Written by Rex Vogel, RVing with Rex explores North America one meaningful place at a time through destination guides, history, slow travel, and thoughtful storytelling. Drawing on years of RV travel and firsthand experience, the site helps readers move beyond simply seeing places to truly experiencing them.
Bakersfield, California, is more than the city celebrated in a country song. Explore its Basque heritage, agriculture, oil, music, food, and the unexpected stories that emerge when you slow down and look.
The question, made famous by Buck Owens and Dwight Yoakam, is more than a line from a song. It is an invitation to discover a city often overlooked by travelers passing through California’s Central Valley.
I’ve written about Bakersfield before but each visit reveals another layer. We discovered its Basque heritage over a meal at Benji’s Basque Restaurant, enjoyed local beer at Temblor Brewing Company, drove through miles of orange groves, and saw oil pumps still working across the landscape.
Perhaps that is the real Bakersfield. Its story isn’t found in one place or one attraction but in the people, food, music, agriculture, and industry that have shaped the city.
For an RVer, the campground is where the journey begins. It is our home, our base, and the place from which each day’s discoveries unfold.
Bakersfield has three excellent RV parks and we’ve experienced all three. We’ve stayed at Orange Grove RV Park three times, stayed at Bakersfield River Run RV Park twice, and visited Bakersfield RV Resort. Each offers something different but all make good bases for exploring the city and surrounding area.
Orange Grove is perhaps the most memorable. The park sits among working orange trees and is a popular overnight stop for snowbirds heading south in fall and returning north in spring. When the oranges ripen, campers are invited to pick them. In spring, the blossoms fill the air with the unmistakable fragrance of citrus.
River Run offers a different advantage. We’ve stayed there twice, and the park backs onto the Kern River, with several Bakersfield experiences close at hand. Benji’s Basque Restaurant is a short distance away while the heart of Bakersfield are about a mile away.
Bakersfield RV Resort is also centrally located and is considered by some RVers to be the best of the three.
For us, these campgrounds aren’t simply places to park the RV. They become home base—a comfortable place to return to after a day of discovering another layer of Bakersfield.
And that’s where our exploration begins: from the campground, out onto the streets of Bakersfield.
Bakersfield is easy to underestimate. Located in California’s Central Valley, it can seem like a place to pass through rather than a destination. Spend a little time here, however, and another picture emerges.
The city grew along the Kern River, attracting people seeking opportunity. Gold brought newcomers in the 1850s, followed by agriculture, oil, and waves of migration that shaped the community.
Today, those layers remain visible. Orange groves stretch across the valley, oil pumps continue their steady rhythm, and restaurants and gathering places reflect the cultures of those who made Bakersfield home.
Then there is the music. The Bakersfield Sound put this working-class city on the national map and gave it an identity that still resonates.
Bakersfield isn’t defined by any one of these things. Its character comes from all of them together.
Perhaps that is why the city rewards those willing to slow down and look a little closer.
One of the more surprising things about Bakersfield is its strong Basque heritage. Beginning in the late 19th century, Basque immigrants came to the Central Valley, many working as sheepherders. Over time, some settled, raised families, and became an important part of the region’s agricultural community.
Their influence remains visible today. Bakersfield has one of the largest Basque communities in the United States and its restaurants have become an important part of the city’s cultural identity.
We experienced that heritage firsthand at Benji’s Basque Restaurant. Because we were staying at River Run, it was an easy addition to our exploration of Bakersfield.
For our first Basque food experience, we ordered the Set Up—and it proved to be an excellent choice. Soup, pinto beans, and salsa were brought to the table to be mixed according to our preferences. The cabbage-filled soup and French bread were delicious, followed by a fresh salad of lettuce and tomatoes, along with pickled tongue.
Everything was delicious and we rolled out of the restaurant completely satisfied. More than a meal, it was an opportunity to experience a piece of Bakersfield’s history and a tradition that remains part of the city’s identity.
That is what makes discovering a place rewarding. Look beneath the surface and you often find stories you never expected.
Oil is another part of Bakersfield’s story that is impossible to miss. Discovered in the area in the 19th century, petroleum became one of the foundations of the local economy.
We saw that history firsthand while exploring the area where oil pumps still work among fields and orchards. Their slow, rhythmic movement is almost hypnotic, yet these aren’t relics preserved for visitors. They remain part of a working landscape.
The contrast is striking. Orange trees grow in neat rows while nearby pump jacks rise and fall against the valley sky. Agriculture and oil may seem like different worlds but both have helped shape Bakersfield.
Seeing the pumps in their everyday setting made the history feel less like something from a textbook and more like a living part of the city.
In Bakersfield, the past isn’t always behind glass.
Bakersfield’s agricultural bounty, from grove to table
Just down the road from Orange Grove RV Park is California Fruit Depot, a small family-owned fruit market and packing facility. Its specialties are oranges and Medjool dates along with nuts, dried fruit, and other locally produced treats.
After staying among the orange trees, stopping at the Fruit Depot seemed like a natural next step. Here, the agricultural landscape we had been enjoying from the RV became something we could take home and enjoy.
There is something satisfying about buying fresh produce close to where it is grown. Instead of another stop at a supermarket, we were experiencing a small piece of the Central Valley’s agricultural bounty.
For RVers, stops like this are part of the fun of traveling by road. You discover a local place, taste something fresh, and perhaps leave with something to enjoy later at the campsite.
Sometimes you don’t have to look far to taste a place.
Bakersfield has deep roots but it isn’t stuck in the past. We saw that at Temblor Brewing Company where the city’s working-class character meets a newer craft-beer culture.
