NF Campground Review – Lake Powhatan, Pisgah Forest (Asheville, NC)

Another wonderful National Forest campground only ~6 miles from Asheville, NC in the Smoky Mountains
Link to campground here: Lake Powhatan, Pisgah National Forest
Link to map here: Lake Powhatan, Bent Creek Recreation Area

1. Site Quality = 4.5/5
   Very nice forest sites here. They are all hard gravel back-ins with picnic table and fire-pit. There’s an assortment of sizes as well as some tent-only sites, but all are nicely level and beautifully shaded with very good separation between campers. Some sites are wider than others. There’s a selection of either water/sewer or electric (50 AMP) hook-ups.
2.  Facilities = 4/5
   Good selection of facilities. There’s flush toilets, showers, dump station and potable water. In addition there’s a swimming area, fishing pier and picnic sites all around the lake. Only slight ding is the showers have a push-timer (although it gives a decent time), plus they’re not quite as hot as we’d hoped.
3. Location = 5/5
   Another fabulous location. You’re only ~6 miles from downtown Asheville and yet you’re in the middle of a gorgeous and serene forest setting surrounded by miles of fabulous hiking and biking trails. You’re also right next to the Blue Ridge Parkway and within a 40-min drive of Smoky Mountain National Park.
4. Pet Friendliness = 5/5
   Awesome place for doggie. Lots of space to hang out, hike and even bike with your favorite furry friend. Lots of cold-mountain creeks and streams for pooch water-lovers too.

Overall Rating = 4.6
BONUS ALERT = Gorgeous deep-forest mountain campground right next to Asheville, NC

Summary: Once again it seems we’ve hit the jackpot. This is a gorgeous, deep-forest campground with lovely flat and shaded sites just ~6 miles from downtown Asheville, NC and right next to the Blue Ridge Parkway. The sites offer a selection of either water/sewer or electric hook-up and there’s always a set of first-come-first-serve for those non-reservation folks like ourselves. The whole area is part of Pisgah National Forest and is a hiking and biking paradise with miles of different trails right on your doorstep interspersed beautifully with forest, the lake, streams and creeks. To top it all off Asheville and the surrounding area is super dog-friendly allowing dogs on all trails and in restaurants with outdoor spaces. So, you can have an expresso downtown in the morning, go for a bike-ride with pooch in the afternoon and relax by your campfire in serene forest in the evening. Another keeper-campsite for us, for sure!

 Extra Info:  No connectivity here, but we were able to get a slooow (just barely usable) internet w/ Verizon using our external amplifier and antenna. Selection of reservation and first-come-first-serve sites. Sewer/water or 50 AMP hook-ups. Sites are $23/night for sewer/water, $25/night for electric. Central dump and potable water. Fishing pier and swimming beach on Lake Powhatan.

Our site (#35) in Bent Creek Loop

Typical campsite view

View down Big John Loop

View down Bent Creek Loop showing one of smaller pull-through sites (#26)

Picnic table and fire-pit/grill

One of the many, gorgeous hiking trails

Bent Creek stream

NF Campground Rating – Lake Glendale (Shawnee National Forest, IL)

This was the fabulous, lucky campground we found on Labor Day week-end.

Link to campground here: Lake Glendale Recreation Area (Shawnee)
Link to map here: Lake Glendale Recreation Area (Shawnee)

  

1. Site Quality = 4/5
   We were happily surprised by the site quality here. All the electric sites (30 amp) are large, hard dirt and nicely flat. The primitive sites vary a bit, some being more narrow and uneven, but there’s a nice selection of flat sites as well as double sites which can easily accommodate big rigs. The sites are well separated and the area is heavily wooded so there’s tons of privacy for each camper. None have direct lake-views, but several have short trails (10 feet at most) to lakeside. Each site has picnic table and fire-pit.
2. Facilities = 3.5/5
   There’s decent facilities here. The bathrooms are large and well-kept and there’s free showers. The main annoyance is that the showers have a timer button which I swear was set to only ~15 secs, so barely enough time to wait for the water to get warm before it goes out. The campground has on-site dump station and potable water. Also, there are pinic areas and a swimming beach (albeit paying) on the lake.
3. Location = 4/5
   This is definitely on of those “out there” locations which is perfect for those that like to get away. The campsite is beautifully located in the middle of a thick forest and right next to stunning Lake Glendale with tons of hiking right from your site. You’re also a short drive from local sights like Garden of the Gods. However, don’t expect to come here to do your shopping.
4. Pet Friendliness = 5/5
   Fabulous doggie place like all National Forests. Plenty of places for hiking and hanging out.

