Buccaneer State Park - RVing with Rex

The Best RV Camping December 2023

Explore the guide to find some of the best in December camping across America

Where should you park yourself and your RV this month? With so many options out there you may be overwhelmed with the number of locales calling your name.

Maybe you’re an experienced RV enthusiast, or maybe you’ve never been in one—regardless, these RV parks are worth your attention. After finding the perfect campground, you can look into RV prices, and the different types of RVs, and learn how to plan a road trip. Who knows, maybe you’ll love it so much you’ll convert to full-time RV living.

I didn’t just choose these RV parks by throwing a dart at a map. As an RVer with more than 25 years of experience traveling the highways and byways of America and Western Canada—learning about camping and exploring some of the best hiking trails along the way—I can say with confidence that I know what makes a great RV campground. From stunning views and accommodating amenities to friendly staff and clean facilities, the little things add up when you’re RV camping. And these campgrounds are truly the cream of the crop.

Here are 10 of the top RV parks and campgrounds to explore in December: one of these parks might be just what you’re looking for. So, sit back, relax, and get ready for your next adventure at one of these incredible RV parks!

RVing with Rex selected this list of parks from those 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 October and November. Also, check out my recommendations from December 2022 and January 2023.

White Tank Mountains Regional Park *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

White Tank Mountains Regional Park, Waddell, Arizona

Nearly 30,000 acres make this the largest regional park in Maricopa County. Most of the park is made up of the rugged and beautiful White Tank Mountains on the Valleys west side. The range, deeply serrated with ridges and canyons, rises sharply from its base to peak at over 4,000 feet.

Infrequent heavy rains cause flash floodwaters to plunge through the canyons and pour onto the plain. These torrential flows, pouring down chutes and dropping off ledges, have scoured out a series of depressions, or tanks, in the white granite rock below, thus giving the mountains their name.

White Tank Mountain Regional Park offers 40 individual sites for RV camping. Most sites have a large parking area to accommodate up to a 45-foot RV and all offer water and electrical hook-ups, a picnic table, a barbecue grill, a fire ring, and a nearby dump station. All restrooms offer flush toilets and showers.

Jamaica Beach RV Resort *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Jamaica Beach RV Resort, Galveston, Texas

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, picnic table at every sites, 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, 3 laundry facilities, 3 shower houses, and pickleball courts.

Explore the island destination Galveston at Jamaica Beach RV Resort. Enjoy a luxurious stay at an RV site or cottage only a five-minute walk from the beach. Spend your stay enjoying the extensive amenities available like the 700-foot lazy river, pickleball courts, infinity spa, outdoor theater, and more. In Galveston, enjoy bird watching, biking, hiking, and fishing.

A+ Motel and RV Park *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

A+ Motel and RV Park, Sulphur, Louisiana

Recently expanded, A+ Motel and RV Park offers 134 all-concrete RV sites and 35 motel rooms. Amenities include 30 and 50-amp dual hookups, cable and Wi-Fi, water and sewer, stocked fishing pond with fountain, family swimming pool, adult swimming pool with self-serve bar, 2 laundry facilities, ½-mile walking area, and dog run area.

A+ is centrally located near Calcasieu “Big” Lake and other fishing destinations, Creole Nature Trail All American Road, the Boudin Trail, and Lake Charles. The park is located 2 miles south of I-10 (Exit 21).

All About Relaxing RV Park *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

All About Relaxing RV Park, Theodore, Alabama

This park has 41 pull-through and back-in RV sites with 30- and 50-amp hookups. The pet-friendly, RV park features several amenities such as high-end restrooms, showers, a modern laundry facility, barbecue grills, a swimming pool, and an on-site dog park near a beautiful pavilion.

The park is conveniently located off Interstate 10, less than 20 miles west of downtown Mobile. Nearby attractions include Bellingham Gardens and Home, a 65-acre garden with year-round blooms; Battleship Memorial Park which includes the U.S.S. Alabama and the U.S.S. Drum, a submarine; and the Cathedral-Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, the first Catholic parish on the Gulf Coast, established in 1703.

Buccaneer State Park *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Buccaneer State Park, Waveland, Mississippi

Buccaneer State Park has 206 premium campsites with full amenities including sewer. In addition to the premium sites, Buccaneer has an additional 70 campsites that are set on a grassy field overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. These Gulf view sites only offer water and electricity, are open on a limited basis, and are only available through the park office. A central dumping station and restrooms are located nearby. Castaway Cove (campground activity pool) is available to all visitors to the Park for a fee.

Eagle’s Landing RV Park *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Eagle’s Landing RV Park, Holt, Florida

Big rig friendly with 100-foot-long pull-through sites and utilities centrally located. This 5-star park is easy-on, easy off, a pleasant place to stop for a night, a week, or longer. It’s a great place to stop while traveling east or west on I-10 (Exit 45) or visiting northwestern Florida. This park is not listed in Good Sam.

Sunny Acres RV Park *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Sunny Acres RV Park, Las Cruces, New Mexico

A 12-acre park, Sunny Acres RV Park offers big sites and lots of space. The park is away from interstate noise with access to I-10, I-25, and US-70. Amenities include large 40-foot-wide sites, wide gravel streets throughout the park, full hookups with 30 or 50-amp electric service, cable TV, free high-speed Internet, laundry facilities, and private restrooms and showers.

Harvest Moon RV Park *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Harvest Moon RV Park, Adairsville, Georgia

Easy-on, easy-off (Interstate 77, Exit 306) in Historic Adairsville, Harvest Moon RV Park is big-rig friendly with newer sites at the front of the park added in 2005. Our pull-through site was in the 85-90 foot range. 50/30-amp electric service, water, sewer, and cable TV are centrally located; a second sewer connection towards the rear of the site.

Interior roads and individual sites are gravel. For overnighters, no need to disconnect the toad/tow here. Wi-Fi works well and no problem locating the satellite.

Tom Sawyer RV Park *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Tom Sawyer RV Park, West Memphis, Arkansas

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 provide 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.

Rain Spirit RV Resort *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Rain Spirit RV Resort, Clarkdale, Arizona

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 Internet.

Amenities include private restrooms/showers, a fitness room, laundry facilities, a recreation room, a library lounge, a pool and spa, and a dog run. This 5-star resort is a great home base from which to explore the historic town of Jerome, Sedona Red Rock Country, and Old Town Cottonwood, and book an excursion on the Verde Valley Railway.

Worth Pondering…

Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of intelligent effort.

John Ruskin

The Best RV Camping February 2023

Explore the guide to find some of the best in February 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 February. RVing with Rex selected this list of campgrounds and 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 December and January. Also, check out my recommendations from February 2022 and March 2022.

Coastal Georgia RV Resort *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Coastal Georgia RV Resort, Brunswick, Georgia

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 bath houses, two laundromats, a dock, and a store where you can find RV supplies as well as LP gas.

The resort also offers a swimming pool, horseshoe pits, and shuffleboard courts. Cable TV and Wi-Fi are included. From I-95 (exit 29) and US-17, go ½ mile west on SR-17, turn left onto US-17 south for ¼ mile, turn east onto Martin Palmer Dr. for 1 mile and enter straight ahead.

Eagle’s Landing RV Park, Holt, Florida

Big rig friendly with 100-foot-long pull-through sites and utilities centrally located. This 5-star park is easy on, easy off, and a pleasant place to stop for a night, a week, or longer. It’s a great place to stop while traveling east or west on I-10 (Exit 45) or visiting northwestern Florida. This park is not listed in Good Sam.

Texas Lakeside RV Resort *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Texas Lakeside RV Resort, Port Lavaca, Texas

Texas Lakeside is a gated 5-star RV resort with long concrete pads, a multi-purpose clubhouse, a fitness center, a tropical pool, a stocked fishing lake, and a 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, pull-through, and back-in sites. The resort is located in Port Lavaca off Highway 35, 50 miles north of Rockport.

Hunting Island State Park *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Hunting Island State Park, Hunting Island, South Carolina

Hunting Island is South Carolina’s single most popular state park attracting more than a million visitors a year as well as a vast array of land and marine wildlife. Five miles of beaches, thousands of acres of marsh and maritime forest, a saltwater lagoon, and an ocean inlet are all part of the park’s natural allure.

The Hunting Island Lighthouse is the only one in the state that is publicly accessible. From the top, guests can stand 130 feet above the ground to take in the breathtaking, panoramic view of the Atlantic Coast and surrounding maritime forest.

