The latest news about camping and developments in North American campgrounds and RV parks from Janet Groene.
DISCLAIMER: This blog covers timely news for RV travelers. Information is believed current at press time but conditions are still changing quickly. Check ahead by phone directly with the campground. Don’t rely on websites or Facebook. Full facilities and activities may not be open. Get specifics about rates, campground facilities, reservation policies, campsite specifications and the condition of access roads including tolls. No endorsement of any campground or product is implied by this reporter nor this website. Read current COVID information. Masks and social distancing may be required.
FULL ALERT: Schedules of openings, partial openings, re-closings and cancellations are still in flux not just because of COVID but because of wildfires, floods and other factors. Almost all parks require COVID measures, which vary. Check ahead.
DATELINE: October 31, 2020 (not proofed)
ALABAMA STATE PARK WELCOMES SANTA
Have pancakes with Santa at Tannehill Ironworks Historical State Park, McCalla, on December 5 and 6. Tickets will be available online starting November 7. The park’s Christmas Village is also open, showing how local families celebrated Christmas in the 1860s. The park has 195 campsites with water and electric in three areas. There are several dump stations and two bathhouses. Campsites during special events sell out on a first-come basis. (205) 477-5711
ARIZONA STATE PARK
Oracle State Park at Oracle boasts “no camping, no loud parties,” which is a reminder to campers that some of us need to clean up our act. The day park and wildlife refuge offers free daily self-guided tours of the Historic Kannally Ranch House, a Mediterranean-Revival style ranch house built 1929-1933. It’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is furnished with authentic pieces from the period. Don’t miss the Solarium Gift Shop. The park has hiking/biking trails, restrooms and picnic areas. Phone: (520) 896-2425. Camping is at nearby Peppersauce Campground. (520) 388-8300
FLORIDA KOA HAS PANCAKE DAYS
Every other Sunday from November 22 to March 28, Okeechobee KOA Resort offers a
Pancakes & More Sunday Breakfast from 8:30 to 11 a.m. For one low price it’s all you can eat pancakes, biscuits and gravy, french toast, or eggs and sausage links plus coffee, juice, milk or tea. The resort has a 9-hole golf course, driving range and putting green. Nearby Lake Okeechobee is known for its boating and fishing. Play tennis or pickleball, hike the Big O trail, work out in the fitness center and swim in the family, adult or kiddy pools. Campsites are big-rig friendly. Check the website for frequent activities and deals. 800-562-7748
GEORGIA CAMPGROUND RINGS IN 2021
It’s a Rockin’ River New Year’s Eve party at River Falls at the Gorge RV Resort & Campground in Lakemont. DJ Patrick Woods will provide music for a rockin’ family friendly weekend party beginning December 31. The campground has 141 campsites with full hookups plus cabins, treehouses, propane exchange and planned activities for children and adults. The 70-acre campground is on the Tallulah River handy to the Tallulah Gorge. In season the park has swimming pools, tubing and kayaking. (706) 754-0292
INDIANA CAMPGROUND’S NEW OWNERS, NEW PLANS
Browning’s Campground in Dillsboro is now Wheelock Lake Campground. New owners plan to add ziplines, a restaurant and perhaps a sand beach. The first priority will be upgrades to existing facilities. Some campers are on property now, but no new campers will be admitted until existing facilities are in compliance with county regulations.
IOWA CAMPGROUND GETS NEW LIFE
The old Osborne Campground in Osborne was flooded out in the 1990s and never replaced until now. It’s part of the county’s five-year plan, with more to come. Preliminary plans call for a campground with electric hookups for at least 20 sites, seven tent sites, a shower house, dump station, picnic shelters, a playground, extra parking spaces and a connection to the area’s hiking trails. The new campground will be outside the flood plain, just south of Osborne Native Wildlife Exhibit.
NORTH CAROLINA AIRPORT CAMPGROUND GROWS
Look for the Airport RV Park in Carthage to get a new bathhouse and ten more RV campsites. Currently the park has ten sites with full hookups and free Wi-Fi. It accepts only self-contained rigs. The park adjoins the airport restaurant, which is a popular destination for flying enthusiasts. Call ahead for an update because city officials have voted to cut off water and sewer to the campground if a bathhouse is not built. (910) 695-5216
SOUTH CAROLINA RV PARK HAS ADDED FEATURE
Starting this fall, the new Lake Thurmond RV Park in Plum Branch has added the McCormick Farmers Market to its amenities. It’s open every Tuesday through the holidays. Vendors offer vegetables, chicken and duck eggs, jams and salsas, goat milk products, shrimp, herbs and baked goods. The park has six sites at present and will be adding 12 more plus Wi-Fi. Plum Branch is just across the Savannah River from Georgia. (864) 980-3341
TEXAS RV PARK HAS NEW OWNERS, NEW NAME
Patterson’s RV Park, Breckenridge, now the Lonestar Lake Spot, has been bought by two couples who plan to add 16 RV sites, a fish-cleaning station and a dog park, as well as upgrading and adding features such as grills, picnic tables and a laundry. They will also restore the old bait shop and add convenience items, beer, fishing supplies, and more. Phase 1 is expected to open April 1, 2021. For more information click here. (Editor: Their website is down at the moment, so this link goes to their Facebook page.)
SOUTH DAKOTA HOPES FOR NEW CAMPGROUND
Look for a 20-site campground to take shape on the south side of Lake Campbell in Brookings. The complex will include a bar, restaurant and convenience store. Kattails Campground and Recreation has been approved for the campground with full hookups and beach access. There’s space for another 35 campsites at a future date. The first phase will be open by next summer. Owners promise a family-friendly recreation facility with a concert area near the beach and perhaps a bathhouse and playground.
Read more of Janet Groene’s Campground Chatter new and updates here.
Janet Groene is the author of more than 25 books including Living Aboard Your RV, 4th Edition, available at Amazon.com. Her new Farley Halladay book, “May Misfire, a Yacht Yenta Mystery,” is available at Amazon.com. See Janet Groene’s weekly Solo Woman posts at SoloWomanRV.
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