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What To Look For In a Campground
When looking for a campground or RV Park, the purpose and duration of your stay will likely govern the selection of the campground. For example, if you are traveling and just staying overnight, the campground you might choose will be quite different than the one you select when staying for a couple of weeks or longer. In the former case, you might look for a campground with pull-thru sites so you don't have to unhook and in the latter case the convenience of a laundry and full service hookups might be higher on your list. Likewise, if the purpose of your stay is to visit landmarks then you would want a campground located conveniently near your intended places of interest as opposed to the person who wants a campground that is isolated to more fully experience natures best offerings.
Most of the campground locator links shown above have several amenities listed for each campground that are of interest to those making a selection. Some of these amenities and choices are summarized in the table below.
| Feature | Choices |
| Site Type | There are typically two types of sites offered in most campgrounds and RV Parks, pull-thru and back-in. A pull-thru site allows the traveler to enter the site from one end and exit the site from the other end. This type of site is desired by overnight travelers so they do not have to unhook their towed or tow vehicle and hook it back up the next morning to travel down the road. Pull-thru sites usually offer a longer site than a back-in site and often times offers wider sites as well for slide-outs. Back-in sites are much more common in campgrounds and RV Parks but require the RVer to back the RV into a particular site which can be a challenge depending on skill level, space, and amount of daylight. Back-in sites may offer a far better view of the landscape than pull-thru sites, however, and are preferred locations next to the beach, the lake, the mountains, and many other locations where the view out the back of the RV may indeed be spectacular. Consideration should be given to the site width if your rig has slide-outs, if you would like to put your awning out, or if you would like a little extra room between you and your neighbor. Site widths of less than 20 feet may be tight to maneuver the RV into, especially if there is a picnic table or fire ring taking up some of the space. The wider the better is a good rule of thumb. Additional items to consider about a campground and site are:
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| Hookups |
See individual descriptions of Water, Electricity, and Sewer below for more information.
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| Water | Some remote locations like National Parks only have water available at a few shared locations around the campground, and some locations like Bureau of Land Management areas have no water to speak of so you must bring your own water. Most if not all RV parks have fresh water hookups but you should strongly consider the use of a water pressure regulator to avoid bursting the pipes or water connections in your RV from too much water pressure (rare, but some campgrounds have up to 110psi water pressure) and a water filter to keep various solid and chemical contaminants from entering your onboard fresh water system. |
| Electricity | Remote locations will not likely have any electric hookups and you will have to rely on batteries and generators of some type - engine driven, solar, wind, etc. Locations that do provide electricity will offer 20amp, 30amp, and often times 50amp service. Note: Always test the service before attaching the power cord to your rig to make sure polarity, amperage, and voltage are correct. If the outlet post has a breaker, always be sure to turn the breaker off before plugging in the power cord and before unplugging the power cord. This will avoid sparking and potential damage to the outlet, your power cord, and your rig. 30amp service is the most common in older campgrounds and full 50amp service is more common in modernized and most newer campgrounds, although there may be a surcharge for 50amp service. Some campgrounds charge separately for electricity service if you stay a week or more at a time and most campgrounds meter usage if staying a month or more. If you have a 30amp rig, you can plug into a 50amp outlet by using an adapter or "dog bone" and use the service without problems. If you have a 50amp rig, plugging into a 30amp outlet using an adapter may cause damage to the outlet, your rig's power cord, and your rig's electrical system if you attempt to draw more than 30amps from the outlet since not all outlet posts with or without a 30amp breaker work correctly. Please be courteous to your fellow campers and use 30amp outlets responsibly if you have a 50amp rig. |
