Sunset Campground - My Rating is 4 out of 5 -- We came on a Tuesday evening to scope out both this campground and the North campground, since we were hoping for one of the first-come first-serve sites - and my type-A planning personality was super nervous about this! We quickly found that the North campground was nicely located right by the visitor center and the entrance to the park, however, it held many spots that were reserved only and had many many spots on cliff edges. Since we travel with our 1.5 year old, this was not a good option for us.
Sunset Campground is only a bit further into the park, on the right side of the road. Hilly, but no cliffs - very child friendly campground - so this was for sure the best one for us. Loop A is for RV’s (although tents were allowed too when we were there), and has many spots. The camp hosts recommended coming in around 8 or 8:30am to find a spot - and said we would have no problems. They were right - and we snagged spot #216 which had a gorgeous view of the sunset each night over the meadow behind our site. The spots are thin - we were unable to fit our truck into our spot once we parked the trailer, which was a bummer, we had to move the truck to the campground parking lot - which was not very close to our spot (the parking lot is located near spot #245 in loop A), and not at all convenient. So if you’re a bigger rig like us, I suggest finding a spot initially near that parking lot so you don’t have to hike to your car each day. We noticed the campground didn’t fill up each day until about 11am or so - so we could have come later if we wanted to. There were plenty of spots, so come early - and you should be fine! Hope this brings some comfort to the other planners out there like myself! :)
The spots are spacious and nice - bring your hammock, as there are also lots of trees! Sites also come with a picnic table and fire pit (with a BBQing grate you can use to cook over). Also lots of animal sittings, we watched a few deer walk by our site one night, and plenty of chipmunks! It is also extremely dusty, as the roads and campsites are not paved. Every time the wind blows or a car drives by, you do get pelted by dirt and sand. Just be ready for that. :) The campsites are all dry spots, and the dump is located between the two campgrounds - so not easily accessible. The campground had a really nice bathroom and a place to wash dishes as well, no showers though. The map says there are coin showers somewhere else in the park. Garbage cans are also a bit of a hike away - at the very entrance of the campground (up a huge hill - hah - of course!). But, I’ll take them far away if that means the bears stay far away from us that way! =)
The campground is right across from the “multi use path” and has easy access to the free park shuttle - both of which we used MANY times. Bring your bikes!!! For example, we biked to Sunset Viewpoint, locked up our bikes (at the lodge, right outside of the giftshop - the nearest bike rack we could find), then walked the 3 mile loop down “Wall Street” then back up by Sunrise Viewpoint - AMAZING! Then we made the short bike ride back (OK, it really didn’t feel short after all that hiking LOL!) - all with our toddler in tow. Sure beats dealing with the traffic and parking! The shuttle also has bike racks, so one day we rode from our campground all the way down to the visitor center, then took the shuttle back up to our campground. Made for another fun day!
Here is a link to our video review of this campground:
https://www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&video_id=DPmVLkTQEGA
Goblin Valley State Park Campground - My Rating is 4 out of 5 -- Upon driving into the park, it doesn’t look super exciting. Pretty views, and a few “goblins,” and a lot of desert area. There real fun lies at the “Valley of the Goblins,” which is a short drive up the road from the campground!
Some facts about the campground:
—It is a dry campground, meaning there is no electricity or water at the individual sites. There are water spouts spread throughout the campground, and there is one bathroom in the middle with free showers. Generator hours are 8am-8pm.
—They have a dump station with potable water. The campground is basically in the shape of the letter “D.” The tents and RV spots are on the rounded part, the dump station is on the straightaway. It is not labeled, so pay close attention so you don’t miss it.
—They have two yurts that look REALLY cool! One of them is way back in mountain, if I could pick I’d jump on that one.
—I highly recommend reservations. The campground was full when we were there (a Wednesday night in June of 2017), and we saw lots of others drive through hoping for a spot, but then having to leave. Overall it is a pretty small campground.
—The campground gets noisy at night. The quiet hours are not enforced (no camp hosts), and people ran their generators well past the 8pm cutoff time. If you’re looking for quiet evenings, this may not be the spot for you. We tried to photograph the stars at night (there are a million), but ended up with nothing, as people had their flashlights and lamps going on full blast all night.
—Very kid-friendly place. Take the kids (or adults!) down to the “Valley of the Goblins,” a short drive or bike ride up the road, and plan on spending the day down there playing. It’s very very cool. Many people also had their dogs down there.
—Speaking of bikes, there are lots of mountain biking paths around too. Head out of the campground, and make the first right onto a dirt road up a huge hill. At the top you will find solar panels and some really awesome looking mountain biking trails. There was another one if you head down past the rangers house and past the yurts. The road ends, and a trail begins.
