By Julie Chickery
One of the best ways to beat the heat when traveling in your RV is to camp by water. Luckily there are many waterfront campgrounds across the U.S. – from lakes and rivers to reservoirs and the ocean. Below are some budget, moderate, and luxury options for RV camping by the water.
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Budget waterfront campgrounds
The best budget camping is boondocking. If you search the internet for free camping by the water, you’ll find some truly spectacular sites like Lake Meade National Recreation Area. There are several different areas where you can dry camp at Lake Meade. One of the most popular even has bathrooms.
If you’d like to save money, but also have some water and power, consider camping at one of the amazing Corps of Engineer Campgrounds across the U.S. These waterfront campgrounds are situated along rivers, dams, and reservoirs that are maintained by the Army Corps of Engineers (COE). If you have the Senior or Access National Parks Pass, you can even get 50 percent off your stay.
Moderate waterfront campgrounds
State parks are a great option for waterfront camping. Although many state park campgrounds could be listed in the budget category, many others charge a bit more for the waterfront campgrounds.
First is Rainbow Springs State Park in Florida. It is located on a gorgeous freshwater spring-fed river. You can enjoy swimming and tubing right by the campground, or head over to the main side of the state park to tour the old attractions.
Another great waterfront campground is Shenandoah River State Park, which has 5 miles of waterfront access on the Shenandoah River. It has the added benefit of being a 10-minute drive from Shenandoah National Park.
Luxury waterfront campgrounds
Located minutes from historic Hot Springs National Park, Catherine’s Landing is an absolutely beautiful RV resort with a mile of water frontage on Lake Catherine. With a diverse range of top-notch amenities, you really can’t go wrong here.
Two of the best beachfront RV resorts (Gulf Waters Beachfront RV Resort in Port Aransas, Texas, and Bluewater Key RV Resort in the Florida Keys) boast privately owned lots with cabanas. Both are featured in the video below.
As you can see, the options for camping along the water are abundant across the United States.
Do you have a favorite waterfront campground? Please tell us in the comments below.
##RVT1000
Love corp of engineer parks. We stay at them often and in many states. We always have electricity and have water as long as we are south. Up north we fill and use pump and tank.
My problem with camping near water is – BUGS. And lots OF them . . .
I have had some experience with this and no longer seek out waterside campsites.