Forestry and other state park length limits

[Louandkim]

Hi
I've read something about this somewhere but can't find it again sorry...
We are in the process of moving over from the UK so never been in one of the parks.
We hope to travel about utilizing the state parks RV sites so before we start narrowing down our purchase choices it would be much appreciated if you guys with experience of the parks could help me set some size limits.
What would be the biggest RV and biggest 5th wheel we should contemplate, and still fit into the state park sites?
Thanks
Lou and Kim

[paz]

Site length varies greatly from location to location. Generally, anything less than about 35' will be safe. Some locations can accommodate larger rigs in many of their sites, some can only accommodate large rigs in a limited number of sites, and some campgrounds are tents only.

www.recreation.gov/ does reservations for Corps of Engineers and for most National Park and National Forest campgrounds. You can search by state or look for a specific campground if you know the name. Once you drill all the way down to an individual site, they usually have a length listed for each specific site.

Many state parks use www.reserveamerica.com/ for their reservations. Reserve America usually provides similar length information.

[tomwalt]

PAZ said it all.
Full hook-ups are rare, but water/electric with a dump stations are common. Older parks don't have water/electric so do your research and prepare (RV with decent battery power for what you will need to run).
You may want to study up on how to efficently 'boondock'.
The Corp of Engineers (COE) operate nice small in some states (I've uses them along the East coast).

[mikell]

Plan early most state parks in Michigan are booked 6 months in advance. Better start planning

[Barbaraok]

We have been fulltiming for 6+ years and except for Army Corps of Engineers (COE) parks, we use private parks. Most state parks are booked 6-9 months in advance, with people booking all of the weekends (and parts of weeks) and then never canceling when their plans change. Also most state parks cost as much as private parks with fewer amenities. Even some COE parks are now charging what the rates at private parks in the area are - without the sewer hookup.

You need to make sure you've got Passport America, which usually gets you 1/2 off per night, to use while you are going from point A to point B. Also might look at Thousand Trails zone pass for the areas that you will be traveling in - - if on the west coast, that could really save you some money and there is no longer term commitment to it.

Barb

[Louandkim]

Thanks guys.... So the state parks are tough to get into, great info.. We have no intention of booking anywhere anything like 6 months in advance, we are not that organized and anyway in my opinion it kinda misses the point of roaming about as we are lucky enough to do.
The state park idea was mostly centered on saving money (seems not the case) so also great feedback cheers.
Rethink time.......

[Tony Lee]

We have done two 4-month trips in the US. First was the western states and the second from California up to Alaska and back again.
Both trips were in the warmer months - half spring/half summer and hgalf summer/half autumn. Boondocked majority of the time and the only reservation we made was for Yellowstone. Lots of boondocking in back country areas, also lot of forestry camps as well as municipal campgrounds. State parks are a bit pricey for my liking and often crowded anyway.
Never had a problem getting into where we wanted to go although few times access was tight for a 36' 8'6" MH with fixed mirrors.
Spent peanuts on camping fees and dump fees which is the way I like it.

No idea what the eastern 1/3 of the US like, but I suspect it might be a bit crowded for my liking.

[J Birder]

Originally Posted by mikell

Plan early most state parks in Michigan are booked 6 months in advance. Better start planning

First week of October t2011 (fall color time) we stayed in two different state parks in Michigan's U.P. without having made any reservations.

Joel

[jimmyjnr]

If you want to stay at state beaches in CA then 30ft or less will give you options , most other states 36ft will be ok . Also look at weekly rates at private parks most are reasonable

[paz]

Originally Posted by Louandkim

Thanks guys.... So the state parks are tough to get into, great info.. We have no intention of booking anywhere anything like 6 months in advance, we are not that organized and anyway in my opinion it kinda misses the point of roaming about as we are lucky enough to do.
The state park idea was mostly centered on saving money (seems not the case) so also great feedback cheers.
Rethink time.......

The state parks don't all book that far in advance. A lot depends on the state and the location. Weekends are the busiest time, and you can sometimes have your pick of sites during the week.

Many (but not all) parks have a certain number of non-reservable sites, so if that's the case and you arrive on a Tuesday or Wednesday, you can usually get in without a reservation.

Most state parks do tend to book up far in advance for Memorial Day, 4th of July and Labor Day weekends.

It is correct that state parks aren't always the cheapest. The bad economy has forced many states to cut subsidies to parks, which means they have to charge more.

If you're trying to save money, look into Passport America. Member campgrounds offer discounts of up to 50% to card holders. There can be restrictions on length of stay, season, etc., so read each campground's conditions carefully. The membership fee can easily be recovered in only a few nights.

Another way to save money is with the America the Beautiful Pass. The annual pass is available to everyone and costs $80, and it provides free admission to National Parks and National Monuments. National Park entry fees are usually $20 to $25 for private vehicles, so it will take visits to 4 parks for the pass to pay for itself. The pass also provides a 50% discount at Corps of Engineers campgrounds. You only need one pass per family.

[Barbaraok]

What we have found is that lots of small towns and counties have campgrounds, or have a fairground that has a campground. We have found them throughout the country and they are really great bargains. Lots of them are $15 or under for the night.

Also, use RV Parks Reviews to find good places to stay as you move around.

And as to size, don't limit yourself, get what is comfortable for you.

Barb

[Tony Lee]

If you're trying to save money, look into Passport America. Member campgrounds offer discounts of up to 50% to card holders.

This is one of several such clubs/groups and I did look into them before our first trip and it seems to me that the sites were not always (rarely) in places I might want to be, so getting to one would involve going so far out of my way that any savings would be eaten up with extra travel. Also seemed preferable to make reservations and that also was too restrictive for our lifestyle.

We've used the same system in 20 different countries and never had significant problems. Never make plans and never have too high expectations. Start looking for somewhere to spend the night mid afternoon and if a commercial campsite is what you are looking for (very rarely with us) then try the first one you come to. If it doesn't suit then a back road or walmart or home depot is a lot cheaper and probably has better ambience.
That doesn't suit everyone and I know some prefer to have their itinerary carefully mapped out weeks in advance and that it what they prefer.
Like the OP, we tend to prefer to blow before the wind and take things as they come.

[pumper9x9]

Another resource you may want to check out is rv.org. Not for the size but for information on helping you select and rv that will fit your needs. You can also go to recreation.gov and pick sites that have a specific minimum length and see what's avaialble.

[mikell]

Originally Posted by J Birder

First week of October t2011 (fall color time) we stayed in two different state parks in Michigan's U.P. without having made any reservations.

Joel

Ok I should have said NORMAL campers should make reservations but some of us don't have limits to our camping seasons