How to Pick the Best Campsite

A Pro Guide for Young Site-Hunters

Choosing a campsite is like picking the best seat in a movie theater. If you get a great one, you have the best view and plenty of room. If you pick a bad one, you might be right next to the noisy trash cans or on a big hill!

Since every spot on a map looks the same, you have to be a bit of a detective. Here is how to find the perfect “home base” for your trip.

1. The “Flatness” Check

What to look for: Look for a site that is flat and level.

• Why it matters: If your campsite is on a hill, your parents will have to work extra hard to get the RV flat. A tilted RV means you might slide out of bed, or your cereal bowl might slide off the table!

• Pro Tip: Look at photos of the site. If the picnic table or the fire pit looks like it’s leaning to one side, the ground is probably crooked.

2. Find Your “Favorite Places”

What to look for: How close is the site to the things you love?

• For Swimmers: Look for a site near the pool so you don’t have to walk a mile in your flip-flops.

• For Explorers: Look for a site that backs up to the woods or a hiking trail.

• The “Bathroom Rule”: You want to be close enough to the bathroom that it’s an easy walk, but not so close that you hear the door slamming all night!

3. The “Slide-Out” Room

What to look for: Look for “wide” sites with no big trees right next to the parking pad.

• Why it matters: Remember, your RV gets wider when you push the buttons to move the walls out. If a giant oak tree is too close, you won’t be able to open the RV all the way.

• Pro Tip: A “Pull-Through” site (one you can drive all the way through) is usually the roomiest and easiest to park in.

4. The “Sun and Shade” Secret

What to look for: Where are the trees?

• The Goal: In the summer, you want big trees on the West side of your site. This blocks the hot afternoon sun and keeps the RV cool so the AC doesn’t have to work so hard.

• Pro Tip: If you have a solar panel on your RV to make power, you might actually want a site with less shade so the sun can hit the roof!

5. Privacy and the “Buffer”

What to look for: Are the sites “bumper-to-bumper” or is there space between them?

• The Goal: Look for sites that have bushes, trees, or a little extra grass between you and the next camper. This is called a “privacy buffer.”

• Pro Tip: Sites at the end of a road or in a corner usually have the most “yard” space for you to play in.

Pro Tip: The “Street View” Trick. Don’t just trust a drawing of a map. Use a tablet to look at real pictures or videos of the park. If a site looks small in a photo, it will definitely feel small when you get there!

Final Thoughts

Being a “Site-Hunter” is a very important job. When you find a flat, roomy spot near the fun stuff, the whole trip becomes easier and more relaxing. Take your time, look at the pictures, and pick the spot that feels like the best place for an adventure!

Happy Hunting!

🐟 Want to “walk” through the park before you even leave home? You don’t have to guess what a site looks like! CampgroundViews.com lets you take a 360-degree tour of the park. You can stand in the middle of any site and look around to see if it’s flat, shady, and big enough for your RV.

Start your search at CampgroundViews.com!