Overall Rating = 4.1
BONUS ALERT = Dense and relaxing forest next to stunning Lake Glendale

Summary: This was a fabulous and serene stop for us on (otherwise busy) Labor Day week-end. For those who like getting “out there” Shawnee National Forest, IL is definitely a go-to location. Most of the campgrounds here are non-reservation and you probably won’t have connectivity, but if you’re looking for peace and quiet with nature, woods and hiking this is an awesome place to stay. At Lake Glendale most of the pads were surprisingly large (and nicely flat), and there was a good selection of electric as well as primitive sites. Lots of privacy between campers and miles of (unmarked, mind you) hiking trails in the nearby forest. Also, you’re right next to stunning Lake Glendale with fishing, beach and boating. This is a place that locals go because they know it’s good and almost everyone else passes by. Our kind of stop indeed!

 Extra Info:  No regular connectivity here (neither AT&T Cellphones nor Verizon wireless worked), however we were able to get on-line with external antenna and amplifier. No reservations (first-come-first-serve only), but selection of primitive and electric sites. Sites are $18/night for electric, $12/night for primitive. Central dump and potable water.

Typical view of the large electric sites

View down the loop with electric sites (we're site #1 on the left)

One of the narrower sites in primitive section. We'd be OK getting in here, but some people might cringe a bit w/ a big-rig.

Fire-pit and picnic table at each site

Another view showing separation and privacy in the campground

RV Park Rating – South Sandusky (Rend Lake, IL)

This is actually an Army Corps Of Engineers campground (our very first one) on the shores of Rend Lake, IL. They’re very similar to State Parks so I’ll rate them using the same system. 
Link to campground here: South Sandusky Campground
Link to map here: South Sandusky Campground

1. Site Quality = 3/5
   This is a huge campground with several hundred campsites and the quality is a bit hit and miss. All sites are paved and have a fire-pit and picnic bench, but they are fairly narrow and vary a lot in how level they are.  Some are absolutely flat, whereas others have more than a foot or more of drop between front and back (we were not able to level on our site despite using the full range of the jacks). On the plus side there’s nice separation between campers, a selection of full hook-up, electric or electric/water and plenty of shade sites and lots of privacy.
2. Facilities = 2.5/5
   The facilities are only so-so here. There’s flush toilets and showers, but they were a bit dingy and not as clean as we’d like. There is the bonus of central dump station, plus there are lots of areas for play and picnicking around the campground.
3. Location = 4/5
   Location is what makes this park. It’s set right next to gorgeous Rend Lake which has miles of hiking/biking, water recreation and a very nice beach. You’re ~10 miles from Benton which has Walmart and all your major shopping needs.
4. Pet Friendliness = 5/5
   Good place for pooch. Plenty of space to hang round the site and doggie can go hiking and in the water (just not at the beach).

Overall Rating = 3.6
BONUS ALERT = Rend Lake and lounging on the beach 

Summary: The Army Corps of Engineers manages ~2,500 facilities around the US. We’d never been to one and were eager to try. Overall this is a really nice park. It’s got a good location on the shores of Lake Rend, there’s lots of space between campers and decent hiking and biking opportunities. The one thing that got us were the sites. There were really so hit and miss in terms of how level they were. Our own site had a huge drop and we weren’t able to level. Some had moderate drops whereas a selection were completely flat. On the plus side we had full hook-ups and great shade and privacy. I think, were we to come back, we’d probably go into the first-come, first-serve section and chose our site on arrival rather than booking ahead. We enjoyed the location, the beach and the lake so overall a really pleasant week-end. 

 Extra Info:  AT&T Cellphones did not work, but Verizon wireless did. Selection of reservable sites. Full-hookup, electric, water/electric and primitive sites available. Sites are $24/night for full hook-up. Central dump and potable water. 

Our site (#121) at Sandusky. Far too big a drop to level.