Temblor is a reminder that the city continues to evolve. Places like this give locals a place to gather and visitors another reason to linger, adding a contemporary layer to a community better known for oil, agriculture, Basque food, and country music.
What I enjoyed was the sense that this wasn’t created simply for tourists. It felt like a place where locals come to relax, socialize, and enjoy themselves.
Perhaps that is another part of understanding a city. You can learn much from its history, but you also need to see what is happening there today.
You can’t talk about Bakersfield without talking about music. In the late 1950s and 1960s, local musicians created a distinctive country sound built around electric guitars, a driving rhythm, and a harder-edged feel than the polished Nashville sound of the day.
Buck Owens and Merle Haggard became its best-known voices. Their music reflected the working people and independent spirit of the Central Valley and the Bakersfield Sound eventually influenced country music far beyond California.
Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace became a landmark of that musical legacy. Part restaurant, museum, and music venue, it celebrated Owens’ career and the music that put Bakersfield on the map. The Crystal Palace closed its doors to the public in 2025 but its place in Bakersfield’s musical history remains.
And then there is Streets of Bakersfield, the song that inspired our title. When Buck Owens and Dwight Yoakam recorded it together in 1988, it brought the city and its distinctive musical identity back into the national spotlight.
The song asks whether you’ve ever walked the streets of Bakersfield.
After spending time here, I think the better question is whether you’ve ever really looked.
Where Buck Owens helped preserve a piece of the past
Just outside Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace stands a piece of Bakersfield history that might easily be missed—the Bakersfield gate.
The original gateway was built in 1949 as an entrance to the city along old Highway 99. When it was eventually removed, Buck Owens recognized its significance and helped save it, bringing the structure to its present location near the Crystal Palace.
I knew about the gate and made a point of searching it out. Standing beside it, I was reminded that Bakersfield’s history isn’t confined to museums or historic buildings. Sometimes it survives because someone recognizes that a seemingly ordinary piece of the past is worth preserving.
The gate feels like a fitting companion to the Crystal Palace, another reminder of a Bakersfield that could easily have disappeared beneath the growth of the modern city.
Instead, the gate remains.
And if you are going to walk the streets of Bakersfield, this is one piece of its history worth seeking out.
Bakersfield isn’t a city that reveals everything at once.
From our campground, we began to discover a place shaped by Basque immigrants, agriculture, oil, music, and generations of people who came here looking for opportunity. Some of its stories are obvious. Others are easy to miss unless you slow down.
We found history in a Basque meal, orange groves, working oil pumps, and a preserved gateway. We found a city still evolving at a local brewery. And we found a musical identity that gave Bakersfield a voice far beyond California.
Perhaps that’s what Streets of Bakersfield was really asking us to consider.
Have we ever walked the streets of Bakersfield?
Yes, we have.
But more importantly, we took the time to look.
And sometimes, that’s all it takes to discover the unexpected.
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Editor’s note
This article was originally published in September 2026. Information reflects what was accurate at the time of writing. Conditions, access, and amenities may change over time, so please verify current details before planning your trip.
To maintain transparency and editorial independence, this website contains no ads, no sponsored content, and no affiliate links—just firsthand RV travel experiences and practical information for fellow travelers.
Searching for that perfect camping experience? Search no more. Good Sam has released its newly minted list of top-rated RV parks and resorts. For 2023, a total of 156 Good Sam Parks scored flawless 10/10★/10 ratings based on the Good Sam evaluation system, a three-number rating of a campground’s amenities, cleanliness, and environment/visual appearance.
Each category is rated on a scale of one to 10 and a star is added for exceptionally clean restrooms. These parks are listed by state and province along with other helpful RV-related content in their 2023 edition of the 2023 Good Sam North American Campground Guide.
Having visited 22 of these top parks, I concur with the many of the 2022 Good Sam’s ratings and present my Top 20 RV Parks and Resorts for 2021 in two categories: My Top RV Parks that Received a Perfect Rating by Good Sam and My Top RV Parks Not Receiving a Perfect Rating by Good Sam.
My Top RV Parks that Received a Perfect Rating by Good Sam
This area has needed a new 5-star RV resort and in November 2015 a new Roberts resort opened with paved streets. The 88 wide concrete sites are terraced by both back-ins and pull-ins in the 65-foot range with paved sites and patios. The pull-in sites face to the west-northwest with views of the hills and mountains as well as Bullhead City, Laughlin, and the Colorado River.
Resort services include Wi-Fi, two pools, one spa, fitness room, billiards/game room, daily activities, Doggie Park, gated entry, and clubhouse with commercial kitchen and serving area for groups.
Canyon Vistas RV Resort is nestled at the base of the Superstition Mountains in the Gold Canyon area southeast of Phoenix. Enjoy a morning walk or bike ride or keep in shape at the state-of-the-art Fitness Center. Meet your friends for a round of golf at the pitch and putt course followed by a cool drink on the covered veranda. Go hiking, boating, and horseback riding in the nearby mountains. Other amenities include ceramics, wood carving, lapidary, pickleball, computer lab and classes, quilting and sewing room, pools and spas, tennis courts, and pet area.
Eagle View RV Resort is far enough away from the hustle of Phoenix and Scottsdale but still close to numerous attractions. The resort has 150 full hookup sites with beautiful views of Four Peaks, part of the Mazatzal mountain range. Amenities include a swimming pool, dog run, fitness center, complimentary pastries and coffee in the mornings, and a clubhouse with an HDTV, pool table, computer room, and library.
If you feel like trying your hand at blackjack or poker, Fort McDowell Casino is less than a mile up the road. The park is also a short drive from the city of Fountain Hills which is home to golf courses and one of the largest fountains in the world.
