Located in the Ocala National Forest in Central Florida

Campground- with 2 large camping areas with over 150 sites overall this is one of the better campgrounds we have ever visited. One campground has complete hookups, meaning 50amp, water and sewer. The cherry on top is that all the sites are paved! Wifi is ok with our booster and using our verizon jetpacks. There are two bathhouses with 3 showers.

The second campground area also has an equally large camping area that is primitive with only water and bear lockers and one bath house. This area is closer to the kayak boat launch. This area does not have paved roads and can be very sandy causing some bigger vehicles to get stuck apparently.

Your campground fee does include entry into the springs, but know that on high attendance weekends you cannot drive your car to the springs parking lot and the springs can be up to 3/4 mile walk depending on your campsite. There are no laundry facilities but if you exit park and drive left there is a laundromat, local food, dollar store, bait tackle. If you exit park and go left there will be a marathon gas station on your left- the unmarked building behind that is a small grocery store. Across the street from this unmarked grocery story is a charming veggie/fruit stand and a food truck that serves mexican inspired food with a local flair.

Note- be aware the road that leads to the boat ramp occasionally is forced to close due soft sand . (This happens when there is a drought) This means you will have to go to the Salt Springs Marina around the corner about 2 miles if you need a vehicle to drop off your boat.

Hiking-In the park there is a dedicated 1.5 mile trail called Bear Swamp Trail and there is a .5 mile trail to the springs. This park also has its own connector to the trail to the Florida Trail.

Nearby short biking/hiking distance from the park connector trail is also the Salt spring observation loop Hike. There are soo many hiking opportunities in the area because of the Ocala Forrest, Florida Trail and the connectors. Two of my favorite resources for this area are the websites Florida Hikes and the Florida Rambler.

Biking- the roads in and around the park are very bike friendly. If you are into mountain biking you will enjoy the hundreds of miles of ATV/multi use trails in the area.

Water Activities/Kayaking- Swimming in the Salt Springs-This is a natural spring area that due to the composition of minerals in the water there is a slightly salty tinge to the water. The water in the springs are generally crystal clear and having googles and/or mask would make this more fun. Water temperature is 72-74 degrees year around. (We are currently here in June and our last visit was in January of this same year.) Also- in the colder months - Chances increase of seeing manatees the salt springs run.

Just outside the swimming area is the "Salt Springs Run" which flows slowly for 4.5 miles into Lake George. This means paddling up and down the salt run is enjoyable both ways.

Other Activities outside the park- 1.5 miles away there are 4 pickle ball courts available by exiting right from the park.

Amrit Yoga institute is about 10 miles away and offers wellness weekends, yoga, pilates. There is also yoga on Tuesday nights at the Salt Springs Recreation center (next to the pickleball courts)

We hope you enjoy this park as much as we do. Enjoy the video we made for YouTube- it is below.

Happy Camping! Pamela and Keith

We love this state park park with its large wooded campsites, 375 acre lake and river for paddling & fishing, 7 miles of multi use trails for hiking & biking trails, playgrounds, and putt putt golf. Home to gopher turtles, alligators,deer and seasonal home to vultures and bald eagles makes wildlife spotting fun. The landscape runs the gamut from coastal plain to pine forest. Those visiting for the day may enjoy the catfish cabin restaurant just outside the park. Since the park is only 7 miles from 1-75 this can easily be a great overnight stop.

Reed Bingham is located on route 37 which is an Agro-tourism road. The route features vineyards, olive farms, boutique hotels, specialty shops, local produce, farms and two state parks….to name just a few places for you to visit. We also enjoyed biking to the Horse creek winery in Sparks, Ga just 7 miles away. (This winery is also a harvest host).

Visit for more info www.gagrowntrails.com

Campground- sites are large and graveled. Outer loop locations have more shade trees. Premium sites have sewer in addition to water/30/50AMP picnics tables,fire rings and some with grills too. There are no cabins.

The paddle in campground for 30 is pretty cool since it is its own island. There is also a nice group/pioneer camping and a couple of walk in tent sites that are on a little island with a bridge walkway.

There are rentals for bikes and paddling. The beach for swimming is more of a wading beach and since I have seen the alligators in this lake i do not recommend swimming anywhere else on your own.

Paddling/Fishing is fun on the 375 acre lake. The lake also connects to little river and it is a @ 3 hour leisurely up river paddle to Red Robin Boat ramp in Adel Georgia (aka Colquitt boat ramp) ->if you have a way to drop off and paddle downriver to Reed Bingham it would be more relaxing.