—This park has a group camping area. We couldn’t get a peek at it, as it was being used when we visited, but it’s pretty far from the bathrooms. It looked fun - but a bit of a hike to the facilities if that matters to you!
—No cell phone service (Verizon).
Overall, this was the perfect stopping point for us from Capitol Reef National Park (NP) to Arches NP. We spent one night, which was enough time to take in the goblins and relax and enjoy the view, otherwise there’s not much else there. If I had older kids, I think 2 nights would be perfect here - a day to arrive and set up, then a full day to play in the Valley of the Goblins, mountain bike, or hike around. We would stop back here for sure if ever passing through again!
Check out our video review of this campsite here.
https://youtu.be/JmPCtlzYbkg
Patagonia Lake State Park - My Rating is 5 out of 5 -- Let me start by saying that we’re regulars at Patagonia Lake State Park - having camped here at least a half of a dozen times - and we will continue to be regulars here. The sites are spacious, the sunsets are gorgeous, they have boats you can rent (motorized and non-motorized), lots of hiking, fishing, a tall bridge you climb over with more views of the lake, lots of birds to watch, a swimming area and a beach - what more could you need?!
The park is large enough that its a decent walk to get around the whole place, and it even has boat-up only tent camping spots that are secluded and awesome. The hikes are great for bird-watching fanatics, and the cows walk right up to you when hiking around the lake (a little creepy for me, ha - but they’re friendly!).
Most sites have a fire pit, picnic table, 20, 30 or 50 amps, and water hookups. We’ve seen deer and coyotes right at our site, which is also fun! The East campground is a lot more secluded than the West, we’ve stayed in site #12 on the end which looks great on the map, however, it’s at the entrance to a popular bird watching side and next to a small parking lot, so you have people coming and going 24/7 (including very early in the morning), so we were woken up pretty early each day - so I don't recommend that spot. Spot #14 has a nice little entrance to the water behind it, so if you’re a fisherman you’d be in heaven here!
Overall, this campground is a great little oasis in the desert! Easy access to boating rentals, swimming, fishing, hiking or just relaxing and watching the animals. You won’t regret stopping here!
If you found this review helpful, please help us grow our youtube campground review site by subscribing to us on youtube! Thank you! =)
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKmZqsaeydzPKNgZ3ilx_gA
Chula Vista RV - My Rating is 5 out of 5 -- This RV resort definitely lives up to its name. A very ritzy, clean, classy place with 24/7security and completely gated in - we quickly came to realize why the price was so high per night. The pool temperature was nice, and the hot tub felt great. The location is FANTASTIC, right on the water - and a quick 5 minute walk to watch the amazing sunsets, a fun playground, beach and water with a huge shallow ocean area to play and swim in if you have little ones. I read in another review that there is no beach access, but this is incorrect- there are several beaches and places to swim in the ocean right by the park. The resort also has a grassy area with fun swing chairs which is also a nice place to hangout!
We paid the extra money to be on the water (we brought our 11 month old who naps a lot and we wanted to be able to enjoy the view while she was out), and that was worth it - although I would agree with the previous reviewer that the water is still a bit of a distance away. Site #61 had an awesome view of the marina (and all of the crazy pokemon players who were frequenting the front of our site, even reaching their arms through our fence to play - awkward!). We strategically didn’t back our 32ft 5th wheel in all the way so we could sit behind it and look out at the boats, which worked perfectly. I don’t think the extra money would be worth it though if you were on the west side of the park, as it’s really a view of a roadway, parking lot and very squeaky and loud playground.
Each site is also made very private by a row of tall bushes (as they are extremely close together), half of ours though were HUGE hangout area for bees, so we couldn’t get into our storage areas when they were out which was a bit annoying at times - and were a bit on guard when sitting outside enjoying the view. There are no fire pits at the individual sites, but we did see a lot of people who brought their own and had little fires going - genius!
The overall clientele seemed to be of retirement age, not many kids around when we stayed it was very quiet overall - but there is a very nice large park and playground right outside the gate with lots of families and kids.
Overall, fantastic place to stay if you want a nice, relaxing, safe spot where you can walk along the (short) boardwalk, hang out at the beach, swim in the pool or hot tub, walk up the street to restaurants without ever having to step foot back in a vehicle. The staff members were very friendly and helpful - we will definitely come back!!
