See note about Site 50 below before you book!
Needed to stay in Cincinnatti to visit friends, so decided to check out Winton Woods and we were so impressed! We had an electric-only site, which put us under established trees. The sites with water, sewer, and concrete pads are newer and nice, but the trees are still growing. So for the summer, I'd go with an electric only site to enjoy the shade.
The campground has a nice camp store with ice cream and other camping essentials (ice, firewood, etc) and the park has a great system of paved trails around the lake. The biggest surprise was a small laundry room that I took full advantage of: the washer was only $1.25 per (small) load and the dryer was 25 cents per 8 minutes. It wasn't fancy (and didn't have a change machine) but it definitely got the job done!
Even if we didn't need to stay IN the city again, I think we'd consider Winton Woods. But for an urban campground, it was amazing!
Important Note: We stayed in site 50. There is a large dip and hill leading up to this site. I would avoid for most travel trailers. We have an Airstream Basecamp, which has an aggressive departure angle and could handle the dip, but I think it would be problematic for most trailers.
Cayuga Lake State Park has a massive campground but most of the sites don't have water or electricity and are squeezed together in tiny loops. If you stay, I'd recommend the 800 or 1000 loops--the sites were much bigger in those areas. But we stayed in the 100 loop (appropriately named "Minnow) and ended up leaving early because our neighbors were just too close for comfort.
The lakefront area of the park was very nice and we enjoyed walking on the drive down in front of the lake. Plus, Seneca Falls is an adorable town and it was great to visit the Women's Rights National Historic Park and the homes of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Harriett Tubman, while we were in the area!
To be fair to this park, we came directly from Watkins Glen State Park (which we loved) and our neighbors were rambunctious. We may have had a better opinion, had the circumstances been different. And in any event, we did really enjoy the area but decided to leave after 2 nights (rather than the 5 we had booked).
Oh and if you have a boat--the dock area of the park seemed really nice. We'd have loved to get out on the lake!
We spent three nights in Watkins Glen SP and will definitely be back. The sites aren't private, but are well kept, as are the bathrooms/showers. We enjoyed our hikes and if it had been a bit warmer, we would have checked out the pool.
Right across from the airport and the Silent Wings Museum, and a great spot for a quick stopover.
Loved this campground! The drive in is beautiful and because it’s so remote, it is really quiet. The sites are pretty large and secluded. The trails around the campground are well maintained and easy enough for all levels. If we’re back in the area again, would definitely stay here.
We live in Dallas and getting out of Texas is always the longest part of our trips. This campground is a great stop on the first (or last leg) of trips. Super clean, easy to use laundry, and right off of the interstate. The gym and pool look nice (but we haven't used them).
Loved this campground. Only 20 minutes from Santa Fe (and Trader Joes) but feels much more remote. They're not kidding when they warn about no cell service (there is a payphone if you need it, though!), but Starlink worked like a dream during the days when we needed to logon for work.
We stayed in one of the smaller campsites (site 8) but loved it. The site backed up to a creek that our dogs loved playing in and was relaxing to listen to. There are quite a few people that come up just to hike the Black Canyon trail and you'll see them walk by, but otherwise this was a quiet campground.
When we stayed, the water spigots on the campground were out of service, but we'd been warned about that and came prepared. But other than that, the campground is very well maintained and cared for. I took short videos of the campsites that were vacant the morning we left and am posting those. Would recommend site 12, if it's available. It is large, backs up to the creek, and is close to the vault toilets (which are as good as vault toilets can be!). Will definitely be back!
Loved to see that the campground had so many sites on the water, but the bathrooms were not kept up and barking dogs in the surrounding neighborhoods were the soundtrack of our evening. I suspect that the campground would be fun in the summer (there is a boat ramp right in the campground) but I wouldn’t come back for cool weather camping.
We wanted to come to Hot Springs but knew that the sites at Gulpha Gorge would be small, so were expecting to be disappointed—we’ve been pleasantly surprised. Would have loved to get a site on the creek, but they’re popular and we planned the trip on short notice. The hosts are super friendly, bathrooms are spotless, and the campground is well maintained. Definitely recommend if you’re in the area.
We stumbled upon Camp Washington Ranch when looking for someplace to stay near Carlsbad Caverns. It is an interesting property. While it was originally a ranch, it was purchased in the 1980s by a non-profit that serves adults with disabilities. There are group homes on a corner of the property but they also rent the property as a wedding venue and have four RV camping sites. We were surprised by the ponds and creeks running through the property (since its in the middle of a desert) but figured out that it receives excess water from the springs that service Carlsbad Caverns National Park.
You can walk from Camp Washington to Rattlesnake Springs Picnic Area (part of the National Park), which was a neat adventure. The picnic area was developed by the Civilian Conservation Corps and you can visit the springs and see the irrigation system developed by the CCC. Rattlesnake Springs provides all of the water to the National Park and, we figured out, also explains the ponds and creeks in Camp Washington Ranch!
It seemed like we had the whole property to ourself during our stay. We made our reservation and paid over the phone, and didn't see any staff or residents while we were on the property. Would definitely recommend to anyone needing a place to stay before heading to the national park for a cavern tour.
