Idaho

Idaho

Teton Mountain View Lodge, Tetonia, Idaho

Dates: August 5-11, 2011

Temps Were in the mid 70's with lows in the 40's!

We got set up in site 19. It's a nice small campground and motel/ lodge with full hook-ups, and weak WiFi. Dirt roads and gravel side by side pull-thrus.

We paid $140 for the week with our Passport America discount. 

We had a view of the Tetons from the RV Park, just not from our site.

Grand Tetons in the distance.

We enjoyed our stay and thought the price of the site was reasonable for the area. No real amenities but clean basic lodging not far from grocery shopping. There was a restroom and laundry facilities available.


Valley View RV Park, Island Park Idaho. 


Dates: August 12-25,2011

Valley View is situated on the flat meadows of the large cauldera encompassing the Island Park area. We got checked into the office for a rate of $182 and change for the week with our Pass Port America discount. We paid for a full hook-up site with 50 amps. WiFi is an additional $1 per day. There is no cable but our satellite dish worked just fine.

Friends, Paul and Paula had reserved a site for us right next to them and we got set up in site E-7 in the back row of the park with a rear view of the hillside.

Our site E-7 next to Paul and Paula

The front office of the park is actually inside the prominent laundrymat at the entrance. The sites are grassy with lots of ground squirrel holes. Grocery shopping is difficult with limited selections in Island Park so stock up before arriving! Overall, it's a nice park with few amenities, but convenient to the west entrance of Yellowstone National Park.

Wallace RV Park, Wallace Idaho

September 9-11, 2011

The town of Wallace Idaho is off interstate 90 east of Coer d'Alene where we found Wallace RV Park, a small park practically in town but, just on the North side of the elevated interstate. The noise from the interstate wasn't noticeable.

It was warm close to 90 when we arrived. We got set up quickly but didn't run the A/C. The park is in a valley surrounded by tall pine trees. Others told us that we would have full shade by 4:30 and so it was.
The campground was nice but very tight. We talked to the owner at length who was very friendly. He purchased the park and a building on the south end of the park about a year and a half ago. He really wanted the building and the RV park just happened to come with it. He renovated the 100 plus year old former railroad depot building into a brewery, bar and soon a restaurant. The atmosphere inside now is that of a bar but they allow dogs to actually go inside. Somewhat interesting!

Wallace RV Park Bar with elevated interstate in the background.

The campground like I said is very tight and not very deep. I wouldn't consider it big rig friendly but more like big rig maybe, depending on how crowded they are as maneuvering could be very difficult. We literally had only a couple of extra feet from Paul and Paula's open slide with our awning open. However, each site has a patch of grass and we were backed up to a boisterous little babbling creek. There is no WiFi at the sites but supposedly available inside the bar (we didn't try it). The sites are all only 30 amp with sewer hook-ups. The temps during our stay in September were just right with lows in the 50's and highs in the mid to upper 80's but only for a couple of hours till we were blanketed in shade from the surrounding hills and forest. Our sites didn't feel the morning sun till about 10:30.

Our tight site next to Paul and Paula backed up to a creek.

We were so close to town that one morning we walked into Wallace and eventually walked around several blocks of the historic downtown area in search of a place for breakfast. We found a quaint little diner, Red Light Garage. There's also a small but reasonable grocery store in town. The Trail of the Coeur d'Alenes, a paved bike trail runs along the south border of the park just under the raised interstate.
Overall, we enjoyed our stay at Wallace RV Park and would probably return if we came through the area. Our purpose for stopping this time around was to ride The Route Of The Hiawatha Bike Trail.

Utah

Mountain View RV Park, Monticello, Utah

Dates: July 27-Aug 2, 2010 
Location: 632 Main St. Monticello, Utah (Southeast Utah)
Our Site Number: 17

Reason Selected:  On the way to northern Arizona, close to Moab and Canyonlands National Park.
Setting: Outside of town at 7K ft. elevation made for cool conditions Dirt and gravel lot with mainly pull throughs.
Big Rig Friendly:  Yes 
Hook-ups: Full hook-ups, most sites are 30 amp with a few 50 amp. Good cable. 
Laundry: Yes but not very clean or secure 
Price & Discounts: We paid the weekly rate of $126 Other Factors: Owners live on the property. Male half is a Deputy Sheriff. 
OVERALL RATING:  6

The park is small with a lot of overnighters. There is a sliver of grass between some sites. The power is poor at barely 110 Volts. We didn't need to run the a/c due to the cool altitude. Drainage problems on our site when it rained.