Situated near the beautiful Tucson Mountains, Rincon Country West has 1100 spaces, including deluxe, pull-through RV sites, and a train depot. Amenities include full hookups with 30/50 amp electric, cable TV, free Wi-Fi, gated entry, private mailboxes, gated entry, laundry, showers, heated pool and spas, exercise room, woodworking shop, pottery room, lapidary room, card room, arts and crafts and sewing rooms, billiard room, tennis, pickleball, shuffleboard, and bocce ball.
Mission View RV Resort is home to 152 extra large, graveled RV site accommodations each with full hook-ups, patios, and picnic tables. Updated laundry and showering facilities are on site. Guests enjoy full access to the club estate amenities including the mission-style clubhouse with billiards room, activities room, ballroom, library, and indoor heated pool and hot tub.
Other amenities include shuffle board courts, horse shoe pit, cactus garden, and a fun filled activities calendar.
Nestled within Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, The Springs at Borrego RV Resort and Golf Course provide 163 spacious RV sites. Try your hand at tennis or challenge yourself to a game of pickleball. Relax your muscles with a soothing massage or a soak in their hot mineral baths or go for a round of golf at their 9-hole championship course.
The resort offers large pads with ample space and privacy between sites along with double pedestals between each RV site allowing you to plug in and camp from either side. Big rig-friendly, the resort offers 90 spacious pull-through sites 35 feet wide and 70 premium back-in sites averaging 40 feet by 80 feet.
The RV Park at Rolling Hills Casino is an easy-on, easy-off (I-5; Exit 628) 96-space RV park with long pull-through sites (up to 75 feet in length) with 30/50 amp electric service, water, and sewer conveniently located. All spaces are pull-through. Wi-Fi access is available over most of the park. The RV Park is within an easy walk of the Casino and golf course. Laundry facilities are available nearby at the Traveler’s Clubhouse. The site is safe and secure with a 24-hour patrol.
New in 2008, Jackson Rancheria RV Resort is part of a casino complex. Big-rig friendly 50/30-amp electric service, water, sewer, and cable TV are centrally located. Wide, paved interior roads with wide concrete sites. Back-in sites over 55 feet with pull-through sites in the 70-75 foot range.
Amenities include walking trails and dog parks, heated pools and spas, and laundry facilities. We would return in a heartbeat. Reservations over a weekend are required well in advance. Jackson Rancheria is conveniently located in the heart of Gold Country.
A new facility, Pala Casino RV Resort offers 100 full-service sites with grass lawns and picnic tables. Site selection includes 30 feet x 55 feet back-in sites, 30 feet x 60 feet luxury sites with barbecue grills, and 30 feet x 70 feet pull-through sites.
Amenities include 20/30/50 amp power, water, and sewer hook-ups, free Wi-Fi, cable TV, restrooms and showers, heated swimming pool, two spas, fenced dog park, and 24-hour security patrol. Pala Casino RV Resort received top marks from Good Sam in every category including facilities, restrooms and showers, and visual appearance. The resort is located on SR-76, 6 miles east of I-15.
Indian Waters RV Resort is located in the Coachella Valley city of Indio, an area that includes the desert cities of Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Indian Wells, and La Quinta. Recently renovated, this beautiful property has added cottages, a second pool, lighted pickleball courts, 50 amp electric and city sewer service to all sites, resurfacing of roads and sites, enhanced Wi-Fi, and a complete make-over for the clubhouse.
With 274 full-service sites, the Indian Waters RV Resort offers two distinct landscaping themes for its concrete-level sites: grass and desert landscape. The typical RV site is approximately 35 feet wide and 60 feet deep with two concrete pads, one for your RV and one for your toad/tow vehicle.
Award-winning wineries and scenic hiking and biking trails await you at Pechanga Casino. The newly expanded Pechanga RV Resort is a perfect destination to enjoy all the Temecula Valley has to offer. Providing a combination of scenic beauty and access to world-class dining, gaming, spa facilities, and golf, the Pechanga RV Resort offers 210 spacious sites that easily accommodate big rigs.
The RV Resort welcomes you with a clubhouse, pool, ample picnic areas, renovated dog park featuring soft eco-friendly turf with views of the Journey at Pechanga golf course and the surrounding hills. Pechanga RV Resort includes 22 buddy sites that allow friends to park next to each other and share a gazebo and picnic tables. Presidential sites bring you privacy with estate-style fencing along with an oversized picnic area with outdoor pergolas and propane BBQs. And every site is Internet-friendly with wireless access available.
Rio Bend RV & Golf Resort is a luxurious and relaxing 120-acre resort surrounded by wetlands and a bird sanctuary with an 80-acre lagoon. Enjoy the many amenities and activities that Rio Bend and its surrounding area have to offer.
The RV resort is a top pet friendly destination park and is conveniently located at the gateway to the beautiful Imperial Valley. With a 9-hole par 33 golf course and an eleven acre lake for catch and release fishing for striped bass and catfish.
Coastal Georgia RV Resorts offer 105 spacious sites, all 35 feet wide with lengths ranging from 60 to 70 feet. Most sites are pull-through with full hookups including 30 and 50 amp service and tables. The Resort’s roads are all paved. Fire rings are available at the Pavilion. Amenities include a game room, conference room, two bathhouses, two laundromats, a dock, and a store where you can find RV supplies as well as LP gas.
