High-Rated County Park Campgrounds & RV Parks
County park campgrounds are an ideal choice for RVers. They supply numerous room to discover in addition to loads of outside actions.
Some are set on lakes or have ocean views. Loads of timber and shaded websites are the norm, and they’re usually fairly priced in comparison with RV resorts and personal campgrounds.
Not all county park campgrounds have full hookups, so name earlier than you go. For those who wish to boondock, you’ll love these campgrounds and every little thing there’s to expertise.
What are county park campgrounds?
Earlier than we get into one of the best county park campgrounds, let’s check out what precisely is a county park campground. Merely, they’re simply how they sound. They’re often owned by the county in a selected state and may vary in measurement from very small with just a few campsites to large acreages with lots of of campsites and plenty of facilities.
County park campgrounds can typically be inexpensive than state parks or personal RV parks, nevertheless it simply relies upon. County parks are sometimes partially funded with native tax {dollars}, so that you may see two separate charges—one for county residents and the next payment for non-residents.
Ensure you get all the small print whenever you reserve a county park campground web site. You can find that they could fluctuate within the type of hookups they supply. Usually there are primitive tenting websites, in addition to these with solely electrical energy and water.
Analysis the campgrounds forward of time on RV LIFE Campgrounds. Campground critiques will provide you with all the small print of particular campgrounds, plus images and ideas from actual campers.
Take a look at these top-rated county park campgrounds in your subsequent RV journey.
James Island County Park, South Carolina
With greater than 124 websites on this 643-acre park, James Island County Park is a lovely and handy place to discover nature, in addition to Charleston and the encircling Lowcountry.
Websites are on filth or gravel and may accommodate as much as 42-foot RVs. Situated alongside the Stono River marsh, this park additionally affords 10 cottages for lease and is open year-round.
You’ll be able to get pleasure from your spacious campsite, then play the 18-hole disc golf course, hike a path, take your canine to the canine park, or strive your hand at saltwater fishing. The town of Charleston is close by and an ideal space to discover the historical past, take a look at the eating choices, or take within the websites and sounds of the Charleston Metropolis Market.
Different park facilities embody a sand volleyball courtroom, horseshoe pits, climbing wall, splash zone (April 1-Sept. 30), and problem course. You can even lease a bicycle, pedal boat, stand-up paddleboard, or kayak.
The county park campground is very rated on RV LIFE Campgrounds, with a mean ranking of 9.0/10 from over 400+ critiques. In accordance with a current reviewer,
“This campground is inside a 600-acre county park that’s cherished by locals on James Island. Miles of trails, a canine park with a seashore for the doggos, an enormous fishing dock, a giant playground, an superior vacation mild show (relying on the time of 12 months), and a full hookup campground in addition. It’s actually superior. Laundry is on web site and takes quarters. The machines are outdoor on the again of the loos. T-Cell labored nice. Starlink was wonderful for streaming however was obstructed by all of the timber so most likely wouldn’t have held video conferencing calls very effectively (I went right into a co-working house downtown Charleston to work whereas at this cease so didn’t use Starlink for work these 3 weeks). Harris Teeter, a southern grocery retailer, is a mile up the highway, together with fuel, eating places, and so on. We camped at James Island County Park in a Journey Trailer.”
– by way of Life With Beth And Courtroom
Fort De Soto Park Campground, Saint Petersburg, Florida
Pinellas County is house to Fort De Soto Park in Saint Petersburg (within the Tampa Bay space). That is an especially common campground, so be sure to plan effectively forward of your journey.
The park is positioned proper on the Gulf, and the park is made up of 5 interconnected islands. There are many sandy seashores to discover, in addition to playgrounds, trails, a ship launch, fishing piers, and a waterfront canine park.
There are 238 campsites on this 1,136-acre park; all campsites have water and electrical energy (30 and 50 amp) hookups and are positioned close to the water. You’ll be able to park an RV as much as 40 ft on the gravel websites.
If in case you have time, take a look at the close by Dali Museum, which incorporates a set of the works of Salvador Dali. Take a historic tour of Saint Petersburg on a segway tour or a guided kayak tour of Shell Key Protect.
The Fort de Soto Park Campground can be extremely rated, with a superb 8.9/10 common ranking. Study extra in regards to the campground and think about images, facilities, and critiques on RV LIFE Campgrounds.
“What a gem of a campground. Convey your bikes, numerous good paved bike trails. Journey to the seashore or the fort. We camped at Fort De Soto Campground in a Motorhome.”
– by way of Dell&Terry
McDowell Nature Protect Campground, Charlotte, North Carolina
McDowell Nature Protect affords 1,116 acres with loads of outside recreation alternatives. The park contains eight miles of mountaineering trails, picnic areas, shelter leases, geocaching, a nature middle, and extra.
