As of September 1, 2023, we’ve stayed at 86 campgrounds. We’ve refined our criteria for what makes a good campground and found some new favorites that we’d highly recommend! First, the criteria. We (ok, maybe just Michele) have decided that the campgrounds deep in the woods are lovely places, but they are too dark (and often too buggy) to make for an enjoyable long-term stay. For instance, two weeks at Spacious Skies Campground in Littleton, MA, was a little too much time in the woods for us. However, three days at Falls Lake in Durham, NC, was a perfect transition from vacation back to the hustle and bustle of work + planning + travel + sightseeing + all those other things we cram into this life. The other challenge with state parks is that they are not always well-suited for big rigs like ours — we need to watch carefully for low tree branches, and the sites can be a little tight. While Falls Lake was lovely, our site was just a little too sloped and steep for our 39-foot rig!
Now for some of our recent favorites…
We arrived at Ridgeview RV Resort in Radium Hot Spring, British Columbi, just as they were opening (in fact, they had an owners’ work weekend while we were there). The views of the snow-capped Canadian Rockies were stunning, we could take fabulous hikes right from our campsite, and the local bighorn sheep showed up every day to graze through the grounds. Not only did we have our own patio at this site, we also had a little cabana. Having a patio and a cabana may seem insignificant to you all, but sometimes we’re crammed up right next to someone else’s camper with little to no outdoor spac
Yellowstone RV Park’s website states that the RV park “is unequaled for its unique setting along the magnificent Yellowstone River.” It certainly is! From our site, we backed up to the riverbank, and we could watch the bison walk along the hills behind us. Early one day, we also realized that the elk had taken over the dog park, so we decided to choose another route for that morning’s walk!
Last summer, we spent 6 weeks in an Airbnb in downtown Montreal. This summer, we were delighted to find a terrific campground off-island – an easy train or bus ride back onto the island. The Montreal South KOA Journey has large sites, a beautiful pool, a lovely garden, and a wonderful work camper named Angela, who was happy to give Harley some attention on the days we were gone for longer than a few hours!
In Pictou, Nova Scotia, the Caribou-Munroes Island park is right on the beach, with lots of mature trees all around. The RV sites were out in the open and spread far apart, giving everyone wonderful views of the Northumberland Strait.
At Shubie Campground, in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, we enjoyed well-designed multi-purpose trails along a river with historic locks, just steps from our camper!
The Asheville East KOA in Swannanoa, NC, is large, very well-maintained, with a river and two lakes. It’s an easy drive to downtown Asheville and to Black Mountain. Bonus, at that location we had an end-of-row site with a large patio, fire pit, rocking chairs, and a lovely large shade tree. A perfect place to start to enjoy the cooler temperatures!
Finally, Pin Oak Lake Campground at Natchez Trace State Park in Lexington, TN, was magical. We had only booked for a couple of days, but we’ll probably try to find a way to return. We were parked right on a large man-made lake (which we toured in a pontoon boat with a fabulous ranger who provided lots of fun info, including the fact that the snake swimming by us was indeed a copperhead). The only downside to Pin Oak was the lack of wifi, but watching the fireflies and the super blue moon made that a little less stressful (plus the fact that their lodge had good wifi AND free coffee!).
PS: Harley would also like to weigh in on what makes a good campground. He prefers lots of grass (the gravel used in so many campgrounds is hard on paws, especially when it’s hot) and sites frequented by deer, bunnies, and/or geese (we’ll spare you the details on that one, but hint… it’s not about them, it’s about what they leave behind).
