How do you choose a campsite?

[old timer]

Enforcement of quite hours, including cars and trucks. Its a fine line too many rules are not fun eather.

 

[sheridany]

Need good access roads and a good sized lot to fit big 45 foot coaches or fifth wheels. No trees that can scratch paint please.

 

[Neal]

Need good access roads and a good sized lot to fit big 45 foot coaches or fifth wheels. No trees that can scratch paint please.

 

[J&JD]

I’m trying to learn how other people choose where to stay in their RV among the thousands of potential options. If there was a website or app that could help you select a site that had exactly what you wanted, what other selection criteria would you add?

I look for a clean, big rig friendly park with good space between level sites, and hopefully good wifi. I avoid parks where the sites are dirt. I would include some pull through sites. Also, place the utilities so that customers do not have to use extra black/grey lines. Judy D

 

[AbdRahim]

COST! COST! Almost all long term stays fir me.
Full hookups are a must!

1) Clean bathrooms
2) gravel or concrete sites,
3) grocery store, pharmacy within bicycling distance (depending on lenth of stay
4) decent size sites - big rig friendly
5) Camp store is a plus

 

[Wemustrv]

Good Luck with your endeavor. We are primarily Corp of Engineers, Federal parks, State, County and City parks when we stay at a park. We love off grid, boondocking, and we use Harvest Hosts when traveling down the road. Throw in an occasional Walton RV Park( Walmart) as well. I use a multitude of camping apps and google maps to select where we ae camping. As Kevin mentioned the best for me is a level site that is well established an compacted so as not to settle in and that has space and shade. I do not want to be crammed in as many of the private parks are.

 

[CaptainGizmo]

On your OP, you mention “if there was an app or website”…well, there is.
And, based on your “survey”, every one of those criterium are used in RVTripWizard, which pulls its data from CampGroundReviews.com.

I’ve not found any other resource as comprehensive.

But, others are bringing up good additional info/criteria; most of which would need to be derived from an easy browse through the Reviews, Photos, and Satellite imagery; all of which are easily accessed from RVTW.

 

[Jim]

On your OP, you mention “if there was an app or website”…well, there is.
And, based on your “survey”, every one of those criterium are used in RVTripWizard, which pulls its data from CampGroundReviews.com.

I’ve not found any other resource as comprehensive.

I will echo what CaptainGizmo said.

I used RVTripWizard last year to plan our entire trip, and I used it to plan 2024 as well. There is a learning curve, and sometimes Trip Wizard get a bit clunky, but for the most part, it's a pretty good app. A very cool feature allows you to export your planned trip and then import it into your Garman. So much easier than trying to modify a trip that the Garman has plotted for you.

 

[RVThereYet]

After all the above mentions, here is what I think an RV Park, Resort, Campground should have.
Level sites
Water
Electric
Nearby dump station
Spacing from the neighbors
Shade trees
A picnic table on the passenger side of the site
Easy access to maneuver in and out of cam site

Hope you endeavor is a HUGE success!!!

 

[Ozarker]

My first comment in the forums, yes, I'm brand new, green, a newbie!
WARNING: My first "RV", but I'm old, retired and know dang near everything (LOL).

Got my TT this week, but I recall camping from my younger years, did much of my growing up at a State Campground on Table Rock Lake in Missouri, so .....

I've only backed up my TT twice, so you need pull through sites.
Utilities (electric-water) are greatly desired not necessary.
Near Nashville is a great location, suggest you get with local venues for discount tickets, shows, local attractions, stay here and save kinda thing. (Did I mention Branson, Mo. campgrounds?)
Having sunshine all day or at least most of it is important to us, we're solar! We also need a shade tree, see if you can wrangle both.
Saw comments about pricing with different options, I'd think that's great if you can. However, better check with your attorney about charging for utilities of any kind, State Law can turn you into a utility company and that means big problems and fines if not done properly. With utilities in one section of the grounds at one price and another section without is probably fine, charging for usage could be trouble.
Big YES to discounts for weekly use.
You already bought your 50 acres so you can't do much about location and proximity to stores, shopping, etc.
Good luck with your project!

 

[DavidRamey]

When I camp in a campground, I camp only in State or Federal campgrounds because they are more scenic and cheaper. I also boondock. I go camping to get away from cities and civilization. I also don't reserve camping spots, I go FCFS.

 

[Dan_Frisbie]

Two types of stays…
First is the stop along the way to our destination (usually a concert or bike rally).
This accommodation needs to be along or near our route, easy in/out, decent amenities (shower/toilet), and somewhat quiet.
Second is the destination camp. This one needs to have privacy as our number one requirement. We usually stay in gov’t campgrounds for this reason. Most commercial places have the pads too close to each other with no buffer between them. We also look for good restroom facilities, water for paddling, and plenty of room to let the dogs run (outside of the immediate camping area).
Price factors in to both and gov’t campgrounds and parks are usually cheaper.

 

[RVThereYet]

Usually after deciding where we are going, look at available camp sights and then take a look at Google Earth. Try to see which way the camp sights face, shade or not and
closeness to adjoining camp sites. Works pretty well!
In North Texas, not sure about the other locations, but the SP's fill up fast. In the heat of the summer you can find them as many don't like the heat as their RV's wont cool down but the rest, they site go fast. FCFS might be nice for some but if you are going for a weekend, you need to be sure you have a spot.

 

[Allen Miller]

Landscape

I would choose places with magnificent natural scenery, such as lakes, mountains, or forests, where people can completely relax and get away from the hustle and bustle of daily life. It is also important to choose a campsite that provides activities such as fishing and hiking, which can make the whole camping experience more colorful.

Facilities and Safety

This includes water sources, toilet facilities, and emergency response measures. For example, ITEHIL reverse osmosis water filters are very suitable for campsites far away from the city, which can ensure that we can drink clean water and avoid potential water pollution problems.

In addition, it is also important to bring reliable camping lights and solar charging devices, especially if the campsite is far from the power supply so that we can ensure that there is enough power to support lighting and mobile phone charging.

Privacy and Quietness

I like to choose campsites that are relatively far away from the crowd so that I can better connect with nature.

When choosing a campsite, I will prioritize natural scenery, facilities, safety, and privacy, and carry ITEHIL efficient camping equipment to ensure that we can enjoy convenience and comfort when camping.

 

[RVThereYet]

On your OP, you mention “if there was an app or website”…well, there is.
And, based on your “survey”, every one of those criterium are used in RVTripWizard, which pulls its data from CampGroundReviews.com.

I’ve not found any other resource as comprehensive.

But, others are bringing up good additional info/criteria; most of which would need to be derived from an easy browse through the Reviews, Photos, and Satellite imagery; all of which are easily accessed from RVTW.

While for the most part I would agree BUT, RVTripWizard does leave out many campsites that are available. Not real sure why. Case in point, RVWizard only shows 2 grounds that are reasonably close to Laurel, MS. Using other apps I hav e found some others that are very nice on paper. Wizard does have some glitches that are very annoying at times but over all, it is a super app for route planning and measuring distance and time. I do use it a lot!

Happy Glamping!!!!