There are some 56 campsites, starting from full RV hookups to primitive websites. Campsites have a bathhouse, laundry services, and a playground. There may be additionally group tenting obtainable at Copperhead Island. Group tenting is proscribed to 40 folks in six campsites.
A volleyball courtroom, horseshoe pit, and shelter can be found (be sure you carry your individual tools). There are additionally paved trails, a restroom with one bathe, and two massive charcoal grills. Leashed pets are welcome.
It is strongly recommended that you simply get a reservation and test with the campground workplace for websites that may match bigger rigs. The campground is gated and walk-ins is not going to be served after enterprise hours.
For those who go to Charlotte you’ll be able to see the Daniel Stowe Botanical Backyard, soak up a race on the Charlotte Motor Speedway, or wander the 7th Road Public Marketplace for eating places, quaint outlets, and far more.
The campground has a superb 8.5/10 common ranking on RV LIFE Campgrounds. One current reviewer stated,
“Attractive campground. Gated. Exceptionally effectively manicured websites with picnic desk patios, paved websites. Clear bathhouses with particular person bathe/rest room rooms with Vacant/Used locks. Straightforward to navigate; good signage. RV Web site 6 is a small pull via (our 16 teardrop and Highlander TV simply match). Many massive, personal websites. Solely unfavorable – web site required many blocks to stage. Brief drive inside park to lake entrance strolling trails (Lake Wylie – border between NC/SC). We camped at McDowell Nature Protect in a Journey Trailer.”
by way of GoGoYears
Wenatchee River County Park, Washington
This stunning county park boasts 49 websites in the midst of Washington State. It’s positioned off Freeway 2 on the Wenatchee River in Monitor, WA, between Cashmere and Wenatchee. It’s about 15 miles from the Bavarian city of Leavenworth.
The park’s spacious websites embody pull-throughs, water and electrical, and dry campsites. About 43 websites are full hookups.
Facilities embody laundry services, showers, restrooms, a sand volleyball courtroom, basketball hoops, horseshoes, free film utilization, a library of books, an out of doors ping pong desk, a playground space, and a swing set.
Free Wi-Fi is obtainable, in addition to areas to journey bicycles, a submit workplace, a small retailer, and a restaurant close by. For vintage lovers, there are acres of retailers just some minutes away, in addition to many wineries within the space to get pleasure from.
Wenatchee River County Park is very rated, with an 8.9/10 common ranking on RV LIFE Campgrounds. Right here is simply one of many current critiques:
“Uniquely organized websites, adequately spaced. Plenty of open frequent space. Effectively saved. Fairly quiet. Fireplace rings, tables and landscaping all in good situation. Street floor in park and websites all paved. We’ll keep longer subsequent time! We camped at Wenatchee River County Park in a Motorhome.”
– by way of Charles LeMay
Quintana Seaside County Park, Texas
On the 52 beachfront acres of Quintana Seaside County Park, on the Texas Gulf Coast, one can find an escape from the summer time crowds with full hookups, paved RV websites, cabins, picnic tables, lined pavilions, a wood lighted fishing pier, entry to the west jetty and extra. The Discovery Occasion Heart may be rented and holds as much as 80 friends.
The pure seashore is maintained by tides and climate, and it may have sargassum seaweed and different plants washed up on the seashore. Natural supplies present nourishment and stability to the seashore.
Out of doors sights embody birdwatching, fishing, nature watching, swimming, browsing, and beachcombing.
Historical past fans can take a look at the stays of WWII, which incorporates the location of Fort Bates (1862), Freeport Harbor Protection (1942), and two traditionally vital homes.
The county park campground has a superb 8.1/10 common ranking on RV LIFE Campgrounds.
“The $16 an evening displays what we paid for a 34-day keep. Laborious to beat that worth for a campground with full hookups alongside the Gulf Coast. The websites furthest from the shore are solely a seven minute stroll to the seashore. Though you can’t see the seashore from the campground as a result of panorama, you’ll be able to watch enormous cargo ships move via the close by channel and dock just a few blocks behind the campground (it was cool to look at).
Our web site was a pull-through web site. The pull-through websites are shut to one another, very similar to you’ll discover at a non-public campground, however we didn’t really feel it was tight. Every web site is fairly stage and has an asphalt pad. The roads and asphalt pads are previous however respectable. Between the 2 sections is a wood bathhouse with loos, bathe stalls, and a small laundry room. There’s a small playground close to the round loops and a bigger one close to the workplace and park buildings nearer to the seashore.