Camping is available at the northern end of the park near the ocean. 102 sites offer water and 20/30/50 amp electric service. Campground roads are paved while the sites are packed with soil. Some sites accommodate RVs up to 40 feet; others up to 28 feet. The campground is convenient for hot showers with restroom facilities, beach walkways, and a playground.

Meaher State Park *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Meaher State Park, Spanish Fort, Alabama

Meaher’s campground has 61 RV campsites with 20-, 30- and 50-amp electrical connections as well as water and sewer hookups. The campground features a modern bathhouse with laundry facilities. Located near Meaher State Park is the Five Rivers Delta Resource Center; which features a natural history museum, live native wildlife, a theater, a gift shop, and canoe/kayak rentals.

Bentsen Palm Village RV Resort *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Bentsen Palm Village RV Resort, Mission, Texas

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 the World Birding Center headquarters at Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park.

Bentsen Palm Village is only minutes from shopping, medical facilities, and easy access to Expressway 83. 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. Resort amenities include a Clubhouse, pool and spa, fitness center, dog agility course, woodshop, craft room, and miles and miles of hike and bike trails.

Sonoran Desert RV Park *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Sonoran Desert RV Park, Gila Bend, Arizona

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 a 2,500 sq. ft. veranda that’s perfect for savoring a brilliant sunset at day’s end.

Buccaneer State Park, Waveland, Mississippi

Buccaneer State Park has 206 premium campsites with full amenities including sewer. In addition to the premium sites, Buccaneer has an additional 70 campsites that are set on a grassy field overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. These Gulf view sites only offer water and electricity, are open on a limited basis and are only available through the park office. A central dumping station and restrooms are located nearby. Castaway Cove (campground activity pool) is available to all visitors to the Park for a fee.

Borrego Palm Canyon Campground *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Borrego Palm Canyon Campground, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Borrego Springs, California

Located within Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Borrego Palm Canyon campground has approximately 120 campsites and 6 group campsites. There are 51 RV campsites with full hookups. Each campsite has a table, fire ring, and grill. Several campsites also have shade structures. Campground amenities include drinking water, flush toilets, showers, RV dump station, group camping, and hike/biking camping.

Borrego Palm Canyon campground is just a few miles from the town of Borrego Springs. It is also located next to popular hiking trails (including the Borrego Palm Canyon Trail) and about a mile from the Visitor Center. Outdoor activities include biking, hiking, photography, picnicking, exploring historic sites, OHVing, and wild flower and wildlife viewing.

Mission View RV Park *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Mission View RV Park, Tucson, Arizona

Mission View seniors 55+ RV Resort is home to 152 graveled RV site accommodations with full hook-ups, patios, and picnic tables. Updated laundry and shower facilities are on site.

Mission View is an older mobile home and RV park on San Xavier Road on the Tohono O’Odham Reservation. The park is located less than a mile east of I-19 (Exit 92) and the Mission is about a mile west of the Interstate. It is privately owned and mighty close to the Tucson International Airport. Although we don’t see many planes land, we certainly hear them. No cable TV but local TV comes in clear without raising the antennae. Guest of Mission View RV Resort 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, and activities calendar.

Worth Pondering…

Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of intelligent effort.

—John Ruskin

12 of the Best State Parks for Snowbirds

State parks contain the magic of life. Pass it on.

National Parks are a treasure and worth putting on your travel list. But while you’re dreaming, consider adding State Parks, too. It takes a little planning (every state has a different reservation system) but well worth the effort.

You may dream of seeing the geysers of Yellowstone or the overwhelming greatness of the Grand Canyon but chances are you have a handful of little wonders in your own backyard. State parks like Dead Horse Point in Utah hold their own against the neighboring Arches National Park (or Canyonlands, for that matter) while California’s Anza-Borrego State Park is arguably just as wild as the well-known Joshua Tree National Park. Furthermore, state parks tend to be less crowded and more affordable, which bode well for overnight guests.

Lost Dutchman State Park, Arizona *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

It doesn’t matter if you’re looking for a well-developed RV site with all the bells and whistles or a wooded tent spot far from any sort of road or development, there’s a state park campsite for you. To lend a hand—there are over 10,000 state parks, after all—I’ve profiled a list of some of the best campsites in state parks that are known for their popularity and unique beauty.

No matter your level of camping expertise, spend the night beneath a canopy of stars and awake to a wondrous landscape when you park your RV or pitch a tent at some of America’s beautiful campgrounds from the beaches to the desert to the mountains.

Before I dive in, take a moment to review the following state park camping tips.

Gulf State Park, Alabama *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

State Park Camping Tips

State parks may not see the heavy traffic of national parks but in most cases you’ll still want to plan ahead to secure your camping spot. Each state runs its own reservation system which may be online, via phone, or even in-person. And some parks are first-come, first-served, so you won’t want to show up too late in the day.

Before you pack up and head out, make sure to research the available amenities— some state park campgrounds are extremely primitive requiring you to pack in your own water and pack out your trash while others have full RV hookups, hot showers, and laundry.

And finally, be sure to respect any wildlife you encounter, manage your campfire responsibly, and follow the principles of Leave No Trace.

Meaher State Park, Alabama *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

State Park Camping Reservations

Making reservations at state parks, especially when planning a trip that crosses multiple states, can be both complex and frustrating. Each state, and in some cases, individual parks, make its own rules for when and how they’ll take reservations for camping sites.

Georgia State Parks allow for reservations up to 13 months in advance and require a 50 percent deposit for most reservations. Reservations can be made over the phone or online. Mississippi’s state parks have one of the most generous reservation windows and can be booked 24 months in advance. The parks also welcome walk-ins when there is availability. The vast majority of Alaska State Park campgrounds are first-come, first-served, with a few exceptions.

Gulf State Park *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Gulf State Park, Alabama

White-sand beaches might not be what comes to mind when you think of Alabama but a visit to Gulf State Park might change your perspective. From the Gulf Coast’s sugar-sand shores, you can kayak, bike (28 miles of trails), swim, bike (rentals available), play pickleball or volleyball, or do absolutely nothing.

Located 1.5 miles from the white sand beaches, Gulf State Park Campground offers 496 improved full – hookup campsites with paved pads and with 11 primitive sites. All full hookup camping pads are large enough for RVs with pullouts and have picnic tables and pedestal grill tops. There are 11 modern, air-conditioned bathhouses throughout the Campground.

>> Get more tips for visiting the Alabama Gulf Coast

Meaher State Park, Alabama

This 1,327-acre park is situated in the wetlands of north Mobile Bay and is a day-use, picnicking, and scenic park with modern camping hook-ups for overnight visitors. Meaher’s boat ramp and fishing pier will appeal to every fisherman and a self-guided walk on the boardwalk will give visitors an up-close view of the beautiful Mobile-Tensaw Delta.

Meaher’s campground has 61 RV campsites with 20-, 30-, and 50-amp electrical connections as well as water and sewer hook-ups. There are 10 improved tent sites with water and 20-amp electrical connections. The park also has four cozy bay-side cabins (one is handicap accessible) overlooking Ducker Bay. The campground features a modern bathhouse with laundry facilities.

>> Get more tips for visiting Meaher State Park

Catalina State Park *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Catalina State Park, Arizona

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 invite 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 that wind through the park and into the Coronado National Forest at elevations near 3,000 feet. The park is located within minutes of the Tucson metropolitan area.

Catalina offers 120 campsites with electric and water hookups. Each campsite has a picnic table and BBQ grill. Roads and parking slips are paved. Campgrounds have modern flush restrooms with hot, clean showers, and RV dump stations are available in the park. There is no limit on the length of RVs at this park, but reservations are limited to 14 consecutive nights.

>> Get more tips for visiting Catalina State Park

Lost Dutchman State Park *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Lost Dutchman State Park, Arizona

Located near the Superstition Mountains and about 40 miles east of Phoenix is Arizona’s Lost Dutchman State Park. As you might suspect, the park is full of towering red rock formations, cacti, and enough hiking trails to keep you occupied for days.

The campground has 135 sites and three group camping areas: 68 sites with electric (20/30/50 amp service) and water and the remainder of non-hookup sites on paved roads for tents or RVs. Every site has a picnic table and a fire pit with an adjustable grill gate. There are no size restrictions on RVs. Well-mannered pets on leashes are welcome but please pick after your pets.

