My RV Park Reviews

I'm saving my comments on various RV parks here for future reference. If you're thinking of trying one of these, you'll see what my opinion was. Keep in mind that an RV park review is merely a snapshot of that point in time when we were there.

It's possible that problems encountered may no longer exist. There may be new problems. At the very least, you'll know what to look out for and what questions to ask before you book a stay.

If you're an RVer and have a park that you liked a lot, please tell me about it in the comments at the end. We are always on the lookout for places to try.

The Villages at Turning Stone is a very clean park near Syracuse, NY, run by the Oneida Indian tribe. The various sections of the park are named after trees (Red Maple, River Birch, White Pine, etc.). We were placed in the White Birch Village, a loop with 31 sites. We had a lovely view of white birch trees out our window.

The services that were important to us, good wi-fi and cable TV, worked fine. The park has a pool, a boating pond and a fishing pond plus a number of walking trails. We didn't have time to try those out.

There is free shuttle service to the nearby casino. You call for it, then wait by the main road that circles the campground. It delivers you to the casino and you can return at any time.

TIP: Book ahead, particularly on weekends. We were lucky to get a space when someone canceled. Friday and Saturday night, the place filled up with people spending the weekend going to the casino.

I'd stay at this campground again. The sites were level, paved and had full services. There was a trash bin at each site and the usual fire ring and picnic table.

We opted not to stay at the cheaper state park (no water at the sites and no wi-fi) and so chose to stay at the casino RV park even though it was further from out destination. We were lucky to get a site through the weekend. They just happened to have a cancellation.

We arrived on a Wednesday and found The Villages at Turning Stone pretty empty. Level sites, full hook-ups, and lots of pretty trees and plantings. They had a special with Saturday night free if you stayed on Friday. Friday evening the place filled up with all the sites taken by families enjoying a last fall outing, Syracuse football fans, and people who loved to gamble.

Just down the road was the Indian casino, Turning Stone. While my husband relaxed with Saturday afternoon football and Saturday evening Red Sox game, I hopped on the complimentary shuttle that took campers over to the casino.

When I checked in at reception, they gave me a $10 card to start my play. I usually budget $20 or so to play until I run out. My nature is too thrifty to enjoy losing dollars. Usually, by playing the nickel slot machines, I can get in several hours of play before getting wiped out.

This time, I plunked down at the first machine I came to. These days, you no longer feed coins into a slot, you put in the card and punch in your pin number. I don't follow any particular strategy. My technique is to hit a couple of buttons and watch the pictures roll and shift and the lights flash. When those stop, it tells you if you won anything or if you get zippo.

Within about three tries, I hit some bonus spins and wildcards with lots of flashing lights. Exciting! Once it settled down, I saw I'd won over $450. Pretty good for a nickel machine.

This one isn't far from Binghampton in New York State, only a mile off Interstate 88 at exit 5. They describe it as "country quiet" and it made a good overnight stop for us on our way to Albany, then onto Vermont and New Hampshire.

There's a lake and they have wi-fi.

Their phone number is 607-693-1645.

Wanting to explore Hershey, Pennsylvania, we wheeled into town pulling our travel trailer. We were lucky to get a spot at the Hershey Park Camping Resort since there was a huge car show going on.

We thought the sites a bit expensive at $50 a night (site with water and electricity, but not sewer). The one we were assigned was sloping downward so required quite a bit of leveling. It was graveled and had a picnic table and a big shade tree on each side.

About every 20 minutes a freight train rumbles past. If you're looking for a convenient, close site for visiting Hershey, this is your place. If you like a sylvan, quiet place, you won't be happy about the jets and trains.

PLUSES: Cable TV and wi-fi are available at the sites. A shuttle comes by to take you to Hershey Park and other places. There are cabins for those without RVs.

TIPS: Call ahead for a reservation.

Carolina Crossroads (Roanoke Rapids, NC)

This is a favorite of ours with the easy access from I-95, but far enough off to avoid highway noise. We've been there a number of times and appreciate the pull-through sites, which are very level. Some are paved and some gravel. It has a good pool, excellent wi-fi, and nice clean shower rooms.

RVacatiion Campground (Selma, NC)

We find this shaded RV park conveniently located just off 1-95 for a good stopping place on a drive north from Florida. The sites are pull-through with full hookups. There's a lake and ducks, decent wi-fi and cable television.