The 5k running/walking route for the annual Little River 5k is easy to follow in the park for your activity pleasure.

The stars just reflect that this is an older campground near a busy road serving a larger city. It does this job well. (If you are an encore member-it is part of that group.)

This is campground provides a good location to downtown Wintergarden with its charming downtown with cute shops and restaurants.

Our favorite activity is biking to the trail head for the West Orange rails to trail which is located downtown @ 3 miles from campground. This rail to trail is 22 miles long and can be extended another 9 miles ….if you link to South Lake Trail.

Also close biking (and driving distance) is Winter Garden Village -a great big outdoor mall with big name stores and specialty stores (easy 5 mile bike ride on sidewalks and multi-use trails not related to the West Orange trail.)

If you want to use this as a base for attractions. It is 21 miles to Disney and 15 miles to Universal Studios.

We stay here routinely for maintenance appointment for our Newmar RV at Independence RV and there are many big RV and Trailer showrooms in the area.

What you can expect at the Campground itself- tight quarters with a lot of long term residents and surprisingly a few tiny homes too.

When it rains it does get muddy and it looks like there is a propensity towards standing water after a rain. However, we get full hook ups with cable and and short term stay sites are a bit bigger than the long term and this has outweighed the water issue. The staff is always helpful and attentive and we have stayed here 3 times.

There are 2 pools, shuffle board, dog park, fishing pond, laundry room, nice mail room with lounge and free Wifi and many planned activities.

Happy Camping! Pamela and Keith!

We stayed here for 3 nights while visiting family In Philadelphia. It is a 20 minute ride into Philly and Uber was was quick and responsive.

*note- this does close for winter and reopens in April but call park for exact closure dates because they do change.

This is a nice KOA with full hook ups, tent sites,cabins, and even glamping cabins. There is a pool that is open Memorial Day- Labor Day. They also have a catch and release pond and we found a pickleball court at a nearby city park.

We did Chinatown and walked part of the Schuylkill River trail which we accessed by parking near Fairmount Park. This is a great area to explore with gorgeous views and easy access to the River trail. (There are rentals for everything here- kayaks/bikes etc)

IF we had a car with us- we would have considered taking the ferry from Camden’s Ferry Terminal next to Wiggins Park to Philly. (This is also near the Adventure Aquarium and the battleship New Jersey) Here is a link to information about the ferry-

https://www.delawareriverwaterfront.com/places/riverlink-ferry

This is a great location for exploring Philadelphia.

Happy Camping! Pamela and Keith

I lived in Fayetteville, NC for over 10 years and just recently stopped by to visit friends as we travelled up north.

We picked this campground because it only 1 mile off I-95 and closest RV park we could find near Fayetteville .

Dirt road to campsite is packed white sand and well maintained (it had rained 2 days prior so it was not dusty)

There were full hookup and lots of big rigs/TT and class A’s in park. The park is well maintained and the owners clearly care about creating a nice atmosphere. The sites themselves are hard packed sand and you have a very nice patio and fire pit.

During the right season Memorial- Labor Day there is a nice size pool. They have a Catch and Release fishing pond and a cute walking trail The campground is close to Walmart and other eating places

⛺️other camping in the area-while I did not visit these locations recently- when I lived here I used to camp at Waldo’s Beach Campground In Fayetteville but it is not near the interstate. There is also a military/gov only campground on Fort Bragg you can check into.

Fun things to do in Fayetteville/Fort Bragg Area:

Fun things to do: 📌Airborne and Special Operations Museum (downtown). You may also enjoy the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Museum is located on Fort Bragg(call this museum directly for details)

❤️Paraclete XP skydive center (in raeford,N.C. close to Fayetteville) -One of the largest skydive centers in the world! so worth it!!! Just going and watching is pretty awesome 🥾Cape fear river trail 10.6 mile round trip multi use trail 💐 🌳 Cape Fear Botanical Garden 🐶giant dog park (near Botanical Garden) 📌Zip quest waterfall and tree top adventure zip line 🧗‍♀️ The Climbing Place (rock climbing)- downtown.
📌Defy Fayetteville Trampoline park ⚾️ Minor league baseball team Fayetteville Woodpeckers are hosted here in town and a new stadium was built.
🎥 🍿 Cameo Arthouse Theater- Indy theater- sit upstairs in the LOGE!

Cape fear botanical garden (Big dog park near the gardens)

Happy Camping! Pamela and Keith

First landing State Park is a 2,888 acre park located on 1.8 miles of the shoreline of the Chesapeake Bay. We camped here in early May in our 34 ft Class A Rv. If you are familiar with us, you will know we love campgrounds where we park our RV and we can spend the next 10-14 days hiking 🥾, biking 🚴‍♀️ and paddling 🛶.