Campsite reservations are available. There is a $5 non-refundable reservation fee per campsite.

>> Get more tips for visiting Lost Dutchman State Park

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California

Finding accurate and complete information on Anza Borrego camping can be difficult to track down. There are two ways to camp in Anza Borrego: 1) in established campgrounds which come with varying degrees of amenities and cost, or 2) in dispersed camping areas where you can set up camp where you like in accordance with a few rules set by the state park system.

There are a dozen established campgrounds in Anza Borrego Desert including eight primitive, first-come, first-served campgrounds that are free but offer few amenities, and four developed campgrounds that offer more amenities to varying degrees.

Borrego Palm Canyon Campground is divided into three sections. Two of the sections offer tent and RV camping with no hookups. The third section offers full hookups.

Tamarisk Grove Campground offers 27 camping sites. The campground’s amenities include coin-operated showers, non-potable water (don’t drink it), flush toilets. Each site has a picnic table with a shade ramada as well as a fire pit with a metal grill.

>> Get more tips for visiting Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

Myakka River State Park *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Myakka River State Park, Florida

Seven miles of paved road wind through shady hammocks, along grassy marshes, and the shore of the Upper Myakka Lake. See wildlife up-close on a 45-minute boat tour. The Myakka Canopy Walkway provides easy access to observe life in the treetops of an oak/palm hammock. The walkway is suspended 25 feet above the ground and extends 100 feet through the hammock canopy.

The park offers 76 campsites with water and electric service, most sites have 30 amps. A wastewater dump station is located near Old Prairie campground. All campsites are located within 40 yards of restroom facilities with hot showers. All sites are dirt base; few sites have vegetation buffers. Six primitive campsites are located along 37 miles of trails.

>> Get more tips for visiting Myakka River State Park

Highlands Hammock State Park *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Highlands Hammock State Park, Florida

Supporting a beautiful yet delicate ecosystem, central Florida’s Highlands Hammock possesses a unique collection of plant and animal life. With more rare and endemic species than any other Florida State Park, Highlands Hammock is a place where wilderness and history are preserved. The park features 15 distinct natural communities in its more than 9,000 acres with a diversity of habitats for wading birds, raptors, songbirds, migratory birds, and ducks.

Eight of the nine trails are located on the loop drive and visitors can easily extend their walks as several connect via a bridge or catwalk. Trails run through the hydric hammock, cypress swamp, hardwood swamp, and pine Flatwoods. Be sure to travel the 3-mile bike loop or take the tram for those who prefer to sit back and leisurely take it all in.

The family campground offers water and electric hookups, a dump station, access to restrooms with shower facilities, laundry, and dishwashing areas. Campsites have picnic tables and fire rings. Sites vary from being open and sunny to partially or fully shaded and range in length from 20 to 50 feet. Reservations can be made up to 11 months in advance. In addition, primitive tent camping and youth camping areas are available.

Buccaneer State Park, Mississippi

The park site, also known as Jackson’s Ridge, was used as a base of military operations by Andrew Jackson during the Battle of New Orleans. Jackson later returned to this area and built a house on land that is now Buccaneer State Park.

Buccaneer State Park has 206 premium campsites with full amenities including sewer. In addition to the premium sites, Buccaneer has an additional 70 campsites that are set on a grassy

Goose Island State Park *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Goose Island State Park, Texas

Brown pelicans, whooping cranes, camping, fishing, and the waters of Aransas, Copano, and St. Charles bays draw visitors here. Fish from the shore, boat, or the 1,620-foot long fishing pier. The CCC built Goose Island, Texas’ first coastal state park. It sits on the southern tip of the Lamar Peninsula. Dramatic wind-sculpted trees dominate the park. Be sure to visit the Big Tree which has been standing sentinel on the coast for centuries. In 1969, it was named the State Champion Coastal Live Oak.

Choose from 44 campsites by the bay or 57 sites nestled under oak trees all with water and electricity. Every camping loop has restrooms with showers. The park also has 25 walk-in tent sites without electricity, and a group camp for youth groups.

>> Get more tips for visiting Goose Island State Park

Cerulean Warbler at Falcon State Park *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Falcon State Park, Texas

Falcon State Park provides refuge from the cold for both humans and wildlife. But that’s not its only draw. Anglers come here to access one of the best freshwater fishing lakes in South Texas.

At Falcon State Park you can fish, swim, camp, bird watch, water ski, boat, geocache, hike, or just relax and enjoy the mild climate. Anglers mainly catch largemouth bass and channel catfish here. Bird-watch along the lakeshore and in the brushy areas away from shore. Besides the common bird species of the American Southwest, many tropical species also visit the park. Explore 2.8 miles of trails, visit the recreation hall for a snack or domino game, or rent the hall for a family gathering.

Greater roadrunner at Falcon State Park *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Stay at a campsite, shelter, or cabin. Falcon offers pull-through campsites, half with water and electricity, and half with full hookups. The water-only sites are non-reservable.

31 full hookup campsites with 30/50 amp electric (sites # 201-231) are available in the Cactus Loop. 31 sites with 30/50 amp electric and water (sites # 101-131) are available in the Cenizo Loop. 36 sites with water (sites # 43-79) are available in the Javalina. Other amenities vary by loop and may include a covered picnic table, fire ring, barbecue pit, and waist-high grill.

Or choose a screened shelter or cabin.

Sand Hollow State Park *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Sand Hollow State Park, Utah

With its warm, blue waters and red sandstone landscape, Utah’s newer state park is also one of its most popular. Boat, fish, and dive at Sand Hollow Reservoir, explore and ride the dunes of Sand Mountain on an off-highway vehicle. A favorite destination for local off-highway vehicle (OHV) enthusiasts, Sand Mountain provides 15,000 acres of perfectly sculpted dunes. The red sand is an incredible backdrop for Sand Hollow reservoir. Sand Hollow offers boating and other water recreation in a spectacular setting.

Sand Hollow offers three campground areas ranging from full hookups to standard camping. Camp in the full hookup Westside Campground or stay close to the action and ride your OHV from your site to the dunes in the new Sandspit Campground. Choose from 43 full hookup sites, 17 standard sites including six with partial hookups, and 60 camp-vehicle primitive sites.

>> Get more tips for visiting Sand Hollow State Park

Quail Creek State Park *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Quail Creek State Park, Utah

Boasting some of the warmest waters in the state and a mild winter climate, Quail Creek lures boaters and anglers year-round. Quail Creek reservoir was completed in 1985 to provide irrigation and culinary water to the St. George area. Most of the water in the reservoir does not come from Quail Creek but is diverted from the Virgin River and transported through a buried pipeline.

Two dams form the reservoir. The main dam is an earth-fill embankment dam. The south dam is a roller compacted concrete dam, constructed to replace the original earth-fill dam that failed in the early hours of New Year’s Day 1989.

The maximum depth of Quail Creek can reach 120 feet, so it is cold enough to sustain the stocked rainbow trout, bullhead catfish, and crappie. Largemouth bass, which is also stocked, and bluegill thrive in the warmer, upper layers of the reservoir.

Quail Creek offers nine partial hookup sites, 13 standard sites, and one group camping area.

>> Get more tips for visiting Quail Creek State Park

Worth Pondering…

However one reaches the parks, the main thing is to slow down and absorb the natural wonders at leisure.

—Michael Frome

13 More Parks That Snowbirds Should Explore This Winter

Here are some of the best parks for snowbirds to explore

There are 63 national parks across the US. That’s not counting the hundreds of national monuments, historical sites, battlefields, memorials, trails, and more. When you count all of them together, the number of protected sites that fall under the US National Park Service is well over 400. And America’s state parks number over 8,500.

So it should not surprise anyone when I say that there are scores of incredible sites worth exploring in America.

Whether you’re looking to explore waterfalls or rivers, volcanoes or deserts, canyons or mountaintops, there’s a park for snowbirds to discover this winter.

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in Arizona

The remote Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument is a gem tucked away in southern Arizona’s vast the Sonoran Desert. Thanks to its unique crossroads locale, the monument is home to a wide range of specialized plants and animals, including its namesake.

This stretch of desert marks the northern range of the organ pipe cactus, a rare species in the U.S. With its multiple stems, the cactus resembles an old-fashioned pipe organ. There are 28 different species of cacti in the park, ranging from the giant saguaro to the miniature pincushion.