| Sewer | Remote locations will not likely have sewer connections at a given site. There may be a dump station located in the campground or in the nearby area. Most campgrounds and RV parks of any age will have a dump station for those sites that do not have sewer hookups. Full hookup sites will have a sewer connection at the site, but the location of the connection is important for pull-thru sites. For motor homes, a location closer to the middle of the site is preferred over a location toward the end of the site because a motor home will often have a car in tow that must clear the road and thus cause the coach's sewer outlet to be more than 10 feet - the usual maximum length of one section of sewer hose - from the sewer connection at the end of the site. For towables, the sewer connection at the end of the site is preferred except for those rigs with sewer outlets in the middle of the rig. For pull-thru sites it is best to make a request for a site that is motor home friendly or towable friendly if the choice is presented. For back-in sites, you take what you can get but the sewer connections are usually within 10 feet of the rig's sewer outlet. It is also advisable to carry an extra 10 feet of sewer hose in case you are stuck with a distant sewer connection. Also be advised that in many states and campgrounds, if you leave your sewer hose connected to the sewer, it must be tightly coupled with a screw on connection or a sponge like ring to prevent sewer gas from escaping into the area. |
| Restrooms and Showers | Remote locations will seldom have restroom or shower facilities and the toilets are usually non-flush type when found. There are several RV Parks which only accept self contained rigs which means they do not offer restrooms or showers, expecting the traveler to use their own rigs for those purposes. Some travelers prefer to use campground showers to avoid filling their holding tanks if a connection to the sewer is not available. Others prefer to use the campground restrooms for similar reasons. There are also some campgrounds and several RV Parks which charge for restroom or shower services. |
| Cable TV | Remote locations will seldom if ever have cable TV connections. Most modern campgrounds and RV parks offer cable but some may charge for the service. For travelers without satellite dishes, cable TV service becomes important if you need weather, news, or business information, or desire to keep up with the latest entertainment episodes. For those with satellite dishes and subscriptions, cable is only important when weather or site conditions prohibit or interfere with the operation of their satellite dish. |
| WiFi Connection | Remote areas seldom if ever provide Wireless Fidelity or WiFi connections close enough to the sites to enable wireless Internet connections. Modern facilities are providing wireless connections more frequently although too many are charging for this service. Others have a hot spot near the office which provides sufficient connection capabilities during most weather conditions. Performance of wireless services can often be poor and is seldom great. Satellite connections to the internet are typically capacity limited and will shut down Internet traffic to a trickle for some period of time after large amounts of data are transmitted or received over a short duration, leaving wireless connections very slow and temperamental. Land line connections to the Internet have fewer restrictions and provide better performance. WiFi connections are an important consideration for those who like to keep in touch and those doing business on the move. |
| Telephone | Remote locations will seldom if ever have telephone connections at the site, but often have a pay phone nearby. Telephone service is much less important now that cell phones are so pervasive. Modem hookups are one of the last requirements for telephone service and that requirement is being replaced by cell phone data capability. |
| Laundry | Remote locations will seldom if ever have laundry facilities unless you consider a large rock on the bank of a stream as acceptable. Many older and most modern campgrounds have some sort of laundry facilities and usually charge for the services. Although free laundries do exist, they are very rare and are heavily used when found. Laundries are an important consideration for those travelers without onboard washing machines who pack lightly for medium to long trips. |
| Hiking/Walking Trails | Remote locations typically have a vast selection of walking and hiking trails to choose from to seek the adventure we like and to get the exercise we all need. Some campgrounds and RV parks offer walking trails around small lakes or ponds. Often the roads of a campground offer a means to go for a walk as well. |
| Swimming Pool | Remote locations will seldom if ever have a swimming pool, but these locations will often have lake and stream access for water activities. Many campgrounds and RV parks will have swimming pools or access to lakes nearby. Swimming pools are very important to families with children and lake access is very important to boaters and fishermen. |
| Fitness Center | Remote locations will not likely have a fitness center, but will instead have many natural amenities like hiking and walking trails. Most campgrounds lack any formal fitness center facilities. Many campgrounds and resorts that provide for longer stays have a fitness center of some sort. |
| Pet Area | Remote locations are a pet's delight with plenty of area to roam and lots of wilderness scents to follow. Many campgrounds and RV parks now have designated areas where dogs can be exercised and most require any pet to be on a leash at all times. Pet owners are typically asked to follow some simple rules regarding cleaning up after their pets and keeping dogs from barking excessively. Some campgrounds charge extra for pets and some restrict breeds. If you have a pet, it is best to check with the campground when making a reservation to make sure the facilities and rules are to your liking. |
| Other Campground Amenities | There are other amenities available at some campgrounds that are important to some travelers for various reasons, such as:
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