🛶You can easily launch your kayak from the campground area but realize you will be trudging through sand for about 200 yards. When the bay was rough, it was a challenging paddle… and worth the views.

🎣I paid for an out of state fishing license for 5 days and it was pretty expensive. I already keep GA and FL yearly fishing licenses…so I may have to rethink my fishing addiction as we travel more outside those states. There is a boat 🚤ramp near the Narrows beach which is either free or costs $4 for people staying at the Park. (We didn’t use it and the wording was contradictory in my research) so check with park on that item if you tow a motorized boat.

🥾20 miles of Trails!! Lots of trails to hike and mountain/hybrid bike. We were surprised at the quality and the number of trails available. We were never bored. Here is a link to the hikes

https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/document/data/trail-guide-firstlanding.pdf

🚴It was also fun to road bike the 10 miles from the state park to the Virginia Beach Boardwalk but we advise you take cautions on the first 2 miles outside the park. We were NOT there “in season” but during certain times of year there is a trolley 🚃 that goes to the boardwalk, gift shop and lots of park activities during the season.

🚍⛺️This campground delivered! The 184 Campsites with variations of 20/30/50amp electric and water (some sites may be seasonal March-December) sites are mostly hard sand/grass based and not all are level. Due to foilage/branches —>many of the larger sites near the waterfront are narrowed (Our camping neighbor had branch clippers he let us borrow) Also, note is that there is a $5 per pet per night additional fee at the campsite

🏡they have lots of cabins. pets are allowed for a $10 fee per pet & per night in the 20 cabins but not in the 4 available yurts. (I know that seems high but many parks in other states do not allow pets at all in their cabins) Here is a link to a pdf about the park

https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/document/data/facility-guide-firstlandingnorth.pdf

We are excited to come to this park this upcoming April.

Happy Camping! Pamela and Keith

We don’t always pick campgrounds for their spacious sites and scenic views. BUT we do pick them based on the outdoor activities we can do from the campground itself via bike riding or walking. Since we don’t bring a car location is very important to us.

This private campground is in a fantastic location. Waking distance to stores, water slide park, kayaking, fishing/crabbing from bridges and Biking distance to Chincoteague Wildlife Refuge & Assateague Island National Seashore . There is even a complimentary trolley that will take you to the beach during the “in season”.

You can rent kayaks and bikes from this resort. There is a pool, jumping pillow, and playground. The water park adjacent cost an additional fee. They have 3 day passes and after 3pm packages. (You May also get a discount from KOA front desk)

The campground- tight and efficient with a lot of options for staying here from little cabins safari style tent cabins, rental Rv’s, grassy tent area to full hook up rv sites. We had a premium RV site and since we were here off season in late April- the campground was not super busy. Just expect that you will be in very close proximity of your neighbors and it will be loud and boisterous in the evening. Our solution?? Hike and Bike all day so you are exhausted. That way after dinner and a couple of glasses of wine… you really don’t care.

We came here specifically to experience the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge and Assateague Island VA National Seashore and the parks did not disappoint. We biked and hiked the the parks but you can easily enjoy a lot of the sites via car. Just know that pets are NOT allowed. There are Ubers in this area. Here is a link to the trail and park map.
https://www.fws.gov/uploadedFiles/Region_5/NWRS/South_Zone/Chincoteague_Complex/Chincoteague/Chincoteague%20Refuge%20Trail%20Map%20(1).pdf

There is a fee of $10 per car for 7 day pass. Bikers and Pedestrians get in free. (The fee gets you into both parks).

Happy Camping! Pamela and Keith

This is part of a super large park that runs 32 miles along the Patapsco River. It has 8 recreation areas and we stayed at the Hollofield Area in April- one of our first experiences in a Maryland State Park. Beautiful park with 70 miles of hiking/biking /multi use trails. There are parks on both sides of the river to explore and experience the trails. Be sure to bring/download maps. You are close to Ellicott& Columbia in Maryland and DC.

Campsites- nice size gravel sites, some are a bit close to each other in the “electric” loop and some face a neighborhood that probably couldn’t be seen if the trees had regained all their foliage. There is only 20/30amp electricity and NO water or sewer- although there was a dump and a place to fill your water tank. No washer or dryers. There is one bathhouse for the campground, which was clean and well maintained. Tenters will be happy because many of the smaller sites were more secluded and had great views of the woods. Cell coverage was good with our sprint/Verizon.

