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: May 17, 2019
NEW YORK CAMPGROUND CLOSES
The bad news is that Nicks Lake Campground (near Old Forge) is closing for renovations. The good news is that it will reopen $1.5 million better. Water and electric hookups are being rerouted underground. A new bathroom and two handicap accessible sites are among the upgrades. The day use area is also closed for now. Call (518) 457-2500 for information on an opening date.
NEW FEES AT WISCONSIN CAMPGROUND
Rates at Highland Ridge Campground in Spring Valley, Wisconsin, have been hiked from $20 to $24. The heavily wooded U.S. Army Corps of Engineers park (near Eau Galle Dam) has RV sites with electrical and sewer hookups. Showers and toilets are available. Equestrian campers have their own camping loop and riding trail. The area is threaded with hiking trails. Fish, canoe or swim in the reservoir.
TUMBLEWEED MUSIC FESTIVAL WELCOMES RVs
Many types of passes, including one-day and multi-day RV parking passes, are selling out quickly for this major music festival in La Cygne, Kansas. Headliners include Alabama, Blackberry Smoke and the Marshall Tucker Band. The RV area provides showers and early entry. More than a festival, the RV campground is a destination. Festival dates are May 30-June 1.
NO SANCTUARY IN COLORADO SPRINGS
Add Colorado Springs to the growing list of cities that have removed the welcome mat for RVs. According to KOAA-TV, RVs parked on the street will be towed. Local ministries are seeking help for RV full-timers who work in the city and cannot afford local housing. Ask locally about alternative sites.
NEWS FROM INYO NATIONAL FOREST
Summer is slow in coming to Inyo National Forest, home of Mount Whitney and other national treasures in California and Nevada. Some roads and campgrounds are closed because of deep snow and fallen trees. The list changes almost daily, so check ahead. The bucket list destination is also home to Boundary Peak and the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest.
OREGON COUNTY UPS RV SITE TAX
A new 3% “transient lodging” tax that applies to hotels is now also charged for RV sites in Linn County in central Oregon. Campsite rates are also subject to sales tax and other taxes depending on location.
COLORADO CAMPGROUND NEARS OPENING DATE
The 300-acre River Run RV Resort being built in Granby, Colorado, plans an August 1 opening, with some facilities open as early as July 1. Reservation are already being taken for sites in a destination resort that will have a clubhouse, fitness center, swimming pool and general store.
Stay Tuned:
Mountain View, California, is adding “safe” RV parking zones to accommodate people who live in RVs because they cannot afford local housing. The city paid $13 million for a 65-year lease on a 2.1-acre plot that will be used temporarily for RV parking. It isn’t yet clear how permits will be allotted, how many RVs will fit in the space or what facilities will be available. The city intends eventually to build affordable housing on the land. Santa Clara County estimated in 2017 that about 8 percent of its total homeless population of 7,400 live in vehicles, according to the Mercury News.
Spicewood, Texas, will soon have a new RV resort and tiny home haven with swimming pool, volleyball, pickleball, playground, golf cart rentals, dog park, general store, entertainment area and stocked fishing pond. Spread over 16 areas will be 125 RV sites and 20 primitive camping sites. Leased lots for tiny homes will have 100-amp service. The resort is set to open in June.
Torch Lake Campground in Conover, Wisconsin, will add 21 new RV sites with full hookups. When new in 2017, the campground had only electric and water hookups for RVs. Check for debut dates, which should be by the start of the 2021 camping season. The family campground adjoins a clear, 39-acre lake known for its panfish and largemouth bass. The surrounding area is threaded with popular bicycle trails
ADDITIONS FROM RVTRAVEL.COM STAFF
Several Lassen National Forest (California) campgrounds are closed for the season due to hazard tree removal and hazardous fuel reduction activities. Campers with prior reservations at those campgrounds will be refunded their money. Some campsites in other locations are available on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, check here.
Mercedes and John Condon, one of our favorite RV Odd Couple(s), received “the best Mother’s Day present” when they were told they could extend their stay at the Yosemite Lakes Thousand Trails. Why? Well, a pair of Steller’s jays built a nest on their RV, so they can now stay until the eggs hatch and the babies have learned how to fly. Read more at The Union Democrat.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony commemorating several recently completed barrier-free improvements at Wilderness State Park in Michigan is set for 11 a.m. on Thursday, May 23, at 903 Wilderness Park Drive at Carp Lake. Everyone is invited to see and hear about the park’s new recreation features, including: a barrier-free campground registration building; a barrier-free toilet/shower building in the Lakeshore Campground; a wide range of barrier-free, rustic, modern and full hook-up campsites developed to provide a wider range of camper amenities; and much more. From petoskeynews.com/
Hocking Hills Jellystone Park in Nelsonville, Ohio, celebrates its Grand Opening today, May 18. Yogi Bear will be there, along with fun and games and a delicious catered BBQ. Formerly the Happy Hills Campground, improvements have been made to join the Jellystone Park franchise including a Gaga Ball Pit, more water features and a gem mine. There’s a 3 1/2-acre man-made lake for swimming and boating, and they have 105 campsites. Learn more.
Verde Ranch RV Resort in the heart of Verde Valley, Arizona, will open this August. There will be 402 full hook up sites with 50-amp service, and these will include riverfront sites, pull-through options, fire pits, concierge services, Wi-Fi and cable. Amenities include a pool, Jacuzzis, laundry/showers, entertainment-stocked clubhouse, pet park, pickleball courts, convenience store, hiking trails, river recreation, and Night Sky status. Check for special grand opening rates.
Janet Groene is the author of 25 books including Living Aboard Your RV, 4th Edition, available at Amazon.com.
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