Check out our RV video reviews and adventures here:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKmZqsaeydzPKNgZ3ilx_gA
Anaheim RV Park - My Rating is 4 out of 5 -- This RV park is very convenient if you’re headed to Disneyland! We arrived early and the staff was VERY accommodating and let us into our spot ahead of check-in time. The pool and hot tub were nice (especially after being on our feet all day in the park!), and one night we even had a possum visit our site (scared the you-know-what out of us HA!). The spots are tight, I wouldn’t recommend this park as one to come to hangout in, but it’s location is perfect to head into Disney. The water and dump spots are at the very back of the campsite (we have a 32ft camper with our connections at the front of the RV) so make sure you bring extra hoses/long connectors if you’re like us. They are strict on the checkout time (11am) so if you’re planning on some park time the day you’re leaving you’ll want to just pay for another night so you have a spot to leave your rig.
Check out our videos of our RV adventures and campground reviews here:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKmZqsaeydzPKNgZ3ilx_gA
Jumbo Rocks Campground - My Rating is 5 out of 5 -- We pulled into this National Park on a whim in October of 2016 on a Sunday afternoon, and were directed to Jumbo Rocks campground by one of the rangers. We have a 32ft fifth wheel and a long bed truck, and headed in through the West Entrance Station (we were driving eastbound on the I-10 and we followed the signs for Joshua Tree NP, which took us to the West entrance, when we left we drove down all the way through the park an exited at Cottonwood Springs, which you could just as easily enter through as well). It’s a bit of a drive and the map they give you is a hair confusing - but just stick on the main road until you see the signs for the campground. There are a TON of sites in this spot and the views are AMAZING!!! The map they give you doesn’t actually show you the layout of the campground but everywhere you go does eventually end up a loop or circle, so figure you can drive around for awhile and find the perfect spot without getting stuck (there are a lot of gorgeous sites). There were also a lot of other smaller campers and tons of people in tents!
It did take us awhile to find a spot that would fit our entire rig (we eventually settled in site #71) and wow are we glad we decided to stay. We barely fit into this spot though, so if you’re bigger than we are you may want to look into Cottonwood Springs (the RV specific camping area which you can reserve ahead of time online some months of the year for $20/night). This is a first-come, first-serve campground where you can’t reserve anything ahead of time. Jumbo rocks costs $15/night (make sure you have exact cash as you will put your money in an envelope at the front of the campground, and a pen to fill out the envelope with) gets you an amazing view with a fire pit and no hook ups, it was worth every cent! They have some pretty stinky pit toilets, no showers and no water. It was so quiet in the park, it’s a big enough area that there you can walk all over and see so many gorgeous rocks and views.
Skull Rock Hike also begins right in the campground with amazing views and a fairly flat walk (we wore our toddler on our backs and it worked great). Lots of pavement for bike-riding, huge rocks to climb and a lot of fun areas to explore. Amazing dark skies and night filled with stars under a campfire made this campground one of our favorite spots to go, we are already trying to plan our return trip! I highly recommend it here!!
Check out our video RV Reviews here:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKmZqsaeydzPKNgZ3ilx_gA
Kartchner Caverns State Park - My Rating is 4 out of 5 -- Welcome to Kartchner Caverns!
Our spot was not level (#34) - as many other reviewers have stated. We had water and electric (30 amp only - so we had to use our adapter for 50 amps) and a nice dump station. The dumpsters were also very close to where we were - which was convenient. We found the camp hosts to be OK, we've had much nicer ones at other parks. Overall the park is pretty small, we love to take walks around campgrounds and must have done the loops there 50x a day because they were so quick. :)
The park has some beautiful views and great hikes with varying distances and difficulty levels. You can find a map of the hikes at the restroom. Speaking of the restroom, they were in great condition, clean and warm inside. They even have a large family bathroom that includes a toilet, sink and shower which came in perfect for getting our family showered and ready for bed when our tanks were about full. This was a MAJOR plus for us!!
They also have some new wooden cabins available to rent - which were really nice inside. They have a great little patio, too, but there is no furniture on the patio - so either bring a couple of extra chairs, or bring the couple that are inside out!
Also the webpage says that there is only a community fire - however that is incorrect. There are now nice, new firepits at each site - so bring firewood! It's also available to purchase from the camp hosts.
The park was nice, but nothing spectacular - I wouldn't necessarily choose to go back, there are better places to go in Southern Arizona. If you're planning on doing the caverns tour (which IS amazing), then this is a great spot to hang for the night!
