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Location: northern Vermont - previously NM, WA, & MA
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Best place I ever went camping was on the Pacific coast of Washington State. Check out La Push WA, there is a campground right on the beach and Olympic National Park is nearby. There you can experience the best of mother nature. Big evergreen forests, the mighty Pacific surf, huge monolith rock formations right at the beach and spectacular sunsets. Just up the road are the Olympic mountains and the Hoh temperate rain forest.
I would like to know what are the best and worst campgrounds in the USA.
What is considered "best" by some could be considered "worst" by others. Is there some sort of criteria that you are looking for, or just campgrounds with no particular preference?
Some campgrounds (usually private) offer RV access with full hookups, laundry facilities, pools, and so on. Others only offer a place to pitch a tent, and don't even have running water. Many are something in between these two examples. What are you looking for in terms of a campground?
When I think of "best" campgrounds, I think of my own experiences, though they might never be considered "best" by other people's standards.
I can remember great camping places that I've stayed in CA, OR, ID, WY, and UT. Among the most memorable of these are Balch Park in the Mountain Home State Forest in California, Kimball State Park in Oregon, and Coulter Bay in Wyoming. Each of these had significantly different amenities, as well as different scenery. They were all in beautiful locations, which is one of the things that made them "best" for me at the time I was there. Another best for me was a campsite at the north end of Courtright Reservoir in California. It didn't offer much, other than a spot to set up a tent, a table, and a fire ring. It was a beautiful location, and when I was there, the weather was beautiful, as well. I couldn't have asked for a better campsite.
Again, what some consider best is very subjective. Adding further criteria for the selection of best campground is necessary if you are looking for something in particular. Here are a few things to consider:
Drive in access (RV, car, 4x4, etc.)?
Running water?
Restrooms (pit toilets or flush toilets)?
Picnic Tables?
RV Hookups (what length RV)?
Location (near a lake, stream, mountains, forest, etc.)?
Amenities (laundry, pool, cabins, store, etc.)?
Public or private campground?
Cost of campsite?
Reservations required?
With all the variables, the answer to what is considered "best" or "worst" could be anything between or including the examples I gave at the beginning of my post. It is going to vary greatly based upon personal preference.
RIVERVIEW CAMPGROUNDS in KERNVILLE Feb. 2009 Sand, no grass, dead looking trees with no leafs! We had to stay the night and lost $40 bucks and moved to a GREAT PLACE Camp James Campgrounds what a difference! TIP: If the their website doesn't show very many pictures it must be bad! I was not able to insert a picture.
How I hate those campgrounds with the huge RV's all lined up with generators humming at midnight.
So, original poster, you must specify your question better in exactly what you are looking for - wilderness experience, convenience, amenities?
Best campground for a person like me is any place in the wilderness accessable by a marginally manageable foot trail, at least 6 miles from the nearest road, with some water nearby and a view.
How I hate those campgrounds with the huge RV's all lined up with generators humming at midnight.
But those folks in those motorhomes must love it! They are able to sit in their RVs watching TV all night while "getting away from it all."
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dd714
So, original poster, you must specify your question better in exactly what you are looking for - wilderness experience, convenience, amenities?
Yup, different strokes for different folks.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dd714
Best campground for a person like me is any place in the wilderness accessable by a marginally manageable foot trail, at least 6 miles from the nearest road, with some water nearby and a view.
That sounds good to me, except when I want to take my big tent, my cast iron cookware, my two-burner propane stove, my porta-potti, and so on...
Actually, I prefer a site that is accessible by a marginally manageable 4x4 trail, several miles from the nearest pavement, also with some water nearby and a view. That way I can take others with me, and introduce them to the great outdoors, without using up all my vacation time. If I have the time, I also enjoy hiking (backpacking) into remote campsites, though in California, that may be a risky proposition, because the vehicle you drove to the trailhead may not be there when you return!
How I hate those campgrounds with the huge RV's all lined up with generators humming at midnight.
So, original poster, you must specify your question better in exactly what you are looking for - wilderness experience, convenience, amenities?
Best campground for a person like me is any place in the wilderness accessable by a marginally manageable foot trail, at least 6 miles from the nearest road, with some water nearby and a view.
Wow, old topic. But I must say that we think alike. The best camping I've had wasn't at a campground at all. Rather, it was at least a full days hike from the nearest road, and was located where I wanted it, with great views of the peaks looming above, meadow and forests below, all enjoyed to the sound of the lake nearby, and without anyone else but my partner in sight.
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