Camping around the US: A list of disboard members favorite campgrounds in the US!

[Nature Mom]

I camp a lot, here is a few of my favorites that we repeat often:

Indian Creek Campground in Cherokee, NC http://www.indiancreekcampground.com/ Tent camping, camper camping, rv camping. Even a few cabins. My favorite campground in the world.

Mile High Campground, off the Blue Ridge Parkway near Cherokee, NC. http://www.campmilehigh.com/Milehigh.com/Index.html
Unbelievable night time views. You really are a mile high! Feels like you can touch the stars. We would often be camping for a week or so at Indian Creek but take one night with just small tent and come up here to watch the stars. Very cool.

Desoto Falls campground in the Chattahoochee National Forest area near Dahlonega, GA. Love tent camping here.

Jekyll Island campground, Jekyll Island, GA: http://www.jekyllisland.com/wheretostay/campground.aspx Just don't tent camp in August. But do take time to go to the sea turtle center. That place is doing a great job.

Fort Mountain State Park, Chatworth, GA (Just came back from a week there. It was great camping, I will be back there before the year is up!)

Vogel State Park, Dahlonega, GA Another state park we like.

Red Top Mountain, Allatoona Lake, Cartersville, GA http://www.gastateparks.org/RedTopMountain/ Near I-75 for those traveling to Fort Wilderness and wanting a spot to stop near Atlanta. Camped here many times over the years, never a bad time.

Amicolola Falls, Dawsonville, GA http://www.gastateparks.org/AmicalolaFalls/ Only 24 campsites but such a beautiful place. I drive up here just for the day all the time because it is so peaceful. Also where the Appalachian Trail begins (well, this trail takes you to Springer Mtn which is the actual jump-off point).

Deep Creek Campground, Bryson City, NC (Smokey Mtns are great camping. I also love Elkmont, Smokemont, Cades Cove, and Cataloochee)

River's End Campground on Tybee Island, GA http://www.cityoftybee.org/Campground.aspx
is as pricey as Fort Wilderness these days, but still not a bad campground. Tent sites are limited, it is much more an RV park now than it used to be. I was a little disappointed since it had changed so much since I had camped there as a kid, but my DD12 said after our April trip how much she loved camping there, so I am sure we will go again.

[Lovin' Disney]

Here are the 3 that we are sure to visit every summer:

Indian Shores outside of Minocqua, WI - http://www.indian-shores.com/index.aspx . We live in a rural area, so we like campgrounds that have stuff to do. This one has shuffleboard, mini-golf, fishing, a swimming pool, a lake, a playground, a basketball court, an arcade/store, fire truck rides, bingo, etc.

The KOA in Hayward, WI - http://koa.com/campgrounds/hayward/ . Jumping pillow, waterslide/pool, nightly activities, tubing down a real river, playground, canoeing, etc.

Jellystone Park in Fremont, WI - http://www.fremontjellystone.com/ . Waterslide, large pool, kiddie area, mini-golf, nightly outdoor movies, fishing, themed weekends, meet Yogi, Boo-Boo, and Cindy Bears. About 15-20 minutes from Appleton.

[2goofycampers]

Defeated Creek Park near Carthage Tn.
http://www.recreation.gov/campground...O&parkId=71136

Riveredge RV Park in Pigeon Forge Tn.
http://www.stayriveredge.com/

[FireDancer]

Mohican Reservation in Loudonville, OH

They have primitive sites that are only $25/day for two adults ($10 per day for each additional), sites with electric and water hookups for $30 or $35 depending on whether they are river-front or not, and also have some cabins if you don't want to sleep in a tent.

Most of the primitive sites are right along the Mohican River. You can fish right from the site, take a canoe or tubing trip on the river, or just hang out at your site. Alcohol is allowed but there is an enforced quiet time after 11:00. It basically just means you can't be too loud and have to turn the music down pretty low.

There is a building with a small store, bathrooms, laundry, a game room and showers and an area with swings, basketball, volleyball, and some other things all set up. On busy weekends in the summer there are also bands that play.

There are people who rent sites for the whole summer and have really elaborate setups, including RV's, but I've never seen anyone drive in with one for a weekend.

It is about half way between Columbus and Cleveland and in a really beautiful part of the state.

[Jessica527]

Wow, what a great list!! Thank you everyone for adding!!

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

Ginny Springs in High Springs FL is one of my favorite places to camp.

It it BEAUTIFUL there. The spring pools are clear blue and you can float down the river and "spring hop".

http://www.ginniespringsoutdoors.com/


In TX we always liked to camp at Colorado Bend State Park, just make sure you get a shady spot!

http://wildtexas.com/texas-parks/col...end-state-park

[FlightlessDuck]

My family only started camping last year, but we really enjoyed both:

Lackawanna State Park in North Abington Township, PA (just north of Scranton).

and Pymatuning State Park/ in Jamestown, PA (right on the Ohio border).

FYI, we camp in tents. No RV.

[DznyRulz]

As evidenced in previous posts there are plenty of people who like the quiet and solitude of local, state or national park campgrounds. Then there are the folks who like to go to RV resorts where there's plenty of activity for the whole family. While we do have our favorite local campground that is quite rustic and quiet, although plenty for the kids to do, we do on occasion still like to go to the big RV resorts. Our favorites are Cherrystone Family Camping Resort in Cheriton, Virginia and Walt Disney World's Fort Wilderness Resort.


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[MIGrandma]

Originally Posted by Jessica527

This is beautiful! Do a lot of the state parks have electric hookups in MI?

I need to get to MI, those pictures are amazing on the website!

