ALABAMA



Well I’ve promised quite a few folks that I’d do a review of the campgrounds that we’ve been to. I can’t remember everything about every park but I’ve done my best. I will say that those I’ve rated with ***** are great places that I really like visiting. Those places that I don’t like I don’t hesitate to bad mouth.

ALABAMA

Ozark – I’ve never stayed at the Fort Rucker Campground but I have driven through it. It’s a total dump!!! Everything about it is a total dump. Worst military campground I’ve ever seen. It’s suppose to be rebuilt by Summer of 2003 though and I’ll keep this updated.

Ozark – Ozark Travel Park. ***** This is absolutely one of the nicest parks we’ve ever visited and it’s owned by great people. Spotless bathrooms, nice pool, level spots, good store and very nice camping spaces. I just can’t say enough good things about this park!!

Montgomery – K & K RV Park just North of Montgomery. SHITTY. Very dirty in the park and restrooms. Close spots in bad repair. Can’t say enough bad about this place.

Lake Martin - The Maxwell AFB Recreation Site. Acceptable spots, but some aren’t very level, on a very pretty lake. Good boat docks. Water and electric are available at the camp site but you have to drive to the dump station. If you do go there eat at “Oscars” which is nearby. A very good restaurant with reasonable prices.

ALASKA

Anchorage – Elmendorf AFB Fam Camp on Elmendorf Air Force Base. It’s located right across the street from the hospital on base. It’s not a very nice campground and isn’t well kept for an Air Force Base. The spots are pretty overgrown with trees and weeds and most of them aren’t very level. They don’t accept reservation and my advice is to go to the Fort Richardson Campground if they have vacancies. It is very close to the PX/BX and Commissary though. It costs $15 nightly.

Anchorage – Fort Richardson Campground on Fort Richardson. A very nice park with lots of room in each site and full hookups including water, electricity and sewer. I highly recommend this park!!! The Post Library has computers for your use and also has a place for you to hook up your own computer. Try eating at the dining facility on Elmendorf while you’re here. They have very good food and CHEAP prices. The campground costs only $15 nightly and if my cell phone worked here I’d give it a full five stars.

Birch Lake Military Recreation Site between Delta and Fairbanks – (2002) Decent sites with electric hookups only but water is available by hand pump. Boat rentals are available and fishing is OK. $15 nightly.

Delta Junction – We lived in Delta Junction from 1995 through 1998 and loved it. While you’re in Delta there’s plenty to do. The Grayling fishing is very good on the Clearwater River, which is nearby. I always had the best luck on Black Ants and Olive Drab flies. Also take a drive South on the Richardson Highway past Fort Greely. You’ll see Donnelly Dome and there’s usually plenty of wildlife near the road around there and just to the South of it. There’s a good chance you’ll see both Moose and Caribou and if you’re real lucky you might even catch a glimpse of a Grizzly. If you’d really like a once in a lifetime adventure, take a fly I fishing trip to Lake George. The Pike fishing there is unbelievable!!! More than once I’ve caught over a hundred a day. Good places to eat are the “Alaska Steak House” (great breakfasts), and “Pizza Bella” (great pizza). “Granite View Sports”, which is right in the middle of town, is one of my two favorite places to shop in Alaska. Granite View has both nice merchandise and good prices and the owners are very friendly folks. If you need supplies visit the IGA Grocery Store and say hello to the owners, Ed and Gayle, for us. We used to bowl with them when we were stationed at Greely. Also visit the Sullivan Roadhouse, which is right across the street from the visitors center. There’s a lot of history to the roadhouse and it’s very interesting. I was in the roadhouse when it was in its original location. When you travel between Delta Junction and Fairbanks make sure you stop at the “Knotty Shop” They have some interesting things to look at and have the best ice cream in Alaska.

Delta Junction – Smith’s Green Acres. We stayed there for 3 weeks in 1995 and 2 weeks in 2002 and it’s a very nice park with friendly owners. Bath and laundry facilities are very clean. If you stay 3 or more nights you can use their car/rv wash for free. It’s a nice set up with a gas powered pressure cleaner. Don’t even bother with Bergstad’s RV Park, which is on the Alaska Hwy right before Delta Junction. Bergstad’s is just a muddy DUMP!!!

