roadtripper3426581

If you're going here, the farther away you can get from the highway, the better. Other reviewers weren't kidding, the noise can be loud. If you're in sites 1-8, it must be like parking by the highway. Best choices are in the back loop (higher numbers) but for some reason, it isn't open until April 1 each year. Best sites by far, for smaller rigs, are 48-51, where you are on a small loop and blocked from the highway by the bathhouse and land.

I've got a review in the blog posts section with more detailed information and photos.

Only stayed one night, but it was worth the drive from I-10 to get to the park. Sites are generously spaced, so you can have privacy if you want it or be open to your neighbors. Site was dead level side to side and front to back. And it was so quiet, no street noise, no generators (power on this loop) and the bird song in the morning was beautiful.

One thing to note is that fighter planes from nearby Luke AFB might go over your campsite if they are in training. I kinda like that stuff, so I didn't mind it at all.

Camped next to a group of 4 adults, 3 kids, when the site rules were clearly 2 adults, up to 4 kids. They had an rPod trailer and then pitched a big tent about 5 feet from my trailer. Zero privacy and lots of noise, but there's no camp hosts now and I never saw a ranger patrolling so people pretty much do whatever they want. Large groups on the weekend, multiple cars in many spots (like 3-4 cars in one site overnight).

Combine that level of noise/crowding with no T-Mobile, no ATT, and very unreliable and weak Verizon and it's not a place I'd come back to. In fact, I left a few nights early.

Bayview State Park is about 90 minutes north of Seattle along Padilla Bay, a wide flat expanse of water with views of the San Juan Islands and even a bit of the Canadian coast near Vancouver. It has a beach (small at high tide) and is close to a walking trail around the south end of Padilla Bay. The beach is a small day-use park with picnic tables and lovely views, especially at sunset.

The full-time ranger team is very hands-on so the park is friendly, clean, and I found literally nothing broken at all, ever. The showers use tokens, which you purchase at the ranger station. The camp hosts are wonderful, full-timers who keep an eye on things, and came over to introduce themselves (RVillagers, when I was there).

The RV hookups loop circles a big field, which can host impromptu soccer games or be completely deserted, I had both during my week-long stay.

The park is 10-15 minutes to Burlington WA, which has all the stuff like grocery stores, shopping malls, and even a Camping World and a few RV dealers right off I-5.

The only downside is that if Whidbey Island Naval Air Station is running night flights, you can get a bit of jet noise for a few hours in the evening. This happened to me two nights, but inside my trailer it was barely noticeable.

My blog post has more but here are the essentials:

One campground, three small loops, two with electric. I liked site 38, it was large and reasonably distanced from the neighbors. I’d avoid sites around the bath house near site 29, as they are smaller (and two of them are ADA priority as well).

Services: electric only, water is shared faucets around the campground so remember to fill up before you get to your site. . Each loop has a bath house with showers (the upper one is fully accessible) and trash dump with some recycling.

Tiny bit of Verizon with hotspot. (Verizon phones were iffy). No ATT or T-Mobile.
Groceries: 20 minutes to Weis Market in Philipsburg, which also has a Sheetz gas station.

Small (20+ spots) but only half-full on the weekend. Excellent Verizon and ATT signal, ok T-Mobile. Quiet, nicely set up sites. Boat launch and lots of local fishing boats during the day. Dead quiet at night despite being close to Tallahassee and the airport. And yes, there is a rooster!

Camped in the newer section, almost empty this time of year. Big sky overhead, had fun watching the lightning last night. Sites are kind of close together, so probably a bit crazier here once summer hits.

The park location is great: salt marsh, Merrimack River, Atlantic Ocean. Long flat beach to walk on at low tide.

And that's the best thing about this place. It is understaffed: on a saturday when the park was full up, there was one office person, no park rangers, and so no crowd control or anyone to enforce any type of regulation. So the site right next to me has a long trailer, 2 trucks, a car, and a boat. I literally have the boat parked about a foot from my trailer. Quiet hours are not enforced at all either, so don't expect things to quiet down till midnight. With care and maintenance, this would be a great park. As it is now, I won't be back after this trip. Mass should do better than this for $48/night for out-of-state campers.

Typical Mass State park: no hookups, water available at specific locations (no sites), and no park rangers, just front office staff. Solar is pretty iffy because these sites are mostly truly shaded from sunlight; I had to break out the generator by day 3.

The trails are the win here, beautiful long hikes that lead to Heritage Garden or just around the park. You can also walk to a grocery store (Stop and Shop), hardware store, and pharmacy. Or the Cape Cod canal!

Sites are dirt and mud and tree roots, so you may need to go back and get a second pick of a site, because the entrance to some sites, like 41C, is very tight, with trees on both sides of the entrance and roots, rocks and mud making it challenge to back up straight.

The upside is that you can usually find a spot here even on Labor Day weekend! Note: in winter, only the east loop is open, and some sites there are very close to Route 6, so lots of traffic noise. Also, there is a railroad line so you may hear train whistles, but generally only during the day.

My blog post has more, for sure, but here's the essential info:

Two loops, one for pets, and one where no pets are allowed. Check carefully when making reservations if you’re traveling with pets. Sites 172-185 (non-pet loop) back up to the stream, Sites in the non-pet loop are decidely more shady than in the pet loop, which is more of an open field.

Services: electric only, 30 amp, 30/50 amp, dry. Potable water only at the dump station or at water fountains at bath houses.. Each loop has a bath house with showers. The bath house in the pet loop has a washer and dryer.

Weak ATT, no Verizon (hotspot), no T-Mobile (hotspot). ATT got better at the beach/boat launch parking nearest the campground (3 minute drive). ATT was phone, not hotspot.

Groceries: 15 minutes to a Giant Eagle grocery store; nearest Walmart is a half hour away.