Fayetteville RV Resort in NC

We tried this park in the spring of 2018. Loved it. Good Sam rated it 10/10*/10. They have all sorts of nice facilities (horseshoes, volleyball, basketball court, fitness center, a pet park, and putt-putt golf course). We didn't use any of those but enjoyed our level site, good free wi-fi.

There's a very nice pool, clean showers and bathrooms, and even a walking trail.

The park is convenient to I-95.

Charlotte/Fort Mill KOA - South Carolina

Close to the North Carolina/South Carolina border, you'll find the Charlotte/Fort Mill KOA RV Park conveniently located off I-77. I'll share our experience there so you can see if this is a campground that you would want to try.

Pluses: Level pull-through sites with a gravel surface. It's far enough from the interstate to be quiet for sleeping. Publix supermarket within walking distance. Gas station right by the entrance.

Minuses: The free wi-fi at the site was totally hopeless. We called the office and asked if they could reboot or something. At that point, a couple of emails made it through before it locked up again. Finally gave up on it.

Bonus: In late October they have a haunted house feature.

Kentucky Horse Park Campground - Lexington, KY

Drawbacks: There are no pull-through sites. All are back-in and they aren't arranged at an angle to the street which would have made it easier to get parked. They don't have any sites with sewer hook-ups. If you stay more than a few days, you have to go to their dump station which is a nuisance. Another drawback is many sites are very sloping.

Suggestion: When you book with them, request a level site.

Advantages: This is as close as you can get to Lexington, KY for an RV stay. Each site has a paved patio with a picnic table.

Cypress Lakes RV Park (Calvert City, KY)

We took this one for a quick overnight stay. Level pull-throughs, weak wi-fi, few channels on the TV. If you are staying longer, they have a swimming pool and a large lake. It's not far to a riverboat casino or to the American Quilt Museum.

Deer Grove - El Dorado, Kansas

We've stayed at Deer Grove RV Park annually in the fall when visiting my family. It's located on Highway 54 near El Dorado Lake and the near the city of El Dorado, Kansas.

It's clean and conveniently located but often is booked full. Several times a year the workers coming for the oil refinery "turn around" stay there. It just happens each year that we hit that particular time. Maybe at other times, you'll have no trouble getting a space.

They pack the RVs pretty close together so it feels a little claustrophobic. There are some really nice shade trees which are welcome since it gets pretty hot in Kansas. There's also a storm shelter at the office/laundry area. Nice to have one of those if the tornado sirens start blaring.

The wi-fi can be good or iffy depending on your location in the park. We have that issue at a number of parks, sad to say.

Deer? No, I have never seen any deer around. Maybe before the grove became an RV park there might have been deer.

TIP: Book ahead, because it fills up for weeks during special events at the lake or the refinery.

Walnut Grove RV Park - Merriam, Kansas

Walnut Grove RV Park is in Merriam, Kansas but don't expect a rustic, prairie camping experience. It's a suburb of Kansas City which makes it excellent for visiting and sightseeing in that area.

The sites in the RV park are close together. There are some trees, but it's likely to be quite hot in summer. Johnson Drive in front of the RV park is a busy street so there is some traffic noise.

The Wi-fi was good, but we were close to the office which usually helps that. There was a storm shelter in case of tornadoes. These storms are no joke, so if you hear the siren, head to the shelter. They have it comfortably furnished with couches, a TV and some books and magazines.

This is a Good Sam park, so if you have that membership, you get a discount.

Last year, we stopped by the Peach Queen Campground in Jemison, Alabama for 2 nights. The sites were pull-through which is always a plus if you are towing a car behind your RV like we were. There were full hookups and the RV park was close to I-65. There was a handy Exxon station, so we were able to get diesel fuel before continuing our trip.

Those were the pluses. Not a perfect place though. The sites were so close together that you can't open your awning. Sitting by the side of the RV meant we were right next to our neighbor's sewer hose. Not ideal.

The best sites are at the end of each row and those have a tree and picnic table and space to park your car. There was good wifi once we badgered the owner into rebooting the modem.

There's a playground for children and a nice lake for fishing and boating. I took a walk around that and got some nice photos of October wildflowers.