CreekFire RV Resort has something for everyone whether you want to escape to the outdoors or explore the historic city of Savannah. RV guests enjoy a choice from 209 RV back-in and pull-through sites on gravel or concrete. Sites are full hookup with 20/30/50-amp power. About 20 minutes west of downtown Savannah, CreekFire RV Resort is conveniently located ½ a mile from the intersection of Interstate 95 and Highway 204—easily accessible from all directions.
Las Vegas RV Resort is a 378 site RV park restricted to guests 18 years of age or older with a great location a short distance from the action of ‘The Strip’. The resort offers full hook-ups with back-in and pull-through sites available. Amenities include free Wi-Fi throughout the resort, pool and spa, fitness center, laundry facilities, pet area, picnic tables at every site, and 24-hour patrol.
Seven Feathers RV Resort is situated on 23 acres of well-maintained lawns and landscaping. All sites have level, concrete pads, and patios. Whether you choose to relax on your patio, enjoy the heated pool and hot tub, work out in the fitness room, shop in the Gift Boutique, meet friends in the Gathering Room, or take part in the nightlife of the Seven Feathers Casino—you can expect an enjoyable stay. The RV resort offers 182 full hookup sites with 30/50 amp electric including 102 pull-through sites and 78 back-in sites, six log cabins, and three yurts.
With a combination of 24 back-in sites (35 feet long x 20 feet wide) and 115 pull-through sites (75 feet long x 14 feet wide) available year-round even the biggest rigs will have no issue finding a suitable spot. All sites include electric (20, 30, and 50 amp), water, sewer, wired and wireless Internet, and coax television hookups along with a picnic table. Park amenities include a fitness room, seasonal pool, and year-round spa, laundry facility, secure showers/bathrooms, and library. The resort is located a short distance off Interstate 5 at Exit 258.
Two Rivers Landing is a luxury RV Resort nestled along the banks of the beautiful French Broad River. A 5-star resort with 25 riverfronts (drive-in sites) and 30 river views (back-in sites), Two Rivers Landing offers 30/50-amp electric service, water, sewer, and cable TV conveniently located centrally. Interior roads are paved; individual sites are concrete, 70 feet in length, and 22 feet wide. All sites are surrounded by beautiful landscaping. This is resort living at its best.
This upscale resort makes for a perfect home base to explore the Texas Hill Country. All sites are paved, have a paved patio, and offer satellite TV, Wi-Fi, and instant-on phone. Relax around the two heated swimming pools/spas. While staying in the park, check out the “Club” section, a unique approach to the RV lifestyle. You’ll definitely want to make this resort a repeat stop on your RVing agenda.
Bentsen Palm Village RV Resort is one of the most unique RV Resorts in South Texas and is part of the 2,600-acre Master Planned Community of Bentsen Palm Development. Bentsen Palm Village is located in South Mission at the entrance to World Birding Center headquarters at Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park. Bentsen Palm Village offers over 250 large pull-through and back-in sites, full hookups, rental cabins and casitas, and native landscaping. Super Sites offer a 10×12 storage building that can be locked and secured.
Katy Lake RV Resort is situated on 18 acres surrounding a 6-acre lake nestled in the heart of West Houston. Katy Lake offers lake-view drive-in and back-in sites 45 feet in length. Other site types include pull-through (65 feet), premium pull-through (85 feet), and covered.
Amenities include 30/50-amp electric service, water, sewer, cable TV, Wi-Fi, activity center, exercise room, dog park/dog washing station, walking/jogging trail, walk-in pool with hot tub, concrete streets, sites, and patios.
My Top RV Parks Not Receiving a Perfect Rating by Good Sam
This upscale resort on the Gulf Coast isn’t short on luxury. Expect to find an upscale Class A motorcoach ownership resort with paved interior roads. Lot sizes range from 3,500 to 4,500 square feet with paved pads approximately 16 feet x 75 feet and a paved patio. Select from pull-in facing the nine-acre lake pull-through, or back-in sites. Cable TV, Wi-Fi, telephone, and 200 amp service capability. Amenities include a 6,000 sq. ft. clubhouse and zero-entry infinity pool with a Jacuzzi and patio overlooking the lake. Inside you will discover a theater room, fitness center, dry sauna, pedicure/massage room, and lounge/bar area.
A new destination luxury RV resort, Lake Osprey is located near the sugar-sand beaches of the Alabama Gulf Coast. The resort offers 147 RV sites located within a nature preserve next to Soldiers Creek Golf Club. Each RV lot has an extra-long 16-foot x 75-foot concrete pad, a lighted pedestal, and a lake or courtyard view. Amenities include free Wi-Fi, cable TV, and laundry.
Wind Creek at Atmore RV Park is a new RV park conveniently located on the casino property. All 28 sites are 75-foot pull-through RV stations with 30 and 50 amp power, water, and sewer. Wi-Fi service is available at the site. Clubhouse amenities include restrooms, showers, and laundry facilities. Shuttle service is provided to and from the casino resort with access to the gaming floor, bowling alley, movie theater, arcade, pool/hot tub, spa, fitness center, and six dining options. The casino and RV park are conveniently located off I-65 at Exit 21.
Sundance 1 RV Resort is a 55+ Active Adult Community in Casa Grande. This Family Owned Park was established in 1998 and has grown to become one of the most popular RV destination resorts in Arizona. The park has 750+ sites that make up a community of park model homes and full hookup RV sites.
The average lot size is 40-feet wide by 50-feet deep. The park has 13 pull-through sites for daily and weekly stays only. Each site has 30/50-amp electric availability. Available activities include pickleball, horseshoes, shuffleboard, billiards, wood carving, quilting/sewing, ceramics, photography, and stained glass.
