Back in the good old days you would need to take several steps in order to reserve a campsite or even find a campground in which to reserve a site. First, you would usually have to either own or go buy (or check out from the library) a campground directory listing all the state and national parks as well as commercial or private campgrounds. (Even though I'm a 21st century kind of camper, I still own the latest copy of Frommer's Best RV and Tent Campgrounds in the U.S.A. which my wife gave me this past Christmas, because it provides a great deal of supplemental information I might find helpful.) Then, after locating the campground or campgrounds that were in the area of your route and/or destination, you would have to phone and make reservations. If you wanted further information, you might have to wait several weeks for brochures to be mailed to you, all the while hoping that they did not fill up while you waited.
These days, you can handle all your campground reservation needs by logging onto ReserveAmerica, the website designed to make finding and reserving a campground fast and easy, in addition to some extra features you might find helpful. Here are some highlights of what the website offers, following a quick and free registration.
FIND A CAMPING SPOT - This page features drop-down menus that allow you to search for Tent, RV or Trailer Sites, Cabins, Day Use Only Sites and Group, Horse or Boat Sites. In addition, you can search by State, Park Name or even near Landmarks.Once you've made those choices, a pop-up calendar allows you to choose the date or dates you are planning (either specific or by range) and to note the length of your stay. Finally, you can choose to search by park amenities such as equipment rentals, hiking trails, horse trails, etc and by spot amenities such as electric hook-ups (broken down by amps), pet allowances, waterfront, etc. You can amend each choice as needed to locate the best availability for your needs. Results are displayed clearly under categories of Online Availability, Distance in Miles (from you), Campground Name, State, Type of Park or site, Amenities and sometimes a photo of the location.
CAMPGROUNDS BY MAP - As indicated by the name, this feature allows you to search for campgrounds or sites using a map. If you've registered it will start with a map of the State in which you reside. If you haven't, the default map is of the United States. All maps are by Google and include "pushpins" of each campground, park and commercial or private sites within the area you click on. Since it's Google Maps, you can zoom in or out and call up a satellite or hybrid version of the area as well. Once you choose a site, you can refine the search with a drop-down menu and by dates available. Results show campground details, costs, amenities, driving directions, a map of the campground, phone numbers and the ability to book online.
CAMPING SPOTLIGHT - Certain campgrounds across the U.S. are highlighted in this Camping Spotlight with the campground name, location, a brief description and a photo if available. The day I checked they were spotlighting camps in Colorado, New York, Kentucky, South Carolina, Oregon, Virginia and Utah. Clicking on the campground's link takes you to a page with a larger photo, fuller description and information as well as costs, amenities, driving directions, a map of the campground, phone numbers and the ability to book online.
THE GEAR STORE - This is simply a page with links to their partner sites, Bass Pro Shops, Camping World and LazyDays RV SuperCenter.
CAMPING CLUB NEWSLETTER - This takes you to an entire site called The Official Camping Club which is full of camping and outdoor activity information. You can become an official member for $15 per year and enjoy discounts and special offers, but you can access most of the site offerings without having to join. There are Gear Reviews, Recipes, Contests, Kid's Areas, Guides, Tips, Lists of Tops Spots such as Top Scenic Views, Top Hiking Trails, etc.
For convenience and a wealth of information on the campground you're searching for, you can't beat ReserveAmerica.
Jeff Wetherington - Born in Tampa, Florida more than a half century ago, Jeff Wetherington only began writing professionally in April of 2004 when a ...
