roadtripper362598

(Dates stayed 10/24-30/21) We had a great experience here. We don't usually stay in RV Parks but were meeting some friends who travel with their dog. We couldn't take a chance on getting a site with electric hook-ups in the Big Bend Rio Grande Village CG so chose this place. What a great choice.

We had a pull through site (I think they all are) with water, electricity, and sewer. Our friends were in the site next to us with the private fire pit. The sites were perfectly level and have a nice picnic table. Set up nicely so you get afternoon shade on the trailer door side (which is also the side with the awning). Nice view of the mountain and great view of the night sky (except the stupid liquor store across the road keeps their lights on all night!).

The owners have been really busy planting desert trees and shrubs. There is a communal area with games and a firepit. I think they even have some concerts. Location is great for access to Big Bend NP and State Park. Also, right across from Far Flung Adventures if you want to book guides for kayaking and jeep tours (highly recommend a river trip). Close to Terlingua town.

A bit of noise from the road as the weekend drew near but not really bad during the week.

(Dates stayed: 10/30-31/21) We wanted to visit the two national parks in the area. This was a great choice. Originally tried to get a spot at Sunset Reef BLM but as it was midday on a Saturday when we arrived, that site was full (and then some). Went back to Chosa and it was perfect.

We had a spot on the far rail (furthest from the entrance). Like others have said, you just kind of pick your own spot in the large, fenced lot. It is perfectly level. There are a few camper-made rock firepits to watch out for those as you pick your area. You can always disassemble them if they are inconveniently placed.

When we arrived there were about 5 campers dispersed around the CG. Most of the edges and a few that looked like they had been staying awhile. But, the CG was very clean and there is a large dumpster on-site. A few campers ran generators for brief time in the early evening and early morning but the CG was otherwise quiet and dark. A little road noise but not bad.

Some great sunsets.

We wanted a stop over for one night on our way to Big Bend NP. Wanted to have access to water so we weren't pulling all the way from LA with a full tank of water. Asked for a level site, pull-thru site with easy in and out - which we were assigned. It is a KOA Journey and have experience with this "franchise". Campground was quiet and clean - road noise from I 10 leveled off after dark so it was easy to sleep.

Restrooms and showers were clean and well kept. The owner called us about an hour before closing to make sure we would know how to check-in if the office was closed. We drove up right as she was locking up but went through all of the information and was very nice.

Stayed here one night on our way to South Dakota (9/9/20). Freak, major snowstorm the day before we arrived. Still lots of snow along I-80 and still melting throughout the campground. This created lots of mud along the campground roads and even in the site as the gravel in the site was wearing thin.

The hosts were nice and they had a well-stocked camp store.

This campground seems to cater to two sets of folks - those traveling through and those working in the nearby oil/gas industry. The CG was separated into an upper and lower area with the upper area appearing to be for longer term stays.

It had the necessary amenities we needed for our purposes. Again, good thing we had a reservation as the place was full.

(Stayed September 8, 2020) We were headed to South Dakota and wanted to keep our miles to under 500 each day. So, this was our first stop on our way. Super windy all day on Interstate 15 from Mojave Desert to Cedar City so we limped into Cedar City around 5 p.m.

The campground was well maintained. Staff was friendly. Got a couple of cookies and koozies. Walked around the grounds of the small campground. Some sites were nicely treed and had grass. Not a lot of privacy but it is a KOA Journey. Rest rooms were very clean.

We did not have a fire pit or picnic table at our end site. This was fine as we were just driving through. Site was level pull-through. Location of CG was at the edge of town but was easy to get on and off the Interstate and to gas up on our way out.

It was perfectly acceptable for our needs for this trip. And, as we found out along the way, having reservations during "Summer of COVID" were extremely necessary.