Goose Island State Park in Texas

Lapping water and Gulf breezes: We must be on the coast! Goose Island offers camping, fishing, and birding along St. Charles and Aransas bays. Camp, fish, hike, geocache, go boating, and observe and take photos of wildlife, especially birds. Fish from shore, boat, or the 1,620-foot long fishing pier.

Related Article: Parks That Snowbirds Should Explore This Winter

The Big Tree © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Choose from 44 campsites by the bay or 57 sites nestled under oak trees, all with water and electricity. Every camping loop has restrooms with showers. Be sure to visit the Big Tree which has been standing sentinel on the coast for centuries and has withstood several major hurricanes.

Elephant Butte Lake State Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Elephant Butte Lake State Park in New Mexico

Enjoy camping, fishing, and boating at Elephant Butte Lake, New Mexico’s largest state park. Elephant Butte Lake can accommodate watercraft of many styles and sizes including kayaks, jet skis, pontoons, sailboats, ski boats, cruisers, and houseboats. Besides sandy beaches, the park offers restrooms, picnic areas, and developed camping sites with electric and water hook-ups for RVs.

Zion National Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Zion National Park in Utah

Zion is a park that you have to see to believe. It is a true desert oasis and an American icon. The surrounding area looks desolate, dry, and barren, but when you drive into Zion Canyon, a massive formation, miles wide, with sheer rock walls that rise thousands of feet, await you. There is something so incredible about seeing the oranges and yellows of sandstone mixed with the greens of the Virgin River and the vegetation that grows so easily there.

Big Bend National Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Big Bend National Park in Texas

Big Bend National Park is home to more than 1,200 species of plants, more than 450 species of birds, 75 species of mammals, and 56 species of reptiles. Big Bend is named after a stretch of 118 or so miles of Rio Grande River, one part of which forms a large bend in the river at the Texas-Mexico border.

Over 150 miles of trails give visitors the opportunity to venture out on a day hike on their own or participate in a ranger-led program with a ranger as your guide, teaching you about the science, history, nature, and culture of Big Bend National Park. There is a little bit of everything for those visiting this unique part of the world.

Usery Mountain Regional Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Usery Mountain Regional Park in Arizona
Located on the Valley’s east side, this 3,648-acre park is located at the western end of the Goldfield Mountains adjacent to the Tonto National Forest. The park contains a large variety of plants and animals that call the lower Sonoran Desert home. Along with the most popular feature of the park, the Wind Cave Trail, water seeps from the roof of the alcove to support the hanging gardens of Rock Daisy.

Usery Mountain Regional Park offers a campground with 73 individual sites. Each site has a large parking area to accommodate up to a 45-foot RV with water and electrical hook-ups, a dump station, a picnic table, a barbecue grill, and a fire ring.

Myakka River State Park in Florida

Buccaneer State Park in Mississippi

Located on the beach in Waveland (adjacent to Bay St. Louis), Buccaneer is in a natural setting of large moss-draped oaks, marshlands, and the Gulf of Mexico. The use of this land was first recorded in history in the late 1700s. Buccaneer Jean Lafitte and his followers were active in smuggling and pirating along the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Meaher State Park in Alabama

This 1,327-acre park is situated in the wetlands of Mobile Bay and is a day-use, picnicking and scenic park with modern camping hook-ups for overnight visitors. A self-guided walk on two nature trails includes a boardwalk with an up-close view of the beautiful Mobile Delta.

Bentsen-Rio Grande State Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Bentsen-Rio Grande State Park in Texas

In the Rio Grande Valley, you’ll find wonderful bird-watching opportunities. Approximately 360 species of birds have been spotted at Bentsen-Rio Grande. Butterflies, javelinas, bobcats, and more have also been seen at the park.

plain chachalaca at Bentsen-Rio Grande State Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

You will definitely want to bring your binoculars for birding with you. Like many other state parks, nature is the most intriguing part of the journey. Cars are not allowed to park on-site to help preserve nature. You can leave your car at headquarters and explore on bike, foot, or even tram.

Carlsbad Caverns National Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Carlsbad Caverns National Park in New Mexico

Hidden beneath the surface are more than 119 caves—formed when sulfuric acid dissolved limestone leaving behind caverns of all sizes. Regardless of the snow and cold temps above, the cave is always a temperate 56-57 degrees.

The most popular route, the Big Room, is the largest single cave chamber by volume in North America. This 1.25-mile trail is relatively flat and will take about 1.5 hours (on average) to walk

Joshua Tree National Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Joshua Tree National Park in California

Joshua Tree is a diverse area of sand dunes, dry lakes, flat valleys, extraordinarily rugged mountains, granitic monoliths, and oases. The park is home to two deserts: the Colorado which offers low desert formations and plant life, such as ocotillo and teddy bear cholla cactus; and the Mojave. This higher, cooler, wetter region is the natural habitat of the Joshua tree

Picacho Peak State Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Picacho Peak State Park in Arizona

Visitors traveling along I-10 in southern Arizona can’t miss the prominent 1,500-foot peak of Picacho Peak State Park. Enjoy the view as you hike the trails that wind up the peak. The unique shape has been used as a landmark by travelers since prehistoric times. Many hiking trails traverse the desert landscape and offer hikers both scenic and challenging hikes. Enjoy the beauty of the desert and the amazing views.

Worth Pondering…

Those who dwell among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life.

—Rachel Carson

Top 10 State Parks to Visit This Winter

While there are many state parks that are great to visit in the winter, this list is focused on the parks that are generally warm and perfect for exploring

As shorter days and cooler temperatures descend in North America, it’s time to look for the next great outdoor adventure. We encourage visiting a state park at any time of the year, but winter is a unique time to explore.

November to March provide some of the most beautiful, peaceful, and picturesque landscapes, and parks that can be relatively inhospitable during the height of summer become havens during the cold months. Here are the best state parks to visit this winter.

Elephant Butte State Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Elephant Butte Lake State Park, New Mexico

Myakka River State Park, Florida

Galveston Island State Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Galveston Island State Park, Texas

Come to the island to stroll the beach or splash in the waves. Or come to the island to go fishing or look for coastal birds. With both beach and bay sides, Galveston Island State Park offers activities for every coast lover. You can swim, fish, picnic, bird watch, hike, mountain bike, paddle, camp, geocache, study nature or just relax!

Mesilla Valley Bosque State Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Mesilla Valley Bosque State Park, New Mexico

The park is located on the Rio Grande near Las Cruces and 1.5 miles from historic Mesilla. Visitors have many opportunities to view wildlife in natural surroundings while strolling one of the self-guided nature trails. Enjoy a fun ranger-led tour. Mesilla Valley Bosque State Park is an Audubon designated Important Birding Area.

Picacho Peak State Park, Arizona

Meaher State Park, Alabama

Buccaneer State Park, Mississippi

Buccaneer has been beautifully restored following the devastation from Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Buccaneer is in a natural setting of large moss-draped oaks, marshlands, and the Gulf of Mexico. Today Buccaneer State Park is best known for its wave pool, camping, and winter retreat.

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is the largest state park in California. Five hundred miles of dirt roads, 12 wilderness areas, and many miles of hiking trails provide visitors with numerous opportunities to experience the wonders of the Sonoran Desert. The park features washes, wildflowers, palm groves, cacti, and sweeping vistas.

Lost Dutchman State Park, Arizona

Named after the fabled lost gold mine, Lost Dutchman State Park is located in the Sonoran Desert, 40 miles east of Phoenix. Several trails lead from the park into the Superstition Wilderness and surrounding Tonto National Forest. Enjoy camping and experience native wildlife including mule deer, coyote, javelin, and jackrabbit.

Gulf State Park, Alabama

Gulf State Park’s two miles of beaches greet you with plenty of white sand, surging surf, seagulls, and seashells, but there is more than sand and surf to sink your toes into.

Located 1.5 miles from the white sand beaches, the Gulf State Park campground offers 496 improved full-hookup campsites with paved pads and 11 primitive sites.

Worth Pondering…

The distance is nothing; it is only the first step that is difficult.

—Marie de Vichy-Chamrond

The Best RV Camping January 2022

Explore the guide to find some of the best in January 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 January. 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 our monthly RV park recommendations for the best places to camp in November and December. Also, check out my recommendations from January 2021.