ALSO- APPROACH THIS PARK ONLY FROM THE WEST IF YOUR VEHICLE IS OVER 11 FEET HIGH. (There is a 11’ bridge coming east bound into this park.)

We enjoyed hiking the trails directly from our campsite that led us down to the Patapsco River. There is a lot of history associated with the River and the area. You can even swim in this river. Fishing looked like fun too but we didn’t have time.

We really loved road biking to the nearby H Mart to have fun shopping and browsing their unique selection. (This is a super large Korean store packed with fruits, vegetables, seafood and other food stuff that could put an American grocery store to shame. If you are into K Beauty, they have a nice selection)

You can also bike/drive to nearby Ellicott city which has a charming downtown area.

There is mountain biking and kayaking in the area but we were not in explorer mode this visit because we were visiting family.

Here is a link to the updated trail map of the area:

https://dnr.maryland.gov/publiclands/Documents/Patapsco_HollofieldPickallmap.pdf

Happy Camping! Pamela and Keith

Campground overview: We visited here in the third week in April. This is a private campground located about 6 miles from Cape May Point and about 4 miles from the beaches. If you are looking at this area to camp- then you know this is an area of lots of history from the WWII lookout tower and lighthouse to the hawk watch observatory.and everything in between. You will not be bored here!

Lots of construction work was going on while we were here in preparation for their busy season which begins Memorial Day Weekend for the region. We were not bothered by this.

There is a small lake (with swimming area) that is stocked for fishing and the overall feel of this park is tranquil. There is a rec center, activity center, tennis courts, 3 pickle ball courts, playgrounds and pool to name a few things. This is off season so the campground did not have the usual KOA bustle and feel of a summer camp for adults.

Campsite : This is a well kept up park with plenty of wooded and shady sites that are a firm gravel and very level. Easy in and out of the park with our 40 feet of Rig. We had a premium pull thru site site with picnic table, grill, porch swing and patio table set along with a large concrete patio. (*note-placement of the sewer necessitated an extension to reach when we aligned our rig with the concrete patio.)

Activities close to park: In addition to the campground activities which are plentiful, the Cape May Bike trail is directly across the street. If you go right, you will be in a very active shopping center area in about 2.4 miles and if you go left you are on your way to the beaches in 4 miles.

The Cape May Ferry is only 4.4 miles away and could be a fun day trip because it will take you to Rebooth and you can explore Cape Henolpen State Park for the day . (We actually took our RV on the Ferry to our next campground) and that successful adventure will be documented at another time.

My take away for this campground is that it is a great location to explore the area and you even have the option of additional day trips in a way that you may not always get to experience….Ferry rides are fun!

Here is a great website that informs you of all the activities the area has to offer from Polar Plunges to wine and brewery trails.

https://capemaycountynj.gov/960/Points-of-Interest

Happy Camping! Pamela and Keith

Campsites: Large sites that were graveled and level. We did not have sewer but there were premium sites that did. The ease of access to trails and the beauty of this park make it a favorite with most people. However, we are always disappointed when we come here that there is all this water around us and no way to access it easily from the campground. (That 1/4 mile from Park entrance to boat ramp is about 2 miles from the campground). Don’t worry- our disappointment does not impact the rating on this 5 star park. There are also 3 cabins and a pioneer group camp site.

Random points but all good !

1. Scary biking outside park (no shoulder) but with a mountain or hybrid bike you can ride on grassy shoulder pretty comfortably to some interesting areas—> boat launch at first bridge, fishing pier at second bridge, museum 1/2 mile past second bridge…..
2. You have to sign up for trolley pickup and bus pick up by 6 pm the day before at park office to get transportation to downtown Savannah on Fridays and Saturdays
3. No easy kayak access unless you have a way to drive 1.5 miles to public boat launch (even though campground is surrounded by water). We don’t bring a tow vehicle- and locking up the kayaks at the public boat ramp was NOT a safe choice. (We stop at boat ramp to kayak before we check in to the park and as we depart.)
4. Easy golf cart/bike path to Publix and cute bar
5. Nice campground store
6. Nice book exchange
7. Sprint WiFi was decent
8. 7 miles of Super nice hiking trails
9. RV parking available at visitor center downtown Savannah - daily fee 8-6:30 pm $20 no longer allows overnight . Our 34 foot RV was pushing the size limit and had the lot been full we would not have been able to pull out . (Used to have overnight rv parking but inconsiderate people ruined that)
10. We heard boondocking spaces at convention center were available overnight for a small fee and you can take ferry across river to historic savannah. (Couldn’t find a lot of credible sources to confirm this but we are going to attempt it on next trip.
11. Not gonna bore you with more pictures of Savannah- worth a day trip!

