Carlyne F.

The Dyrt Pro

Vestal, NY

Joined February 2021

I travel the country with my husband mike and our yellow lab, Berkley. We live in our newly renovated Dutchmen travel trailer. When we’re not visiting a national park we’re finding nearby hiking & biking trails, fishing holes and unique camping spots. For more about our travels visit our website travelthefernweh.com

Sportsman’s Club, CA

Located in Twentynine Palms California, the campground is only ten minutes away from Joshua Tree National Park. The sites are flat. It’s essentially a dirt parking lot with hook ups. The host was nice and accommodating. They provide firewood for purchase and all the WiFi information upon arrival. The property is gated which made us feel safer at night. We thought it was costly for what the park provided, but understand the location is what makes it more expensive. Convenient and close to the main road!

Joshua Tree Campground, CA

Located right in Joshua Tree National Park. The campground itself is several miles from the entrance. It’s first come first serve, but the spots fill up quick and are usually claimed by mid-morning. The sites are small and are used by mainly tent campers, vans and tear drop sized rigs. Do not attempt to drive anything larger into the park, you will have a hard time turning around. The park is stunning! The jumbo rocks and Joshua trees provide a gorgeous landscape that can be explored for days!

Eighth Lake Campground, NY

Located in Inlet, New York this is a state park campground which makes it more affordable than the private parks nearby. The campground offers a boat launch for day us, hiking trails, fishing, swimming and canoeing. The park offers showers, bathrooms and a dump station. The sites are surrounded by beautiful trees which allows privacy for all guests. The service is spotty, but it’s stronger in nearby Inlet, NY.

Waterfront RV Park, CA

Located in Huntington Beach California. This site is right across the street from the beach. Be careful and aware when staying here. My husband and I had our mountain bikes stolen when sleeping. When we asked for camera footage the owners of the campground claimed the cameras were broken and they couldn’t share the footage. There are many homeless folks living in the area. The showers don’t get hot, but the area is clean. There is a pool and a hot tub and a small dog park. It’s expensive to stay here, but a beautiful spot.

Yosemite Lakes RV Resort, CA

This campground is the most convenient location when visiting Yosemite National Park. It snowed while we were there and the giant trees looked beautiful. Only one out of the two bathrooms was in service. The WiFi service was non existent unless you sat in the laundry room Near the welcome center. About a mile from the campground itself there is a camp store that had anything you may have forgotten and great souvenirs. There’s a playground, but no dog park.

Elk Country Campground, CA

Located in Trinidad California Elk Country Campground will greet you with a herd of elk. The campground is spacious, but there is elk poop everywhere. The bathrooms and showers are semi clean, but the showers require quarters to run and the water didn’t get hot. There’s a laundry room and trash receptacles in accessible places throughout the campground. Located nearby the redwood forest it’s a convenient place to stay when visiting the park.

Sunset Bay Campground, OR

Located in Coos Bay, Oregon this state campground is one of our favorites. The sites are privacy and surrounded by trees. The beach is only a 5 minute walk from the campground. There are nearby hiking trails and you can hear the seals being noisy out in the ocean. The sites have water and electric, but no dump station. The WiFi service is poor. The bathrooms were dirty and cold. They were also closed for a few months until the second day of our stay. The campground hosts are helpful.

Robert H. Treman State Park, NY

Located in Tompkins County, Ithaca New York has beautiful gorges and hiking trails. Robert Treman is a treat and a gorgeous place to camp in the Ithaca, NY area. There are endless waterfalls, hiking trails, fishing holes and bird watching opportunities. The campground has bathrooms, showers, picnic tables, a playground and a dump station. There are cabins, tents and rv sites, some of which are handicapped accessible. Ithaca is also packed with wineries and the finger lakes. A great place to visit!

Mount Pleasant/ Charleston KOA, SC

Located only 15 minutes from downtown Charleston and 10 minutes from Shem creek this campground is gorgeous and spacious. They offer kayak and bike rentals. There’s a beautiful lake that allows catch and release fishing. Some tent sites and cabin sites are right along the water and offer nice views. There’s a one mile loop trail through the woods and along the lake. There are waste bags scattered throughout the park and a huge dog park. (But it’s quite far from the campers) There are multiple playgrounds and many kid friendly activities to do including corn horn and other games. The price is more expensive than we’d like to pay, especially for a site with only water and electric. No dump station. The bathrooms are clean and accessible to wheelchair bound guests. The store has everything you may have forgotten! Overall our stay was great!

Kathryn Abby Hanna State Park, FL

Located in Jacksonville, Florida this state park is one of the most impressive places we’ve stayed. The surroundings make you feel as if you’re staying in a jungle. The park is massive and offers cabins, RV sites and tent sites. The bathrooms and showers are clean and well kept. The park offers a variety of activities including mountain biking trails, access to a lake and several beaches. We spent one day fishing and had a great time! Each site has a fire pit and a picnic table, along with full hook ups. The store has everything you could possibly need and sells firewood and propane. Book online to see photos of what each site looks like to make sure you get as much space as you need for your size rig.

