The latest news about camping and developments in North American campgrounds and RV parks from Janet Groene and the staff of RVtravel.com
DISCLAIMER: Information is believed current at press time but conditions can change quickly. Check ahead for dates, rates and rules. No endorsement of any campground or product is implied by this reporter nor this website.
DATELINE: June 28, 2019
ARKANSAS STATE PARK OFFERS PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP
Crater of Diamonds State Park, in Pike County, Arkansas, known for its diamond finds, will offer photography help on July 13 for ages 13 and over. Bring your own gear. Sessions on techniques and composition are 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The park has 47 full hook-up RV sites.
NEW RV PARK OPENS IN MINNESOTA
New in Tower, Greenwood Township, Minnesota, is Bayview RV Resort with 14 RV sites, each with its own boat slip. Sites have 30/50 amp metered power, with seasonal residents responsible for their own bills. A background check is required before leases are granted. As of press time five sites are still available.
ARIZONA CAMPGROUND GETS REPRIEVE
Bedrock City in Williams, Arizona, was scheduled to close its campground – but not yet. It reopened June 21 and will continue to host campers, at least for now. The Flintstone-themed attraction is being turned into a new birds of prey and nature attraction known a Raptor Ranch. Williams is the gateway to Grand Canyon National Park.
B.C. RESORT CLOSED
Blue Lake Family Resort in British Columbia, Canada, is closing July 2 with the retirement of its owner. Seasonal campers who have paid for the season will stay on, doing their own maintenance until the end of the season. This closing does not affect Blue Lake Resort, also in British Columbia.
IDAHO CAMPGROUND CLOSES FOR SEASON
Improvements will be worth the wait, but Kings Point campground and boat ramp will close July 17 for the summer and fall. Improvements will include paved pads and parking. The boat ramp at Trout Landing Campground is available. A reopening date has not been announced.
JACKSONVILLE SPORTS FANS TAILGATE IN RVs
At tailgatersparking.com sports fans can reserve an RV space up to 18 X 40 feet for a tailgate party starting as early as five hours before a game. Overnight stays for RVs are allowed in one lot. Walking time to the TIAA Bank Field is said to be under five minutes. Season tickets are also available on the website. Read rules carefully about what is allowed in the lot and what can be taken into the stadium.
RV CAMPERS CAN RIDE JITNEY TO NJ SHORE
The problem with many “beach” campsites is that they are too far away from the beach to walk, yet parking at the beach is restricted, limited, costly or all the above. Now Sea Isle City, New Jersey, has a shuttle running from the Ocean View Resort Campground to the city and nearby attractions. Cost is $2 per person one way.
SAND FLATS IN UTAH CLOSES TWO CAMPGROUNDS
Cottontail and Datura Campgrounds, two of the seven campgrounds in the Sand Flats Recreation Area near Moab, Utah, are closed for improvements. Target date for reopening is August 26. Tourists are encouraged to camp in one of the other campgrounds in the meantime.
Stay Tuned
• Central Florida will get a 1,000-site RV and mobile home resort by the spring of 2020. The Resort at Canopy Oaks is in Lake Wales, which is east of Tampa and WSW of Melbourne. The resort will have a large clubhouse, pickleball, bocce, shuffleboard, a fitness center and dog park. A golf cart path will connect the campground with the golf course at Indian Lakes Estates.
• Massive expansions are underway at the Grand Forks Casino and Golf Resort in Larchwood, Iowa, but only a handful of RV sites will be added, bringing the total to 25.
ADDITIONS FROM RVTRAVEL.COM STAFF
Resorts and campgrounds are disappearing from lake shores all across the state of Minnesota. Explore Minnesota Tourism reports the state has lost 317 resorts and 191 private campgrounds over the last 16 years. Property values are increasing and some owners want to sell, rather than investing in expected and expensive upgrades such as WiFi, and dealing with stricter regulations.
According to a press release from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources, guests can participate in day use activities like sightseeing, fishing, and picnicking at Brown County State Park in Indiana starting Monday. The park had been closed for several days due to weather. The campground, cabins and lodge will remain closed through at least Monday. Guests must bring their own drinking water.
The Mari Osa Delta campground, Jefferson City, Missouri, along the Osage River and Missouri River Delta, has lost a lot of business due to flooding in late May. Owner Harold Taylor has had to turn away campers due to the damage. Taylor said it will be about a month before he fixes all of the electrical boxes and the sewer system and the campground is back open.
The Kings River RV Resort in Tulare County, California, is preparing to open again on July 1, even though portions of the resort have been flooded since May and the Kings River is still closed to recreational use. They have had to turn away new visitors but hope to be open and at full capacity on July 1. The resort has around 100 sites and a fraction of those are occupied by residents. The Tulare County Sheriff’s Office will determine if they can reopen the river anytime soon.
Cheaha State Park, Alabama, the highest point in the state, has undergone major renovations. There are 77 improved campsites, all with a picnic table and barbecue grill or fire-ring, plus new climate-controlled bathhouses. Improved campsites have 20, 30, and 50 amp electrical hook-ups with full water and sewer hook-ups. There is new paving throughout the campgrounds. There are several ADA-compliant campsites with ADA grills and picnic tables.
Janet Groene is the author of 25 books including Living Aboard Your RV, 4th Edition, available at Amazon.com. Her brand-new book, “January Justice – A Yacht Yenta Mystery,” is available at Amazon.com.
Please send us your campground news. Just fill out the form.