We came to this park because we were looking (as usual) for a park with paddling, hiking and biking. We were also curious about Cumberland island and wanted to get information on the ferry and if this park could be a good homebase to use. (We knew the ferry to Cumberland Island was not too far away from this park). We were here in March. We were not troubled by the no see-ums but we had a lot of overcast cooler days while we were here. . 🎆The highlights of this park were plentiful- Kayaking with dolphins , beautiful trails, nice views from campsites, adequate hiking, fun destination biking to St Marys, full bait and tackle shop, outdoor fitness center, mini golf.

🥾Hiking- (4 miles of trails) there are 5-6 trails not including golf cart trails and birding trails- .

🚴‍♀️🚵Biking- all the trails and golf cart trails were user friendly with our hybrid bikes. We biked to St. Mary’s to the Cumberland ferry departure site from the campground. 9 miles of the 10 mile trip was on protected sidewalk/multi use type sidewalk. St Mary’s has a bunch of super cute restaurants and souvenir stores and Museums. (Check opening hours of museums before you visit) Nice place to spend a couple of hours.

🛶Water activities-paddling/fishing/swimming. Kayak drop off is a short distance from campground - (too far to manually wheel our kayaks over each day) so we locked them up at the boat ramp area.
📌You are dependent on tides when you are kayaking here - they are pretty strong! The park will supply you with a tide schedule and which direction to Kayak. Good fishing off the shore and floating dock area.

🚍🏕Campground: The gravel campsites were large and spacious. There were full hookups available- even 100AMP but we did not get one. (Choose premium for sewer too) Cell reception with our Verizon hotspots was good. Washer/dryer cost $.75 . There isn’t a playground at the campsite area but there is one on each side just a short walk away. There is also a pioneer campground area for group camping.

🏡 there are also 11 cabins for rent with screen porches, basic amenities to include cable- there are more detailed descriptions are online at ReserveAmerica.

Happy Camping! Pamela and Keith

This park is located on the highest point in Alabama. It has a great camp store with most basic groceries, hotel, cabins/chalets, group lodge, restaurant with gorgeous views, pool, 6 acre lake ALONG with great hiking trails. There is also a dog park and in general this is a very pet friendly 🐶state park. (Bring the groceries you need- closest grocery store is a 20-30 min drive)and know that the restaurant is decent but it may have varying hours during off seasons.) . 🚍⛺️campground- there are two campgrounds with full hookups. The Upper campground at the top is the mountain near all the major trailheads, restaurant, camp store and pool. The Lower Campground at the bottom of the mountain is near the small lake with swimming area and walking trail around the lake. We stayed at the Upper and in February we had the whole campground to ourselves most of our 2 week stay. All the sites are updated and have water, 30/50 amp electric, sewer, picnic table and fire ring or grill. Bathrooms at upper level can be an uphill or downhill walk. *💲this state park has a $4.75 reservation fee and a 3.75% daily “resort fee” on your base campsite rate. Both of those are not deal breakers but good to know. (Especially since the pool is only open for a limited time)

🏡 there are chalets and cabins. I felt the cabins had the better views than the chalet and more private but these are smaller and more rustic. When you are making reservations for a cabin or chalet be sure to check the occupancy rate for the cabin you choose- some are limited to 2 people and look👀 at the amenities of each cabin/chalet- some are quite rustic but descriptions are given. Good news is that they do have pet friendly cabins.

🏕there are semi/primitive and backcountry style sites. ✏️Note that the semi primitive camp sites (the ones on Tower Road) don’t have a shower house for you to use- there is a bathroom available. If you plan to hike a lot and don’t want to drive your car- try to get sites on the upper part of park. (My personal pet peeve is driving daily to a trailhead when I am camping)

📌There is also a hotel with motel like rooms (near the pool and restaurant) and you can even rent an entire lodge for groups that was very attractive from the outside (this was located at top of mountain near the overlook trail-not really walking distance to pool and restaurant)

🥾hiking - 10.5 miles of hiking in the boundaries of the park with connectors to the Pinhoti. The hiking trails had spectacular views on both sides of the mountain. Hiking poles were helpful! While the .3 mile wooden boardwalk to Bald Rock is stroller and mobility challenged friendly, most of the other hikes were moderate to strenuous for the average person. For example- There is a one mile trail straight down the mountain to the lake and lower campground. That said, we loved the hiking here. Next time we plan to bring our larger back packs and do an overnight on a section of the Pinhoti. Did I mention how awesome the views were hiking?

