Table of contents for 2020 Campground Notables in RV Destinations Magazine

Are you looking for a beach destination where you can take your RV and the entire family? PirateLand in South Myrtle Beach is just the place. It may not be the most luxurious RV resort, but it’s perfect if you’re on the lookout for good old-fashioned family fun in the sun. We typically prefer camping in campgrounds or boondocking spots that are nestled away in a remote place. We yearn for beautiful scenery, hiking and avoiding large crowds of people. We love to unplug and get away from it all. If you’re like us, you may want to stop reading. I mean, why would we write about a campground that on an average summer day may have 6,000 RVers screaming through the campground on their decorated golf carts with giant…

Imagine a beautiful campground nestled amongst tall mature trees, next to a fully stocked lake with campfires burning around the clock and kids playing. You wake up to the smell of bacon; the campsite next to you is cooking on their Coleman grill. You step outside with coffee in hand and take a deep breath of the fresh air. The morning begins to awaken with mallards cooing in the nearby lake and the sound of birds’ wings flapping in the air. The night’s fog slowly lifts to the warmth of the sunrise as it breaks over a picturesque mountain range. If you are like most, this is what you might envision camping to be. However, Liberty Harbor RV Park is none of this. When you first pull into Liberty Harbor…

A short hour drive from the Grand Teton National Park, and nestled along the Wind River, is the Dubois / Wind River KOA. It is a quaint RV park located one street off the main drag (State Route 26/Highway 287) in Dubois, Wyoming, making it easy to access in any size rig and to navigate the area. Dubois is a popular area for fishing in the famed Wind River and plenty of gorgeous back-country is open to explore by horse, ATV or by foot. The location of Dubois also makes it a popular stop-over point heading in and out of the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Parks. This tree-filled park features RV sites (including river-front sites), tent sites, deluxe cabins and basic camping cabins. For those wanting to try something…

Upon crossing the Queen Isabella Causeway onto the tropical barrier island of South Padre, look right, and you will see the distant palm trees and iconic blue rotundas of the South Padre Island KOA Holiday. Location is everything, and this KOA boasts a prime spot on the island. A large portion of the campground is surrounded by water: one of the key elements we sought for our winter retreat. It affords direct access to Laguna Madre Bay and Dolphin Cove, which allows you to enjoy fishing and a variety of water sports. Spending the majority of our year on the road, we have learned to rely on Kampgrounds of America. There are few options for RV parks on the Island, and the KOA was an easy choice. They typically have…

Upper Peninsula Michigan is dotted (dotted being the operative word because cities are sparse up there) with seven cities, the largest of which is Marquette—our destination for four days in October 2019. We had been on the hunt for the perfect campground. Let me just say that finding a good campground is much like an Easter egg hunt. You pick up the plastic egg with excitement, give it a quick shake and just know that this is the Easter egg above all others, holding the mother lode of candy for sure. We go into the “Great Campground Search” with much of the same anticipation, combing over websites and Google reviews in hopes of choosing the mother lode of campgrounds. There were only a couple of campgrounds in the area we…

In the desolate landscape west of the Tucson Mountains, you’ll find Gilbert Ray Campground. This unique campground is in such high demand that campers line up for hours every morning hoping to secure one of the 130 camping sites. But with no reservation system, no water, no sewage and only 30-amp electric service at each site, is it worth the hassle of waiting in long lines with nothing more than a hope and a prayer of getting a spot? An arid landscape surrounds Gilbert Ray Campground. Saguaro cactuses, reaching upwards of 40 feet tall, scatter as far as the eye can see. In this land, nothing but Gila monsters, scorpions and snakes frequent the terrain. Coming from the lush hills of Kentucky, this was completely foreign to us. However, the…

Some of my favorite vacations have been to beach destinations. There is just something about the warm nights, salty ocean breezes, sandy toes, fresh seafood and water activities galore that just speak to my soul. I also love RVing. There is nothing better than having all my stuff in tow and being able to bring as much as I want without worrying about airline restrictions or trying to pack everything into a car trunk that’s forever too small. And sometimes, parking our RV at a waterfront hotel-resort that offers all the amenities makes vacationing that much sweeter. While coastlines and waterways are dotted here and there with RV parks, there are few that fall into the category of true “resorts”; a place where you can park your RV, unwind and…