Shady Acres RV Park, Green River, Utah

Date July 21, 2011.

Shady Acres RV Park is located off I-70 not far from the Colorado border. It was about 95 degrees outside when we arrived for our overnight stay.  The park is very large but there were only a handful of RVs including two next to us. I'm not sure why they would need so many sites. However, Arches National Park is only 60 miles away.  The Green River is about as muddy brown as any river I've seen. We paid $35 for our site with full hook-ups, WiFi and cable.

We stayed hitched so we could get an easy start in the morning, destination North Salt Lake City.

Overall, not a bad park for an overnight stay. There was some much needed shade and the majority of the sites were large pull throughs. We would stay here again if passing through or perhaps visiting Arches National Park. 


Pony Express RV Resort, North Salt Lake City, Utah 


Dates: July 22-28, 2011 

Pony Express RV Resort is located off I-15 just miles from downtown Salt Lake City.  After checking in we were lead to our "premium site" B22. We paid over $260 for a week's stay.

Our site B22

By the end of the day (after these photos) the park was perhaps 90% full.

The street in front of our site

It's a new park perhaps only a few years old. It's nice however, there are a lot of semi-permanent construction/ oil workers and their trucks in the park including on both sides of us. This was more noticeable in the evening when they all began to return home to the RV park. The park's website states, "Pony Express RV Resort is, simply stated, an RV Resort for RVers. Built and managed to accommodate the vacation/leisure traveler, you won’t find yourself mingled with long-term residents...".  Well, I beg to differ with that statement!

Rear of site

The sites are really narrow with immature trees. We were lucky that our door side was shaded in the afternoon as the temps reached the mid 90's in the late afternoon.

Street at rear of our site

Overall, the park suited us just fine. It's not our favorite type of park with all the concrete and pavement but it seems to be centrally located and has a bike trail adjacent to it that we will have to check out. Joyce made use of the pool and reported back favorably!

Golden Spike RV Park Utah, Brigham City, Utah 

Dates:  July 29- August 4, 2011

Located near I-15, Golden Spike RV Park is not a large park. We were pleasantly surprised that we had a shady pull-thru site waiting for us. By early evening when I took the pictures, the sites around us had filled. The sites in the sun were the last to fill up.

Small grass field in front of our site

We were fortunate that the park allowed us to wash the rig. So I washed the Jeep, fifth wheel and the truck before the sites around us filled up.

The sites were gravel, the roads paved but there's lots of grass and mature trees. The power was good and, we liked this park. We paid $201 for a week with 50 amp full hook-ups, strong WiFi and cable.

We spent the next week exploring the area and catching up with some friends.

Texas

Buckhorn Lake Resort, Kerrville Texas

Dates: January 22-30, 2011
Location: Interstate 10 exit 501 Kerrville, Texas
Our Site Number: 6094B an "Executive Site"


Reason Selected: We had driven thru this park the year before and were impressed with the well manicured and paved park and amenities.
Setting: Off the interstate but far enough away that the traffic noise isn't noticeable. Well manicured lawns, paved streets and sites. Several out buildings including a "Big Red Barn" for social events.


Big Rig Friendly: Yes, several pull through sites.
Hook-ups: Full Hook-ups including WiFi and cable TV
Laundry: Yes, clean facilities
Price & Discounts: We paid for an executive site (splurged) that backed up to the lake. Weekly rate @ $38 a day plus electric @ $3 a day.
Other Factors: Not far from Kerrville, a full schedule of social activities.
OVERALL RATING: 7
A very nice park, not the type we usually frequent. It was nice but perhaps overpriced.