🚵 mountain biking- there are 5 trails that are multi use… and hikers must yield to bikers on these. While we were here there was a mountain biking race. 🚴‍♀️road biking- the roads in the park had some incline…but I was glad to have my bike to roam the upper part park where we camped. (We don’t bring a tow vehicle) My husband biked outside of the park and you can decide for yourself if you would have fun road biking here after you drive UP the mountain roads to the Visitor Center. *It is 3 miles from the visitor center/park entrance to the lower campground/lake area via non park roads. 🛶- we didn’t paddle here, it was not near our campground and it is only a 6 acre lake/pond. There is a swimming/wading.

Happy Camping! Pamela and Keith

We chose this resort because we wanted a location we could easily Uber or shuttle to NOLA without having to worry about security/safety of ourselves and our RV.

This resort is located on the Mississippi River in a very industrial part of town. We were here in April and the was great. We came here specifically to do the town.

This resort did not have tent camping but had a lot of villas to rent in addition to the RV/trailer sites. The sites had 50AMP/water/sewer/cable and wifi. There was a small pool and restaurant/bar. There is also a really nice gift shop. You could also kayak or dock a boat at the marina here.

The road to the resort was pretty bad- it is possible it has been paved since we were there and I will update this review if it has. The Rv sites of the resort are fairly close together but the staff was wonderful and helpful. There are several categories of pricing at this park and it was a bit pricey.

The resort offered day shuttles to NOLA for $6 each way- $12 round trip. Uber cost us $20 one time and $40 another due to time of day.

We had a great time exploring and eating our way through New Orleans. We enjoyed the tasting menu at Commander’s Palace, chargrilled Oysters at Dragos, and a great lunch at Auction House Market (think food trucks in an indoor venue). Did I mention that we are foodies?

We hit all the “tourist” activities in our 2 day whirlwind trip to include Bourbon street, Canal street etc AND of course…. coffee and beignets at Cafe Du Monde.

What would we do differently -

1. spend more than 2 days here!!!
2. Bring bikes or rent them so we could enjoy and do more of the parks …
3. pick up a To Go lunch at Rouse’s market to eat in one of the parks, waterfront or NOLA’s Museum of Art sculpture garden
4. do the hop on hop off bus / 3$ all day trolley car
5. Do a steamboat tour of Mississippi River

This park in North Georgia on Lake Lanier hit our trifecta 🚴‍♀️🥾🚣🏼‍♂️.

12.5 miles of multi use trails with some elevation.
📌Additional bonus for those with strollers/small children or physical challenges —>this park had several ADA accessible trails which were paved.

Lake Lanier offered wonderful kayaking/fishing opportunities, there is also a beach for swimming. If you paddle or fish- be sure to have your fishing license/whistle/ life jacket. I got pulled over twice by water patrol.

Keith loved biking the rolling country roads surrounding the park. Too hilly for me outside the park but I am a wimp about climbing hills.

We could do it all easily from our campsite which had 30/50amp, water and lucky us there was a grey water drain within hose reach. (These Grey water drains are dispersed randomly throughout the campground not always near your site) There is also cable hook up. Verizon service was okay.

We stayed here for 10 days in mid July and bugs were minimal…as long as you were inside or armed at dusk with repellent or fans.

The wooded campsites and shady trails made the whole summer adventure great!

There are primitive tent camping areas and lovely 8 cottages/cabins too!)

Campsites– some spots are spacious like the pull thru but it appears everyone shares one electrical box with a neighbor. Pull thru sites are nice packed gravel/clay and a lot of the back in sites are grassy. There are longer stays available here and some of the sites have that “little too comfortable” look. There is a military base in town, so I am sure this used by military and government workers at times. You will have to call and make your reservation. From past experiences- it is good to double check your reservation or have them email you/mail you your confirmation- check to make sure the site you are assigned has the hook up you are paying for and if you have to share an electrical box you need to find out if there are two 50 amps or if one user gets a 30 amp and the other gets a 50AMP.

There are a couple of cabins and there is also a tent/group camping area too.

Bathhouse- has a washers/ dryers in a screened in area. Bathroom facility is older but maintained. NOTE–> Only one Shower and one family shower

WIFI was only ok- we thought we would get better being so close to Albany. It was better with our boosters, and we used verizon jet packs with our sprint phones.

Activities- we always camp here when we participate in the annual Nut Roll biking event (30-100 mile options)

There is a small wild life park with animal exhibits(extra fee) , hiking trails, mountain biking trails, fantastic playground and water element for kids, BMX track, remote control car track, disc golf and kayaking/fishing just outside the park entrance. There is a more extensive review on our website about the activities.