All RV sites at Palm Creek are back-ins with a minimum of 50 feet in length and 40 feet in width. All sites come equipped with patio pads and full hook-ups, including 50-amp electric service, cable TV, water, sewer, and Wi-Fi service. Amenities include championship Par-3 golf course, 4 swimming pools and Jacuzzi tubs, on-site bistro, pickleball and tennis courts, lawn bowling, softball field, fitness center, ballroom, 4 laundry facilities, and 9 dog parks.
Butterfield RV Resort and Observatory, Benson, Arizona
A 5-star park, Butterfield RV Resort and Observatory is a 55+ park with pull-through and back-in sites. Our back-in site (#120) is 55 feet in length and over 30 feet in width. 50/30-amp electric service, water, sewer, and cable TV are located near the rear of the site. The park is clean and well maintained. Interior roads are asphalt; back-in sites are gravel with pull-through sites asphalt. The park is easy-on easy-off (I-10 at Exit 304, south one-half mile on Ocotillo Avenue) and is conveniently located immediately behind Safeway and in close proximity to downtown. The highest rated park in Benson we’re pleased with Butterfield and would return.
Wahweep RV Park and Campground, Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, Page
Centrally located at Wahweap Marina, the campsites are about one-quarter mile from the shore of Lake Powell. Wahweap offers plenty of fun with a wide variety of powerboats and water toys. You can also enjoy the restaurant, lounge, and gift shop at the Lake Powell Resort. This RV park/campground is a great place to enjoy the off-season solitude of Lake Powell.
The campground offers 139 sites with 30 and 50 amp service, water, and sewer. Sites accommodate up to 45 feet. The season is an ideal time to visit nearby attractions including Rainbow Bridge, Antelope Canyon, Vermillion Cliffs, and Horseshoe Bend.
After a day of rolling through the dramatic and diverse Sonoran Desert, you can roll your rig right into this oasis in the desert. It’s so convenient with the easy-on/easy-off access from both I-8 and SR-85. Formerly, Gila Bend KOA, the campground was built for RVers by RVers and it shows! You’ll find roomy, 100-foot full-hookup pull-through sites throughout the park—all big rig friendly. Relax by the heated pool or just soak up the desert views and dark evening skies from your site. Fido will love the 4,000-square-foot Canine Corral with three separate corrals (two with grassy areas).
Amenities include Wi-Fi throughout the park, laundry facility, putting green, heated pool, and recreation hall Ranch House with 2,500 sq. ft. veranda that’s perfect for savoring a brilliant sunset at day’s end.
Overlooking Tuzigoot National Monument and Verde River, Rain Spirit RV Resort is a new park with 63 full-service sites including 30/50-amp electric service, cable TV, and the Internet. Amenities include private restroom/showers, fitness room, laundry facilities, recreation room, library lounge, pool and spa, and dog run. This 5-star resort is a great home base from which to explore the historic town of Jerome, Sedona Red Rock Country, Old Town Cottonwood, and book an excursion on the Verde Valley Railway.
Tucson/Lazydays KOA Resort features citrus trees throughout the park and offers pull-through RV sites with full 30/50-amp hookups, grassy luxury sites, and new RV sites with a patio and fireplace. Whether you want to relax by one of the two pools, soak in the hot tubs, play a round on the nine-hole putting green, or join in the activities, this park has something for everyone to enjoy.
Two solar shade structures allow guests to camp under a structure that produces solar energy. The structures shade more than two acres of the campground giving visitors room to park RVs on 30 covered sites. Other campground amenities include a bar and grill, meeting rooms, fitness center, three off-leash dog parks, and complimentary Wi-Fi. Lazydays, a full-service RV dealership with a service department is located next door.
Located on the Colorado River in Ehrenberg, Arizona Oasis RV Resort is a perfect RV park getaway spot. Just across the state line from Blythe, California, Arizona Oasis is just 20 minutes from Quartzsite. Big-rig friendly the resort has over 150 RV sites on or near the Colorado River. The gated resort offers 50/30 amp service, water and sewer hookups, full-through and back-in sites, 1,000 feet of Colorado River beach, boat launch, heated pools and a spa, dog park, free Wi-Fi, and clubhouse.
Big-rig friendly, Red Bluff KOA (formerly Durango RV Resort) is a 5-star resort located on the Sacramento River. Most sites are pull-through, 70-90 feet in length, and 30-35 feet wide. In addition, there are 11 riverfront sites and 21 water-feature spaces (fountains); these sites have utilities on both sides of the concrete pads enabling fifth wheels and travel trailers to back onto the sites and motorhomes to drive forward maximizing the view and water features. In addition, there are a number of buddy sites.
The park is well laid out and designed. Utilities including 20/30/50-amp electric service, water, sewer, and cable TV (63 channels) are centrally located. Interior roads are paved. Easy-on, easy-off, the park is located on I-5, Exit 649 (Highway 36/Antelope Boulevard).
Bakersfield River Run RV Park, Bakersfield, California
New in 2007, big-rig friendly Bakersfield River Run RV Park is a well-maintained facility with 123 sites including 31 pull-through and 46 river view (back-in) sites, wide paved streets, compacted gravel/sand sites, concrete patios, and a large grassy area. 50/30/20-amp electric service, water, sewer, and cable TV (60 channels) are centrally located. Wi-Fi internet works well from our site (#50) and no problem locating satellite.
Back-in sites to the Kern River are 65 footers. The park also has a recreation room with a fitness center, pool with spa, computer work stations, and laundry facilities. Ample shopping including Costco located nearby. Treat yourself to some amazing food at Benji’s Basque Restaurant, conveniently located two blocks from River Run RV Park.
