The following post was written by guest author Matthew Young.
Travel is a big part of the American dream, and you can take most of your belongings with you when you do it in a recreational vehicle. Traveling in an RV brings together the comforts of home and the appeal of the open road. Along with being an inexpensive means of having a family vacation, RV’ing can be ideal for taking a break with the kids.
Some of the best family vacation ideas include biking, fishing, hiking and swimming. All of these options are available when you stay at RV campgrounds. Plus, you get the chance to relax in the great outdoors while still getting to sleep indoors.
Today, I share with you my seven favorite family campgrounds in the U.S.
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Horse Thief Campground and RV Resort
Spread across 40 acres of mining territory in South Dakota’s Black Hills National Forest, this campground is just two miles from Mount Rushmore National Memorial and near Jewel Cave, the second-longest cave in the world. Positioned next to Horsethief Lake among lodgepole and ponderosa pine trees, the campsites are non-electric, so take a generator. The sites feature campfire rings, drinking water, picnic tables and vault toilets.
Horse Thief is a great place to enjoy biking, birding, fishing, hiking, lake access, trails and wildlife such as bald eagles, deer, elk, hawks and pronghorn. Also, you can explore the almost 1.25 million acres of the national forest, which has deep blue lakes, canyons and gulches, grassland parks, rock formations and unique caves.
Yosemite Pines RV Resort & Family Lodging
The Yosemite Pines RV resort is located near the Sierra Nevada Mountains, which is at the center of California’s Gold Country. All of its sites include electricity, water, fire rings and picnic tables. Full-hookup sites also include sewage and cable. Yosemite Pines also gives you access to a barbecue pavilion, club and meeting room, convenience store, free Wi-Fi, a laundry room, restrooms and showers, and a volleyball court.
Within the resort, don’t miss horseshoes, a gold mine and panning tools, a petting farm, a playground and a swimming pool. Other than Yosemite National Park, the resort is close to the Jamestown Railroad, Lake Don Pedro, Mercer Caverns, Pine Mountain Lake and the beautiful city of Sonora.
Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground
In Florida, this Disney World resort is located in the Magic Kingdom area and spreads across 750 acres of cypress and pine forest. There are hundreds of fully-equipped campsites, each with electrical and cable hookups, a charcoal grill, a picnic table, a privacy-enhanced landscape and a water hookup. Most sites also have a sewage hookup. Throughout Fort Wilderness are air conditioned comfort stations, laundry facilities, phones, private showers and restrooms.
The resort has multiple pools, themed play areas, a waterslide and a whirlpool spa. Armadillos, deer, ducks and rabbits roam the area, and canoeing, horseback riding and woodland trails are some of the more unique activities available to guests.
Sitting on east coast of South Padre Island, near the southern tip of Texas, this campground offers RV sites that can accommodate vehicles up to 98-feet long and have full hookups with up to 50 amps of power. Other amenities include cable, a dog park, propane, a snack bar and internet access.
Have fun in the heated swimming pool or melt away your stress in the hot tub. Both are open all-year long. Other activities include basketball, crafts, floor aerobics, horseshoes and outdoor movies. A fitness center, two playgrounds and a meeting room are on-site as well. What’s more, a free shuttle service is available for transport to attractions such as Gladys Porter Zoo, Queen Isabella Memorial Park and Schlitterbahn Beach Waterpark.
Inside Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, this RV park is located along Yellowstone Lake and surrounded by a pine forest. Its sites are designed to accommodate vehicles up to 40-feet long, and they feature full hookups for electricity, sewage and water. There is coin laundry, a dump station, store and showers available for a fee. Without fire grates and picnic tables, this park lets you experience Yellowstone the way it was meant to be enjoyed.
Along with fishing, hiking and wildlife viewing, tour the Fishing Bridge Visitor Center and Museum, which has a small bookstore. The Lake Village, located a few miles south of the campground, offers a range of services such as a cafeteria, a clinic, a full-service restaurant, a general store, gift shops, a post office and even offers tours of the surrounding area.
Located just outside of Vicksburg, Mississippi, the campground is surrounded by 300 acres of nature. It features 40 full-hookup sites for electricity, sewage and water. There are also two modern bathhouses, a laundry facility, a large covered pavilion and a swimming pool.
Experience fishing on a 15-acre lake and hike two miles of nature trails. Also on the grounds is the Black River, where wildlife is abundant, while ducks, geese, peacocks and turkeys roam the campsites. What makes this place so unique, however, is its location on the former Bridgeport Plantation, which is listed on the National Historical Register. Several Civil War battles were fought in the area as well.
This campground is located at Crater Lake National Park in Oregon and accommodates up to 100-foot RVs. Its wooded campsites have full hookups, a fire pit and a picnic table. Cable and internet access are also available along with a coin laundry and showers.
Have a few games of horseshoe at the campground. Visit Deschutes National Forest, Deschutes River, Fall River, Gilchrist State Forest and Three Trails OHV System for ATV or mountain biking, bird watching, fly fishing, hiking, kayaking and water sports such as canoeing, sailing and windsurfing. In the winter, the mountains and snowy terrain are great for downhill and cross-country skiing, snowmobiling and dog sled racing. About 25 minutes north is the Quail Run Golf Course.
Looking for even more RV resorts? Check out the free Top RV Resorts Guide from Newmar.
About the author
Matthew Young is a Boston-based freelance writer. As an aspiring automotive journalist looking to make a name for himself, Matthew is passionate about covering anything on four wheels. When he’s not busy writing about cars or new emerging technology, he usually spends time fiddling with his camera and learning a thing or two about photography. You can tweet him @mattbeardyoung.