Fort Mountain State Park We visited this park in early/mid November for 10 days. Keith and I hiked and played hard every day here- despite the early winter storm 🌨, gusty breezes 💨and freezing temperatures ❄️that finally gave way to beautiful crisp days☀️. The park is rich in history but we are not history buffs so we will leave you to get that info from your friend, Google. . 🥾The trails: Get a trail map!! These are awesome trails and varied trails with lots of elevation. The Gahuti is the most known hiking trail here and we never saw another hiker on the trail except each other when our solo hiking excursions crossed paths. The most popular trails here would be the trails to the CC C Tower and overlook and the “wall”- just know these are not easy hikes due to them going up hill. The most stroller/limited mobility friendly trails are the lake trail and the Cool Springs overlook. . Most of the trails except the Gahuti are multi use and there is a strong community of mountain biking here. We didn’t bike the trails here with our hybrid specialized bikes because we felt the trails (other than the lake trail and the park roads) to be too technical for us due to the major elevation changes, loose gravel and rocks. . *Sidenote .

1. You do NOT need a permit or notify park office to hike the mountain bike trails anymore.
2. If you hike a lot- be aware that some of the double blazes signaling trail split ahead actually already happened by the time you see the blaze. In addition, some trail signage is only on one side of trail or in one direction. (We are one of those couples that creates new hiking loops using existing trails so the signage was a little confusing at times.)
3. The bike trails are not blazed. We suggest everyone wear a helmet not just the required 16 years and younger group. . ⛱🛶🏊🏼‍♀️The lake area- a small 17 acre spring fed lake is here for your fishing, paddling and swimming pleasure. The area also has putt putt, the only playground,seasonal concession and rentals, beach area and a super nice walking trail for everybody. . 🚍The campground consists of large spacious gravel sites that are well maintained. In the winter, you have lost a lot of privacy foliage but still nicely spaced apart. All sites are 30/50 amp with water. Grey water drains are located around the campground. There is a dump station. Each site has a picnic table and fire ring too. Remember, there are a lot of hills here so expect this when walking to bathouses from most campsites. We had inconsistent cell coverage even with a Winegard booster with AT&T and Verizon. Mornings were best reception and evening were not so good.
   . 🏕Other camping options include, walk in tent camping, pioneer campground for groups, backcountry campsites and super cool and private platform (aka squirrel’s nest 🐿) campsites. . 🏡There are also beautiful cabins with lovely views on the mountain side. Most have mountain/forest views and a very few are near the lake. Realize that most of these are on large hills 🏔 so there will be a nice walk to the lake/recreation area. . We really enjoyed the hiking here so much we never kayaked or fished the lake…(also due in part to the cold temperatures). Our 10 days went super fast and we were never at a loss for something to do. You will truly enjoy this park with its history, mountain and lake views. Happy Camping! Pamela and Keith

Tugaloo state Park: This Georgia State Park offers a multitude of activities from hiking, paddling, boating, fishing, swimming, putt putt, tennis/pickleball court and biking the park roads to name a few things. This park appears to be a local favorite and weekends were more active than weekdays during our 10 night stay at the camp ground. We really felt at home here due to the friendliness of the park staff and camphost volunteers. We loved the gravel sites, good Verizon cell reception 📶 and best of all the ease of access to our kayaks🛶. (Do check with the park office because some things like putt putt may be seasonal) 🔔 Another thing- should you want to rent a patio boat ⛴ - the park office has some numbers for you.

We stayed here in late October for 10 days and didn’t want to leave. The campground is laid out well with gravel sites, concrete picnic tables, fire pit, water, 30 amp and grey water drains throughout the campsite areas. 🚍Larger rigs—> Bring a dogleg/bone for double 30 amp.👍. Also- be aware some of the pull thru sites are almost buddy sites - your truck hauling your trailer will fit but your trailer won’t because another camper is sharing the pull thru lane with you. Rv’s with Tows won’t have this same issue. 🏡Cabins- I shared on the video that cabins 1-10 have less stairs if that is important to you. Yurts- some of these are on a hill- this means a walk up to restrooms …but don’t worry, there is a nicely paved sidewalk. 🏕 no electricity at the walk in sites- you do have water, fire pit and picnic table. There is a group campground too.

We did 2 videos of this park- so there is lots of info about all the amenities at this park. ***This is a park we have put on our favorite list to camp host here in the future.