Delta Junction – State Park Site. (1995 - 1998) Nice little park but very rustic. No hookups or facilities of any kind. OK for tenting or very small campers that don’t want hookups.

Delta Junction – Clearwater River State Park Site. (1995 – 1998) Nice scenic park right on the river. Absolutely no hookups though.

Denali Park – (1995 – 1998) Multiple little campgrounds but no hookups are available. Denali is a must see while in Alaska!! Make sure you take the bus tour!!

Eielson Air Force Base Fam Camp – Very nice campground located on a lake. They have water and electric hookups only but the dump station is in the campground. It was $15 nightly.

Fairbanks – There’s lots to do in Fairbanks. Make sure you visit “Alaska Land”, shop at “Fred Meyers”, visit “Ester Gold Camp” and go to their dinner and the theater. Make sure you eat at the “Klondike Lounge” because they have the best Prime Rib Sandwich in the world. “Pikes Landing” has a fantastic Sunday Brunch if you’re really hungry. The “Prospectors” is a really neat place to shop. It’s my other favorite place to shop in Alaska and I can spend most of a day there. When you travel between Fairbanks and Delta Junction make sure you stop at the “Knotty Shop” They have some interesting things to look at and have the best ice cream in Alaska. By the way Faribanks has Sprint Cell phone service.

Fairbanks – Chena River State Park. (1995 – 1998) Nice park located almost in the middle of Fairbanks. It’s within walking distance to almost anything you need or want to do. No hookups though! In 2002 the state kept changing their minds on whether to keep it open or not. Because nobody was sure what the daily status would be it was almost totally empty of campers. It’s still a nice park but still doesn’t have any hookups at all.

Fairbanks – The Fort Wainwright Campground on Fort Wainwright. They’ve really done a lot of work in this park and it’s become a really nice one. Actually they have three different areas. The best area has water, electric, cable TV and telephone and goes for $22 a night. The next area has just water and electric and goes for $17 nightly. The least nicest area is pretty primitive and has no hookups at all. I think it goes for 10 – 12 dollars a night. None of the spots have a sewer connection but there’s a dump station right in the campground. They also have some very nice bicycle trails all over Fort Wainwright that connect to the trails in Fairbanks. I highly recommend this park if you’re eligible to use the Military Campgrounds.

Lake Louise – Army Point Campground. (1995) It’s on the lake so it’s pretty. No facilities though.

Quartz Lake – (1995 – 1998) I like it for a night or two. It’s a real pretty area but there aren’t any facilities.

Seward – Army Recreation Center. (1997) Seward is nice but the Campground isn’t that nice. The spots are very very close together with some of them not even having enough room to open your awning. It does have water, electric and cable TV hookups and is a lot nicer than the Air Forces Site. If you’re military the Seward Recreation Facilities offer a great deal on Halibut fishing trips and even has some free trips. Make sure you check out all the opportunities!! The campground is rather pricey though…..it costs $22.50 nightly. Eat at the Wharf!! It’s good food and is visited mostly by the locals. Some of the tourist spots are quite expensive but the Wharf is very reasonable and the Halibut sandwich or dinner is a good deal.

Seward – The Air Force Fam Camp. Not a great place unless that’s all there is. The sites are very very small and all they have are electric hookups. Also the Air Force doesn’t offer any fishing opportunities and unless you’re registered as a guest of the Army’s Campground you can’t take advantage of some of the Army’s good deals. The price is $15 nightly.

Tangle Lakes State Campground on the Denali Highway – (1995 – 1998) Very pretty with good fishing and great sightseeing. There’s lots of animals in the area. No facilities though.

Valdez – Eagles Rest RV Park. (1995 – 1998) The nicest place in Valdez by far. I can’t remember the owners name off the top of my head but he’s a great guy. Pete and I went there in the winter time for the snowmachine hill climb and he even invited us to his house for an after event party. On the 4th of July he also throws a big Salmon Bake for everybody in the campground. Definitely the place to go to in Valdez.

