The latest news about camping and developments in North American campgrounds and RV parks from Janet Groene.
This site covers timely news, not reviews, for RV travelers. Follow up on these tips to 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.
Note that many campgrounds and RV resorts have special events planned for holiday weekends or other hot dates (the big game, a local festival). They 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 be merely nearby. If so, does the campground provide a shuttle or must you drive there?
DISCLAIMER: No endorsement of any campground or product is implied by this reporter nor this website.
DATELINE: July 24, 2021
CALIFORNIA CAMPGROUND WELCOMES NEW RVers
Bring your new RV and your questions to Clear Lake Campground, Clearlake, September 12-14 for a newbies weekend campout with Peggy and Tony Barthel. Ask questions. Learn how to use your gear. This small, older, family campground is located on Cache Creek, a short drive from the lake. It has full hookups with 30-amp power for motorhomes up to 30 feet and car-trailer rigs up to a total of 35 feet. Launch your canoe or kayak. Cool off in the small pool. Play ping pong or cornhole. See campclearlake.com. Read some of Tony’s posts at RVtravel.com here.
IDAHO AMPHITHEATER REMEMBERS JONAS BROTHERS
Special guest Kelsea Ballerini will be on hand for “Jonas Brothers: Remember this Tour” on September 2 at the Ford Idaho Center, Nampa. The 10,000-seat arena has a season-long schedule of top events and nationally known stars, so see more dates for future events at fordidahocenter.com. Call (208) 468-1000 for information and (208)442-3335 for RV reservations.
MAINE CAMPGROUND HAS ADULT WEEKEND
The Something Stupid band will perform during Adult Awesome Weekend at Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park™ at Yonder Hill, Madison, September 10-12. No children’s activities are offered during this weekend. Adults will play silly games, eat, drink, dance and be merry. Campsites have full hook-ups including cable TV. Sites can accommodate rigs to 60 feet long. They include a deck, propane grill (propane and utensils provided), picnic table and fire ring. Free firewood and ice are provided. Call (207) 474.7353.
MISSOURI STATE PARK OFFERS BISON HIKE
Celebrate the tall grass prairie’s Bison-tennial with a guided hike in a state park where bison freely graze in vast areas of heritage grasses and wildflowers. Some vegetation reaches eight feet tall at this time of year. The hike on September 11 at Prairie State Park, Mindenmines, is limited to 25 people. Be prepared for a 2-mile trek over uneven terrain. Bring water, snacks, a hat and sunscreen. Wear sturdy shoes. Binoculars are useful. Dress for the weather. Shorts are not recommended. Register for the hike and ask about other bison-related events at (417) 843-6711. A small, basic campground has a vault toilet. There is also a hike-in backpack campground.
NORTH DAKOTA PARK MAKES A MOTION
Come for Locomotion Weekend July 30-31 at Turtle River State Park, Arvilla. Activities to keep you and your family in motion all weekend include an introduction to birds at the amphitheater, a meet with four-legged friends and a group trail hike. The 775-acre park offers trout fishing in the stocked river as well as mountain biking and miles of hiking trails. The park has 65 campsites with electric and water. More info here.
OKLAHOMA MUSIC FESTIVAL IS ALL COUNTRY
Country music plays loud and clear at the Stone River Music Festival on a sprawl of private land north of Chandler. Dates are September 10-12. Hear grassroots standards from Oklahoma artists and bands. Dry camping is free. Tickets are $25-$35. Call (405) 258-0388 or email vickijo0388@yahoo.com
PENNSYLVANIA RALLY ROARS WITH BIKES
Rally on the River is this region’s premier event for motorcycle enthusiasts at the Splash Magic Campground in Northumberland. This time, leave the children at home. It’s an event for ages 21 and over with live music on stage, vendors, an RV park with full hook-ups, tattoo artists, two big swimming pools, a food pavilion and much more on 26 acres on the Susquehanna River. Dates are September 9-12. Call 1-800-243-1056
TEXAS CAMPGROUND HAS WEEKDAY SPECIALS
Every day of the week is special at Splashway Waterpark and Campground in Sheridan. On Monday there is a military discount, on Tuesday a special price for teachers. Get $15 off waterpark admission on Wet Your Pants Wednesdays, and Thank You Thursday offers a special rate for those in the medical field. Come as a family for the Family Special long weekend. The park has back-in and pull-through sites with full hook-ups. Eat and have cold drinks at The Hideaway. See splashway.com.
VIRGINIA RV RESORT PICKS BLUEGRASS
The pickin’ and grinnin’ go on all day at Chesapeake Bay RV Resort, Gloucester, during the 14th Annual Chesapeake Bluegrass Festival on September 15. Reserve your tickets and RV site early. A full-service Thousand Trails resort, the campground has full hook-ups, dog park, a 24-hour staff, and adventures on the Piankatank River such as paddling, water skiing, jet skiing, swimming, fishing, crabbing and boating. Through October, play Bingo every Friday. Member reservations, (800) 388-7788; non-members call (888) 481-6348.
WYOMING STATE PARK OFFERS CHALLENGING TRAILS
“Run Like a Bighorn” is for trail runners and hikers, too, at Sinks Canyon State Park, Lander, on September 11. The 5.9-mile course on both developed and primitive trails takes you through the beautiful park to scramble up and down canyon walls, through sagebrush meadows and conifer forests, along the Popo Agie River and up to dolomite cliffs. Cost is $25 for adults and $10 for kids under 13. This fee includes an official race tee-shirt. Sign up for the race here. The park has two campgrounds. Make camping reservations at https://wyoparks.wyo.gov/
Stay tuned for more RV park and campground news
• New in the summer of 2022 in Flagstaff, Arizona, will be the 300-site Village Camp, a mixed resort with RV sites, cabins and safari tents. RV sites will have full hook-ups and wide roads leading to spacious campsites. Amenities will include a kid-friendly pool, clubhouse, game room, bistro with ice cream station, general store and an event lawn with amphitheater. Get on the list for updates at here.
• New York state parks now have loyalty/reward programs for all 120 parks. Starting in 2022, earn ten points for every dollar spent. Every 100 points is worth a dollar in camping fees. Enroll here.
• All the features of Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Park Camp-Resorts are coming to two new locations next year. In Parachute, Colorado, near Grand Junction, the new park will be handy to state and national parks. The new park in Tennessee will be at Watts Barr Lake, one hour north of Knoxville.
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 Farley Halladay book, “May Misfire, 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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