I am a diligent reader of campground reviews. I Google, use several online campground review sites, and yet I still have been misled. I take all of them with a grain of salt—no amenities may mean no spa and swimming pool, or nowhere to walk a dog.
Only a few times have we pulled into an RV park or campground where I was wondering if the owners wrote the reviews themselves! This summer, though, I could not figure out what the rave reviews were on an out-of-the-way campground when the reality was far from the enthusiastic reviews. But it was only one night, the hookups all worked, and the owner admitted they were not so grouchy after their nap. Geez…
Campground reviewers’ keywords
These are a few of the words I pay attention to when reading reviews. I am also diligent about reviewing campsites, too.
“Close” may mean the awning won’t go out without hitting the neighbor’s RV, or it may mean the site is lined up with 50 feet of grass between you two. I have learned to read further: If you have to step over the neighbor’s sewer hose to get to the picnic table, I can believe “close” is an understatement and just move on.
“Tight” usually means difficult to get into or so close you can watch your neighbor eating breakfast in their RV! Tight is usually closer than close.
“Clean.” It doesn’t matter if they’re talking about the restrooms, showers, landscaping, or fire pits, clean is an important word to me, particularly if several reviews mention it.
“Dirty,” “Filthy,” or “Trashy,” I don’t care if it is the showers, the campsite, the store, or the landscaping, even with our self-contained RV, it can mean the pedestal isn’t grounded, the fresh water pipes rusted, or the sewer site is a mess.
“Wooded” is always something to look deeper into. Will the RV scrape trees? Do I need a clear area for satellite reception? Are the turns tight? Or, maybe it means the site or campground is wonderful, peaceful, and private!
“Gravel.” Does that mean it is dusty, rutted, uneven, or simply just… gravel?
“Unlevel.” Leveling the RV is a big deal to us, and we would prefer not to use blocks under the levelers if possible. If most of the sites are listed as unlevel or worse (tires off the ground), we pass.
“Run down” is code for trashy, old, overgrown, or unpleasant.
“Older park” may mean turns are tight or not set up for bigger RVs, but usually does not mean “run down.”
“Narrow roads” are again harder for big RVs and difficult to navigate. It may also be difficult to meet someone with another RV, or if cars are parked on the main roads.
“Noisy.” I usually read further to see if “noisy” is mentioned by a number of people or if just one or two reviewers. I love trains, so I kinda like the whistles and hum even at night, but not my husband. Next to an interstate or busy road may make us move on or request a site as far away from the highway as possible.
“Friendly” is nice, but staff change, temperaments change, and “friendly” really only counts if the owner is welcoming. But even they can have a bad day, so I don’t put a lot of stock in that.
“Rules” can vary. It could mean there are way too many rules, or it could mean that rules aren’t followed, so I generally read a few more reviews to see if there’s a trend or not.
“Fees.” Are there extra fees for visitors? Is firewood really expensive? Do they charge extra for an additional vehicle? Am I charged for the car even if it’s attached to the RV? Is there a daily fee? Is there an extra charge for using A/C? (Yes, that can happen.)
“Quiet.” Gotta love it! However, will our “noisy” grandchildren be a problem?
Review sites
I use several sites both to find campgrounds and to review campsites:
What review platforms do you use or rely on, and what is most important to you when reading them? Is there a certain word or description in a review that will make you pass on a campground or RV park? If so, what is it?
Editor’s note: Campground Views is quickly becoming our favorite resource for finding the best campgrounds and especially campsites. You can take a 360-degree video tour of thousands of campgrounds and RV parks across the U.S., so you can see exactly what the reviews are talking about. Learn more here.
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RVT1222
I have found other sites without paying $$$$$ that will help me make a choice on which campground to have an enjoyable night or more..
Do you mind telling us what they are so we can save $$$$$ too?
When reading reviews whether for a campground or an Amazon product, I generally read only the 1-star reviews. Those tend to be the honest ones. If none of the complaints bother me, I might purchase the product or visit the campground.
I do the same thing like you I believe the 1 or 2 star reviews or lack of tell the real story.
For products I also go straight to 1 or 2 star reviews.
For campgrounds I read the mix of the most recent, since things change. I also feel many reviewers over rate. I look for details, not just a few pretty words and 5 stars.