ARIZONA

Quartzsite – WOW. It’s hard to describe. Campgrounds with hookups are available but almost everybody just camps out in the middle of the desert somewhere using solar panels and generators. Water is available to buy and dump stations are located throughout the area. This site is a must see and definitely has to be on your places to go. Plan on attending during the annual RV Show in January. (Cost – FREE in the desert)

Yuma – Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS). It sits on Lake Martinez and is very scenic and supposedly good Bass fishing. That’s about all I can say good about it. I guess if your camper is a 1970 make with a very narrow width it might fit on the concrete pads. However, bring a lot of leveling blocks. All the pads I saw are at least five inches higher on one side than the other. (Cost - $7 nightly in 2002)

Phoenix – Michigan RV Park. I won’t go back. It’s right next to railroad tracks and the park mostly caters to full time residents with very few actual campers or full timers. Mostly just a trailer park or gypsy park.

Sedona – Rancho Sedona RV Park. Average park but VERY expensive. Of course everything is expensive in Sedona. It was $33 for one night in 2002.

ARKANSAS

Little Rock – Maumelle Corp of Engineers Park. ***** One of my very favorite parks. Very large private camp sites. They only have water and electricity but they allow you to dump your Grey water on the ground. Some of the sites are right on the Maumelle River. I highly recommend this park!!!! Cost - $16 or $8 (in 2002) if you have a Golden Access Card.

COLORADO

11 Mile Campground – Located below 11 mile Reservoir. Very scenic with lots of wildlife and pretty good Trout fishing. No hookups or dump station. Only bad thing is it’s a very bumpy road getting to the camp sites. Lots of washboard!!

Colorado Springs - Colorado Springs KOA (South). Located South of Colorado Springs. A decent park but very expensive for what you get. Sites are very close together with no trees. Very HOT in the Summer. It’s also somewhat difficult for guests to visit you in the park with the sign in policy they have. I don’t recommend it unless you can’t use the Air Force Academy Campground.

Colorado Springs - US Air Force Academy Fam Camp. ***** An outstanding park right near the stadium. Lots of birds, squirrels and turkey. And an occasional Black Bear in the Fall. Very clean restrooms/showers. Plenty of full hookup sites but it can get very crowded in the Summer and Fall during football season. I recommend making reservations when you can. (Cost - $13 winter $15 Summer for full hookups) (2002 prices).

Denver – Prospect RV Park in Wheatridge. Not a vacation spot but is ok if you need a place to stay while visiting Denver. The sites are small and very close together but they do have a phone line for you to use for an internet connection and it’s very close to the Camping World. If I remember correctly it was about $22 a night for a full hookup site.

CONNECTICUT

East Lyme – Aces High Campground. Very nice but VERY VERY expensive. It cost us $81 for two nights in 2000. I won’t return!!!

FLORIDA

Oakland Park (near Hollywood) – Easterlin State Park. Not too bad a campground if I remember correctly but I do remember some of the sites are pretty small and the park is pretty overgrown. They have water and electricity only and the rates was$22 nightly in 2001.

Panama City – Tyndall Air Force Base. ***** One of our favorite parks!! They have a very nice private beach near by and good bicycle riding areas. The sites are quite large and very private, they have a wonderful recreation building that always has some type of activities. Some sites have Cable TV, water, electric and sewer. In 2001 a full hookup site was $12 nightly.

Panama City - St. Andrews State park. Nice Park located in an area that’s easy to get to the beach and restaurants. There’s fairly good bike riding in the area and most of the camping sites are pretty large with a lot of privacy. Rates are $20 nightly in 2002 with water and electricity only.

Pembroke Pines (near Hollywood) – CB Smith State Park. A very clean well laid out park. We were only able to stay there for one night since we didn’t have reservations. It’s pretty crowded so make sure you make reservations. It’s very nice and a full hookup site costs $23.

Tampa – McDill Air Force Base. McDill has a very large campground and it’s very crowded in the winter months so make sure you have reservations. The sites are pretty close together but are decent. You must have reservations well in advanced in the winter months. We were lucky and got into a site for two nights. The rate was $15 nightly but I don’t remember what hookups we had.

