs Recreation Area, but it looked nice.

Booking: I drove up to the sign at the front of the campground and put my payment in an envelope. I'm not sure if there are other options to book ahead of time.

Cell Service: Verizon worked fine.