(Stayed here 11/1-2/21) Really nice campground. We stayed here for our visit to White Sands NP. It is about 20 minutes away and an easy drive to the NP. Campground sites were spacious and all are terraced so each site has a view of the valley below. Plus, you are at the base of the mountains. Sites are fairly level, gravel sites. We had electric and water at the site and there is a dump station near the entrance. Plus, the bathroom in our loop has flush toilets and free, hot showers. Hosts were super nice and have sleds you can borrow for riding the dunes.

There are some trails in the State Park but we did not have time to do any hiking. CG is pretty quiet with some occasional "air traffic" from the nearby Air Force Base. Great sunset views and starry nights. We went into Allamogordo to get a few supplies and also met our cousin for dinner one night.

Stayed 9/17/20 - Just traveling through Montana from North Dakota. Needed a pull-through site for one night and a place to do laundry. This CG was nice and well maintained. They assign you spots but ask ahead of time what you require. The spots that were right along the river were really nice and, if we had been staying longer, would have been willing to pay extra for those full-hook up sites.

The CG was pretty full and mostly big rigs. Looked like people spend quite a long time at the CG, maybe even the season. It was pretty convenient to the little town of Big Timber.

We had a site with W/E but not sewer. Had planned to use the dump (even though it was only one-night's worth of gray/black) as we weren't certain of our next stop. Unfortunately, someone pulled in right before we got there and they had no idea what they were doing so we left without dumping. Would probably be better to have the dump station inside the CG gate so random people (even though there is a sign) can't use it. This RV did not look like it had stayed at the CG.

We really enjoyed our stay at McDowell Mountain Regional park. Wish we had spent more time hanging out in the campground but since we were visiting friends in Scottsdale, we were out and about most of the time. Really clean, great desert and mountain views. Facilities like restrooms and shower (free!) were kept very nicely. Quiet at night with lots of stars to see.

Stayed 9/21/20 - We tried to get a spot in Great Basin NP. Unfortunately, between COVID (everyone on the road), fires in CA (camping closed so people went East) and one of the NP tent campgrounds closed, we didn't get a site. Good think we had made a reservation at Whispering Elms as a backup as they, too, were full. Not a lot of choices in the area.

The campground is pretty much gravel and sand. They have some trees. They have full hook-ups. Wifi is very spotty. Some sites have picnic tables but you pretty much look at the side of your neighbors' rig. There is a laundry room and showers which we did not use. It was quiet at night and, when the skies were clear of smoke, you could see lots of stars. They assign you spots when you arrive. There is a bar/restaurant open limited hours. Be sure to bring all your own supplies as Baker, NV has no real services and I am guessing that is the same under non-Covid circumstances.

It is very convenient to Great Basin NP and right across from one of the Visitors' Centers.

I would stay here again - if I had to.

(Stayed 9/14/20). This campground is really 3 areas in one state park. Whitetail Flats, where we camped, was a wide-open area without trees for shade. We had a corner site that was back-in (one of the few) so we had trees on one side and a view of the mountains and fields behind us. Seems like private land was behind us, separated by a small split rail fence. The site was very private, level, and had plenty of space. The campground was very quiet. Deer wandered around in the woods next to us each night. We did not use the restrooms or showers so no comment there. Dump station had potable water as well. An added bonus was the recent installation of electric hookups which, I am guessing was done so that in the warmer months, campers don't have to run their generators.

The other 2 areas are quite different than Whitetail. One is a horse-only area. As the CG is right on the popular Maah-daah-hey trail, many campers were staying with their horses. The other area, Cedar, is heavily treed and was much cooler. Our friends site (22) was not too level and not much of a pull-thru with trees guarding each end of the site. But, it was nice and shaded. The Cedar area does not have electric.

In addition to the camping fee, you are supposed to pay a $7 a day state park fee (which we did). There was no host in the CG but the ranger station is adjacent. You are able to purchase wood from the ranger.

Sully is convenient to the town of Medora and the south unit of Theodore Roosevelt NP. We had planned to camp at TRNP but the campground did not open during the Summer of COVID. It was good we had a reservation at Sully as the campground was full. Our friends booked the last available spot and that was about a month before our arrival.