Check out our video RV reviews and adventures here:
https://youtu.be/nGJFBtF8dTk
Buckskin Mountain State Park - My Rating is 5 out of 5 -- Buckskin Mtn State Park is a beautiful little state park nestled between a small mountain and the Colorado River. The campground is small, the spots placed tightly together (you will for sure get to know your neighbors) - but in turn is only a short walk to the beach, river and some hiking! We found that the spots in the middle of the campground were more shaded, whereas ours (#18) had no shade - which was tough when it was 90+ degrees each day. We found ourselves moving our chairs around our fifth wheel as the sun moved to keep in the shady spots - which worked out just fine. I would also try to avoid spots #16-17, 22-23 as they were next to a water treatment area and there was a pretty strong odor every time we walked by the area. The bathrooms were OK - nothing I would jump at showering in, but not disgusting, either. They worked fine for rinsing off all of the sand after a day at the beach!
WIFI/CABLE: We saw many people struggling to get their satellite dishes to work to get a decent antenna. Can’t speak more on that though - we go cable free! They also had free wifi- however it did not reach our site. One of the rangers let me know that if you stand near day-site #1 it’s right by the transformer - so I did head over there once to upload a new book to my kindle and I was able to connect.
A brisk 62 degrees, the river was chilly in mid-March, but we were able to get into about our knees to cool off here and there. A few musts: bring a shade (canopy cover of some sort), a tube or two (there is a Walmart right up the road with quite a few options for as low as $12), a rope (100ft will do just fine), a cooler, sunblock and some beach chairs - and you have the makings for a few fun days on the beach! Tie yourself off to a rock or tree - and float your afternoons away! We also saw people walk their tubes up to the top of the park, and free float all the way to the other end (*note* - we were told that on Thursdays they shut down the dam for maintenance, which reduced the current and water level - so this might not be your day to drift). Many people also came with their boats, there is a launch right at the campground and then they’d tie off right to the shore where we sat, walk about convenient!
We spent our time on the “dog beach” - and although we have no dog, the beach was smaller and we were able to find some fun little spots to hang out for a day with some extra shade from the palm trees. Speaking of dogs - this campground is a dogs heaven for sure. There is a large, fenced in dog run area. Part of the beach is “dog friendly,” and lots of grass and room to walk, run and play.
This park also features a bar, restaurant, convenient store and swim shop all in one. The swim shop and convenient store opened the day we left (I walked through briefly, saw snacks, beer, some pots and pans, swim suits, tubes for the river, etc.) and the bar was set to open the following week - with huge signs boasting happy hour (4-7pm), $.50 hot dogs and pitchers for $4.99. The store also had a spot for inflating your tubes - but it wasn’t open until the day we left, so I’d plan on bringing your own unless your positive the store is open when you visit!
Finally, the campground hosts and rangers were awesome - very helpful, friendly and welcoming. We highly recommend this spot!
Check out our video review here: https://youtu.be/KZpSVKxPuEk
Thanks,
Mike & Nicole Whitt - come #RVWhittUs
Picacho Peak State Park Campground - My Rating is 5 out of 5 -- Wow, does this campground have some amazing views - with even more stunning sunsets! We came on a whim and got 2 nights (Sunday-Tuesday) without any problems. We did try to call ahead, but they would not take same day reservations.
Our site (C10) had electric, no water, no shade, a picnic table and one of the nicest fire pits we’ve ever had at a campground! The fire pit is huge, and has a dual insulated frame with a cooking rack and you can even adjust your fire tray (see picture). The site came nicely groomed (seriously, someone had racked some cool looking circles in it), and there was a spot off to the side that was leveled and would have nicely fit a tent. For us though, the highlight of the site was the fact that there is a LOT of space between each site - you feel very isolated! The park also has WiFi (for a fee - see attached picture for details). The restrooms were also in really nice condition - clean and some of the nicer ones we’ve seen!
There are three loops (make your first right into the campground, all three loops connect to this one - don’t make the mistake we did expecting there to be a different entrance for A, B & C), and two main bathrooms at the top of the three loops. The bathrooms were in nice condition - better than many of the other state parks. There is also one dumpster (that we could find) and it was quite a hike away - not super convenient. The fill/dump station was COVERED in bees, plan on wearing pants and long sleeves when using it.
The state park includes a playground and small children's hike to a cave which was cute. There are a LOT of rentable day use picnic and hang out areas (many with covers) that had gorgeous views. There was also a spot for horseshoes an easy walk from any of the camping loops. I would also highly recommend bringing bikes to this park - it’s pretty big and would be fun to ride around in. The I-10 was easily viewable in the distance, and we could hear the trains passing by, however it didn’t bother us - it was pretty faint. It was also kind of fun to watch the traffic go by at night.
Overall, we recommend this campground and will be back!
