The latest news about camping and developments in North American campgrounds and RV parks from Janet Groene.
This news site covers timely news for RV travelers. Follow up on these tips to plan your trip according to your own dates, type and size of RV, budget and interests. Be alert for sudden changes due to COVID 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.
Gather details and driving directions from multiple sources including the campground, GPS, state highway sources and event sponsors. Then call the campground directly before leaving home. Many websites are incomplete or out of date and GPS can’t always be trusted with hard-to-find campground addresses.
DISCLAIMER: No endorsement of any campground or product is implied by this reporter nor this website.
DATELINE: June 12, 2021
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FLORIDA HAS 5-DAY ROCK FESTIVAL WITH CAMPING
Make reservations now for five days of camping, shopping the vendors, hearing hot rock stars and a festival of food and drinks at this year’s massive Rockfest at the Daytona Beach International Speedway. Some camping areas are already sold out. Hear headliners including Metallica, Nine Inch Nails, Lynyrd Skynyrd and dozens more rock legends. A large variety of camping areas are found here, some with water and electric hookups. Indoor restrooms and showers, a camp store, medical staff and security are here 24/7. All campers must have festival tickets. Dates are November 11-14. More info here.
KENTUCKY STATE PARK HAS HANDS-ON HISTORY
“Hands on History for Kids” is the program to be held 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on September 11 at Fort Boonesborough State Park, Richmond. The annual event lets kids participate in building a split rail fence, grinding corn, and other 18th century activities on the site of Daniel Boone’s original fort. Get event details at (859) 527-3131. Note that the campground won’t open until August 1 and the picnic area and swimming pool are closed this season. The campground offers 166 sites with electricity and water hookups, and 18 with full hookups. There are two central service buildings with laundry, restrooms and showers, and three dump stations. Wi-Fi is available and a small grocery store is at the check-in area. For camping reservations call (859) 527-3454.
MICHIGAN CONCERT STARS COUNTRY MUSIC ICONS
Hoxeyville Music Festival, an Americana and Roots festival to be held August 13-15 in Wellston, includes headliners such as Billy Strings (two nights), Yonder Mountain String Band, The Allman Betts Band and the Sam Bush Band, followed by dozens of artists on two stages. Held on a 150-acre farm west of Cadillac, the site is surrounded by the Manistee National Forest. Explore nearby mountain biking trails and the Pine River, a National Wild and Scenic River for trout fishing and paddle sports. RV passes are sold separately from concert tickets. No hookups are offered, but water is available at several stations and there are restrooms throughout the festival. Click here for info.
MISSOURI STATE PARK HAS FALL FESTIVAL
It’s all about nature at Dr. Edmund A. Babler Memorial State Park, Wildwood. the weekend of October 30-31. On Saturday join an interpreter for a stroll through the woods. Hike Hawthorn Trail and travel through a rare dolomite glade. Later, meet at the visitor center to learn about snakes, then come back for trick or treating from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Decorate your camper and win a prize. On Sunday, it’s Mammal Mania. Meet at the visitor center at 10 a.m. to learn about the state’s fuzzy critters. (636) 458-3813
NEW HAMPSHIRE CELEBRATES CHRISTMAS IN JULY
It’s a green Christmas in Ossipee when Christmas in July Week is celebrated at Westward Shores Cottages & RV Resort July 30-August 5. Come for special events, decorated campsites and a few jolly surprises. The lakeside resort has a marina, well-stocked store, snack bar, a pavilion for planned activities such as bingo, bathhouses, dog park and dog beach, laundry, full hook-ups, Wi-Fi and more. Go to westwardshores.com or call (603) 539-6445
OHIO CAMPGROUND SPRINGS FOR NEW AMENITIES
There’s a new look at Natural Springs Resort in New Paris in southwestern Ohio, where RV travelers can camp, swim, scuba dive, fish and float in crystal clear spring waters. New this year at the RV park are an upgraded playground and Wi-Fi, additions to the water park, new catch-and-release species, expanded weekend activities, and more of the colorful fountains that are a resort trademark. Choose from 219 paved or unpaved pull-through and back-in campsites with 30/50-amp power on the water or in sun or shade. Each has a fire ring and picnic table. Reserve your site here.
OHIO CAMPGROUND SAYS ALOHA
Save the dates of July 30-August 1 for Luau Weekend at the Dayton KOA Holiday in Brookville. Bring your grass skirt, lava-lava or sarong. Learn to hula. Eat barbecue. You’ll be welcomed with a lei and a schedule of planned activities for the whole family including contests, crafts and fun just for kids. The full-service campground has a heated pool, basketball, gem mining, rental bikes and golf carts, and a café serving hand-dipped ice cream and freshly baked pizza. For reservations call (800) 562-3317; for information call (937) 833-3888
OREGON AIR SHOW TO SOAR IN AUGUST
The 20th Anniversary of the Air Show of the Cascades takes place August 27-28 in Madras. The jam-packed schedule starts with fly-over displays and ends with night-time events including fireworks. Live music plays during an event filled with food, static displays, air rides, a classic car show, aerobatics and shows by the Golden Knights. Owners of vintage aircraft are invited to fly in and compete for trophies. Several areas are available for dry RV camping. No facilities are available. Campers may arrive as early as Thursday at 2 p.m. and depart as late as 11 a.m. on Sunday. Air show tickets are available online or at the gate. For information and camping reservations click here.
UTAH WELCOMES COUNTRY MUSIC FANS
The state’s largest music festival is scheduled for July 28-August 1 at Deseret Peak, Tooele, where – get this – the campground has its own stage and performances! Featured on the main stage will be such national headliners as Old Dominion, Brantley Gilbert and Neal McCoy. Many campsite options are available, some with electric service. They are ticketed separately from the festival pass. Showers are free. Festival tickets come in ranges from General Admission to a Mega VIP pass that includes some meals and drinks. More info here.
WASHINGTON STATE PARK HAS MOVIE NIGHT
See the film “Explore the Wilds of America” on a giant screen on July 26 at Twenty-Five Mile Creek State Park, Chelan. Narrated by Robert Redford, the immersive IMAX® 3D show is a 90-minute family adventure in hiking, wildlife, mountaineering and spectacular scenery. The park on Lake Chelan has launch and mooring sites for boats and 25 campsites, some with partial hookups, some with full hookups. There’s also a dump station, restrooms and showers, some ADA accessible. The park makes an excellent base camp for day hikes to Stormy Mountain and Devil’s Backbone in the North Cascades. Call the park at (509) 687-3610 and make camping reservations at (888) 226-7688.
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 newest 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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