Comanche Land Rv Park (No website)

Fort Stockton, Texas 

Location: I-10 Between exit 259 A and B on the north side of the interstate
Date: January 21, 2011.
Setting: It's just a dirt/gravel parking lot on the North side of I-10. No amenities other than cable.
Price: We paid $16 for the night (regular rate) with 30 amp, water and sewer. $18 for 50 amp. Payment is Cash Only.
Overall Rating: 5.5
Restrooms are deplorable so be prepared to be self-contained. It's just fine for an overnight when passing through as it's right off the interstate.

Cottonwood Creek RV Park

Dripping Springs/ Henly Texas

Dates: March 22- April 10, 2010, March 1-June 6, 2011

Location: 2951 Ranch Road 165 Dripping Springs, Tx 78620. Rural area about 13 miles west of Dripping Springs.
Our Site Number: 11 and 7

Reason Selected:  We wanted to visit the Texas Hill Country and it was centrally located. Moreover, it was recommended by another blog. 

Setting:  Gravel roads and sites set amongst a hilly property. Many sites are shaded by trees. The park is small and friendly with a small creek cutting through it. Owner managed park.
Big Rig Friendly: No problems with handling big rigs. 

Hook-ups: 50 amps, water and sewer. Very hard water. Very good Wifi throughout the park.

Laundry: Small but well maintained laundry. 

Price & Discounts: They have weekly and monthly rates. We stayed 3 weeks and paid about $20 a day including electric. 

Other Factors: The owners, Sherry and Les Ems are RVers. She screens her guests and many become regulars.  There are no park models or permanent residents. The owners often organize social activities with their guests. 

OVERALL RATING: 8.5

One of the nicest campgrounds we’ve stayed at to date. However, there are no amenities to speak of to include no bath house. Although centrally located in the Texas Hill Country, the closest town is 13 miles away. The area is not bicycle friendly as Ranch Road 165 is two lanes with a speed limit of 60 mph and riding a bike on the dirt trail in the back of the park is not permitted.


Guadalupe River RV Resort
Kerrville, Texas

Dates: April 11-18, 2010
Location: 2605 Junction Hwy 27 • Kerrville, TX 78028  West of San Antonio, south of I-10

Our Site Number: 81 

Reason Selected:  The park was hosting the Carriage Travel Club Texas National Rally

Setting:  A very large park on the Guadalupe River, complete with pools, a rally club house and a saloon-out door bar.
Big Rig Friendly: Can accommodate large rigs. Hook-ups: Full hook-ups 

Laundry: Two laundry facilities 

Price & Discounts: We paid the rally rate of $28 a day. Refer to their website for rates. 

Other Factors: Good WiFi throughout the park. A resort setting with at least three sections. 

OVERALL RATING: 6.5

A nice park, but dated. The sites were very small and subject to flooding when it rains. Overpriced for the quality of the campsites. Majority of sites are pull-throughs.


Parkview RV Park
Fort Stockton, Texas

Dates: April 19, 2010
Location: 735 S. Highway 285 Lot 1 Fort Stockton, TX 79735 South off I-10 in Fort Stockton on Hwy. 285.
Our Site Number: 12
Reason Selected:  Passport America park. We were headed west along I-10 to Carlsbad Tx
Setting:  A large dirt field with RV hook-ups bordered by open fields and/ or mobile homes.
Big Rig Friendly: Can accommodate large rigs.
Hook-ups: Full hook-ups to include cable
Laundry: Available but we didn’t check them out.
Price & Discounts: Passport America Rate of $10 plust $2 for 50 amp and $2 for cable
Other Factors: WiFi is advertised but we couldn’t get a signal. 

OVERALL RATING: 5.0

Perhaps the worst park we have been in. The clerk was rude and we had to move from our first site due to a sewer problem. There are a number of long term Rvs belonging to construction workers.  Lots of ghetto dogs in the area. The park is only adequate for an overnight stay.

Yequa Creek C.O.E. PARK

Somerville Lake, Texas

Dates: March 17-21, 2010

Location: 12563 Yegua Creek Park Rd., Burton, TX 77835 US Army Corps of Engineers Park on Somerville Lake near Somerville Texas, north west of Houston.
Our Site Number: Forgot in first loop. 

Reason Selected:  Our first C.O.E. park and it was on the way to the Austin Area. 