Check out our video review here: https://youtu.be/nGJFBtF8dTk
Nicole's Listings (0)
It seems we can’t find what you’re looking for. Perhaps searching can help.
My Comments
Sunset Campground - My Rating is 4 out of 5 -- We came on a Tuesday evening to scope out both this campground and the North campground, since we were hoping for one of the first-come first-serve sites - and my type-A planning personality was super nervous about this! We quickly found that the North campground was nicely located right by the visitor center and the entrance to the park, however, it held many spots that were reserved only and had many many spots on cliff edges. Since we travel with our 1.5 year old, this was not a good option for us. Sunset Campground is only a bit further into the park, on the right side of the road. Hilly, but no cliffs - very child friendly campground - so this was for sure the best one for us. Loop A is for RV’s (although tents were allowed too when we were there), and has many spots. The camp hosts recommended coming in around 8 or 8:30am to find a spot - and said we would have no problems. They were right - and we snagged spot #216 which had a gorgeous view of the sunset each night over the meadow behind our site. The spots are thin - we were unable to fit our truck into our spot once we parked the trailer, which was a bummer, we had to move the truck to the campground parking lot - which was not very close to our spot (the parking lot is located near spot #245 in loop A), and not at all convenient. So if you’re a bigger rig like us, I suggest finding a spot initially near that parking lot so you don’t have to hike to your car each day. We noticed the campground didn’t fill up each day until about 11am or so - so we could have come later if we wanted to. There were plenty of spots, so come early - and you should be fine! Hope this brings some comfort to the other planners out there like myself! :) The spots are spacious and nice - bring your hammock, as there are also lots of trees! Sites also come with a picnic table and fire pit (with a BBQing grate you can use to cook over). Also lots of animal sittings, we watched a few deer walk by our site one night, and plenty of chipmunks! It is also extremely dusty, as the roads and campsites are not paved. Every time the wind blows or a car drives by, you do get pelted by dirt and sand. Just be ready for that. :) The campsites are all dry spots, and the dump is located between the two campgrounds - so not easily accessible. The campground had a really nice bathroom and a place to wash dishes as well, no showers though. The map says there are coin showers somewhere else in the park. Garbage cans are also a bit of a hike away - at the very entrance of the campground (up a huge hill - hah - of course!). But, I’ll take them far away if that means the bears stay far away from us that way! =) The campground is right across from the “multi use path” and has easy access to the free park shuttle - both of which we used MANY times. Bring your bikes!!! For example, we biked to Sunset Viewpoint, locked up our bikes (at the lodge, right outside of the giftshop - the nearest bike rack we could find), then walked the 3 mile loop down “Wall Street” then back up by Sunrise Viewpoint - AMAZING! Then we made the short bike ride back (OK, it really didn’t feel short after all that hiking LOL!) - all with our toddler in tow. Sure beats dealing with the traffic and parking! The shuttle also has bike racks, so one day we rode from our campground all the way down to the visitor center, then took the shuttle back up to our campground. Made for another fun day! Here is a link to our video review of this campground: https://www.youtube.com/edit?o=U&video_id=DPmVLkTQEGA
Goblin Valley State Park Campground - My Rating is 4 out of 5 -- Upon driving into the park, it doesn’t look super exciting. Pretty views, and a few “goblins,” and a lot of desert area. There real fun lies at the “Valley of the Goblins,” which is a short drive up the road from the campground! Some facts about the campground: —It is a dry campground, meaning there is no electricity or water at the individual sites. There are water spouts spread throughout the campground, and there is one bathroom in the middle with free showers. Generator hours are 8am-8pm. —They have a dump station with potable water. The campground is basically in the shape of the letter “D.” The tents and RV spots are on the rounded part, the dump station is on the straightaway. It is not labeled, so pay close attention so you don’t miss it. —They have two yurts that look REALLY cool! One of them is way back in mountain, if I could pick I’d jump on that one. —I highly recommend reservations. The campground was full when we were there (a Wednesday night in June of 2017), and we saw lots of others drive through hoping for a spot, but then having to leave. Overall it is a pretty small campground. —The campground gets noisy at night. The quiet hours are not enforced (no camp hosts), and people ran their generators well past the 8pm cutoff time. If you’re looking for quiet evenings, this may not be the spot for you. We tried to photograph the stars at night (there are a million), but ended up with nothing, as people had their flashlights and lamps going on full blast all night. —Very kid-friendly place. Take the kids (or adults!) down to the “Valley of the Goblins,” a short drive or bike ride up the road, and plan on spending the day down there playing. It’s very very cool. Many people also had their dogs down there. —Speaking of bikes, there are lots of mountain