Top 5 RV campgrounds and Parks of 2019
Our full-time travel adventures have brought us to some pretty awesome places in 2019 and we also had the pleasure to meet some amazing families on the road through a network know as Full-Time Families. We have joined together with 4 of these families to share each of our top 5’s from this past year! Once you read through our list, be sure to scroll to the bottom and check out the links to the other posts! There are some great families you will want to see and add to your ‘follow’ list!
Our Top 5 Campgrounds of 2019
When there are 5 in the travel pack, everyone has their own favorites and reasons, but we all agreed that these 5 should be on the list. However, the sites listed aren’t in any particular order as we could not all agree on their ranking. To each his own!
WHY: The Campground is well kept and has decent sized lots with trees and a stream that runs along the back. Also, because its located fairly close off of 70, which is the main road through AR when we are heading towards or from Dallas. We have actually stayed here twice this past year!
THINGS TO KNOW: 40 sites total for RV’s and tent. All sites have full hookups: 30 and 50 amp electric, water and sewer connections. There are public bathrooms and a dump station. Each site has a fire pit and standing grill. Several sites back right up to the stream! It is first come first serve, but once you are there you can stay for up to 14 consecutive days. It costs $30/day.
THINGS TO DO: One would think we picked this campground to be in the top 5 because it is part of a National Park, but that is not the case for us. As far as National Parks go, Hot Springs really did not fit our expectations. Don’t get me wrong, it is a fascinating place to explore and learn about some great history, but it is more in the category of a National Historic Monument to us. Its highlights are the manmade harnessing of natural resources (the hot springs), not nature itself. Once we re-adjusted our expectations, we really enjoyed visiting Bathouse Row, touring the visitor center, and completing the Jr. Ranger program. The visitor center, housed in the Fordyce bathhouse, is a free museum with rooms found in the original spas. The services that were once considered a luxury are a must see! The NP store is housed in another original bathhouse. If you are an architecture buff you will really enjoy strolling down the Main Street! In addition to the bathhouses on the the Main Street, there are dozens of cute little specialty shops. We are not big shoppers, but we did really enjoy the cupcakes from Fat Bottom Girls, a Cupcake Wars winner!
Superior Bathhouse
I should mention that there is a hiking trail that runs from the campground to the main part of town where the bathhouses are located. The map says it is 1.2 miles from point to point, however when we tried it, we went a mile and a half and ended up turning around because we had not reached town yet. Once we got back to the rig and looked it up, it looked like we had to go about another quarter mile. Oops! Even though the hiking was a bust for us, the stream was a blast for the kids. They could not get enough of it and enjoyed exploring and splashing in the cool water as the sun beat down on their heads.
The final rec I would make is…. take some water home! There are several Hot Springs fountains throughout town and you can fill containers for free. As many as you would like! We ended up purchasing some growlers from the Superior Bathhouse Brewery and filling them with spring water to give as gifts. It is a unique keepsake! But beware. The water comes out of the faucet at 143' degrees!
Palo Duro Canyon State Park, TX
WHY: It’s “The Grand Canyon of Texas!” and it’s gorgeous! Especially if you like hiking, trail running, or biking. The video below shows you one of Brad’s epic trail runs. We saw a ton of wildlife and had some successful family hikes! (Which is not usually the case for us with the kids and dogs!) The visitor center is part store with local crafts and part museum with history of the park. The Jr. Ranger program was fun for the kids!
THINGS TO KNOW: It is Texas, so consider visiting in the fall like we did, or the early spring. Otherwise be prepared for the heat! Also, reserve ahead of time, as it is often full. There are several RV friendly campground sections within the park. There are sites with electric and water, but as far as we know they do not have full hookup sites. They have several dump stations in the park and there are cabins you can rent as well.
THINGS TO DO: Hike, bike, explore nature, bird watch, ride horses on the trails, geocache and depending on the time of year, they have a “Texas outdoor Musical” show in their amphitheater. We had a trail not far from our site that ran along a river bank that was mostly dried up. But the clay soil was filled with all kinds of prints. We had great fun trying to identify all the animals that had trekked through. In addition, we had wild turkey, deer and Roadrunners regularly through our campsite. Check out the visitor center and the Jr. Ranger programs.
WHY: Smaller state park than Palo Duro, but not short on beautiful sites! The official Texas State Buffalo Herd dwell here and can be seen roaming throughout the park. In addition, there is a large prairie dog field adjacent to the campground, providing hours of endless entertainment for the kids! While there we had a chance meeting with the very first ranger from the park! You can read all about it here.
THINGS TO KNOW: $5/day for 13 and over to visit the park, Campsites range from drive up sites with electricity to hike-in primitive sites.. We also have equestrian campsites with corrals. Sites range from $10-$22/night. The site we stayed at had a shaded shelter and the sites were fairly large. There are 30 and 50 amp sites that accommodate larger RVs.
