Camping thread 2021

[skyking1]

I did not see one so here goes.
We started the year at Port Townsend and Fort Worden State Park, last weekend.

We were shooting from the hip and really forgot about spring break. I was lucky to get two nights after that at Dosewallips State park.
I like to visit snow, so we headed up Hurricane Ridge in Olympic National Park.

Dungeness Spit in the distance from part way down the mountain.

I had posted the last couple i another thread.
We are going to Dungeness Recreational Area on the 13th of May for 4 days of dry camping.
Next trip planned is 4th of July in the mountains to escape the fireworks for our dogs.
I also see a possible beach lot trip in June.
Post up your camping

 

[Trailwalker]

Mississippi River

This was our first trip of the year in early April. We camped first on the Iowa side of the Mississippi River at a county park just north of Bellevue. Then with rain coming, we moved to higher ground at Bellevue State Park. It was a very relaxing week, and we definitely beat the crowds.

 

[Octogirl]

Camping 2021

We started our camping this weekend in South Jersey.
I forgot how much I loved walking on the beach before summer crowds arrive.

 

[skyking1]

DW is working too hard and she got a huge recharge from things like walking on the beach.
We have a beach lot on the Pacific coast, less than a half mile from the surf. You can hear it when things get quiet at night. We always have a reservation there

 

[teetee]

Our state doesn't have dispersed camping (no BLM or national park that allows camping) so when the reserve america monopolized the state park campgrounds and jacked up the tent site price from $14 a night on 2018 to $27 in 2019, I (and I believe many others) stopped going camping.

If I am outgoing and find enough people to share the outrageous price, I might do that. The thing with camping is I really just want to bike around the campground, read some pages of a book, then just stare at the camp fire alone all night and forget all the BS from work.

Or I can drive 6 hours minimum each way and across two states to find the closest national park with dispersed tent sites. Driving for that long is enough to kill all the fun of one weekend.

 

[old medic]

We have averaged 30-50 nights a year camping someplace. Last year we cut back a bit, only partially due to COVID. We have only 24 nights reserved for this year so far.

 

[REWahoo]

We've averaged just under 50 nights a year in our RV over the past decade. Last year we managed only 7 nights but we have plans to get in at least 30 this year, hopefully more. First short trip is next week, then we will likely wait until late summer to take a 3 week trip to find some cooler weather in CO.

 

[txtig]

Not sure I’d call it camping (RV’ing maybe), but we just got back from a two week beach trip in our Class A motorhome. Port Aransas and South Padre Island on the Texas Coast. The weather wasn’t the best (cool and quite windy), but we always enjoy our beach getaways.

 

[Arizona1]

Our state doesn't have dispersed camping (no BLM or national park that allows camping) so when the reserve america monopolized the state park campgrounds and jacked up the tent site price from $14 a night on 2018 to $27 in 2019, I (and I believe many others) stopped going camping.

If I am outgoing and find enough people to share the outrageous price, I might do that. The thing with camping is I really just want to bike around the campground, read some pages of a book, then just stare at the camp fire alone all night and forget all the BS from work.

Or I can drive 6 hours minimum each way and across two states to find the closest national park with dispersed tent sites. Driving for that long is enough to kill all the fun of one weekend.

Too bad you don’t have much camping there. Plenty of campgrounds in the western states but we can’t use it. People reserve all the weekends way ahead of time for the year then cancel most of them at the last minute when they narrow in on when they will actually go. We like to go all week and a weekend but they are reserved. The camp spots are always empty because of it.
Another wonderful government service.
We’re currently camping in northern Arizona and plan to spend early winter in southern Utah.

 

[travelover]

Too bad you don’t have much camping there. Plenty of campgrounds in the western states but we can’t use it. People reserve all the weekends way ahead of time for the year then cancel most of them at the last minute when they narrow in on when they will actually go. We like to go all week and a weekend but they are reserved. The camp spots are always empty because of it.
Another wonderful government service.
We’re currently camping in northern Arizona and plan to spend early winter in southern Utah.

I've noticed the same thing. My devious mind says there is a way to exploit this to get free camping, like slipping down to an unoccupied front row seat at a concert during intermission.

 

[Bamaman]

We keep a fifth wheel trailer in the Blue Ridge Mountains about an hour from the edge of Atlanta area. It stays there in storage all the time.

With 4 slides and a bunkhouse, we're spoiled to 3 televisions, satellite tv service and WIFI throughout the park.

Even our tent campsites have cold water, satellite and wifi services.

We're really spoiled.

 

[daylatedollarshort]

I did not see one so here goes.
We started the year at Port Townsend and Fort Worden State Park, last weekend.

Great pictures. We have been to that area twice on vacation and have good memories.

We haven't been camping in a long time but are going to give it a go this summer since a lot of our other hobbies, like going to the theater, aren't available due to COVID.

 

[skyking1]

Teetee, I looked at the camping around you and that's terrible I'm sorry for that. I'm so used to having all these opportunities out west I never thought about what it might be like in other regions.
Soon we hope to join you 25 to 50 night a year people. Out here in Washington the best part of getting into the mountains is getting away from the city lights and being able to see the stars as they really are.
@bamaman , when I remodeled the fifth wheel I put a spot in there for a TV and I've never hung the TV we don't miss it when we're camping.

