Campgrounds
How we rate and what we look for
Taking on the World, One Campsite at a Time
One of the struggles we find is that it’s difficult to find ratings for campgrounds. Mostly, we feel like we are flying blind when we book a new campground. This is maddening! It’s the reason I wanted to start blogging in the first place. We decided to create a rating system for the campgrounds that we stay at based on the following criteria:
The Director’s Top 10 Criteria for Campgrounds
1. Amenities
Is there a pool? A club house? Is the bathhouse tidy?
2. Maneuverability
Are the sites pull-through? Do you have to worry about your slides hitting trees? Do you jack-knife trying to pull in/back-in? Is it difficult to determine if the campground road is one way?
3. Hookup
Is it full hookup? Is it just electric? Water? Cable? Sewer? Personally, I have found we can get by on just electric hookup for about 5-6 days but only if we can use the facilities and it’s not my ideal situation every trip.
4. Pad Comfort
Where does your camper and vehicle sit? Is the pad concrete? Grass? Mud? Stone? Paved? Level? What happens when it rains (because you know it’s going to rain)? Does it turn into a swamp?
5. Activities Near By
Our kids are older now so I’ll be rating this more on activities like hiking, biking, fishing, canoeing, etc. Also, are there things to do near by if the camping trip is a total washout.
6. Seasonal Sites
Is the campground mainly full of Seasonal Sites and campers? We would rather stay at campgrounds that are not just for the weekenders. We found this contributes to a lot of shenanigans and we try to avoid them..
7. Fire Pit
Is the fire pit in a location that is convenient? Are you afraid you’ll catch your camper on fire? Is there a grate to use for cooking?
8. Golf Carts Allowed
Some of you may be just aching to bring yours along but bad news: I will be rating this one on the negative. Golf carts = shenanigans and like I mentioned above, we want to avoid them.
9. Sun/Shade Ratio
Is there adequate shade during the day? Or is it mostly wide-open with the sun beating down on you all day long?
10. Site Size
Can you hear the conversations of your nearest neighbor (or worse) while they are inside their camper? Is there enough space to spread out? Are the sites on top of one another? Can our large 5th wheel fit?
Additional Criteria to Consider
*Disclaimer – these are the characteristics we seek out and help us determine if we like a campground; they may not be everyone’s choice of criteria
1. Playground
What’s the playground like? Is there one? Does it keep the children entertained long enough for the adults to not hear “mommy/daddy” for a small clip?
2. Picnic Table
Is the picnic table new(er)? Will I get a splinter the moment I sit down? Are there rusty nails just dying to give me tetanus? Do you see-saw when you sit on them?
3. Discount Cards
Are discount cards allowed, like AAA, Passport of America, Good Sam, etc.?
4. Price
How does the price compare to the amenities? I’m not a cheap-skate but I rarely pay $70 a night for a site.
5. Quiet Hours
Are the quiet hours reasonable? In my mind that means begin around 10 PM and end around 7 AM.
Campground Reviews
Each year, we try to travel to a few new campgrounds but we have a few that are favorites that we go to every season. Check out my review posts for our thoughts on our most recent adventures.
Front Royal, VA
Laporte, Pa
Gettysburg Battlefield Resort
Gettysburg, Pa
Campgrounds visited: 2022
Campgrounds visited: 2021
Campgrounds visited: 2020
Recent Adventures
Explore my recent posts below:
Lums Pond
When: September 24 - September 26, 2021 Duration: 3 days, 2 nights Location: Bear, DE Cost: $38 per night Miles from SE PA: 68 miles Site#: 26 About Lums Pond State Park Our good friends clued us in to how amazing Lums Pond is a few years ago, and we've been...
Little Pine State Park
When: August 4 - August 8, 2021 Duration: 5 days, 4 nights Location: Waterville, PA Cost: $27 per night Miles from SE PA: 183 miles Site#: 7 About Little Pine State Park I have been making the yearly trek to Little Pine State Park (or as we so lovingly shorten...
Moose Hillock
When: June 25 - June 30, 2021 Duration: 6 days, 5 nights Location: Fort Ann, NY Cost: $125 per night Miles from SE PA: 282 miles Site#: I don't remember About Moose Hillock People who know me well know that I love a good bargain. I am super practical and...
The Director's top Tips & Tricks For Camping
Check back soon to see more of our product reviews and suggested excursions to take near the campgrounds we visit. For now, enjoy my thrilling boast about Ruggable Rugs!
Let’s talk about rugs!
I remember when we bought the camper, oddly enough, the first thing I ran to the store for was a rug. I bought a rubber-backed cheap rug from Target. It was hard to wash, the rubber backing eventually crumbled, and I’d classify it as an epic fail. Washing the...
My Videos
Recently, I started to document our trips with short videos. Moving forward, each of our campground review posts will accompanied by a video review.