Orange Groove RV Park is a unique full service RV park and resort. It’s a 40-acre orchard on the eastern edge of Bakersfield where you park your RV between row after row of beautiful orange trees. Easy-on, easy-off (SR-58 at Exit 119), the 177 pull-through sites are 65-feet and 90-feet long plus extra wide which makes coming and going a breeze. You just pull right in, pick an orange and enjoy. All utilities including 30/50-amp electric service, water, sewer, and cable TV are centrally located. Our Wi-Fi was super fast (Site #160). We’ve previously stayed in the following sites: 135, 136, 154, 158, and 162. This park is a popular overnight stop for snowbirds with many arriving after dark. The nearby California Fruit Depot offers free samples, good quality, and excellent prices for Medjool dates, oranges, grapefruit, pistachios, and more.
Our home base while touring the Redding area was JGW RV Park, a big-rig friendly resort located 9 miles south of Redding on the Sacramento River. This beautiful 5-star RV park offers 75 sites with water, sewer, and 30/50-amp electric service centrally located. The majority of pull-through sites are back-to-back and side-to-side. Our site backed onto the Sacramento River. Interior roads are paved and in good condition with concrete pads.
The Lakes RV and Golf Resort, Chowchilla, California
Big-rig friendly, The Lakes RV and Golf Resort is a well-maintained facility with 87 sites including 18 pull-though and 19 lakeside (drive-in), paved streets, and concrete sites and patios. Our pull-through site (#46) approaches 80 feet with ample room to park the toad/tow vehicle at either the front or rear of the site. 50/30/20-amp electric service, water, sewer, and cable TV are centrally located with the electric/water/cable back of center and sewer front of center. This 5-star resort is an ownership park that is part of a larger complex that includes a Par 72 Championship Pheasant Run Golf Club. Other amenities include clubhouse, heated pool, spa, pet area, and 24/7 security gates.
Ambassador RV Resort is a 5-star resort that is easy-on, easy-off (I-84 at Exit 29) with 188 full-service sites, pool, spa, sauna, and 5,000 square foot recreation hall. Features 30-foot x 85-foot short term pull-through sites, 35-foot x 75-foot long term pull-through sites, 45-foot x 60-foot back-in sites, and wide-paved streets. Pets are welcome if friendly and the owner is well trained.
Located near Idaho’s wine country and convenient to the Boise metro area, the Ambassador is the perfect home base for all your activities.
New in 2009 with paved streets, Cajun Palms offers long pull-through sites that range in length from 55 to 75 feet. Not to be ignored are the back-ins to the lake in the 55-60 foot range. Pull through and back-in sites have 20 feet of space between each concrete pad. A full-service resort, Cajun Palms features numerous traditional as well as high-tech amenities. Accommodations consist of over 300 deluxe RV sites and 25 cabins. RV sites have full hookups, 30- and 50-amp, 70+ channels of digital cable, and on-site water and sewer. Easy-on, easy-off Interstate 10 (Exit 115) at Henderson (near Breaux Bridge).
Sun Outdoors New Orleans North Shore, Ponchatoula, Louisiana
Reunion Lake RV Resort is a gated resort with top-rated facilities and service and all-concrete roadways. Built around a scenic lake the park offers an adult pool with a swim-up bar, poolside cabanas, a lazy river with a tiki bar, giant hot tub, fitness center, family pool, basketball and pickleball courts, fenced-in dog park. Our Premium pull-through site will accommodate any size rig.
Hacienda RV Resort is located off the I-10, exit 140, in Las Cruces, 1.5 miles from Historic Old Mesilla. Hacienda offer paved roads leading to 113 spacious RV sites with a variety of sizes and layouts with many boasting breathtaking views of the Organ Mountains. Relax in the large outdoor patio with a wood burning fireplace or enjoy the comfortable southwestern community clubhouse with an indoor fireplace, workout facility, and gift shop. Park amenities include 30/50 amp service with full hookup (electric, water, and sewer), private showers/dressing rooms with hair dryers, free cable TV, high-speed Wi-Fi, and large, enclosed dog run. Choose from pull-through sites (55– 59 feet), back-in sites (34–36 feet), extra-long back-in sites (52–53 feet), and extra-long, big rig pull-through sites (69–130 feet).
Jamaica Beach RV Resort is across the street from the beach on Galveston Island with wide-open views of the Gulf. The park offers 181 pull-through sites with full hookups, concrete pads, a picnic table at every site, and all-inclusive amenities like a 700-foot-long lazy river. Other park amenities include a relaxing beach pool, family pool, indoor infinity hot tub, outdoor hot tub, splash pad, three laundry facilities, three shower houses, and pickleball courts.
Texas Lakeside is a gated 5-star RV resort with long concrete pads, multi-purpose clubhouse, fitness center, tropical pool, stocked fishing lake, and gated entrance. All utilities including 30/50-amp electric service, water, sewer, and cable TV are centrally located. Our long pull-through site (#78) faced northeast and as a result our coach was not affected by the afternoon sun. The Wi-Fi signal from our site was excellent. Texas Lakeside recently expanded to include 41 new sites, pull through and back-in sites. The resort is located in Port Lavaca off Highway 35, 50 miles north of Rockport.
Big-rig friendly, Columbia Sun RV Resort is a new 5-star resort that opened in 2013. Spacious sites, manicured grass on both sides, wide paved streets, and a perfect 10/10*/10 Good Sam rating. Washington’s Tri-Cities area—Kennewick, Pasco, and Richland—is a great area to visit to explore the outdoors while still being close to shopping, dining, and wineries. The Columbia Sun Resort has a heated swimming pool, hot tub, fitness room, game room, dog runs, sports court, and a playground.
