How do you find campsites?

[OneTim]

Newbie question here...

How do you find campsites? Specifically, what resources (books, maps, apps, etc.) do you use? I want to be able to project about 250 miles in a certain direction from my current position and see possible sites.

Thanks.

[rgrugg]

Trailer Life book, Woodall's book, Passport America book, KOA book, state lists, word of mouth.

[Thomas G.]

AAA has some good maps with camp sites shown on them, as well. Free for members.

[Pete]

My favorite resource.

ALL US AND CANADA CAMPGROUNDS: STATE PARKS NATIONAL PARKS FORESTS MORE california oregon washington new york pennsylvania more

[Jon Vermilye]

Although not in any particular order:
AAA Camp Books
All Stays RV & Camping iPhone app
My GPS
Don Wright's Guide to Free Campgrounds (unfortunately, no longer available)
Word of mouth from individuals & forums like this one

I also often use RV Park Reviews both to find & to check campgrounds.

[Kevin A]

In addition to the KOA and Good Sam guides, I often just do an internet search for campgrounds around a certain area. Most now have websites and you can look at pictures and find out about amenities (wifi, pool, paved roads, etc.). We have found some very nice campgrounds that are not on anyone's "recommended" list. These are often family-run setups with interesting things to see in the nearby area.

[Joy A]

I have quite a few websites that I regularly use such as:

Passport America
The Elks
Corps of Engineering
Bureau of Land Management
USDA Forest Service
State websites in search of state campgrounds.
County websites in search of county campgrounds.

I'm most likely forgetting other sites that I don't have saved in my favorites.

I have a variety of Foghorn campground books that I carry with me. They list just about any type of campground, public, private etc in a particular State. Wonderful books. Mine our outdated price wise but still valuable for finding a campground.

[cpaharley2008]

here is one I like
http://www.campingroadtrip.com/

you can change the parameters.

[ThomasE]

I use RV Park Reviews :: Home to scout out potential places. Even though it's geared for RV parks, they do have some public campground listings. I prefer the public campgrounds, but it's nice to scout out an RV park as a backup.

[Carol H]

This forum is my fav source of great campgrounds!! Post were you are going and people will respond with recommendations. Have been directed to more than a few great spots that were not in my AAA book or didnt show up on an internet search.

[james kent]

When travelling across country, we would stop at information centres near the state line. The people were very friendly and offered suggestions from their own experiences about local camping and what to see and do near their location. We would do it again just to meet and visit the nice folk there.

[Sharon G]

We do as James and Kevin do. And when we are traveling and know we will be near a certain city around 4:00 p.m., I just get on the internet (Verizon air card) and search for "campgrounds near _________".

I usually get a decent list to choose from. Then I go to campgroundreviews.com and see which one looks best to me.

[D Davis]

Originally Posted by OneTim

Newbie question here...

How do you find campsites? Specifically, what resources (books, maps, apps, etc.) do you use? I want to be able to project about 250 miles in a certain direction from my current position and see possible sites.

Thanks.

Besides the web, great resource you could GET a DeLORME Road Atlas & Gazeteer. It has all the major and small roads, creeks, rivers, lakes and campgrounds. Best of all it's a topo map. Enjoy your trip!

[john warren]

from home, i research on the web to plan my stops .
on the road i use my road atlas.
any time i go to another state i also pick up one of their official state maps. good information on them,, and something fun to collect .

[Victor Benz]

We start with the destination and how many days we want to spend to get there. Then we decide on the route, selecting what we want to see on the way out, and the way back. We then divide the route by the number of days, trying to keep the mileage roughly eaqual per day. We find the nearest city/town/park and then google campgrounds in the area. Our preferences start with state/provincial/national park campgrounds, then local community campgrounds, then KOA, then Good Sam parks, then, and only then do we consider private campgrounds.

Vic

[john warren]

oh and in transit i often stop at one of the bigger name truck stops. they usualy have a place for rv's and they like us to stop there. heck they sell a couple meals and a tank of gas. plus you can get a shower there, and most have wifi.
and all the 12 volt gadgets you could wish for.

[jenbooks]

If you have an iPhone or a Mac, you can get an app called campwhere, that has a map of the US and every state, forest, city, county, army corps, and military campground in the country. You can just zoom in on the area you're in and see them all, color coded (blue stars national forest, red squares state campgrounds, grey diamonds army corps etc), and tap on the given campground, see the name, tap on the name and get the # to call, coordinates for your GPS, website, and how many sites, whether water and electric and dump stations etc etc.

[Hazel in Sk]

I check before we leave - National, Provincial and Regional Parks. Recommendations from others. If all else fails we pull off onto a country road and find a spot!

[GeorgeR]

MS Streets&Trips with Plug-in

http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...ips-50027.html

George.