How to Find the Best Campground

How do you find the best family campground?

You know the cliché: you gotta know what you want. Well, if you are a beginner camper, you may not even know what to look for. No worries, start the process and it’ll all come together. Here are four different ways to find the family campground best suited for you.

1. Ask Around
2. Read Up
3. Family campground chains
4. Online Forums

1. Ask around
“Word of mouth is best,” says Kristin Hostetter, co-author of Tent And Car Camper's Handbook: Advice for Families & First-timers. Check with friends who camp. Ask them and their kids what they like or dislike about a certain campground.

If this is your first time camping, my best advice is to tag along another veteran camping family. You’ll not just learn what makes a campground fun but you'll learn lots of camping how-tos.

In addition to asking your friends, you can also call up your neighborhood girl/boy scout troop and ask them for campground suggestions. Or visit an outdoors store like REI. The staff is usually very happy to talk about their campground experience.

2. Read up

Your local Barnes & Noble carry campground directories galore. You’ll find expert editorial on campground amenities, technology updates, locations for bicycling, hiking, kayaking, and canoeing, or ideas on shorter hikes that are perfect for kids.

Listed below are four of the most trusted campground directories. Instead of being redundant, I’ve given you a link so you can just click on it to read detailed description of the book at Amazon.

• Frommer's Best RV and Tent Campgrounds in the U.S.A.
• National Geographic Guide to the National Parks of the United States, 5th Ed. (National Geographic Guide to the National Parks of the United States)
  
• 2006 Trailer Life Directory: RV Parks, Campgrounds, and Services (Trailer Life Directory : Campgrounds, Rv Parks & Services)
• Woodall's North American Campground Directory with CD, 2007 (Woodall's Campground Directory: North American Ed. (W/CD))

3. Private family campground chains
The two biggest family campground chains in the U.S. are KOA Kampgrounds and Yogi Bear’s Jellystone parks. These private family campgrounds are a bit pricier but tend to:

• Be consistent in quality and cleanliness. After an exhilarating day spent outdoors, you can enjoy a steamy hot shower in a clean restroom.
• Offer a wide selection of spacious, level sites with picnic tables, water spouts and fire pits.
• Offer activities such as mini-golf, volleyball, swimming, arts and crafts, etc.

You can find out more information through their websites:
KOA - http://www.koakampgrounds.com/
Yogi Bear Jellystone Park - http://www.campjellystone.com/locations.html

4. Online forums

Seeing fellow campers' trip reports is a great way to get on-the-ground feedback. In the forums below, you will find an active community of campers sharing their experience.

Campground Reviews by About.com
www.backpacker.com
www.rv.net
www.rvparkreviews.com

Now you are ready to reserve your campground. Click here for a video on how to make campground reservations.

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