The latest news about camping and developments in North American campgrounds and RV parks from Janet Groene.
This news site covers timely news, not reviews, for RV travelers. Plan your trip according to your own dates, the type and size of your rig, and your budget and interests. Be alert for sudden changes due to COVID, floods, road construction, wildfires or weather. Many events are still tentative. COVID restrictions are still in place and vary according to the state or individual campground. Masks or a vaccination certification may be required.
Due to demand for RV campsites, many campgrounds and RV resorts may be heavily booked, require a two- or three-night minimum stay and/or black out dates for their usual discounts. When a campground promises a major event, attraction or beach, know whether it’s actually at the campground. It may just be in the region. If so, does the campground provide a shuttle or must you drive there, walk or take a city bus?
DISCLAIMER: No endorsement of any campground or product is implied by this reporter nor this website.
DATELINE: August 21, 2021
Page Contents
ARIZONA CAMPGROUND SHORT WALK FROM POWWOW
The famous Prescott POWWOW will be held September 17-19 at Watson Lake. Dry camping is allowed anywhere on the powwow grounds. Point of Rocks RV Campground, with hookups, Wi-Fi, laundry and bathhouses, is a 10-minute walk away. Noting that many powwows today have become competitive events that detract from the spiritual realm of the gathering, hosts recommend that attendees brush up on their powwow etiquette. The public is encouraged to watch and even participate. Call (928) 445-9018 for RV campground reservations. New at the campground is a picnic area under the Granite Dells on the north side of the campground. Wi-Fi is available but can be iffy. The camp store is currently closed.
CALIFORNIA WONDERLAND OF RV CAMPING
Choose from a variety of camping options at Nocturnal Wonderland September 18-19 at Glen Helen Regional Park, San Bernardino. A glowing, nighttime wonderland greets eyes and ears 3 p.m. to midnight. Follow whimsical characters on multiple stages in a journey through Wonderland after dark. The campground has free showers, porta-toilets, drinking water and a general store. The festival has food, water refill, bar drinks and merchandise throughout. See the website for listed acceptable items. Security will patrol 24/7 and confiscated items can be reclaimed at the end of the event.
IDAHO RESTAURANT PROMISES CAMPGROUND
The Boathouse in Burley restaurant and bar is now open with new owners, a new facelift, a sumptuous menu of foods and wines AND the good news that the property will soon include more renovations plus a KOA campground. The former resort site overlooks the Snake River and has indoor and outdoor restaurant seating. Look for the campground to be ready by as early as April or May 2022. For information on when camping reservations will open call the restaurant at (208) 431-8218
KANSAS FESTIVAL FEATURES PICKIN’ IDOLS
The 49th Walnut Valley Festival will be held in Winfield September 15-19. Included will be the National Flat-Picking Championships. It’s a camping festival as well as an outpouring of music, arts, crafts, souvenir vendors, luthiers (makers of stringed instruments) and even a massage barn. Campsites are available with or without electricity. Showers are $5. The campground will also have stages. The grounds are enormous, and golf cart rental is available. Unauthorized ATVs are not permitted. See more at https://wvfest.com.
MICHIGAN STATE PARK HAS HALLOWEEN FOR CAMPERS
The 18th Annual Halloween Party at South Higgins Lake State Park, Roscommon, is for registered campers only, so bring your costume, treats to pass out and decorations for your RV on September 24-25. Events take place in the ball field between the east and west campgrounds and the park store in the day use area. A Recreation Passport is required for vehicle entry into Michigan state parks. To make a camping reservation, call 1-800-447-2757. For more information about the park call (989) 821-6374.
MISSOURI SPEEDWAY OFFERS ACRES FOR CAMPING
Forty acres of gently rolling campgrounds are open for camping at Lucas Oil Speedway, Wheatland, where speed events come fast and furious on a banked dirt oval motorsport race track. Come for the USRA Nationals October 6-10. A handful of sites have power and water hookup ($35 nightly). A few more have power only. Endless acres are open for RV and tent camping by reservation ($20), or on a first-come basis ($10). Showers and a basketball hoop are available. The USRA sanctions four divisions. They are Modifieds, Stock Cars, B-Mods and Hobby Stocks. For information and to sign up for the newsletter go to lucasoilspeedway.com. To reserve a campsite contact Nichole McMillan at (417) 282-5984 or email nichole@lucasoilspeedway.com. Payment is due when reservations are made.
MISSOURI CAMPGROUND HOSTS FLEA MARKET
The Heads Or Tails Flea Market / Swap Meet will spread its wares Wednesday, September 15, at the All American Campground & RV Park, Rock Port. Shop all day for antiques, clothes, jewelry, collectibles, hunting and fishing gear, flags, tie dye, food and who-knows-what-else. The campground has full hookups. Stop first at the official state Welcome Center at the interstate exit to see all the things to do and see in the area. (402) 459-0788
SOUTH CAROLINA FESTIVAL GETS SKUNKED
The family-friendly Albino Skunk Music Festival in Greer, September 30-October 2, will have bluegrass at its best, beer, food, many children’s activities including night-time movies, and three nights of first-come camping for one fee. If you can, participate in the DeTour de Skunk, a charity bicycle ride through the foothills of the Blue Ridge, starting and ending at the festival grounds. It’s open to the public. Entry of $40 includes a shirt, snacks and wristband, and a few hours admission to the festival afterwards. The Skunk Farm, which hosts two SkunkFests each year, spring and fall, gets its name from albino skunks that have been spotted here. See albinoskunk.com
TENNESSEE STATE PARK HAS STORIES TO TELL
The South’s best yarn spinners will tell tales all day, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on September 25 at Standing Stone State Park, Hilham. The event is free. Meet at Shelters 3 and 4. Bring a picnic lunch or buy food on-site. The park’s campground has 36 sites, each with a picnic table, charcoal grill, water hookups, and 20/30/50-amp power. RVs are limited to 45 feet. Rigs over 30 feet must enter the park by Highway 52. A bridge in the park will not accommodate larger vehicles. The campground has two bathhouses and a dump station but one will close for winter season. For storytelling information contact Barbra Seeley (931) 265-0196 or Sarah Hogue (931) 823-1849. Make campsite reservations here.
VERMONT CAMPGROUND MAKES SOUND INVESTMENT
Sound Investment, the band, plays classic rock and country on September 4 at Caton Place Campground, Cavendish. Camp in groves of white pine, build a fire in an old-fashioned stone fireplace and shop the camp store for extras. The family-owned campground has full hookups with 20/30/50-amp service and also a dump station. Amenities include showers, a swimming pool, ice, wood, LP gas, playground, horseshoe pit, cornhole, volleyball and a pavilion where live entertainment is frequently scheduled. (802) 226-7767, info at catonplacecampground.com
Stay Tuned
• In Parks, Arizona, the former Ponderosa RV Park will get a new lease on life after being closed for several years. The makeover includes plans for 80 RV sites in place of a one-time inventory of 40-60 sites, and a renovation of the Rack and Bull Restaurant. Also added will be a playground, cornhole, game room, laundry and new restrooms with showers. A completion date is not yet certain.
• A new master plan for White Clay Creek State Park in Delaware calls for the addition of a campground, a new education building and new trails.
• In Fabius, New York, Toggenburg Resort is closing. New developments will come to the popular Greek Peak Mountain Resort ski and vacation area. An RV campground is planned.
Read more of Janet Groene’s Campground and RV Park News 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, “June Jeopardy, a Yacht Yenta Mystery,” is available at Amazon.com and on all e-book platforms including Kindle, Nook, Google Play. See Janet Groene’s weekly Solo Woman posts at SoloWomanRV.
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