Rincon West RV Resort © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Rincon West RV Resort, Tucson, Arizona

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.

Belle Terra RV Resort © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Bella Terra RV Resort, Foley, Alabama

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. Daily, weekly, and monthly stays are welcome. 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.

Bella Terra RV Resort © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Once settled in, consider the 6,000 sq. ft. clubhouse and zero-entry infinity pool with a Jacuzzi and patio overlooking the lake. Inside you will discover the great room with large screen TV, movie theater room, fitness center, dry sauna, pedicure/massage room, and lounge/bar area. The resort has its own lake stocked with fish for catch-and-release fishing and fenced-in dog parks with ample space for your furry friends to run freely. Plus, the resort is located minutes from the white sandy beaches of the Gulf Coast.

Palm Canyon Campground © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Palm Canyon Campground, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Borrego Springs, California

Located within Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Palm Canyon campground has approximately 120 campsites and 6 group campsites. There are 51 RV campsites with full hookups. Each campsite has a table, fire ring, and grill. Several campsites also have shade structures. Campground amenities include drinking water, flush toilets, showers, RV dump station, group camping, and hike/biking camping.

Palm Canyon campground is just a few miles from the town of Borrego Springs. It is also located next to popular hiking trails (including the Borrego Palm Canyon Trail) and about a mile from the Visitor Center. Outdoor activities include biking, hiking, photography, picnicking, exploring historic sites, OHVing, and wildflower and wildlife viewing.

Frog City RV Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Frog City RV Park, Duson, Louisiana

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.

Texas Lakeside RV Resort, Port Lavaca, Texas

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.

La Quintas Oasis RV Resort © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

La Quintas Oasis RV Resort, Yuma, Arizona

Big-rig friendly, La Quintas Oasis RV Resort is a 55+ park with 460 full-service sites. Easy-on easy-off (I-8; Exit 12 on North Frontage Road) the park has wide paved streets. Pull-through sites are in the 70-foot range with ample space. Back-in sites are 60+ feet in length and 35 feet wide. La Quintas Oasis has a heated pool, hot tub, horseshoes, recreation hall, game room, planned activities, shuffleboard, exercise room, pickleball courts, and mini-golf.

Lake City RV Park © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Lake City RV Park, Lake City, Florida

Located at the crossroads of I-75 and I-10, Lake City is a 24-acre RV park with 67 pull-through sites. A pleasant campground with most sites under the live oak and Spanish moss, Lake City are big-rig friendly with sites in the 75-foot range and utilities centrally located. Amenities include complimentary cable TV and Wi-Fi, 24-hour laundry facility, large clubhouse with commercial kitchen, and dog run. Due to low hanging limbs and the draping Spanish moss, not all sites are suitable for high-profile rigs.

Buccaneer State Park, Waveland, Mississippi

Sundance 1 RV Resort © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Sundance 1 RV Resort, Casa Grande, Arizona

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.

Rio Bend RV & Golf Resort © Rex Vogel, all rights reserved

Rio Bend RV & Golf Resort, El Centro, California

Rio Bend RV & Golf Resort is a 120-acre resort with world-class facilities, warm weather, and golf in the sunny Imperial Valley. Amenities and activities include golf, fishing, pickleball, shuffleboard, bocce ball, swimming, billiards. The park is located off Interstate 8 at Exit 107.

Worth Pondering…

Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of intelligent effort.

—John Ruskin

The 10 Best State Park Camping For Snowbirds

If you’re planning on snowbird RVing this winter consider one of these state parks

Many RVers prefer state park camping for its scenic beauty and proximity to outdoor activities. Most state parks offer the amenities needed to stay comfortable such as electric and water hookups, bathhouses, a dump station, and some campgrounds offer sewer hooks and laundry facilities.

If you are one of the many snowbirds heading south for the winter in an RV, you can find numerous state parks open for year-round camping. Here are 10 of the finest state parks with camping facilities.

Picacho Peak State Park, Arizona

Visitors traveling along I-10 in southern Arizona can’t miss the prominent 1,500-foot peak of Picacho Peak State Park Enjoy the view as you hike the trails that wind up the peak and often in the spring, overlook a sea of wildflowers. The park offers a visitor center with exhibits and a park store, a playground, historical markers, a campground, and picnic areas. Many hiking trails traverse the desert landscape and offer hikers both scenic and challenging hikes.

Picacho Peak State Park’s campground offers 85 electric sites for both tent and RV camping. Four sites are handicapped-accessible. No water or sewer hookups are available. Access to all sites is paved. Sites are fairly level and are located in a natural Sonoran Desert setting.

Meaher State Park, Alabama

Buccaneer State Park, Mississippi

Located on the beach in Waveland (west of Bay St. Louis), Buccaneer is in a natural setting of large moss-draped oaks, marshlands, and the Gulf of Mexico. The use of this land was first recorded in history in the late 1700s when Jean Lafitte and his followers were active in smuggling and pirating along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The French Buccaneer, Lafitte, inhabited the old Pirate House located a short distance from what is now the park. The park site, also known as Jackson’s Ridge, was used as a base of military operations by Andrew Jackson during the Battle of New Orleans. Jackson later returned to this area and built a house on land that is now Buccaneer State Park.

Myakka River State Park, Florida

The majestic Myakka River flows through 58 square miles of one of Florida’s oldest and largest state parks. Experience Myakka by boat and by tram on a 45-60 minute tour.

The Myakka Canopy Walkway provides easy access to observe life in the treetops of an oak/palm hammock. The walkway is suspended 25 feet above the ground and extends 100 feet through the hammock canopy. The taller tower soars 74 feet in the air to present a spectacular view of treetops, wetlands, and the prairie/hammock interface.

The campgrounds make a perfect home base while you go kayaking on the river, hiking the park’s trails, or exploring on their boat or tram tour. The park has three campgrounds with 90 sites total including Palmetto Ridge with full hookup gravel-based sites and Old Prairie and Big Flats campgrounds with dirt-based sites.

Catalina State Park, Arizona

120 electric and water sites are available at Catalina. Each campsite has a picnic table and BBQ grill. Roads and parking slips are paved. Campgrounds have modern flush restrooms with hot showers and RV dump stations are available in the park. There is no limit on the length of RVs but reservations are limited to 14 consecutive nights.

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California

Spanning more than 600,000 acres, Anza-Borrego Desert is the largest state park in California. Five hundred miles of dirt roads, 12 wilderness areas, and many miles of hiking trails provide visitors with an opportunity to experience the wonders of the Sonoran Desert. The park features washes, wildflowers, palm groves, cacti, and sweeping vistas. Visitors may also have the chance to see roadrunners, golden eagles, kit foxes, mule deer, and bighorn sheep.

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park offers primitive camping as well as developed campgrounds including Borrego Palm Canyon which offers 120 campsites including 51 full hookup RV sites and the smaller Tamarisk Grove with 27 well-shaded non-hookup sites. Eight primitive campgrounds and two dispersed camping (boondocking) areas are also available.

Elephant Butte Lake State Park, New Mexico

If you like camping, fishing, boating, or just being outdoors, Elephant Butte is for you. Elephant Butte is a reservoir on the Rio Grande that was built by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation in 1916. The name “Elephant Butte” was given due to a butte that has the shape of an elephant. This is one of the few lakes in New Mexico with white pelican colonies.

Related: America’s Best State Parks

Elephant Butte Lak State Park **© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved**

The mild climate of the area makes this park a popular year-round destination. There are 15 miles of hiking trails, boating facilities, and picnic tables available for day use. Lions Beach Campground has 173 sites including some with full hookups as well as primitive beach and boat-in camping.

Gulf State Park, Alabama

Gulf State Park has two miles of beaches, a spacious campground, and a brand new Lodge and Conference Center. Yes, the park has gorgeous white sand, surging surf, seagulls, and a variety of activities, but there is more than sand and surf to sink your toes into. Just when you’re done hiking, it’s time to go biking. Tired of swimming and paddling in the Gulf? Swim and paddle in Lake Shelby. There’s an educational adventure at the Nature Center as well as programs at the Learning Campus and Interpretive Center.

The park offers a 496-site improved campground including 11 modern bathhouses, pull-through sites, back-in sites, waterfront campsites, and ADA accessible sites. The paved camping pads fit large RVs and provide full hookups with water, sewer, electricity, a picnic table, and a pedestal grill. The park even has three new “glamping” sites and 11 primitive camping sites that include stone campfire rings, grill tops, and picnic tables nestled among the trees and along the creek.