Last year, we tried the Falling Waters Campsite at Falling Waters, WV. It's fairly near Hagerstown, Maryland. The main drawback was the steepness of the interior roads and the tightness of the spaces. We were late getting in and had to take a grassy site down close to the U.S. 11 highway. We worried that we might drag our undercarriage getting down to the site.

We ended up having to unhitch our tow car to get situated on the site. Later, another RV pulled in ahead of us, so then we worried that we would have difficulty pulling out. We managed to get out, but it was tricky.

The park is 15 miles from Antietam National Battlefield and 25 miles to Harpers Ferry with all the historical sights there. There are trees for shade.

Due to the tight turns in the RV park, I'd say it is OK for smaller rigs, but don't recommend it if you are towing a car or are a really long RV.

Last year, we stopped at Rustic Acres Campground in New Douglas, IL. If you're traveling Interstate 55, it is not far off the road. It made a good night's stop for us before getting to St Louis, MO, the next day. The RV park has big oak trees and level pull-through sites. In total, there are 150 campsites.

There was a fishing lake too, but we were just interested in a convenient stop for overnight and it was fine for that. Not far away, you can go to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library.

Lake Haven Retreat (Indianapolis, IN) -

It's an urban/industrial area. The sites are in pairs and very close together. Level, crushed asphalt surface. Great wi-fi (10 repeater stations throughout the park), good cable TV. There's a small fishing pond. It was horrible getting to the park because of all the construction and detours around Indianapolis, but hopefully, that won't last forever.

Cayuga Lake State Park (Seneca Falls, NY)

Easy on the budget, but only electrical hook-up (no sites with sewer and water). Back-in sites only. Nice trees but in the fall, the acorns make loud thunks as they fall on your roof. As expected in a state park, there are walking trails, a lake, and other recreational opportunities. This is along Seneca Lake, one of the Finger Lakes. Driving down to it, you'll pass several dozen wineries. No wi-fi, no cable television.

Clute Memorial Park and Campground (Watkins Glen, NY)

This is a well-run municipal RV park wedged between a marina and the south end of Seneca Lake. The campground is across the street from the lake and park, but it is an easy walk over to enjoy the beautiful lake. While there, I recommend a visit to Watkins Glen Gorge, a very scenic and strenuous hike. Allow several hours for that. It's probably best to book ahead at RV parks and state parks in the Watkins Glan area due to the huge influx on race weekends. Luckily, we missed that and were able to get a space.

Lake City RV Resort (Lake City, FL)

Competition means that RV parks in Florida tend to provide good amenities. This one has all pull-through sites, level, good wi-fi, good free cable television, and even free cookies, coffee, and tea in the clubhouse. There are 2 fishing ponds.

Where Tennessee and Georgia come together, you'll find the Holiday Travel Park. It's close to the Chickamauga National Military Battlefield and the RV park is actually on part of the place where soldiers fought and died. You can watch a free video in the clubhouse about the battle.

It has level pull-through sites and is easy to get to from I-75.

I hope to add more reviews over time. These are parks that we've stayed at over the past years.

• Fort Chiswell RV Park - Max Meadows, Virginia (level sites, all pull-through, good cable and wi-fi, easy on-off the interstate I-81)
• Front Royal RV Campground - Front Royal, Virginia (has a bear in the lobby)
• Camp Lakewood Campground - Effingham, Illinois (on the shore of Lake Pauline, has fishing dock)
• North Star RV Park - Valley Center, KS
• Beldon Hill Campground - Harpursville, New York (Sep 2015)
• Mile Away Campground - Henniker, NH (Sep 2015)
• Tall Pines Riverfront Campground - Bainbridge, New York (June 2014)
• Lakeview Camping Resort - St. Agatha, Maine
• Big Springs RV Camp - Van Buren, Missouri (Oct 2014)
• Capitol KOA - Millersville, Maryland (May 2014)
• In & Out RV Park - Lake City, Florida
• Richmond Indiana KOA (Sep 2014)
• Williamsport So/Nittany Mountain KOA - New Columbia, Pennsylvania (Sep 2014)
• Country Acres Campground - Ravenna, Ohio (Sep 2014)
• Keyser Pond Campground - Henniker, NH 603-428-7741 (has lake and woods)