THINGS TO DO: Hiking and biking trails. We did a sunset bike around the canyon rim and watch the buffalo graze on their dinner. (We do however recommend that you do not go too late and you bring flashlight and stay at least 50 yds away from the buffalo at all times. Of course we were not super prepared and had quite the fiasco! (you can read about that here.) The prairie dogs were a favorite and the buffalo seemed to always be around. The hiking is good, however remember to bring your water! It gets really hot down in the canyon. Way hotter than it is up on the rim! The have a Jr. Ranger program and various ranger led activities during certain times of year.
Indian Lake State Park Campground, OH
WHY: This was the very first campground we stayed in in our trailer. We literally drove the Roo off the manufacturer’s lot and headed to this campground that was about 20 minutes away. We first picked it because it was so close to our pick up location and it was our first time towing, so we didn’t want to go to far. It turned out to be a fun and beautiful place! The option to swim in the pool or the lake was a dream for the kids! It was a great spot to get familiar with our new rig.
THINGS TO KNOW: Reservations are not required, but highly recommended as it was booked up when we were there. The cost varies greatly due to the variety of sites. We stayed in an electric only site and I can’t remember how much we paid at the time.. but it looks like a range from $20-40 per night for RV camping.
(Directly from the campground website)
360 electric sites
43 full hookup sites
35 premium electric sites (waterfront)
Shower houses, flush toilets, laundry facility and camp commissary
Seasonal naturalist programs, playgrounds, basketball and volleyball, and bicycle and boat rental
Pets are permitted on all sites.
Beach, boat ramp and boat docks are provided for exclusive use of registered campers.
Group camp area may be reserved for groups up to 60 people by advanced registration
10 boat camping spaces are also available (these site do not accommodate tents and there are no fire rings)
Day 1 of our new adventure! On our way to Indian lake State Park.
THINGS TO DO: We stayed here for several days as we took a crash course in travel trailer life. We picked a site near one of the many inlets, which gave us the pleasure of watching the ducks and kayakers. There is a beach area on the grounds with soft sand and a roped off swimming area. The kids had a blast swimming in the lake! They have a dedicated ‘dog beach’ however that are was a bit overgrown and there was an abundance of algae along the edges. So we did not utilize that, but the dogs did enjoy lounging on the shore with us. In addition to the beach, there is a large pool, decent camp store, activity center, sand volleyball and lots of paved ‘roads’ for easy biking from one spot to another. great place for kids to be around other kids, especially during the time of year we were there (June).
WHY: This campground ended up being one of our favorites merely because of its location and its amenities! We actually stayed here twice for several days each time. The showers are amazing! They are the cleanest we have seen and the water pressure is fantastic! Our kids even preferred them over showering in the rig! It was a welcomed stop after covering ourselves in the red dirt of Moab, UT!
THINGS TO KNOW: Prices vary from $30-$50 per night depending on the site picked. AAA, military and Good Sam discounts given, however base price is for 2 people and there is an additional $3.50 pp/night. The majority of the sites are pull through. Some are considered premium due to size and or location. There are 21 full hookup sites and 17 with partial hookups (water and electric). Big rig friendly. There are also cabins for rent and tent camping locations. They have laundry reasonably priced, games to borrow, 2 hot tubs, grilling area for larger groups, pool, dog walking area, small camp store and, as mention above, great shower facilities!
THINGS TO DO: It is located directly across the street from the entrance to Mesa Verde National Park and the visitor center/research center. (You can actually go to the visitor center without paying an entrance fee to the park and there is a whole interactive museum inside! Lots of free fun!). If you have a park pass or don’t mind paying the fee, it is really worth taking one of the cliff dwelling tours! The one we took was called Cliff Palace and it was definitely a site to behold! As with most national park tours, some are more vigorous than others. The one we did was kid friendly, but required lots of steps and even some climbing of ladders. It was actually great fun! There is a large store/cafe located about 30 minutes into the park near a hotel that you could stay in.
And there you have it! Our top 5 Campsites of 2019! If you have any questions, feel free to leave a message below and if you haven’t already, subscribe to our YouTube page and our Instagram to get more up-to-date info on our travel adventures!
And as promised here are the links to the other
Full-time Families and their Top 5 of 2019!
Way Beyond the Norm
- Meet the Corder Family over at Way Beyond thew Norm and see what family friendly campgrounds they recommend!
More coming soon!
BONUS TIME!!!
Here is our favorite boon docking spot of the year! We stayed a week and it was a slice of heaven for us! We are so excited to be in the 5th wheel now, because that means MORE boondocking in 2020!
Sante Fe National Forest, NM
There are lots of boondocking or dry camping spots throughout the forest that are rugged and well maintained at the same time. Meaning, there are sites that are off the beaten path down dirt roads, but they have established firepits and ample clearings to fit your rig. The spot we chose was a bit secluded but the dirt road was maintained well enough to safely get the trailer through. There is no light pollution, so the stars are spectacular!
In the video below, we highlight our time in this majestic place. We even have a fire starting contest! You will never guess who wins!