ILLINOIS

Belleville – Scott Air Force Base Fam Camp. As far as Air Force Bases are concerned this is the worst we’ve stayed at. They don’t have any sites with sewer connections and the dump station is several miles away and is sometimes inaccessible when it snows. They stack the snow up on the dump site. The actual sites though are ok. Shower facilities are acceptable.

Goreville – Ferne Cliff State Park. OK park but nothing special. Water and electric only. Near Lake Egypt.

Granite City – Greater St. Louis KOA. The best park in the St. Louis area. All the sites are large enough to open your awning and are grassy. About half of them even have nice shade. It is kind of expensive (Normal KOA rates) for the daily rate but is good for the monthly rate. We stay there quite a bit. Easy access to a lot of very nice bicycle trails. In fact it’s the best bike trails I’ve ever found. Rate $380 a month in 2002.

Granite City – Trails End Campground. Lock your trailer and stand guard with a loaded weapon. NOT a campground but is a trailer park for total misfits. IT’S HORRIBLE!! Go to the KOA.

Rend Lake – North Sandusky Corp of Engineers campground. A very nice park with lots of full hookup sites. The sites are very large and shaded. Rend Lake offers lots of recreation. One of my favorite parks. Only drawback is there isn’t cell phone service in the park. You have to drive about 5 miles to get in a service area. Nice area to bicycle ride.

KENTUCKY

Fort Campbell – (Destiny Park Campground) Pretty nice campground with clean restrooms. The upper campground is the nicest. The lower campground can be a little muddy when it rains a lot. Both campgrounds only have water and electricity but the dump station is nearby. If you stay there make sure you eat the Jaggersnitzchell at the Outdoor Recreation Lodge which is right near the campground. It’s fantastic!!

Fort Knox – Good campground with clean restrooms. Some of the sites have full hookups and some only have water and electricity. We enjoy it there.

NEVADA

Laughlin – Riverside Casino and RV Park – ***** Excellent place!! If you stay here make reservations and ask for a spot high up where you get a good view of the city. Naturally there’s lots to do and plenty of good eating at the Casinos. They have a three night special for about $40 in 2002.

MAINE

Bangor – It’s an average campground with full hookups. It ran about $25 a night in 2000.

Wells Beach – Wells Beach Resort. Nice place but pretty expensive. It cost us $36.50 a night.

MARYLAND

Andrews Air Force Base – Nice campground located right next to the golf course. I had a pretty spot with lots of shade.

MASSACHUSETTS

Hanscom AFB Recreation Center – There’s a couple really nice spots there that overlook the Atlantic Ocean (Spots 9 and 10). Not much else there but the view is worth staying a couple of nights.

Plymouth Rock – Plymouth Rock KOA. Very nice campground and even has an internet hookup.

MINNESSOTA

St. Paul – St. Paul KOA. Nice park. Typical KOA with, store and pool. It’s a little expensive for our tastes though. Cost about $30 for water and electricity and $6 more for a sewer connection in 2002.

MISSISSIPPI

Biloxi – Keesler Air Force Base. Only stayed one night but it appears to be a very nice campground.

MISSOURI

Branson – Blue Mountain RV Park. A real dump with very very small sites that are extremely hard to get into unless your rig is about 15 feet long. I’ll never go back there!!

MONTANA

Great Falls – Dick’s RV. I don’t remember much about it but we stayed there in 1998 and my notes say it was a real nice park.

Great Falls – Malstrom Air Force Base. The military camping guide hasn’t been updated to reflect their new park. It’s very nice with level paved parking areas, beautiful grass between all the sites, full hookups (water/electric/sewer), and very nice shower and laundry facilities. The library on post offers computers for getting on the net or a phone line to hook up your own computer. The only bad thing about it is it’s very windy most of the time but everything in Montana is. In 2002 it costs $17 nightly or $400 monthly.

NEW HAMPSHIRE

Epsom – Circle 9 Campground. Decent campground with full hookups. Very nice people running the campground. ($28.80 a night in 2000)

NEW JERSEY

Flanders – Fla-Net Campground. It was an ok campground with decent spots. It was a little on the expensive side though at $26.50 a night in 2000. East bound traffic on weekdays is horrible!! Bumper to bumper for many miles!!