Galveston Island State Park, Texas

With both beach and bay sides, Galveston Island State Park offers activities for every coast lover. You can swim, fish, picnic, bird watch, hike, mountain bike, paddle, camp, geocache, study nature, or just relax! Hike or bike four miles of trails through the park’s varied habitats. Stop at the observation platform or photo blinds, and stroll boardwalks over dunes and marshes.

20 water and electric (50/30-amp hookup) sites are available on the bayside of the park with 1.5 miles of beach to explore. Sites are close together with a communal pavilion and shared ground fire rings. Restrooms with showers are about 150 yards away. These sites are for RV camping only. Weekly and monthly camping rates are available from November to February.

Lost Dutchman State Park, Arizona

Named after the fabled lost gold mine, Lost Dutchman State Park is located in the Sonoran Desert at the base of the Superstition Mountains, east of Apache Junction. Several trails lead from the park into the Superstition Mountain Wilderness and surrounding Tonto National Forest. Take a stroll along the Native Plant Trail or hike the challenging Siphon Draw Trail to the top of the Flatiron.

The campground has 138 sites: 68 sites with electric (50/30/20 amp service) and water and the remainder non-hookup sites on paved roads for tents or RVs. Every site has a picnic table and a fire pit with an adjustable grill gate. There are no size restrictions on RVs. Well-mannered pets on leashes are welcome, but please pick after your pets.

Worth Pondering…

As Anne Murray sings in the popular song, “Snowbird”:

“Spread your tiny wings and fly away

And take the snow back with you

Where it came from on that day

So, little snowbird, take me with you when you go

To that land of gentle breezes where the peaceful waters flow…”

Happy travels!

The 15 Best State Parks for RV Camping

These 15 state parks across the U.S. have campgrounds that you really need to add to your travel list

While national parks are at the top of many RV travel bucket lists, state parks often offer more camping amenities than national parks. State park campgrounds are located in areas that feature natural beauty, recreational opportunities, and historic significance. Some state parks are smaller and may only feature a visitor center and day-use area. Some areas are large as a national park and feature several campgrounds and access to lakes, trails, and nearby towns.

Palm Canyon Campground, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California

Spanning more than 600,000 acres, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is California’s largest park and one of the best places for camping. A diverse desert landscape the park encompassing 12 wilderness areas rich with flora and fauna. Enjoy incredible hikes, crimson sunsets, and starlit nights, and view metal dragons, dinosaurs, and giant grasshoppers. Set up camp at Borrego Palm Canyon or Tamarisk Grove Campground. Amenities include drinking water, fire pits, picnic tables, RV sites, and restrooms.

Buccaneer State Park, Mississippi

Located on the beach in Waveland, Buccaneer is in a natural setting of large moss-draped oaks, marshlands, and the Gulf of Mexico. Use of this land was first recorded in history in the late 1700s when Jean Lafitte was active in smuggling and pirating along the Gulf Coast. Buccaneer State Park offers Buccaneer Bay, a 4.5-acre waterpark, Pirate’s Alley Nature Trail, playground, Jackson’s Ridge Disc Golf, activity building, camp-store, and Castaway Cove pool. Buccaneer has 206 premium campsites with full amenities including sewer. In addition, Buccaneer has 70 campsites that are set on a grassy field overlooking the Gulf of Mexico.

Catalina State Park, Arizona

The park is a haven for desert plants and wildlife and nearly 5,000 saguaros. The 5,500 acres of foothills, canyons, and streams invite 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 that wind through the park and into the Coronado National Forest. The park is located within minutes of the Tucson metropolitan area. Bring along your curiosity and your sense of adventure as you take in the beautiful mountain backdrop, desert wildflowers, cacti, and wildlife. The campground offers 120 electric and water sites with picnic tables and BBQ grills.

Custer State Park *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Custer State Park, South Dakota

Custer State Park covers 71,000-acres of the Black Hills in South Dakota. This sprawling park of wildlife is made up of granite peaks and rolling plains, lush valleys, and crystal clear waters. Visitors of the park enjoy outdoor activities such as RV and tent camping, fishing, hiking, biking, and swimming. The park also hosts community events throughout the year as well as educational programs at the Peter Norbeck Outdoor Education Center. Custer State Park also features a visitor center that highlights the iconic prairie bison. The Wildlife Station Visitor Center provides guests with unobstructed views of the rolling hills and prairie located on the Wildlife Loop Road.

Dead Horse Point State Park *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Dead Horse Point State Park, Utah

The name of this stunning state park may seem less appealing but the history behind it is interesting. Back in the days of the old west, cowboys used the area as a place to corral wild mustangs. Trapping the horses at the edge of the cliff, they would round up the desired horses and take them back to be tamed. Usually, the remaining horses were set free. However, legend has it that one time the remaining horses remained at the edge of the cliff and died of thirst. Today, Dead Horse Point provides a beautiful mesa where you can look 2,000 feet down to the Colorado River and Canyonlands National Park. The Intrepid Trail System offers 16.6 miles of hiking and biking trails with varying degrees of difficulty. The campground offers 64 RV and tent sites including 44 with partial hookups.

Goose Island State Park, Texas

Brown pelicans, whooping cranes, camping, fishing, and the waters of Aransas, Copano, and St. Charles bays draw visitors here. The CCC built Goose Island, Texas’ first coastal state park. It sits on the southern tip of the Lamar Peninsula. Dramatic wind-sculpted trees dominate the park. The “Big Tree,” a massive coastal live oak estimated to be centuries old is one of the natural wonders of Texas.

Gulf State Park, Alabama

Gulf State Park has two miles of beaches, a spacious campground, and a new Lodge and Conference Center. Lake Shelby, a 900-acre freshwater lake is one of the closest to saltwater along the Gulf of Mexico. The park has a multitude of activities to participate in that includes hiking, biking, fishing, swimming, exploring, geocaching, and paddling. Reconstruction of The Lodge at Gulf State Park, a Hilton Hotel, is complete and new hostel-style accommodations are available nearby as well. The park offers a 496-site improved campground including 11 modern bathhouses, pull-through sites, back-in sites, waterfront campsites, and ADA accessible sites. The paved camping pads fit large RVs and provide full hookups with water, sewer, electricity, a picnic table, and a pedestal grill.

Lackawanna State Park *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Lackawanna State Park, Pennsylvania

The 1,445-acre Lackawanna State Park is in northeastern Pennsylvania ten miles north of Scranton. The centerpiece of the park, the 198-acre Lackawanna Lake is surrounded by picnic areas and multi-use trails winding through the forest. Boating, camping, fishing, mountain biking, and swimming are popular recreation activities. A series of looping trails limited to foot traffic wander through the campground and day-use areas of the park. Additional multi-use trails explore forests, fields, lakeshore areas, and woodland streams. The campground is within walking distance of the lake and swimming pool and features forested sites with electric hook-ups and walk-in tent sites.

Laura S. Walker State Park *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Laura S. Walker State Park, Georgia

Located near the northern edge of the Okefenokee Swamp, this park is home to fascinating creatures and plants, including alligators and carnivorous pitcher plants. Walking along the lake’s edge and nature trail, visitors may spot the shy gopher tortoise, saw palmettos, yellow-shafted flickers, warblers, owls, and great blue herons. The park’s lake offers opportunities for fishing, swimming, and boating, and kayaks and bicycles are available for rent. The Lakes 18-hole golf course features a clubhouse, golf pro, and junior/senior rates. Each fairway and landing area is defined with gentle, links-style mounds that accent the course’s three lakes. The park’s campground offers 44 RV campsites with electricity utilities.

Lost Dutchman State Park, Arizona

Named after the fabled lost gold mine, the park is located in the Sonoran Desert at an elevation of 2,000 feet. In the late 1800s, Jacob Waltz emerged from this area with gold. When he died in 1891, he was found with 24 pounds of high-quality gold ore under his bed. Purportedly, before he died he left clues to the mine’s location. Needless to say, it is a haven for treasure hunters today. The Park also offers a variety of hiking trails, nature trails, 35 campsites, picnic facilities, and special programs throughout the year.