Setting:  On a lake.  Campground has two RV loops and a loop for primitive camping. The RV sites are crushed gravel and in wooded areas. Another C.O.E. park, Rocky Creek is about a mile away. Yegua Creek is the smaller of the two.
Big Rig Friendly: Big Rig Friendly but watch for low tree branches. 

Hook-ups: Yegua Creek only has 30 amp and water.  Rocky Creek has 30/50 amp and water. Both campgrounds have a dump station. Laundry: None 

Price & Discounts: $20 a night for 30amp and water. 

Other Factors: Remote setting, beautiful full views of the lake.  OVERALL RATING:  7 out of 10.

The campground is very nice and has great potential. However, it’s showing its age.  The bathhouses were old and awful.  Both parks really get a lot of use on the weekends from the locals.  Unfortunately we experienced really foul windy weather during our short stay.  There are plenty of deer in the area that are not shy!




Shields Park NAS Recreation Area, Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, Texas

Dates:  January 31-February 28, 2011. June 9-13, 2011.
Location:  Naval Air Station Corpus Christi, (military base)
Our Site Number: several

After an ice storm!

Reason Selected:  Visiting our daughter and son-in-law Setting: Two campgrounds a couple hundred yards apart. Paved loops and pads in the newer campground set in an empty grass field near the water.
Big Rig Friendly: YES, the majority of the sites are back-ins. Hook-ups: Full Hook-ups and WiFi Laundry: Yes..no cost Price & Discounts: $17 a day. 

Other Factors: We were the guest of our son-in-law stationed at the NAS. Electric was included in the $17 a day rate. OVERALL RATING: 6

We stayed for a month to visit. However, we were moved to three different sites during our stay. The campground is very exposed to the wind and salt spray from the surf. The wind constantly blows and everything gets a salty coating.

Pecan Valley RV Park, Junction Texas.  (325) 446-3065

Date:  June 14, 2011

Location:  6716 West Ranch Road 1674, Junction, TX

(325) 446-3065.  7 miles west of Junction on RR 1674.

Our site: 5

Reason Selected:  Overnight stop off I-10.

Setting:  A few miles from the interstate and set in an old Pecan Grove. A very small park.

Big Rig Friendly:  Yes the majority of sites are pull through and not all are shaded.

Hook-ups:  Full hook-ups with only 30 amp service. No Wifi, No Cable and no digital TV reception.

Price:  $22 dollars cash

Other factors:  Poor Verizon cell service. The park is good for a stop over if passing through Junction Texas.  There is a herd of deer that wander freely in the park.

Overall Rating: 6

As stated good for a stop over if you can get by with 30 amp and want solitude. It's a quiet park with no noise from the interstate.

Eagles Nest RV Park, Van Horn, Texas

Date:  June 15, 2011

Location: 1605 W. Broadway Van Horn, TX 79855 ph: 432-283-2420 alt: 410-975-6086

Our site:  6

Reason Selected:  Passing through on I-10 and needed an overnight park. 

Setting:  A medium size park with primarily pull-throughs set amongst some medium size trees. The grounds and roads are clayish gravel. Only a couple blocks from the interstate and in town.

Big Rig Friendly:  Yes plenty of room to manuever. Park was nearly empty when we stayed. Majority of sites are pull through.

Hook-ups:  Full Hook-ups. Not all sites have 50 amp. Wifi was very good. 

Price: It was self register and pay. We didn't see any staff personnel during our stay. We paid $29. 70 with Good Sam discount.

Other Factors:  Close to the interstate. Easy on and off. Restaurants within walking distance.

Overall Rating:  6  Good for a stop over. It was 105 degrees when we stopped over for the night so we didn't spend much time outside or exploring.

Circle Bar RV Park in Ozona Tx.

March 15, 2012

I don't believe there is a website for the park but, it's at exit 372 off I-10 in Texas. It's not much more than a dirt parking lot. Cost was $27 for the night including cable TV, 50 amp and Sewer. It's first come first serve and it seems to be common practice to park your tow vehicle in the adjacent site if it doesn't fit in the site with your rig. We were told to pick our own site and the office didn't care to know which ones we took. Very relaxed.