NEW MEXICO

Grants – Bar S Campground – It’s ok to spend the night if you’re just passing through but I wouldn’t spend a vacation there. It’s just a big gravel parking lot with close sites but it does have full hookups. It’s cheap too…..$12 a night in 2002.

NEW YORK

Attica – Benningans Campground. Electricity only. Very nice people own the park. Use caution after it rains because it’s easy to get stuck!! I DID!! (I understand the mud problem has been fixed) Fill up with water before you get there because the water has a high sulfur content which has a pungent aroma until its sat for awhile. Good rates…$15 nightly in 2000.

Niagara Falls – Plaza Court Motel and Campground. I don’t recommend it since it was pretty much a dump. I won’t go back.

Schenectady – Arrowhead Marina and RV Park. Very nice campground with large shaded sites. It sits right on the Erie Canal. $18 a night in 2000.

Watertown – Buds RV Park. OK park with full hookups. Definitely nothing fancy just a place to camp for a few nights. Very good rates though $65 a week in 2000.

NORTH DAKOTA

Grand Forks – Grand Forks Air Force Base FAM Camp. Real nice small campground that has full hookups including cable TV, a decent shower facility and laundry room. The library has computers on line that you can use and a place called Fast Eddies that’s on base has a place where you can hook up your own computer. They WON’T let retirees eat in the dining facility. Cost $12 nightly in 2002.

OKLAHOMA

Lawton – Fort Sill Campground. The campground is very nice at it’s situated on a pretty lake. Since 9-11 though they’ve made it almost inaccessible without driving about a zillion extra miles. Fort Sill is the WORST place I’ve been since 9-11. They have the most asinine rules that make absolutely no sense what so ever. They call it security!!! I won’t go back until they reopen the back gate near the campground!! Otherwise it’s 20 something miles each way down bad range roads.

OHIO

Akron – Maple Lakes Campground. A nice park with easy access. I really don’t remember a lot about it. $22.50 a night in 2000.

Dayton – Enon Beach Campground. A dump so don’t bother. Plenty of mud and mosquitoes. My spot was quite small and hard to get into.

Dayton - Wright Patterson Air Force Base Fam Camp. They just built a brand new campground and it’s very nice. It’s quite a drive once you get on base unless the back gate is open and I doubt that it is anymore. There was quite a bit of mud when it rained but the grass seed had just been planted. It should be great this year. (2002)

TEXAS

Austin – Cedar Breaks State Campground on Lake Georgetown. Very pretty sites with lots of space between sites. Nice Lake. Only drawback is they close and lock the gates at 10PM. It could be a long walk from the front gate to your site if you’re not home on time.

Belton - Belton Lake Military Recreation area. A very nice recreation area on a pretty lake. Nice sites with some full hookups. Lots to do there and we’ll definitely go back. Only drawback is cell phone coverage is pretty difficult.

El Paso – Fort Bliss Campground. Very Very nice and very secure. Great recreation room, nice shower facilities and a Shoppette right across the street. The sites are even fairly large.

Fort Hood – West Fort Hood Campground. Pretty small sites but they’re level and have full hookups including cable TV. There is a decent shower room. Very reasonable rates.

San Antonio – Lackland AFB Fam Camp. A very nice park with good sites, nice shower facilities and a FREE laundry room. I’d definitely go back there if I were in the area.

Tomball – Corral RV Park – A pretty decent place with average size parking spots. If I was in the area I’d go back there.

Vernon – Diane and Larry Latimer’s Farm. Very cheap but electric only. Get Diane to make ya some Nachos!!!! If she does then it’s worth *****.

Utah

Ogden – Hill Air Force Base. It’s an OK place but not quite up to par for a Fam Camp. First off you can never get a hold of the camp host to make reservations and he’s never there when you arrive so finding your spot is somewhat difficult. Everybody in the park complained about him and new arrivals are always wandering around looking where to go. Another bad thing is the retirees ARE NOT permitted to eat in the dining facility. Now that’s bad news!! A full hookup site costs $14 nightly in 2002.

Wisconsin

Fort McCoy – A nice campground with great bike riding on post and lots of Deer to watch. The sites are full hookup and some even have cable. It’s located on a lake and they have boats for rent and the fishing is supposed to be pretty good. Cost $17 in 2002

WYOMING

Rawlings – Western RV Park. We stayed there in 1998 and it was a nice park.