Worth Pondering…
For all of us have our loved places; all of us have laid claim to parts of the earth; and all of us, whether we know it or not, is in some measure the products of our sense of place.
Explore the guide to find some of the best in April camping across America
But where should you park your RV? With so many options out there you may be overwhelmed with the number of locales calling your name.
Here are 10 of the top locations to explore in April. RVing with Rex selected this list of 5 star RV resorts from parks personally visited.
Planning an RV trip for a different time of year? Check out my monthly RV park recommendations for the best places to camp in February and March. Also check out my recommendations from April 2021.
Catalina State Park sits at the base of the majestic Santa Catalina Mountains. The park is a haven for desert plants and wildlife and nearly 5,000 saguaros. The 5,500 acres of foothills, canyons, and streams invites camping, picnicking, and bird watching—more than 150 species of birds call the park home. The park provides miles of equestrian, birding, hiking, and biking trails which wind through the park and into the Coronado National Forest at elevations near 3,000 feet.
The camping area offers 120 electric and water sites with a picnic table and BBQ grill. Amenities include modern flush restrooms with hot showers and RV dump stations. There is no limit on the length of RVs at this park
Barbecue! The state legislature designated the city of Lockhart as the “Barbecue Capital of Texas” in 1999. Three miles southeast of Lockhart, Lockhart State Park offers 10 sites with water and electricity in the Clear Fork Camping Area and 10 full-hookup sites that will accommodate RVs up to 40 feet in the Fairway View Camping Area. Play golf at the nine-hole golf course built by the Works Progress Administration and the Civilian Conservation Corps over 80 years ago.
Established in 2006, Frog City RV Park is located just off I-10 in Duson (Exit 92), a little town just 10 miles west of Lafayette and deep in the beautiful Cajun countryside. With 62 spacious pull-through sites, Frog City offers paved interior roads, 50/30 amp electric service, water, sewer, Wi-Fi, cable TV, swimming pool, dog walk areas, coin-operated laundry, and private hot showers. The RV park offers convenient adjacent facilities such as Roady’s Lucky Deuces Travel Plaza, with Maw’s Café located inside, and Lucky Deuces Casino. We stayed at Frog City in 2013 and 2019. The park has a friendly and welcoming feel.
Barnyard RV Park offers 129 level and grassy sites with paved interior roads. All sites include water, sewer, electric (30 and 50 amp), and cable TV. Most sites are pull-through and can accommodate large units including a tow car. Amenities include bath and laundry facilities, Wi-Fi available at site, and a dog park. Barnyard RV Park is located 8 miles from downtown Columbia. From Interstate 20, take Exit 111 west on US-1 to the park. On weekends, experience Southern hospitality at the huge Barnyard Flea Market. The RV Park is located behind the Flea Market.
Formerly known as Cochise Terrace, C T RV Resort offers a luxury RV resort and community of four neighborhoods. Sites are generous in size and have 20/30/50 amp hookups, water, and sewer. CT RV Resort has a large, seasonally heated pool and spa. A newly upgraded Wi-Fi system offers “upgraded” speed at no extra cost. Lots are also available for purchase. Located south of I-10 at Exit302, CT RV Resort is located less than a mile south of Love’s Travel Plaza on US-90.
About 20 minutes west of Historic Savannah, Creek Fire is a new RV resort conveniently located ½ mile west of Interstate 95 at Exit 94. The park offers 105 RV sites, all suitable for big rigs. Site options include back-in and pull-through, gravel, and concrete. Interior roads are asphalt. Each site offers 50/30/20-amp electric service, water, and sewer centrally located. The park is adding 100+ new sites, two new pool features, a rally building, pool bar, restaurant, market, and gym. Resort amenities include canoe, kayak, and boat rentals; a 1-mile nature trail around the lake, tennis/pickleball court, bocce ball, and full shower and laundry facilities. CreekFire RV Resort opened in October 2017 with 105 sites, two park models, and seven cabins. Two years after opening, CreekFire was already expanding with another 100 RV sites planned.
Whispering Hills RV Park is nestled in the heart of horse country in Georgetown, north of Lexington. The park is located approximately 2.5 miles off I-75 at Exit 129. Whispering Hills offers 230 full-service sites including nine new premium pull-through sites in the 70-90 foot range. Amenities include swimming pool, basketball court, laundry facility, book exchange, fishing pond, bath houses, picnic tables, and fire rings at most sites. Our pull-through site was in the 60-foot range. Most back-in sites tend to be considerably shorter and slope downward. Interior roads and sites are gravel.
Seven Feathers RV Resort resort is situated on 23 acres of well-maintained lawns and landscaping. All sites have level, concrete pads, and patios. Whether you choose to relax on your patio, enjoy the heated pool and hot tub, work out in the fitness room, shop in the Gift Boutique, meet friends in the Gathering Room, or take part in the night life of the Seven Feathers Casino—you can expect an enjoyable stay. The RV park offers 182 full hookup sites with 30/50 amp electric including 102 pull-through sites and 78 back-in sites, six log cabins, and three yurts.
Bakersfield River Run RV Park, Bakersfield, California
New in 2007, big-rig friendly Bakersfield River Run RV Park is a well-maintained facility with 123 sites including 31 pull-though and 46 river view (back-in) sites, wide paved streets, compacted gravel/sand sites, concrete patios, and large grassy area. 50/30/20-amp electric service, water, sewer, and cable TV (60 channels) are centrally located. Wi-Fi internet works well from our site (#50) and no problem locating satellite. Back-in sites to the Kern River are 65 footers. The park also has a recreation room with a fitness center, pool with spa, computer work stations, and laundry facilities.