By doing that, I would miss a lot a great campgrounds. When I do review a campground, I tend to want to review the great places I’ve stayed at more than dumps. To me, a five-star glowing review is a little reward for the campground being everything my wife and I look for, and making our stay so enjoyable. We hope for their continued success to keep the prying nationals away.
Comments that include long-term residents is a no way warning for our selection.
Most camp grounds have long term residents these days. In most cases they are situated around the perimeter and sites in the interior are for shorter stays. Again, look at the CG on Google Earth.
Also don’t rely on pictures if available. We stayed at one in Arkansas that showed pictures of a nice office with restored cars outside. We made a reservation. When we arrived, there was the nice office building and there were the old, old mobile homes, and the RVs with plywood windows and doors with window air conditioners sticking out, and the overflowing dumpster that was reeking in blazing sun. Point is ya don’t know what’s inside until ya actually unwrap it. We’ve also seen the exact opposite where the place didn’t look like much but was just great.
When I take pictures it’s reality. Moldy bathroom showers, unlevel sites, etc. Was at a race track camp in Iowa (not during a race) and while the overall camp was nice enough, the campsites were littered with thousands of cigarette butts! Put that in my review with a picture.
I also show the good. Clean spaces, nicely mowed parks, shaded sites.
Where do you post your reviews? They sound very useful!
Campgrounds.rvlife.com under NCC-1701A
I also make use of YouTube to research campgrounds and (sometimes) specific sites. I will search for a campground on YouTube and watch people’s videos with their take on it. Often they will tour the camp loop and you can see the campsites too.
Great tip! While I use Google Earth, I never thought of trying to look up camps on YouTube. Thanks!
I like to use Google street view and satellite views. It allows you to check out the area around the park, too. How far away are the train tracks? The freeway? The river!
For the last few years I put my reviews of each camp we visit into the RVLife site. I try to specifically list what I see as good and bad. I list numbers for power voltage, water pressure, etc. I also include lots of pictures as they are truly worth a 1000 words.
I’m either very critical or others think an unlevel site 10 feet from the neighbor is somehow 5-star! I’m wary of two sentence reviews with 4 or 5 stars. I also look at Google earth to confirm navigation ease and how close sites are.
My average star rating right now is a tad over three…basically average on a curve.
You know what they say, a picture is worth a thousand words!! Let’s me define ‘close, grassy, gravel…” although watch the dates on when the photo was taken.
Many people rate the campground on the number of amenities. So a 3-star campground might be exactly what we are looking for; Clean, mowed, cellular service, laundry, reasonable sized sites. We do not need to pay for rec rooms, pools, playgrounds….. I refer to them as old fashioned CGs. The restrooms may or may not be dated, but there clean. These campgrounds might be less crowded because the are rated 3-star.
Based on Nanci’s key words on what to look for and her expanded meanings, I would probably never find a campground worth visiting. That means an average of 110-120 nights per year in Walmarts and Harvest Hosts.
Beware of titles. A “resort” may not be much. I consider a resort to have at a minimum a swimming pool, laundry, and playground. I’ve seen campgrounds listed as resorts with no amenities at all. Pictures are always helpful. But even then take with a grain of salt.
In the UK, the travelling theatre acts developed a code phrase. If the guest book/review said ” and we shall certainly recommend you to our friends,” you ran away.
You also have to remember, the campground ‘owns’ the website. Depending on the campground website reviews is iffy at best.
Reviews are just a persons opinion of the particular situation. Some expect everything to be pristine.
“The campground was muddy”. “The grass was overgrown”. Of course it rained for a week before they arrived.
We stayed at two that were owned by a big national chain. All the pictures, including the bath house, were of sites near the office. Of the four bath houses, it was the only one out of four that was clean and usable. Same with pictures of the sites. Clean, roomy and all the amenities close by.
I use Campendium. We prefer to stay at state and federal campgrounds because they are generally well kept and you’re less likely to be surprised. Plus they are less expensive.WE have the Federal Senior Pass. You need to be 62 or older. We have paid as little as $7.50 a night for water and electric hookups at a Federal campground in Arkansas or $20 a night for a full hookup site on a lake in West Virginia.
In addition, I always look at the camp ground on Google Earth. I can usually see the layout and if the roads look passable for a full size truck plus a 35 fool trailer.
Thank you for the discussion and list of your preferred sites from which you gather reviews, Nanci! DW reserves, or otherwise chooses, about 80-90 percent of the sites in which we stay. I think she uses the resources you cite with the exception of the views one. Have a great week and safe travels!