Seminoe Lake – Boat Club Campground. The only place on Seminoe Lake to camp if you want hookups. The campground has full hookups but the voltage is pretty low in the summer months. At best you get about 100 volts.

CANADA

SASKATCHEWAN

Wynyard – Wynyard Regional Campground. OK for a night. Only hookup is electric but they have a dump station and water available. Water comes from a well so you have to manually pump it into a container and then put it in your RV. It’s cheap though……$15 Canadian money. About $9 US. (2002)

ALBERTA

Edmonton – Shakers Acres. We’ve stayed here three times and it’s a pretty decent campground with good facilities. It’s also the closest campground to the Edmonton Mall. The Mall is a MUST SEE while you’re here. It’s advertised as the largest in the world and I believe it. By the way we still got a signal on Direct TV while we were there but for some reasons not all the channels would come in. Cost was about $16.50 US per night for full hookup. (2002)

Canmore – The Restwell RV Park. The Restwell is a very large RV park with over 200 sites offering full hook ups. The view from the park is beautiful and can’t be beaten anywhere we’ve ever been. Each individual spot is larger than most RV Parks but they’re still a little close together. However, there is plenty of room for a screened in porch, to open your awning and enjoy the picnic table. You’re also far enough south here for your Direct TV to work. Why watch TV though with all those mountains around you. Banff National Park is a must see………AWESOME!! Try a snack/dinner/beer at the Grizzly Paw. It’s only a five minute walk away and is a good spot. The RV park is a little expensive for a Canadian Park (US $21) but what can you expect with it being right next to the National Park.

Red Deer – The Lion’s Club Campground *****. One of the nicest parks we’ve ever stayed at. We stayed here in 1995 and 1998 and both times it was great. It’s very clean and well maintained.

BRITISH COLUMBIA

Dawson City – Northern Lights Campground. It’s a pretty nice place to spend a night enroute to Alaska. The sites are pull through, level and they have full hookups available. The attendants are very friendly and helpful. We still got Direct TV but still didn’t get all the channels. Cost about $14 US per night for water and electric in 2002. A dump station is available.

Dawson City – Tubby’s RV. We stayed here in 1998 and it was about average. It’s right down the road from the Northern Lights Campground.

Fort Nelson – Westend Campground. Pretty good park for an overnight stop and there is a restaurant called Dan’s Pub that is very close by that was very good!! We’ve stayed at this park and eaten at Dan’s in both 1998 and 2002. In 2002 it costs $16 US. Take a ride up to the Northwest Territories to Fort Laird while you’re here. It’s well worth the drive and we saw 12 bears that day.

Muncho Lake – Muncho Lake Provencial Campground. Absolutely gorgeous lake. Don’t pass here without spending a night.

Upper Laird Village – Green Valley RV Park. Terrible terrible terrible!!! It has very unfriendly owners, less than 15 amps on the power and just plain shitty looking. Wouldn’t go back there if it was the only place to park!!! This was in 1995.

YUKON

Burwash Landing – A real dump. Wouldn’t stay there again if you paid me!!

Haines Junction – Kluane RV Park. A good place to stop enroute. The have a pay car wash and some nice pay showers and a good store. They also sell the cheapest fuel in town. Cost in 2002 was $12 US. And that included cable TV.

Whitehorse – Downtown Park. An OK park but nothing special. It’s just a good place to spend the night and visit Whitehorse. The Edgewater hotel in town is a nice place to eat and make sure you visit the overlook on the river. It’s beautiful!!

Watson Lake – The Library, which is near the Downtown RV Park, has a computer that you can use to check your e-mail or browse the internet.

Watson Lake – Gateway to the Yukon RV Park. Not a bad place to spend a night or two.

Watson Lake – Downtown RV Park. OK for a night or two. It’s very close to the Sign Post Forest, which is one sight you can’t miss. It’s neat!! The park has very close sites so no room to open up your awning or anything like that but the washrooms are very well kept. Oh yeah…it only has 20 amp electric but a full hook up site only costs about $14 US in 2002. It also has a free RV wash site.

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