Big Lagoon State Park, FL

Located only a short 10 minute drive from Pensacola, Florida this is a great state park! Despite damage left from hurricane sally, the trails around the campground are gorgeous and covered in white sand. There is one main dump station and the sites have electric and water. All sites are private and spacious, tucked in the woods. There are plenty of bathrooms scattered throughout the park and they’re clean. The price is always right for state parks! I believe it cost $20 per night and half off for seniors.

Coconino National Forest, AZ

The best dispersed camping options in Sedona Arizona! There are many options off of the main road. It’s a dirt road that has several potholes so be careful if your vehicle is a sedan or lower to the ground. Many of the sites have fire sites and are surrounded by trees for privacy. This is dispersed camping so it’s free, but there are no amenities. We ran our generator at night and had no issues with neighbors. Only a 10 minute drive from the main attractions in Sedona.

Bayou Segnette State Park, LA

Located only 15 minutes from the heart of New Orleans!! The campground is spacious and each site is separated by trees or bushes. It’s very affordable like most state parks are, which is a plus. The bathrooms and showers were heated and clean, but I did have a tree frog join me during my morning shower. The laundry room charges $1.75 per load and there is no change machine FYI. The sites flood easily due to the marshland climate so be aware of that. Our site even came with a deck which was nice. Overall we enjoyed our stay very much so!

Letchworth State Park, NY

Letchworth State Park is known as the Grand Canyon of the East and is located in Mt. Morris New York. My husband and I visited regularly when we lived near Rochester, NY. The park is stunning and is fit for camping whether you’re in a tent, RV or choosing to rent a gorgeous cabin. There are many walking and hiking trails for adventurers of all types. Make sure you bring your camera as the views are all photo worthy. The camping price is right due to the fact that the park is run by the state. A great place to stay especially in the Summer!!

Moose River Plains, NY

Located in the Moose River Plains complex as part of the Adirondack Forest preserve, a remote beautiful place to camp. First come first serve near road campsites (60 total). It’s accessible by a 23 mile access Moose River Plains rd. Located near Inlet, NY where you can visit small shops, restaurants and even a hardware store. There are 130 miles of marked and maintained trails within the moose River plains complex. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay. Make sure you’re prepared for dispersement camping as this location does not provide amenities other than Mother Nature itself.

Sugar Creek Glen Campground

My husband and I spent his birthday weekend camping in our truck tent here. Around Halloween all the RVs decorate and the kids dress up for trick or treating. The owners of the park are very friendly and accommodating. The sites are level and spacious among the trees. The tent sites have options along the water as well. Unfortunately it stormed the night we were there and the river flooded over the road, so it was tough getting the truck out to leave the next day, but we made it after a couple hours!

Eric and Jays RV Resort

This is a newer campground and we were pleased with our stay there. The welcome building, bathrooms/showers and gym are all brand new and updated with modern design. There is coffee available for free to guests in the rec room, which is a nice place to relax. There is a fully stocked pond for fishing and a gas fireplace pit to sit around in the evenings. The sites come with full hook ups, but are slightly uneven. There was a busy road behind us that could be loud at times, but other than that we were quite happy with the park. Would recommend!

Chenango Valley State Park, NY

Camping at Chenango Valley State Park is always a great time. The park is very family friendly. It has numerous hiking and biking trails, two lakes (Lily and Kettle) and a 18-hole golf course for guests to enjoy. The grounds and bathrooms are very well maintained and the sites are level for those RV or tent camping. We enjoy the sites because they’re spacious and woodsy. They make you feel secluded, but are also a short drive from a brewery and the city of binghamton.

Old Forge Camping Resort, NY

My family and I have been visiting Old Forge Camping Resort for 20+ years. This is one of the most family friendly resorts and a perfect weekend getaway for those living in other parts of New York State. The visitors/welcome center has everything you need, including firewood, sweatshirts and homemade breakfast sandwiches. There is endless RV camping, tent camping, cabins and cottages available. Make sure you book far enough in advance. We typically book 1 year prior for the cottages.

The bathrooms and grounds are well maintained and accessible from wherever you are in the park. There are hiking, biking and running trails galore. A volleyball court, playground and even a lake to fish or rent paddle boards. There is a bus from the campground that takes you to enchanted forest safari, which is a great way to avoid parking. Would recommend 100%

Hacienda RV Resort, NM

Located in Las Cruces New Mexico, Hacienda RV resort is conveniently situated right off of interstate 10. Their main office is closed currently due to COVID precautions, but they are still very accommodating. The sites are small, but have everything you need with level concrete pads and full hook ups. They have a large laundry room. Make sure you use the ones closest to the door (on the right) because they are newer and don’t leave your clothes soaking wet. The dog park is large and has several entrances- it also provides waste bags and a garbage can, which is a plus. The bathrooms are private and include a toilet and shower- clean!!