This can be a good park for chook watchers: along with being subsequent to the Gulf of Mexico, the campground is just some block from a chook sanctuary. Throughout our keep we noticed geese, pelicans, black vultures, white cranes, and some nice blue herons. There are indicators warning about snakes in sure areas of the park, however we by no means noticed any (they could be extra of a difficulty in hotter months). Mosquitoes are additionally prevalent however once more weren’t too dangerous as a result of it was nonetheless winter. There are many wide-open grassy areas to stroll canine, although some areas may be squishy after rain.
When it comes to cell service, one of the best speeds I acquired on my Verizon Jetpack with MIMO antenna throughout our keep had been between 30 to 50Mbps down and 15Mbps up, and people speeds had been fairly constant, leading to practically flawless video streaming. The one velocity check I carried out on my AT&T telephone confirmed 50Mbps down and 5Mbps up. The campground provided WiFi however we by no means tried it. We loved our keep there and hope to return sooner or later. We camped at Quintana Seaside County Park in a Fifth Wheel.”
– by way of bcswartz
Scott County Park Campground, Elridge, Iowa
With over 400 websites, Scott County Park in Elridge, Iowa can accommodate RVs as much as 40 ft. The park is positioned on some 1,280 acres and affords six separate campgrounds within the park (together with two campgrounds with full hookups). There’s a mixture of reservable and first-come, first-served websites.
The park has sport fields, nature trails, a playground, and an Olympic-sized swimming pool. Make the most of the picnic areas and shelters with tables, grills, and fireplaces. Winter actions embody sledding, cross-country snowboarding, and tobogganing.
The park is simply 20 miles from Davenport the place you’ll be able to benefit from the Figge Artwork Museum or take a look at the German American Heritage Heart. Go to Bootleg Hill Honey Meads and study in regards to the mead-making course of, or head downtown to take heed to stay music or soak up a comedy efficiency.
The Bald Eagle Campground is very rated, with an 9.7/10 common ranking on RV LIFE Campgrounds. In accordance with a current reviewer,
“SCP is a big, county owned and operated public park. And also you should not have to be a Scott County resident to get pleasure from it. There are six separate campgrounds inside the park; two are primitive, one electrical solely, one W/E and two FHU. One of many FHU campgrounds has pull-through websites. In Bald Eagle solely 11 of the 52 websites are resolvable, so name early. There was plenty of cruising the world on the lookout for obtainable websites. The park may be very effectively maintained and manicured. The websites are massive and the pads are deep and stage. There’s a good concrete patio with a desk and close by fireplace ring. Our web site was close to the tub home, so we did expertise some visitors, and the parking zone was nice for youths to journey their bikes. The utilities are positioned collectively and handy for the camper. The voltage and water strain had been robust. The wi-fi sign was additionally fairly robust. There is no such thing as a cable TV, however I wouldnt actually anticipate that from a county park. There have been loads of broadcast stations from the Quad Cities. We had a really nice expertise at SCP. Hope to have extra We camped at Scott County Park, Bald Eagle Campground in a Motorhome.”
Bastendorff Seaside County Park, Oregon
Bastendorff Seaside County Park is just some miles from the scenic Cape Arago Freeway close to Coos Bay, on the Southern Oregon Coast.
The campsites are minutes away from the seashore, which may be reached by strolling or driving, and the views overlooking the ocean are superb. Of the 99 campsites, 74 websites have water and electrical energy and the opposite 25 are usually used for tent tenting. There are additionally two tenting cabins obtainable and a hiker/bicyclist campsite.
The campground is organized in 5 loops in a mature conifer forest with loads of shade. Websites are well-separated with loads of foliage for privateness between camp spots. Campsites in Loop E may be reserved for big teams.
Benefit from the day-use space for taking part in softball or volleyball. Use the close by horseshoe pits and basketball courtroom, or take the children to a novel playground that’s common with locals and campers. Stroll the seashore or fish within the surf, however be cautious of sneaker waves and harmful rip currents.
Don’t overlook to take a look at the close by marine advanced for some boat watching or the Marine Life Heart aquarium. Do a tasting on the Stillwagon Distillery, or take photos of the gorgeous Cape Arago Lighthouse. Constitution providers can be found within the space for fishing or sightseeing.
The park has 6.8/10 common ranking, with solely 20 critiques to this point. Here’s what one RVer lately shared:
We camped within the D loop and our web site had good separation from neighbors with hedges. There was additionally an open grassy space with no actual privateness. Tremendous clear loos and showers! Nice mountaineering and seashore strolling close by. We camped at Bastendorff Seaside County Park in a Journey Trailer.”
– by way of -TCA-
Gilbert Ray Campground, Tucson, Arizona
Situated on the west aspect of the Tucson Mountains, Gilbert Ray Campground is a superb winter vacation spot. The campground has 130 RV websites with 30-amp electrical hookups, close by water, and a dump station.
