Campgrounds & Campsites
One of the most universal frustrating things about camping is booking a site at a campground. Some campgrounds are only first come, first serve. Those are generally not ideal for families, because families need guarantees that they have a safe place to sleep for the night. It’s pretty intense to “wing it” after a long drive and everyone’s a little crazy eyed.
More in demand campgrounds have long lead times, some you can book a year out (like Yellowstone), others have six month lead times (usually state parks). The more in demand a place is, ie: Yellowstone, Yosemite, Big Sur, Glacier, etc. The more competitive the sites are to book. Sometimes you have to be at your computer at 6:59am (PST) refreshing and refreshing and refreshing the campground website to be in a top position to nab a campsite the moment they are released at 7:00am. Sometimes that doesn’t even work.
There are a myriad of different types of campgrounds, and a lot of them depend on where you are headed and what kind of experience you want from your campground. There are membership campgrounds, like KOAs (super family oriented, but kind of commercial feeling too.), GoodSam, Thousand Trails, geared more to the retired/mature adult community. Some campgrounds are only 55+ years or older.
Rule of thumb: If you want to go to a National Park, book as early as you can (usually 6+ months in advance) and find a campground INSIDE the park. Usually National Parks have a variety of campgrounds inside the parks, they are super competitive to get. They are premiere sites because they are literally located inside the park, which, in the example of Yellowstone, cuts anywhere from 1 hour to 3 hours off of your commute to get inside the park and outside the park… very seriously, literally, depending on the Buffalo that day. Most likely if you are camping inside a National Park, assume it will be dry camping - no hookups (no water, electrical, sewer.) And NO INTERNET OR CELL SERVICE. Deal breaker when you are working and schooling from the road. Pick your battles.
Always study the campground map of where you are booking. Michael’s 2¢ is to cross reference the campground maps with google maps satellite view. Sometimes beggars can’t be choosers and you take what you can get. Other times, when options are available, choose the bigger spots, away from the dumpsters, closer to a body of water, close enough to bathrooms, but not right next door (your site can become a form of easement for other campers to get to the bathroom.)
HAVE LOTS & LOTS OF QUARTERS.
Yellowstone Work Commute
Mayflower Regional Park, Blythe, California. River & Grannie Annie.