Made a last-minute reservation here for an overnight stay and we wouldn't be back. The sites were cramped and surrounded by bare dirt that rainstorms turn into mud holes. My impression may have been colored by the weather, but we were underwhelmed (especially given the price--for $70 a night, I expect the property to be in much better shape). Regrading the drives and adding fresh gravel would go a long way to improving the look and feel of the campground. As one of the higher priced KOA's we've visited, we expected the property to be better maintained.
We stopped for a night on our way from Great Sand Dunes National Park to Palo Duro Canyon, needing to dump our tanks and do some laundry after boondocking for a number of days. Raton KOA was just what we needed. The staff members were friendly, bathrooms were clean, and the laundry facilities did the job. The close proximity to grocery stores was an added bonus!
I think that Caprock Canyons State Park is underrated, which is great for the people who visit. We'll definitely be back.
The campground is well maintained and easy to navigate. The views aren't as spectacular as they are at campgrounds in Palo Duro Canyon but BISON COME TO VISIT. Of course, to stay safe this often requires an exercise of patience. We were caught behind a heard of 12 or so on a hiking trail and maintaining a safe distance required a very leisurely pace, with lots of time to just take in the landscape. And we had to stand around and wait for another group to graze their way past our trailer on another occasion. But it was easy to keep our distance and they don't stay in one place long, so you just have to give them a few minutes. It was really neat to see these creatures roaming free--I thought it was a lot more exciting than seeing the herds in Yellowstone because there aren't the crowds of tourists.
`Stopped at Palo Duro Canyon (Hackberry campground) on our way back from Colorado and will definitely be back (just not in the summer). This is an easy weekend trip from Dallas and the park has incredible hiking trails. The campsites are well maintained and well-spaced. Couple things to be aware of: the dump station is a little sketchy and there are an absurd number of dumpsters throughout the campground. While I'm sure that the excess trash receptacles help keep the campground clean (there is certainly no excuse for littering), I think it contributed to a large fly population that plagued our stay. It was impossible to keep them out of the camper--they would sneak in anytime we opened the door. But I'll take flies over mosquitos any day.
If you're looking to stay in the panhandle, check out Caprock Canyons State Park. It's not far at all from Palo Duro Canyon and we love the park. There are fewer visitors, the views are just as spectacular, and bison will visit your campsite!
Booked two nights at MYC on a whim, after we cut our stay at Big Bend short, and ended up adding another day we enjoyed it so much. The sites are thoughtfully laid out: even though they're close together, they're staggered so each site has unobstructed views. There are structures at each site for the RVs--would definitely help with the heat in the summer and we loved having the extra space around the camper during a rain storm. The roof does trap the sound of air conditioning, and this could cause some annoyance between neighbors who don't agree on whether it's nice enough to sleep with the windows open.
I didn't get to check out the pool because of the weather, but still enjoyed the quirkiness of a shipping container pool. The laundry/bathroom facilities were not completed but will be a nice additions once they're available.
We traveled into Marfa each day and loved the town. The one downside was the road leading to the MYC--it was gravel and when we were there, suffered from washboarding that really jostled things around in the trailer. More than an annoyance than anything, hope that it's fixed next time we stay!
There are no frills at Zapata Falls--no hook-ups, no hosts, and only vault toilets. But you don't plan a trip to this campground for the amenities: you plan a trip for the views (and proximity to Great Sand Dunes National Park). On these points, Zapata Falls doesn't disappoint. The drive up to the campground is long and steep, but once you arrive, it's worth it. We could see for miles from our campsite.
The sites were mostly pretty private. We really couldn't see anyone from our site but like most of the sites at this campground, it was situated tight against the road, so you do see folks when they walk or drive by. I wouldn't plan another trip just to come back to this campsite but would definitely consider it if we were in the area again.
Reserved at spot at Monahan's Sandhills just because it was a good stopping place on our way from Dallas to Big Bend. I didn't do much research and didn't know what to expect (honestly, my expectations were low, with all of the drilling activity going on in the Permian Basin). When we pulled in to the campground from I-20 I was shocked by the beauty of it.
In October 2022, the visitor center was closed for renovations but I think it will be really nice once it's finished. The campsites were pretty well spread out and the facilities were good. But I couldn't get over how unique the landscape was. Definitely a hidden gem. Perfect pit-stop on the way to Big Bend but would also be a great place to stay for a few days.
We stayed in Chisos Basin for two nights in our Airstream Basecamp 20x and had a great time (for anyone worried about the drive, you'll need to be careful but we found it doable). We knew before we booked that the spots would be tight and we'd be close to our neighbors, but that didn't stop us from having a great time. The bathrooms were clean and the campground hosts were friendly, and we loved that the trailhead for the Window Trail was right in the campground. Probably not our favorite Texas campground (that would probably be in Caprock Canyons State Park) but definitely plan on visiting again in the future.
The Range is nothing like other campgrounds. The owners went all out in developing the property to provide an incredible experience for their guests. You'll be blown away and appreciate their attention to detail. From weekend dinners in the barn to cocktails at the pool, The Range is truly a resort. But unlike other campgrounds marketed that way, the sites are spacious and there are hiking trails all around the property. It is what I had in mind when I dreamed of getting an Airstream. I only wish that there were more places like it around the country. Oh, and if you're after seclusion, you can definitely find it here. (But I wouldn't recommend it! I've come away with new friends after every stay.)