Meaher State Park, Alabama

This 1,327-acre park is situated in the wetlands of north Mobile Bay and is a scenic park with a day-use area and modern camping hook-ups. A self-guided walk on the boardwalk offers an up-close view of the beautiful Mobile-Tensaw Delta. Formed by the confluence of the Alabama and Tombigbee Rivers, the Mobile-Tensaw Delta is a complex network of tidally influenced rivers, creeks, bays, lakes, wetlands, and bayous. The park offers a 300-foot pier with a 200-foot “T”. Meaher’s campground offers 61 RV campsites with 20-, 30- and 50-amp electrical connections as well as water and sewer hook-ups. Four bay-side cabins (1 is handicap accessible) overlook Ducker Bay. The campground features a modern bathhouse with laundry facilities.

Monahans Sandhills State Park *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Monahans Sandhills State Park, Texas

Monahans Sandhills State Park offers a Texas-sized sandbox for kids of all ages as well as a close-up view of a unique desert environment. The park is only a small portion of a dune field that extends about 200 miles from south of Monahans westward and north into New Mexico. Bring a picnic and spend the day exploring on foot or horseback. The park does not have marked trails; you are free to explore at will. Rent sand disks and surf the dunes. Learn about the park and its natural and cultural history at the Dunagan Visitors Center. Set up camp and witness spectacular sunsets.The park offers 26 campsites with water and electricity and a shade shelter.

My Old Kentucky Home State Park *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

My Old Kentucky Home State Park, Kentucky

The farm that inspired the imagery in Stephen Collins Foster’s famous song, “My Old Kentucky Home, Good-Night!” is Kentucky’s most famous and beloved historic site. Built between 1812 and 1818, the three-story house originally named, “Federal Hill,” by its first owner Judge John Rowan became Kentucky’s first historic shrine on July 4th, 1923. Located near Bardstown the mansion and farm had been the home of the Rowan family for three generations spanning a period of 120 years. In 1922 Madge Rowan Frost, the last Rowan family descendant sold her ancestral home and 235-acres to the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The golf course is open year-round. Admire the beautiful grounds of My Old Kentucky Home State Park in the 39-site campground near Bardstown. Convenience is guaranteed with utility hookups, a central service building housing showers and restrooms, and a dump station.

Picacho Peak State Park, Arizona

Visitors traveling along I-10 in southern Arizona can’t miss the prominent 1,500-foot peak of Picacho Peak State Park. Enjoy the view as you hike the trails that wind up the peak and often in the spring overlook a sea of wildflowers. The park and surrounding area are known for its unique geological significance, outstanding and varied desert growth, and historical importance. The unique shape has been used as a landmark by travelers since prehistoric times. The park offers a visitor center with exhibits and a park store, a playground, historical markers, a campground and picnic areas. The campground has a total of 85 electric sites suitable for RV and tent camping. No water or sewer hookups are available. Enjoy the beauty of the desert and the amazing views.

Roosevelt State Park *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Roosevelt State Park, Mississippi

Roosevelt State Park offers an abundance of outdoor recreational opportunities in a picturesque setting. The park’s scenic overlook provides a panoramic view of the Bienville National Forest. The gently sloping landscape is particularly striking during the fall when the forest is bright with autumn colors.A variety of recreational activities and facilities are available at Roosevelt including a visitor center, banquet hall, meeting rooms, game room, performing arts and media center, picnic area, picnic pavilions, playgrounds, disc golf, softball field, swimming pool and water slide, tennis courts, and nature trails. Fishing, boating, and water skiing are available on Shadow Lake, a 150 acre fresh water lake.The park offers 109 RV campsites, primitive tent sites, 15 vacation cabins, motel, and a group camp facility. These facilities are located in wooded areas with views of Shadow Lake. 27 campsites include electricity and water hook-ups. 82 sites have electricity, water, and sewer hook-ups.

Worth Pondering…

However one reaches the parks, the main thing is to slow down and absorb the natural wonders at leisure.

—Michael Frome

10 Amazing Places to RV in February

RV travel allows you to take the comforts of home on the road

February is a great time to travel. If you’re looking for someplace warm with ample sunshine, there are some great destinations to consider especially for the RVing snowbird escaping the ravages of a Northern winter.

The bad news is COVID-19 has taken its toll on the tourism industry and continues to impact snowbird travel. Canadian snowbirds won’t be flocking south this winter to escape the cold and snowy weather. With their wings clipped by border closures, Canadian snowbirds have traded in their golf clubs for snow shovels.

Naturally, RVers—and, in particular, Canadian snowbirds—are looking forward to the relaxation of these restrictions. But where are the most amazing places to RV this month?

Planning an RV trip for a different time of year? Check out our monthly travel recommendations for the best places to travel in January and March. Also check out our recommendations from February 2020.

Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Tucson, Arizona

The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum in Tucson is a 98-acre zoo, aquarium, botanical garden, natural history museum, and art gallery. It features two miles of walking paths traversing 21 acres of desert landscape. Get to know various Sonoran Desert habitats featuring flora and fauna native to the region, 16 individual desert botanical gardens, Earth Sciences Center cave featuring the region’s geology and showcasing the Museum’s extensive mineral collection, and admission to live animal presentations and keeper-animal interactions where you can watch animals being fed or trained. A visitor favorite, the Raptor Free Flight, a birds-of-prey demonstration where visitors view from the birds’ flight path occurs seasonal mid-October through mid-April.

Okefenokee Swamp *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge and St. Marys River, Georgia

At over 400,000-acres, Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge protects most of America’s largest blackwater wetlands sheltering a vast mosaic of pine islands, serpentine blackwater channels, and cypress forests that provide habitat for an abundance of wildlife. The largest refuge east of the Mississippi River, Okefenokee is home to a multitude of rare and declining species. Roughly 15,000 alligators ply the swamp’s placid waters. Wood storks and sandhill cranes frequent the skies. And gopher tortoises find sanctuary in underground burrows. From this vast wetland ecosystem is born the St. Marys, a blackwater river that meanders 125 miles before reaching the Atlantic. Largely unspoiled, the St. Marys River shelters the endangered Atlantic sturgeon, an ancient species that once reached lengths of up to 18 feet.

Manatee at Homosassa Springs Wildlife Park *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park, Florida

Meet a manatee face-to-face without ever getting wet at Florida’s Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park. Underwater viewing stations allow visitors to see the manatees—and other fish as they swim by—up close and personal at this showcase for Florida’s native wildlife. The Fish Bowl underwater observatory floats in the main spring and allows visitors to “walk underwater” beneath the spring’s surface and watch the manatees and an astounding number of fresh and saltwater fish swim about. The park also features a variety of captive animals such as alligators, black bears, red wolf, key deer, flamingos, whooping cranes, and the oldest hippopotamus in captivity.

Buccaneer State Park, Mississippi

Located on the beach in Waveland, Buccaneer is in a natural setting of large moss-draped oaks, marshlands, and the Gulf of Mexico. Use of this land was first recorded in history in the late 1700s when Jean Lafitte and his followers were active in smuggling and pirating along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The French Buccaneer, Lafitte, inhabited the old Pirate House located a short distance from what is now the park. The park site, also known as Jackson’s Ridge was used as a base of military operations by Andrew Jackson during the Battle of New Orleans. Jackson later returned to this area and built a house on land that is now Buccaneer State Park.

Buccaneer State Park offers Buccaneer Bay, a 4.5 acre water park, Pirate’s Alley Nature Trail, playground, Jackson’s Ridge Disc Golf, activity building, camp store, and Castaway Cove pool.

Big Bend Scenic Loop, Texas

Touring Big Bend National Park and experiencing endless vistas straight out of an old Western would be reason enough to make this trip. But you’ll also have plenty of fun along the way exploring quirky small towns that are definitive road-trip material. Unforgettable experiences in West Texas include minimalist art installations, nighttime astronomy parties, and thriving ghost towns. Start your road trip in El Paso, a border city that’s wedged into the farthest-flung corner of West Texas and wraps up at the popular art installation—Prada Marfa. Highlights include Fort Davis and Terlingua, a one-of-a-kind thriving ghost town.

Mobile *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Mobile. Alabama

Mobile is more than 300 years old and from that fact alone there must be a lot of history associated with a city of that age. The many museums and historical homes help tell Mobile’s story. Eight National Register Historic Districts make up what is known as downtown and midtown Mobile. Explore the mighty WWII battleship USS Alabama, winner of nine battle stars, and the submarine USS Drum. Both are National Historic Landmarks. Mobile is the home to the oldest carnival or Mardi Gras in the United States.