I think all state parks have electric hookups, at the very least. Some have water hook ups as well, if not there are water faucets located in several different places throughout the campgrounds. I'm not sure if any have sewer hookups but they do have dump stations. Now state forest campgrounds are rustic, no electric, and no water hookups, just water faucets probably near the vault type toilets. Regular state parks have very nice bathrooms, and individual showers. Usually the campsites are quite large too, and we love the ones that have trees/bushes separating the sites.

Yes, you do need to get to Michigan! It's a very beautiful area with lots to see and do, and several waterfalls besides Tahquamenon, and lighthouses as well. The upper falls are pretty majestic, and beautiful. The lower falls has an island and you can rent a rowboat (last time we went I think it was $2) to go over to the island and walk around it, really nice. There is also a trail connecting the upper and lower falls and we walked that once, it was fun.

We finally went in the winter a few years ago and it was awesome to see the falls frozen over. There were few people, and it was lightly snowing when we were there, so pretty and so different from summer. Autumn is a great time to go, less busy (kids back in school) and the colors are amazing.

The Rivermouth campground has two campgrounds, one is modern with electric and water, bathrooms with showers, etc. and the other side is the rustic side with no electric, water faucets here and there, and vault toilets. But you can walk over to the modern campground and take showers. It is just so beautiful and peaceful right on the river so we prefer the rustic side.

[okeydokey]

Florida has some great State Park Campgrounds. Our favorite is Henderson Beach in Destin, FL.

http://www.floridastateparks.org/hendersonbeach/

We also enjoyed Fort DeSoto in St. Pete, which is i think a County run park.

http://www.pinellascounty.org/park/05_ft_desoto.htm


Cloudland Canyon in N. Georgia was great too.

http://www.gastateparks.org/CloudlandCanyon/

[Jessica527]

Thank you to everyone that has given their favorite campgrounds! Keep them coming

Originally Posted by MIGrandma

I think all state parks have electric hookups, at the very least. Some have water hook ups as well, if not there are water faucets located in several different places throughout the campgrounds. I'm not sure if any have sewer hookups but they do have dump stations. Now state forest campgrounds are rustic, no electric, and no water hookups, just water faucets probably near the vault type toilets. Regular state parks have very nice bathrooms, and individual showers. Usually the campsites are quite large too, and we love the ones that have trees/bushes separating the sites.

Yes, you do need to get to Michigan! It's a very beautiful area with lots to see and do, and several waterfalls besides Tahquamenon, and lighthouses as well. The upper falls are pretty majestic, and beautiful. The lower falls has an island and you can rent a rowboat (last time we went I think it was $2) to go over to the island and walk around it, really nice. There is also a trail connecting the upper and lower falls and we walked that once, it was fun.

We finally went in the winter a few years ago and it was awesome to see the falls frozen over. There were few people, and it was lightly snowing when we were there, so pretty and so different from summer. Autumn is a great time to go, less busy (kids back in school) and the colors are amazing.

The Rivermouth campground has two campgrounds, one is modern with electric and water, bathrooms with showers, etc. and the other side is the rustic side with no electric, water faucets here and there, and vault toilets. But you can walk over to the modern campground and take showers. It is just so beautiful and peaceful right on the river so we prefer the rustic side.

I would love to go, it will have to be a trip for next year for us most likely. It is a 9 hour drive from our house to Detroit, so sounds like a week trip to me. I will take into account all your suggestions!!

[Geoff_M]

I few more great places to visit/camp:

Turkey Run State Park, Marshall, Indiana

Clifty Falls State Park, Madison, Indiana

I grew up in Indiana and a lot of my Michigan-native friends talk about how much better a lot of the Indiana State parks are because Michigan parks are so often centered on mainly boating, fishing, and swimming. Indiana parks, often lacking the water resources of Michigan, tend to be set aside due to their visual and geologic uniqueness.

Also, here's another Midwest favorite:

Natural Bridge State Park, Slade, Kentucky. It's also smack in the middle of the Daniel Boone National Forest.

[njmom47]

It's been a long time, but Hickory Run Campground in Denver, PA was awesome!

http://www.pacampgrounds.com/index.html

[Luv2Camp]

Love this thread!

Our favorites are:

Fort Wilderness, Disney World (our all-time favorite!)

Cherry Hill Park, Washington DC
http://www.cherryhillpark.com/

Emerald Coast RV Resort, Panama City, FL
http://www.rvresort.com/homepage.aspx

Cedar Point, Camper Village, Sandusky, OH
http://www.cedarpoint.com/accommodations/Camper-Village

Sorry if my links don't work...I was attempting this from my iPad!

[minkydog]

Georgia has wonderful state parks. You can't go wrong with any of them. But our favorite park, hands down, is a private park in the Chattahoochee National Forest between Blairsville and Young Harris(close to western NC.)
Trackrock Campground & Stables: Surrounded by national forest, this CG is quiet and peaceful. There are many things to do in the area. On site, there are 2 nice playgrounds, a lake, a pavilion, a nice gathering spot called the Talking House where you can watch tv, play pool or video games, read books from there lending library or just sit on the porch eating ice cream. Trackrock is very woodsy, has full hookups and clean, modern bathhouses.

I can't believe nobody has recommended Topsail Hill State Preserve Park east of Destin, Florida. It was formerly an RV resort, so it has full hookups and paved parking pads. They have put in a big tent section in the last couple years. While there is no camping on the beach, you can ride a tram 0.7 mile down there or you can ride your bikes(no cars allowed.) The beach is pristine and uncrowded. It is also a major nesting site for sea turtles, so you will probably see some areas of the beach roped off. You aren't allowed to be on the beach after sunset so as to not disturb turtles that may potentially be on the beach. There are some good trails that go into the coastal scrub and it is possible to see some wildlife in the early mornings or late evenings, if you're lucky.

And then there is Yellowstone National Park, just about any campground within the park. You can get anything from full hookups to primitive camping. Probably the best vacation we ever had.