biking paths around too. Head out of the campground, and make the first right onto a dirt road up a huge hill. At the top you will find solar panels and some really awesome looking mountain biking trails. There was another one if you head down past the rangers house and past the yurts. The road ends, and a trail begins. —This park has a group camping area. We couldn’t get a peek at it, as it was being used when we visited, but it’s pretty far from the bathrooms. It looked fun - but a bit of a hike to the facilities if that matters to you! —No cell phone service (Verizon). Overall, this was the perfect stopping point for us from Capitol Reef National Park (NP) to Arches NP. We spent one night, which was enough time to take in the goblins and relax and enjoy the view, otherwise there’s not much else there. If I had older kids, I think 2 nights would be perfect here - a day to arrive and set up, then a full day to play in the Valley of the Goblins, mountain bike, or hike around. We would stop back here for sure if ever passing through again! Check out our video review of this campsite here. https://youtu.be/JmPCtlzYbkg
Patagonia Lake State Park - My Rating is 5 out of 5 -- Let me start by saying that we’re regulars at Patagonia Lake State Park - having camped here at least a half of a dozen times - and we will continue to be regulars here. The sites are spacious, the sunsets are gorgeous, they have boats you can rent (motorized and non-motorized), lots of hiking, fishing, a tall bridge you climb over with more views of the lake, lots of birds to watch, a swimming area and a beach - what more could you need?! The park is large enough that its a decent walk to get around the whole place, and it even has boat-up only tent camping spots that are secluded and awesome. The hikes are great for bird-watching fanatics, and the cows walk right up to you when hiking around the lake (a little creepy for me, ha - but they’re friendly!). Most sites have a fire pit, picnic table, 20, 30 or 50 amps, and water hookups. We’ve seen deer and coyotes right at our site, which is also fun! The East campground is a lot more secluded than the West, we’ve stayed in site #12 on the end which looks great on the map, however, it’s at the entrance to a popular bird watching side and next to a small parking lot, so you have people coming and going 24/7 (including very early in the morning), so we were woken up pretty early each day - so I don't recommend that spot. Spot #14 has a nice little entrance to the water behind it, so if you’re a fisherman you’d be in heaven here! Overall, this campground is a great little oasis in the desert! Easy access to boating rentals, swimming, fishing, hiking or just relaxing and watching the animals. You won’t regret stopping here! If you found this review helpful, please help us grow our youtube campground review site by subscribing to us on youtube! Thank you! =) https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKmZqsaeydzPKNgZ3ilx_gA
Chula Vista RV - My Rating is 5 out of 5 -- This RV resort definitely lives up to its name. A very ritzy, clean, classy place with 24/7security and completely gated in - we quickly came to realize why the price was so high per night. The pool temperature was nice, and the hot tub felt great. The location is FANTASTIC, right on the water - and a quick 5 minute walk to watch the amazing sunsets, a fun playground, beach and water with a huge shallow ocean area to play and swim in if you have little ones. I read in another review that there is no beach access, but this is incorrect- there are several beaches and places to swim in the ocean right by the park. The resort also has a grassy area with fun swing chairs which is also a nice place to hangout! We paid the extra money to be on the water (we brought our 11 month old who naps a lot and we wanted to be able to enjoy the view while she was out), and that was worth it - although I would agree with the previous reviewer that the water is still a bit of a distance away. Site #61 had an awesome view of the marina (and all of the crazy pokemon players who were frequenting the front of our site, even reaching their arms through our fence to play - awkward!). We strategically didn’t back our 32ft 5th wheel in all the way so we could sit behind it and look out at the boats, which worked perfectly. I don’t think the extra money would be worth it though if you were on the west side of the park, as it’s really a view of a roadway, parking lot and very squeaky and loud playground. Each site is also made very private by a row of tall bushes (as they are extremely close together), half of ours though were HUGE hangout area for bees, so we couldn’t get into our storage areas when they were out which was a bit annoying at times - and were a bit on guard when sitting outside enjoying the view. There are no fire pits at the individual sites, but we did see a lot of people who brought their own and had little fires going - genius! The overall clientele seemed to be of retirement age, not many kids around when we stayed it was very quiet overall - but there is a very nice large park and playground right outside the gate with lots of families and kids. Overall, fantastic place to stay if you want a nice, relaxing, safe spot where you can walk along the (short) boardwalk, hang out at the beach, swim in the pool or hot tub, walk up the street to restaurants without ever having to step foot back in a vehicle. The staff members were very friendly and helpful - we will definitely come back!! Check out our RV video reviews and adventures here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKmZqsaeydzPKNgZ3ilx_gA