 

[old medic]

I've noticed the same thing. My devious mind says there is a way to exploit this to get free camping, like slipping down to an unoccupied front row seat at a concert during intermission.

https://freecampsites.net/

We have stayed at a few over the years

 

[skyking1]

We are also some of the launch members of boondockers welcome. We hosted some really interesting people over the years. Our very first couple were from Australia by way of the Czech Republic. They had both emigrated when they were young, and then met in Australia and got married LOL.

 

[DrRoy]

Just done with my second round of camping in about 45 years. It was for a photography workshop in and around Capital Reef NP in Utah. I didn't sleep well, but figured it was worth it for the access and golden hour locations. Had to wrangle my tent but not the meal prep.

 

[Chuckanut]

People reserve all the weekends way ahead of time for the year then cancel most of them at the last minute when they narrow in on when they will actually go. We like to go all week and a weekend but they are reserved. The camp spots are always empty because of it.
Another wonderful government service.
.

Here in Washington, reservations made very far in advance and cancelled are subject to a large cancellation fee. Very large.

Cancelling individual site reservations

When cancelling reservations for individual campsites, cabins, yurts, platform tents, Adirondack shelters, or vacation houses, please be aware of the following information:

• If you cancel or reduce nights on a reservation seven or more days prior to your scheduled arrival date, the cancel / change fee is $8 online or $10 by calling the Reservation Center, plus a fee that is a percentage of the cost of all cancelled nights as follows:
  • 50% for reservations held more than six months
  • 40% for reservations held five to six months
  • 30% for reservations held four to five months
  • 20% for reservations held three to four months
  • 15% for reservations held two to three months
  • 10% for reservations held one to two months
  • 5% for reservations held less than one month
• For example: A reservation is made 5 months in advance and canceled one month prior to arrival online. Being held 4 to 5 months, the percentage is 30% of all nights canceled.
  • Making the Reservation
    • $8.00 Reservation Fee
    • $90.00 Camping Fee ($45 X 2 nights)
    • $98.00 Paid

 

[travelover]

https://freecampsites.net/

We have stayed at a few over the years

Right, but my thought was to simply occupy reserved but abandoned sites.

 

[dirtbiker]

We love camping in our RV. We've got a simple, fairly small RV without any slideouts. It's a Forest River 22MKSE. We mostly boondock in it, and have an upgraded battery bank and 800 watts of solar that run everything except the microwave and A/C. If we need to, we'll run the generator, but we try to avoid it if we can.

So far this year we've got a New England trip next month with a day in Providence to take my girls to the zoo there, which we've never been to, then five days outside of Acadia in Maine, then two days by Mount Washington, and two days in the Adirondacks. Because we're going the week before and through Memorial Day, and because we're in New England where there aren't as many boondocking locations, we've booked sites. Usually when we do book actual campgrounds, they're state or national forest campgrounds, but for Acadia, we've splurged and booked ocean front at an RV park. It's not our usual thing, but it should be quite fun, and my wife will enjoy not having to practice water discipline! We don't yet have anything booked for Mount Washington, which we're debating whether or not we're going to try to find boondocking spots, or just book a site. And we found a pretty decent looking state park campground in the Adirondacks close to Lake Placid. We haven't taken a vacation, besides quick weekend getaways, since October, so we're long overdue for a camping trip.

We also have a long weekend booked for Hershey PA in September for the annual RV show there. We've never done an RV show, so we're looking forward to it and being able to climb in and out of so many RVs in one place.

I'll be taking a solo motorcycle trip as well, most likely through New England again, but to ride the NEBDR. I'll be tent camping along the way in 'stealth' sites. We've also been throwing around the idea of taking the RV down to Florida in the fall, but no definite plans yet. FL is the only one of the 48 lower states I've never been to.

https://freecampsites.net/

We have stayed at a few over the years

We've used this website quite a bit. If you don't mind being off the beaten path camping

 

[finnski1]

DW, the dog and i will be in Acadia in May(26th thru 29th) as well with our small camper. We go to a campground north of MT Desert island. Much quieter than the main park and the campground is fairly new and immaculate. Living in NH, Acadia is our favorite place to camp in New England. The coast of Maine is beautiful.

 

[skyking1]

Here in Washington, reservations made very far in advance and cancelled are subject to a large cancellation fee. Very large.

That is good to know, Chuckanut. We so rarely cancel that we did not notice if that changed or when.
The one that throws a wrench in all that is the free camping given to certain card holders. I know of someone that has essentially free camping and does indeed make reservations with not much chance of using them all.
He's a friend and had a couple of Hueys shot out from under him in SE Asia to get that privilege, so I tread softly on the subject. More flies with honey and the like.

 

[dirtbiker]

DW, the dog and i will be in Acadia in May(26th thru 29th) as well with our small camper. We go to a campground north of MT Desert island. Much quieter than the main park and the campground is fairly new and immaculate. Living in NH, Acadia is our favorite place to camp in New England. The coast of Maine is beautiful.

We love it in Acadia as well. We try to go every couple of years. It's been about five years since we've been there last, so we're definitely itching to go and overdue.

 

[skyking1]

We've never seen New England proper, having only flown into Danbury CT, around the area to the north, and then exited NE to Niagara Falls and back home. Even the flight across upstate NY was mostly inside a cloud LOL!

 

[steiny]

this is how I roll to camp .

 

[skyking1]

Nice setup, steiny

My favorite camping spot, under my sister's walnut tree