The Personalities of Campgrounds

The Personality of Campgrounds

Since I hit the road I’ve stayed in quite a variety of campgrounds, including state or regional parks, national parks, dispersed sites, and rv parks. I’ve made a few observations along the way, including that I’ve actually enjoyed all of them, or at least some aspect of each one. I haven’t felt uneasy in any of them although I’ve appreciated certain ones more than others…that may have to do with the people I met (or didn’t) at each place.

RV campgrounds are perfect for meeting specific needs, but my least favorite of the options. Generally they’re fairly pricey, although I stayed at two different parks for $25 which is less than half the price of the other two. Showers, laundry, water and dump stations are generally available and are good reasons to stay there. It’s also a way to have something delivered, like my new fridge. At three of the four I stayed at some people were camping but many people lived there, creating a whole different vibe than when they’re strictly for camping. I found that people mostly kept to themselves, although I had a few short and cordial interactions. They served a practical purpose which was very useful, but keeping those stays as short as possible is best for me.

The national campgrounds were terrific, ranging from Lassen Volcanic National Park with lots of sites, lots of activity and a vacation vibe to Ochoco Divide Campground on federal land in Prineville, OR. Ochoco was quite remote with 10-15 sites, vault toilets and no water. There were a few RVs and camper vans and it served its purpose as a place to sleep as I made my way to the John Day Fossil Beds. Although a lovely, forested setting, it wasn’t a place I would have enjoyed spending more time at. This stop was early in my trip and even though I felt fairly isolated, I also was entirely comfortable.

State and county parks have been great. Anthony Chabot sits just outside Oakland in the Bay Area and offered a view of a lake with a trail that I hiked and biked around (photo below). People mostly kept to themselves but I had a few brief conversations with a couple of the campers. I had the impression that a couple of people may have been sleeping at the campground, then going off to work during the day. Wild turkeys roamed through the campsite each evening. As was the case with La Pine State Park in Oregon (also pictured below) there were showers, a nice amenity when lots of campgrounds don’t have them. Although Antelope Island State Park on the Great Salt Lake had no water due to construction, it was a beautiful spot where people seemed to come through one day and leave the next. There were some cabins and bison roamed through the campground as well as other areas of the park.

In the Moab area I stayed at five different locations (not including my hotel stays): Hal Canyon campground on HWY 128, Goose Island on HWY 128 (photo below), Willow Flat in Canyonlands, Sun Outdoors RV Park in town, and Devil’s Garden in Arches. Only the RV park had potable water, but there were places to get water in town. I found my campground neighbors to be friendly and interesting to talk with. We shared experiences of our travels and even contact info so we can stay in touch. I’m sure the fact that I was in Moab for 3+ weeks influenced my openness to others…I had so many conversations with people I encountered while hiking in addition to campground neighbors. Also, nothing like a big splint on your arm to draw attention!

Right now I’m staying at the Belle Campground in Joshua Tree NP, one of three first come first serve campgrounds. I nabbed the last open spot here at about 2:30 on a Monday. My neighbors invited me over to their campfire (even offered me dinner!) and we had a rollicking conversation about unions, economic inequality, the difficulty talking with people across differences and so much more – it was a fund evening! Now it’s Tuesday (of Thanksgiving week) and only about half or fewer of the spots are occupied.

One anomaly was my one-night stay at a private campground and was $45…more than I wanted to pay but I was desperate. It had lots of activities – giant chessboard, a pool, an outdoor movie screen, game room and community kitchen. It would be fun and probably worth the price if you’re camping with kids and want less hiking and more playing.

The price range for campgrounds was $7.50 (half prices on federal campgrounds because I have the Senior Pass) to $45/night. I also camped for free on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) land and through Harvest Host (pseudo-free since the expectation is you’ll buy something to support the host’s business). Remarkably, the free BLM campsites had vault toilets and picnic tables…they weren’t that different than the “primitive” national park campgrounds, many of which didn’t have water available.

I’ve always enjoyed camping and so far, this trip is no different. Most summers I took my boys camping and I’m looking forward to Andrew meeting up with me in El Paso; from there we’ll swing through Guadalupe Nat’l Park and camp for a few days at Big Bend. We’ll end our week together in San Antonio and then Austin…we’ll see what camping opportunities we might have there.