There are few parks located just outside of Grand Tetons National Park, and Fireside Buffalo Valley RV Park is conveniently located just a short five miles from the Moran entrance gate. This park made the list not for its amenities or park ambiance but rather for its spectacular views of the Grand Teton mountain range. This is a no-frills park; sites are incredibly basic (think partially grown over gravel pads) but they still offer picnic tables and a fire ring of some sort. There is plenty of space to take your dogs on a walk through the park and poo-bags are available in dedicated pet locations. The volleyball net and playground are basic but offer something for kids and adults to burn some energy. The front office doubles as a…

Dubbed as the “closest RV park to Washington DC”, this true resort style RV park is located less than 20 miles outside of our nation’s capital. “Chocked full of amenities” doesn’t begin to scratch the surface of all that Cherry Hill Park offers its patrons. The front office and store offers a good collection of Washington DC souvenirs and the well-stocked store provides a plethora of grocery and camping items. Staff at the front office are incredibly helpful at guiding folks around the area and the on-site bus depot and ability to buy a SmartTrip Card makes navigating DC a breeze. Washington DC can feel a bit daunting to visit, but the website offers a lot of great information about getting around the area. Staff is always willing to help…

Located within a few miles of Natural Bridge State Resort Park and Red River Gorge Geological Area in Daniel Boone National Forest lies 4 Guys RV Park. Set on a 72-acre former farm, this RV park boasts 45 full hook-up sites that can comfortably accommodate any size rig. We had the opportunity to interview one of the owners, Larry Drake, and learned the history behind the park. The owners, all RV’ers themselves, grew frustrated over their years of traveling to the RV parks that made it difficult to get rigs, big or small, parked at a campsite. Their vision focused on a campground with long drives and easy-to-access sites. They realized that dream when opening their RV park over Memorial Day weekend in 2016. Each of their sites boasts an…

RV Destinations has had the distinct pleasure of spending the past four Christmas and New Year seasons in Key West, Florida, and all four years we have spent our holidays at Boyd’s Key West Campground on Stock Island. Boyd’s is located on Maloney Avenue off A1A, just before crossing the small bridge into Key West. Prices are at a premium in this slice of tropical paradise, so be prepared for some sticker shock. We stayed in a waterfront site by the boat ramp, and it was roughly $189 per night for full hook-ups (as of December 2019), which is why many campers and RVers choose to stay just a night or two before moving on. Whether you stay a night or two, several weeks or even the winter season, Boyd’s…

Every so often you discover a campground so wonderful that part of you wants to be selfish and keep it a secret. It’s tucked away, small, cozy, the owners are amazing, the views are breathtaking and the prices are affordable. If the secret gets out, it could get busy and hard to get into. But at the same time, you want everyone you know to spend some time at this secret hideaway and have the same experience you did. Bay Breeze RV on the Bay in Gulf Shores, Alabama is that place for me. Tucked away off Fort Morgan Road on the bay side, sheltered under a huge canopy of trees is this quiet and quaint RV park. Don’t expect much in the way of amenities other than a bathhouse…

Situated a convenient four blocks from Yellowstone’s West entrance and just steps from shopping, dining and an assortment of entertainment and activities, Yellowstone Grizzly RV Park has so many things to love. Wide, sweeping drives and angled pads make navigating and your rig a breeze. The park is beautifully maintained and landscaped and offers plenty of amenities and a variety of sites to meet any RVer’s needs. While the park doesn’t allow tent ng, they do offer dry sites and electric/cable- only sites for smaller campers which include 24-hour access to bathhouses and laundry facilities. For those wanting full hook-ups, another six different types of sites ranging from 25 to 80 feet are available; both back-in and pull-through options are offered. For those desiring more shade and privacy, there are…