Anaheim RV Park - My Rating is 4 out of 5 -- This RV park is very convenient if you’re headed to Disneyland! We arrived early and the staff was VERY accommodating and let us into our spot ahead of check-in time. The pool and hot tub were nice (especially after being on our feet all day in the park!), and one night we even had a possum visit our site (scared the you-know-what out of us HA!). The spots are tight, I wouldn’t recommend this park as one to come to hangout in, but it’s location is perfect to head into Disney. The water and dump spots are at the very back of the campsite (we have a 32ft camper with our connections at the front of the RV) so make sure you bring extra hoses/long connectors if you’re like us. They are strict on the checkout time (11am) so if you’re planning on some park time the day you’re leaving you’ll want to just pay for another night so you have a spot to leave your rig. Check out our videos of our RV adventures and campground reviews here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKmZqsaeydzPKNgZ3ilx_gA
Jumbo Rocks Campground - My Rating is 5 out of 5 -- We pulled into this National Park on a whim in October of 2016 on a Sunday afternoon, and were directed to Jumbo Rocks campground by one of the rangers. We have a 32ft fifth wheel and a long bed truck, and headed in through the West Entrance Station (we were driving eastbound on the I-10 and we followed the signs for Joshua Tree NP, which took us to the West entrance, when we left we drove down all the way through the park an exited at Cottonwood Springs, which you could just as easily enter through as well). It’s a bit of a drive and the map they give you is a hair confusing - but just stick on the main road until you see the signs for the campground. There are a TON of sites in this spot and the views are AMAZING!!! The map they give you doesn’t actually show you the layout of the campground but everywhere you go does eventually end up a loop or circle, so figure you can drive around for awhile and find the perfect spot without getting stuck (there are a lot of gorgeous sites). There were also a lot of other smaller campers and tons of people in tents! It did take us awhile to find a spot that would fit our entire rig (we eventually settled in site #71) and wow are we glad we decided to stay. We barely fit into this spot though, so if you’re bigger than we are you may want to look into Cottonwood Springs (the RV specific camping area which you can reserve ahead of time online some months of the year for $20/night). This is a first-come, first-serve campground where you can’t reserve anything ahead of time. Jumbo rocks costs $15/night (make sure you have exact cash as you will put your money in an envelope at the front of the campground, and a pen to fill out the envelope with) gets you an amazing view with a fire pit and no hook ups, it was worth every cent! They have some pretty stinky pit toilets, no showers and no water. It was so quiet in the park, it’s a big enough area that there you can walk all over and see so many gorgeous rocks and views. Skull Rock Hike also begins right in the campground with amazing views and a fairly flat walk (we wore our toddler on our backs and it worked great). Lots of pavement for bike-riding, huge rocks to climb and a lot of fun areas to explore. Amazing dark skies and night filled with stars under a campfire made this campground one of our favorite spots to go, we are already trying to plan our return trip! I highly recommend it here!! Check out our video RV Reviews here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKmZqsaeydzPKNgZ3ilx_gA
Kartchner Caverns State Park - My Rating is 4 out of 5 -- Welcome to Kartchner Caverns! Our spot was not level (#34) - as many other reviewers have stated. We had water and electric (30 amp only - so we had to use our adapter for 50 amps) and a nice dump station. The dumpsters were also very close to where we were - which was convenient. We found the camp hosts to be OK, we've had much nicer ones at other parks. Overall the park is pretty small, we love to take walks around campgrounds and must have done the loops there 50x a day because they were so quick. :) The park has some beautiful views and great hikes with varying distances and difficulty levels. You can find a map of the hikes at the restroom. Speaking of the restroom, they were in great condition, clean and warm inside. They even have a large family bathroom that includes a toilet, sink and shower which came in perfect for getting our family showered and ready for bed when our tanks were about full. This was a MAJOR plus for us!! They also have some new wooden cabins available to rent - which were really nice inside. They have a great little patio, too, but there is no furniture on the patio - so either bring a couple of extra chairs, or bring the couple that are inside out! Also the webpage says that there is only a community fire - however that is incorrect. There are now nice, new firepits at each site - so bring firewood! It's also available to purchase from the camp hosts. The park was nice, but nothing spectacular - I wouldn't necessarily choose to go back, there are better places to go in Southern Arizona. If you're planning on doing the caverns tour (which IS amazing), then this is a great spot to hang for the night! Check out our video RV reviews and adventures here: https://youtu.be/nGJFBtF8dTk