Lake Louisa is located in Clermont Florida and is only 20 miles from Disney in Orlando. It is a newer park and the facilities were really nice. We stayed here in June and bugs were only bad at nightfall. We got good reception with our verizon and only ok with our sprint.

This park is one of our many Trifecta parks, meaning we can hike, bike and kayak. We were easily able to roll our Kayaks to Dixie lake from our campsite. We stayed at a site in Dixie loop sites sites 1-30. Hammond lake was across the road from our campground. The other campground (Sandhill) is equally nice with the same gravel sites, 30/50 amp electricity and water but not quite as close to the lake. There is a dump station and some of the sites have full hookup with sewer. Reserve America does not note which ones have sewer too but when I did some more research I found one review that mentioned that site #’s 16,18,20, 30, 32,33, 34 (ADA), 35,36 (ADA), 37,38,39, &40 are the sites that have sewer too. Note: Only a couple of sites offer a water view due to the foliage and the trees.

In addition to the campground for Rv,tents and trailers….this park has cute little teepees for rent, tent sites, primitive sites,group sites, 20 cabins (no pets allowed) and even an equestrian campground with stalls and a corral. There are kayak,bike and canoe rentals at the Dixie Lake area camp store which is located next to the campgrounds. When you rent a kayak - you will only be able to kayak on Hammond Lake (unless you hand carry it across the street yourself to Dixie lake if the rules allow that) There are also fishing piers at both Dixie and Hammond Lake. You can also fish and boat on Lake Louisa too. There is also a cute hidden lake called Bear Lake that you can bike or drive to and even put in your kayak or electric boat on this more remote lake. However, since there is no public boat ramp access to Lake Louisa -unless you can hand carry or roll your boat to water….you will need to go to the Palatlakaha River Park and Boat Ramp to put your larger boat into the lake (there are no docks at the park for tying up your boat)

This park has totally awesome park roads for biking, trails for mountain biking and hiking, and equestrian trails. Be sure to carry a map, I got a little lost hiking because not all the trails were well marked. We also enjoyed riding our bikes into Clermont.

There is a longer review with links at our website www.travylcouple.com if you want more info than this review and video offers you.

Fantastic Campground not far from Tampa. This could be a good park to stay at if you want to do Busch Gardens which is just 16 miles away. The park offers over 13 miles of hiking in and near the park, 2.2 mile multi purpose trails, exercise stations and one of the few Florida state parks that have a 1/2 acre pool (which is ADA accessible). There is a separate fee for this but my husband did lap swimming everyday we were there and loved it. There is a poolside cafe and a store with camping items and souvenirs. The park even offers kayaking/canoeing and pool related rentals. The hillsborough River has great kayaking/canoeing and even some Class 2 rapids. It was fun to kayak downriver to the now abandoned Dead River County Park.
The 112 Campsites have 30/50 amp and water, most sites were large and shaded. Bathrooms are older but clean. You can tour the historic Fort Foster only the third Saturday of each month at 10am….(watch the video and you will see some additional info on this…wink wink) The trails are really good here but rain can flood them- I hiked thru calf deep water but I like overcoming obstacles - however- you might not think that is fun. Our video here on the Dyrt shares more hiking info. The stationary bridge was closed when we visited and a quick look at state park website indicates it is still being repaired. PS. there is a another video on our YouTube channel that highlights some additional hiking trails. Happy Camping- you can visit our website to get our Facebook/instagram and YouTube channel. www.travylcouple.com

One of the largest state parks in Florida. This great Park has full and partial hook ups for all styles of camping to include hammock camping. There are 6 primitive campgrounds; group camping and Cabins too! We stayed at the Palmetto Ridge campground which were gravel and had the full hook ups. The old prairie and big flats were regular ground surface electric/water (no sewer) . These also had a little less privacy. You will have 39 miles of hiking trails and off road/mountain biking at your pleasure. We bike with hybrid specialized bikes and had no problems off road. We were here in July. Fortunately, there is lots of shade even while hiking due to the canopy trees and this kept things cooler during in the summer. We did not have a problem with biting bugs until nightfall. You will enjoy biking the 7 miles of paved (flat) roads in Park. There are Rivers and lakes for kayaking/canoe and we enjoyed the fishing and paddling. Great gift shop and cafe area near boat launch on lake. There is even a flat bottom boat tour on the Upper Myakka lake. The visitor center offers a lot of rentals too… from kayaks to tandem bikes. (For the die hard road bikers it is only 12.5 miles to Legacy Rail to trail). We had a blast and our video goes into more detail about the park. Be sure to visit the nearby Crowley Nature Center less than 5 miles away. (Crowley nature center is a separate video located on our YouTube channel and website)