Rockport-Fulton *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Rockport-Fulton, Texas

Find yourself in Rockport-Fulton and discover why Rockport-Fulton is the Charm of the Texas Coast. You’ll find a sandy beach, a birder’s paradise, a thriving arts community, unique shopping, delectable seafood, unlimited outdoor recreation, historical sites, and great fishing.

The quaint fishing village of Rockport has been a favorite coastal hideaway and snowbird roost for many years. Be it sportfishing, bird-watching, seafood, shopping, the arts, water recreation, or simply relaxing in the shade of wind-sculpted live oaks life here revolves around Aransas Bay.

Mesilla *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Mesilla, New Mexico

Just outside Las Cruces, the tiny town of Mesilla is one of the most unexpected surprises in the entire state. Formerly part of Mexico and the focus of more than one border dispute, Mesilla is rich in culture and fosters an independent spirit while still celebrating its heritage. Mesilla Plaza is the heart of the community with the twin steeples of Basilica of San Albino as the most identifiable landmark. The church is more than 160 years old but still welcomes the public for regular mass. The heritage is also represented in the shops and restaurants in the Mercado district. Eat dinner at the haunted Double Eagle or stick with traditional Mexican cuisine at La Posta.

Palm Springs *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Palm Springs, California

Palm Springs and its many neighboring cities in the Coachella Valley of Southern California are a desert area with abundant artesian wells. Palm Springs acquired the title “Playground of the Stars” many years ago because what was then just a village in the desert was a popular weekend Hollywood getaway. Today, the village has grown and consists of much more than just hanging out poolside. Whether it’s golf, tennis, hiking, or a trip up the aerial tram, Palm Springs is a winter desert paradise.

Lost Dutchman State Park, Arizona

Since the 1840s, many have claimed to know the location of the Peralta family’s lost gold mine in the Superstition Mountains but none of these would-be fortune-seekers became more famous than “the Dutchman” Jacob Waltz. You might not find gold during your visit but you’ll become entranced with the golden opportunities to experience the beautiful and rugged area known as the Superstition Wilderness accessible by trails from the Park. Take a stroll along the Native Plant Trail or hike the challenging Siphon Draw Trail to the top of the Flatiron. The four mile mountain bike loop trail is another great way to enjoy the park’s beauty.

Depending on the year’s rainfall, you may be treated to a carpet of desert wildflowers in the spring. Enjoy a week of camping and experience native wildlife including mule deer, coyote, javelin, and jackrabbit. 138 RV camping sites (68 with electric and water) are available in the park.

Worth Pondering…

I’ve never gotten used to winter and never will.

—Jamaica Kincaid

The Absolutely Best State Park Camping for Snowbirds

If you’re planning on snowbird RVing this winter consider one of these state parks. They all offer warm weather and beautiful views of the Gulf or Technicolor deserts.

Many RVers prefer state park camping for the access to outdoor activities. Depending on the area, most state parks have all the amenities needed to stay comfortable such as hookups, bathhouses, a dump station, and laundry facilities.

If you are one of the many snowbirds heading south for the winter in an RV, you can find dozens of state parks open for year-round camping. These are 10 of our favorite spots for their great location, spacious RV sites, hookups, and other modern amenities.

Myakka River State Park, Florida

Myakka River State Park can be found north of Fort Myers with wetlands and forests surrounding the Myakka River. The campgrounds make a perfect home base while you go kayaking on the river, hiking the park’s trails, or exploring on one of their boat tours. The park has three campgrounds with 90 sites total, including Palmetto Ridge with full hookup gravel-based sites, and Old Prairie and Big Flats campgrounds with dirt-based sites.

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park offers primitive campgrounds as well as developed campgrounds, including Borrego Palm Canyon Campground and Tamarisk Grove.

Borrego Palm Canyon has full hookup sites that can accommodate RVs and trailers up to 40 feet in length. The smaller Tamarisk Grove campground has 27 well shaded sites with no hookups but potable water and showers available. The state park is recognized as a Dark Sky Park with some of the darkest night skies for stargazing. It also has miles of great hiking trails with beautiful mountain, desert, and canyon views.

Meaher State Park, Alabama

This 1,327-acre park is situated in the wetlands of Mobile Bay and offers picnic facilities and modern camping sites with utilities. Meaher’s boat ramp and fishing pier will appeal to every fisherman. A self-guided walk on two nature trails includes a boardwalk with an up-close view of the beautiful Mobile Delta. Meaher’s campground has 61 RV campsites with 20-, 30- and 50-amp electrical connections as well as water and sewer hook-ups. The campground features a modern bathhouse with laundry facilities. Located near Meaher State Park is the Five Rivers Delta Resource Center; which features a natural history museum, live native wildlife, a theater, gift shop and canoe/kayak rentals.

Hunting Island State Park, South Carolina

Climb to the top of Hunting Island lighthouse to survey the palm-studded coastline. Bike the park’s trails through maritime forest to the nature center, fish off the pier, and go birdwatching for herons, egrets, skimmers, oystercatchers, and wood storks. Camping is available at 100 campsites with water and electrical hookups, shower and restroom facilities, beach walkways, and a playground. Camping reservations must be made for a minimum of two nights.

Elephant Butte Lake State Park, New Mexico

In Southern New Mexico, Elephant Butte Lake State Park sits on a large reservoir along the Rio Grande River just north of the town Truth or Consequences. State park camping is available at Lions Beach Campground along with a variety of activities on the lake such as boating, fishing, kayaking, and jetskiing. The campground has 173 sites including some with full hookups, as well as primitive beach and boat-in camping. There are also 15 miles of hiking trails, boating facilities, and picnic tables available for day-use.

Note: The park is currently open to New Mexico residents only. Reservations are required for camping and can be made online.

Galveston Island State Park, Texas

Come to the island to stroll the beach or splash in the waves. Or come to the island to go fishing or look for coastal birds. No matter what brings you here, you’ll find a refuge at Galveston Island State Park. Just an hour from Houston, but an island apart! With both beach and bay sides, Galveston Island State Park offers activities for every coast lover. You can swim, fish, picnic, bird watch, hike, mountain bike, paddle, camp, geocache, study nature, or just relax! Visit their nature center to learn more about the park and its programs.

Patagonia Lake State Park *© Rex Vogel, all rights reserved*

Patagonia Lake State Park, Arizona

Tucked away in the rolling hills of southeastern Arizona is a hidden treasure. Patagonia Lake State Park was established in 1975 as a state park and is an ideal place to find whitetail deer roaming the hills and great blue herons walking the shoreline. The park offers a campground, beach, picnic area with ramadas, tables and grills, a creek trail, boat ramps, and a marina. The campground overlooks the lake where anglers catch crappie, bass, bluegill, catfish, and trout. The park is popular for water skiing, fishing, camping, picnicking, and hiking.

Gulf State Park, Alabama

Gulf State Park is home to two miles of pristine white-sand beaches along the Coastal Connection Scenic Byway. Sink your toes into the fine, sugary sand, fish, bike, kayak, or canoe. Birding, hiking, and biking are other popular activities. The park also offers a Segway tour. Even if you’ve never ridden one, the tour guides will keep you upright and make sure that you enjoy your experience. RV campsites, cottages, cabins, and lodges are available in the park if you decide to stay the night or longer.

Buccaneer State Park, Mississippi

Located on the beach in Waveland, Buccaneer is in a natural setting of large moss-draped oaks, marshlands, and the Gulf of Mexico. Buccaneer State Park offers Buccaneer Bay, a 4.5 acre waterpark, Pirate’s Alley Nature Trail, playground, Jackson’s Ridge Disc Golf, activity building, camp store, and Castaway Cove pool. Buccaneer State Park has 206 premium campsites with full amenities including sewer. In addition to the premium sites, Buccaneer has an additional 70 campsites that are set on a grassy field overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. These Gulf view sites only offer water and electricity, are open on a limited basis and are only available through the park office. A central dumping station and restrooms are located nearby. Castaway Cove (campground activity pool) is available to all visitors to the Park for a fee.

Catalina State Park, Arizona

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

Worth Pondering…

There is something very special about the natural world, and each trip outdoors is like an unfinished book just waiting for you to write your own chapter.

—Paul Thompson