Buckskin Mountain State Park - My Rating is 5 out of 5 -- Buckskin Mtn State Park is a beautiful little state park nestled between a small mountain and the Colorado River. The campground is small, the spots placed tightly together (you will for sure get to know your neighbors) - but in turn is only a short walk to the beach, river and some hiking! We found that the spots in the middle of the campground were more shaded, whereas ours (#18) had no shade - which was tough when it was 90+ degrees each day. We found ourselves moving our chairs around our fifth wheel as the sun moved to keep in the shady spots - which worked out just fine. I would also try to avoid spots #16-17, 22-23 as they were next to a water treatment area and there was a pretty strong odor every time we walked by the area. The bathrooms were OK - nothing I would jump at showering in, but not disgusting, either. They worked fine for rinsing off all of the sand after a day at the beach! WIFI/CABLE: We saw many people struggling to get their satellite dishes to work to get a decent antenna. Can’t speak more on that though - we go cable free! They also had free wifi- however it did not reach our site. One of the rangers let me know that if you stand near day-site #1 it’s right by the transformer - so I did head over there once to upload a new book to my kindle and I was able to connect. A brisk 62 degrees, the river was chilly in mid-March, but we were able to get into about our knees to cool off here and there. A few musts: bring a shade (canopy cover of some sort), a tube or two (there is a Walmart right up the road with quite a few options for as low as $12), a rope (100ft will do just fine), a cooler, sunblock and some beach chairs - and you have the makings for a few fun days on the beach! Tie yourself off to a rock or tree - and float your afternoons away! We also saw people walk their tubes up to the top of the park, and free float all the way to the other end (*note* - we were told that on Thursdays they shut down the dam for maintenance, which reduced the current and water level - so this might not be your day to drift). Many people also came with their boats, there is a launch right at the campground and then they’d tie off right to the shore where we sat, walk about convenient! We spent our time on the “dog beach” - and although we have no dog, the beach was smaller and we were able to find some fun little spots to hang out for a day with some extra shade from the palm trees. Speaking of dogs - this campground is a dogs heaven for sure. There is a large, fenced in dog run area. Part of the beach is “dog friendly,” and lots of grass and room to walk, run and play. This park also features a bar, restaurant, convenient store and swim shop all in one. The swim shop and convenient store opened the day we left (I walked through briefly, saw snacks, beer, some pots and pans, swim suits, tubes for the river, etc.) and the bar was set to open the following week - with huge signs boasting happy hour (4-7pm), $.50 hot dogs and pitchers for $4.99. The store also had a spot for inflating your tubes - but it wasn’t open until the day we left, so I’d plan on bringing your own unless your positive the store is open when you visit! Finally, the campground hosts and rangers were awesome - very helpful, friendly and welcoming. We highly recommend this spot! Check out our video review here: https://youtu.be/KZpSVKxPuEk Thanks, Mike & Nicole Whitt - come #RVWhittUs
Picacho Peak State Park Campground - My Rating is 5 out of 5 -- Wow, does this campground have some amazing views - with even more stunning sunsets! We came on a whim and got 2 nights (Sunday-Tuesday) without any problems. We did try to call ahead, but they would not take same day reservations. Our site (C10) had electric, no water, no shade, a picnic table and one of the nicest fire pits we’ve ever had at a campground! The fire pit is huge, and has a dual insulated frame with a cooking rack and you can even adjust your fire tray (see picture). The site came nicely groomed (seriously, someone had racked some cool looking circles in it), and there was a spot off to the side that was leveled and would have nicely fit a tent. For us though, the highlight of the site was the fact that there is a LOT of space between each site - you feel very isolated! The park also has WiFi (for a fee - see attached picture for details). The restrooms were also in really nice condition - clean and some of the nicer ones we’ve seen! There are three loops (make your first right into the campground, all three loops connect to this one - don’t make the mistake we did expecting there to be a different entrance for A, B & C), and two main bathrooms at the top of the three loops. The bathrooms were in nice condition - better than many of the other state parks. There is also one dumpster (that we could find) and it was quite a hike away - not super convenient. The fill/dump station was COVERED in bees, plan on wearing pants and long sleeves when using it. The state park includes a playground and small children's hike to a cave which was cute. There are a LOT of rentable day use picnic and hang out areas (many with covers) that had gorgeous views. There was also a spot for horseshoes an easy walk from any of the camping loops. I would also highly recommend bringing bikes to this park - it’s pretty big and would be fun to ride around in. The I-10 was easily viewable in the distance, and we could hear the trains passing by, however it didn’t bother us - it was pretty faint. It was also kind of fun to watch the traffic go by at night. Overall, we recommend this campground and will be back! Check out our video review here: https://youtu.be/nGJFBtF8dTk