The campground is simply south of Saguaro Nationwide Park and west of Tucson. You’ll be able to get pleasure from desert mountaineering and beautiful sunsets at this common campground. Reservations are extremely really useful within the peak season (January to March), and the seven-day keep restrict is strictly enforced.
If in case you have an opportunity for sightseeing, there are a number of can’t-miss actions in Tucson you may need to see. This contains Saguaro Nationwide Park, the place you’ll be able to discover the Tucson Mountain District or the Rincon Mountain District. These areas protect the Sonoran Desert landscapes, fauna, and flora, together with the large saguaro cactus.
Take a look at the Pima Air & House Museum or the Tucson Botanical Gardens. The Mini Time Machine of Miniatures is devoted to miniature homes.
Gilbert Ray Campground has earned a superb 8.6/10 common ranking on RV LIFE Campgrounds. One current reviewer stated,
“The camp is surrounded by Tucson Mountain Park with most websites having numerous privateness and nice views of the mountains. A really quiet, peaceable park. Most keep is one week, however you’ll be able to come again after per week and keep once more. Electrical solely. Giant, clear loos with massive sinks behind for laundry dishes and your hair! Degree, gravel websites. Great spot to hike, mountain bike, and sit back. No WiFi, however good mobile (Verizon) We camped at Gilbert Ray Campground / Tucson Mountain Park in a Motorhome.”
– by way of Invoice&Patty
Estes Park Campground at East Portal, Estes Park, Colorado
Whereas this park is greatest suited to small RVs below 30 ft, you will get some superior views of Rocky Mountain Nationwide Park.
With 68 websites at 8,300 ft in elevation, this park has water and electrical hookups and some full hookup websites. You will notice loads of wildlife together with elk, deer, black bears, and foxes. Additionally, you will have entry to the East Portal Reservoir, which is nice for fishing.
With shady websites, this park is well-suited for households and outside fans trying to discover close by nature and trails in Rocky Mountain Nationwide Park. The close by city of Estes Park has alternatives for extra mountaineering, in addition to biking, horseback driving, boating, {golfing}, and fly fishing. Soak up family-friendly actions like go-carts and mini golf.
The park has a superb 8.0/10 common ranking on RV LIFE Campgrounds. Take a look at this current overview:
“This can be a quiet, rustic park with simply water and electrical hookups positioned six miles from the city. It’s a great spot to flee the crowds of Estes Park. The views from most of the websites are stunning – the Rocky Mountain Nationwide Park adjoins the RV Park. No WiFi and rare and unpredictable Verizon reception. The websites are considerably unlevel, however may be taken care of with some leveling blocks. Consider it after they say that no rigs over 22′. It’s true! We felt massive at 19′. The camp hosts and entrance desk personnel had been very good and useful. Our house, A-1, was massive, personal and with an ideal view, however was very difficult to get our 19′ trailer in place. We camped at Estes Park Campground at East Portal Reservoir in a Journey Trailer.”
– by way of alm
St. Croix Bluffs Regional Park, Minnesota
St. Croix Bluffs Regional Park is simply a half-hour from Minneapolis-St. Paul. The park boasts 579 acres, with greater than 3,800 ft of scenic river shoreline alongside the St. Croix River. The campground has 26 pull-through websites with water and electrical hookups, back-in websites, and trendy loos. Rolling upland prairies, wooded ravines, and bluffs are an indicator of this park.
Visitors can get pleasure from mountaineering trails, picnic areas, and a motorized boat launch with 50 trailer areas. A ball area, horseshoe pits, volleyball courts, a half basketball courtroom, and two tennis courts are positioned within the picnic space, in addition to a big play construction.
Make a day journey into the Twin Cities and go to the Minnesota Zoo and Fort Snelling. Observe town’s distinct design, together with the Walker Artwork Heart. See a present on the Guthrie Theatre or store on the Mall of America. Dine at eating places on Nicollet Avenue and take a look at the stay music scene in Minneapolis.
St. Croix Bluffs Regional Park has a superb 9.4/10 common ranking on RV LIFE Campgrounds. One current reviewer stated,
“Good facilities, effectively saved. Trendy utilities and public facillities. Nice areas, open areas, playground and seashore. This can be a dry park. No alcohol allowed. We camped at St. Croix Bluffs Regional Park in a Journey Trailer.
– by way of etravlr
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County park campgrounds are a hidden treasure for RVers. From outside enjoyment to close by metropolis life actions, {couples} and households will discover lots to do and see.
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Terri and her husband, Todd, are full time RVers and work campers. They’ve been dwelling full time of their RV for practically three years with their Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Newton, and their Mini Aussie pet Remi. They’re at present wintering in Arizona with plans to proceed their travels subsequent summer time. Writing is Terri’s ardour however she additionally loves mountaineering, kayaking and something she will be able to do outdoors.