Ample shopping including Costco located nearby. Treat yourself to some amazing food at Benji’s Basque Restaurant, conveniently located two blocks from River Run RV Park.
The endless river traffic of the Mississippi is the main attraction at Tom Sawyer RV Park and most of the sites are 100 feet or more. The atmosphere is relaxed, laid back, and peaceful. The interior roads and sites are mostly gravel. Tom Sawyer’s is located so close to the Mississippi River, sometimes the park is in it! The Mississippi River can cause the park to close periodically anytime from December into early June but most often April or May. The Corps of Engineers and National Weather Service provides river stage forecasts which gives the park 10 to 14 days advance notice as to when the Mississippi River will force the park to temporarily shut down.
Worth Pondering…
Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of intelligent effort.
We went to Bakersfield to tour the home of the Bakersfield Sound
It might make sense to begin a story about RVing to
Bakersfield with a disclaimer or two. We do not know anyone in Bakersfield, no
family members who invited their relative down for a visit. The motorhome did
not break down as we were making our way to the Coachella Valley.
And at Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace just off Highway 99—a
long, flat highway packed with cars and other RVers speeding to places
perceived as bigger and better—we found ourselves among people who came to
Bakersfield for the same reason we did: to tour the home of the Bakersfield
Sound.
The Crystal Palace is a country night club that was owned
and operated by Buck Owens, a honky-tonk guitarist and singer who moved from
Texas (by way of Arizona) in 1950 when he was 20 and had dreams bigger than the
truck-driving career he’d landed. Like the oil town he’s helped enhance the
reputation of, Owens suffers some misperceptions of his own.
Such as the one that his main contribution to the
entertainment industry consists of his 17-year tenure as co-host of “Hee
Haw”. There’s a whole lot more to Buck than those TV years joshing around
with banjo player Roy Clark and a certain woman known for her dangling price
tag.
The songs he made hit have been covered by the Beatles
(“Act Naturally”) to Ray Charles (“Together Again”).
Musicians including John Fogerty, Jerry Garcia, and Emmylou
Harris have cited him as a major influence. His stretch of 15 consecutive No. 1
hits between 1963 and 1967 was unprecedented on country charts. Most
significant, perhaps, he’s credited with giving rise to a new kind of country—the
hard-driving, bare-bones honky-tonk style that came to be known as the
Bakersfield Sound and spawned a fleet of successors, namely Merle Haggard and
Dwight Yoakam.
Buck opened his Crystal Palace, a $6.7 million nightclub and
restaurant, in 1966. To be honest, the place is less palace than
Disney-Does-The-Old-West. Outside, the peach-colored building is lined with
signs like “Telegraph Office” and “Lulu’s Millinary”.
Inside, 646 seats at long tables surround a stage and
scuffed dance floor.
Exhibit cases walk you through artifacts of Buck’s career
from his 1966 induction into the Country Music Hall of Fame to his Pontiac
signed by Elvis Presley to a number of black-and-white glossies of Buck: There
are signed photos from Presidents Nixon and Reagan.
Heck no—not as far as Bakersfield is concerned. Country music
is the town’s trump card, the thing locals point to with pride when the rest of
California dismisses their city as a good place to fuel up, maybe buy a coke
and some fries and get back on the road.
Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace corrects the misconceptions about
Bakersfield and eliminates the need for disclaimers of any kind. It
memorializes not only Buck by Bakersfield’s music history, a history that runs
rich as the oil beneath the thirsty-looking plains surrounding the town. The
two are linked. Oil is what drew people here at the turn of the century. It’s
what kept the Okies here during the depression years. And when they came—nearly
doubling Kern County’s population—they brought their hillbilly music with them.
For RVers like us, Bakersfield is an excellent RV adventure
destination with three 5-star, big-rig friendly RV parks and resorts.
Located one mile from the Crystal Palace, big-rig friendly
Bakersfield River Run RV Park is a well-maintained facility with 123 sites
including 31 pull-though and 46 river view (back-in) sites, wide paved streets,
compacted gravel/sand sites, concrete patios, and large grassy area.
50/30/20-amp electric service, water, sewer, and cable TV (84 channels) are
centrally located. Wi-Fi internet works well from our site (#50); no problem
locating satellite. Back-in sites to the Kern River are 65 footers. The park
also has a recreation room with a fitness center, computer work stations, and
laundry facilities. Ample shopping including Costco are located nearby.
On our way back to our home-on-wheels, we treated ourselves
to some amazing food at Benji’s Basque Restaurant, conveniently located two
blocks from River Run RV Park. Bakersfield is home to the largest collection of
Basque restaurants in the U. S. Numerous Basque restaurants offer traditional
Basque experiences, carrying on the traditions of their ancestors. A Basque
meal is served family style with hearty courses and meat (often lamb) or
seafood entree.
We ordered the Set Up and a excellent choice it was for our
first Basque food experience. The soup, pinto beans, and salsa brought out to
be mixed at the table in accordance with our wants was the first. The cabbage
filled soup along with French bread was delicious. We were served the salad
next. The fresh garden lettuce and sliced tomatoes were heartily dressed and
delicious as was the pickled tongue.
Everything was delicious. We rolled out full of amazing
food. Would visit this diamond again.
Worth Pondering…
Streets Of Bakersfield Hey, you don’t know me, but you don’t like me You say you care less how I feel But how many of you that sit and judge me Ever walked the streets of Bakersfield? —lyrics by Dwight Yoakam; vocals by Buck Owens and Dwight Yoakam