Another uneven site in Pine Tree Loop

One of the random flat sites in Dogwood

View showing the nice separation between campers

Picnic table and fire-pit at each site

Gorgeous Rend Lake

SP Campground Rating – Babler State Park (St Louis, MO)

We stayed here for a week while visiting St Louis, MO.  Overall a great little place to stay.
Link to campground here: Dr. Edmund A Babler Memorial State Park, MO
Link to map here: Babler State Park, MO

  

1. Site Quality = 4.5/5
   There’s really not much negative to say about the sites here. The campground has very large, concrete, level sites which are nicely spaced, set in trimmed grass and amongst trees. Picnic table and fire-pit at each site, plus a good selection of electric hook-ups (30 amp). The sites in the 2 left-hand loops (as you enter the park) are set in older forest and are a bit more narrow. Also the end-turns are tight. In the right-hand loop (#13-#33) the sites are more open and much larger.
2. Facilities = 4/5
   Decent State Park facilities. There’s flush and vault toilets, hot showers (free) plus central dump & potable water at several locations. Everything is kept clean and presentable. Around the State Park there’s plenty of picnic locations and playground areas.
3. Location = 4/5
   We really liked this location. The park is set in the middle of a large, natural area with plenty of forest, hiking trails and biking (it’s very popular on the week-ends). Also, it’s ~30 miles from St Louis and within a short driving distance to any shopping you’d need to do.
4. Pet Friendliness = 5/5
   Great for pooch. Lots of space to hang out in the grassy area around camp, plus trails galore in the forest.

Overall Rating = 4.4
BONUS ALERT = Quiet forest and only 30 miles from St Louis 

Summary: This was a great park to explore the St Louis area. It’s in a really nice area of town, set smack in the middle of 2,500-acres of natural woodland and nicely quiet despite being so close to civilization (~30 miles from central St Louis). The entrance is quite fancy with a massive stone gate, broad avenue and statue of Dr. Babler. The sites are also great. Very large, concrete and nicely flat with the bonus of electrical hook-ups available. Campers are well separated and there’s access to hiking and biking (13 miles in total) straight from the campground. During the week the place is practically deserted, although it tends to fill-up in the week-ends. Overall a great stop. We’d come by again. 

 Extra Info:  AT&T Cellphones & Verizon wireless both worked. Selection of reservable and electric sites. Sites are $21/night for electric in high-season, $19/night in off-season (full rates here). Central dump and potable water. 

Typical site in right-side loop (as you enter park)

View down right-side loop road. You can just see our site (#15) on right.

Another view of right-side loop

Typical site in left-side loops. These are smaller & set in older forest.

View down left-side loop

SP Campsite Review – Stone State Park (Sioux City, IA)

We stayed at this campsite for ~4 days whilst getting some practical things done (dog to the vet, me to the dentist and such). It’s a different kind of place… 

Link to campsite here: Stone State Park, Iowa 

1. Site Quality = 1.5/5
   Very odd site setting here. There’s basically 2 big semi-circles of grass when you enter the park and that’s where the sites are (all together on a grass parking lot). There are 10 sites w/ electricity so the place does get a bonus for that, but the site spacing is very tight and you’d be hard pressed to fit everyone in if it got booked up (luckily it rarely does). The grass is uneven, gets moist and soft when wet and only 2 sites would fit a big-rig (#8 at the bottom and #12 at the top). In all other sites you’d need to park at an angle to fit or be somewhat level.
2. Facilities = 3/5
   Good, basic facilities. There’s flush and vault toilets and full showers which are not too bad. Also central potable water. No dump station, however. The park does have lots of picnic areas and rest areas, plus a very nice Nature Centre.
3. Location = 4/5
   The campground is in a decent location. It’s smack in the middle of Loess Hills and covers 1,069 acres of land in forested, rolling hills. It’s also only ~6 miles from Sioux City.
4. Pet Friendliness = 5/5
   Good, pet friendly park. Almost no-one comes here so lots of space for pooch and you to roam alone. Hiking trails start right from your RV.

Overall Rating = 3.3
BONUS ALERT = Loess Hills at your doorstep 

Summary: This is a nice setting, but an odd park. It’s geared mostly towards tenters and that was quite obvious when we saw the sites. They’re on a big grass “parking lot” which gets muddy and soft when wet and isn’t really deep or level enough for most big-rigs. I think the park rangers were surprised we managed to get in, and even more surprised that we stayed for more than a day. On the plus side this is one of the least visited State Parks in Iowa so we were really (really) on our own most of the time, plus it’s set right smack in the Loess Hills with plenty of hiking trails right from your RV. Now, it was particularly buggy while we were here so that did put a damper on the experience, but at the right time of year this could be a nice stop. Just don’t expect any fancy sites and be prepared for smaller roads and a bit of a squeeze to get in. 

 Extra Info: Neither AT&T phones, nor Verizon wireless worked (no access at all). Sites cost $11/night in peak season. 30 sites total (mostly tent), 10 with electric. Potable water. No dump station. 

View of electric sites. There are officially 7 sites along this patch of grass.

View of electric sites from other side of campground

Front view of our site (#8)

Upper-level tent sites

One of the many hiking trails straight from camp