What is your top priority when choosing a campground? Note: If your choice isn’t listed below, then leave a comment sharing what your top priority is!
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RV.net Poll: What is Your Top Priority When Choosing a Campground?
February 15, 2009
Barb O'Neil
The kind of park we stay at depends on how long we are planning to stay. If we are staying 1 night we generally choose a less expensive park but if we are going to spend a few days or weeks we look at the size of the spaces and especially if they have free WiFi. Heated pool and SPA are nice but something we can live without. Since we are fulltimers, clean heated bathrooms and showers plays a big roll. Kids and pets are OK. What annoys me are smokers. Not only does their stink make its way into my rig but most of them throw their butts all over. That is trash. A lot of parks have pet and non-pet areas. Why don’t they have smoking and non-smoking areas?
Robert Ruff
That would be not having neighbors like ‘dee’. My choice would be room to maneuver, cleanliness, and a nice dog run or area for ‘off leash.’
Matthew Denaro
Visual appeal and size of sites. Why would anyone want to camp at a crowded “RV slum”?
Cindy
A hot spa open year round.
Don Molander
I just do not understand people that do not want childern and pets, If they don’t want that WHY are they camping? They should be in a fancy Hotel. Meeting people and their pets and children, exchanging stories and camping experiences thats where it’s at. Price and location, as well as enough room for my fifth wheel. I don’t usually go to many places that do not have wifi while i travel, but if the campground doesn’t a town nearby should have a restaurant or something with wifi. even some of the rest areas have it. It is getting more and more a need so the campgrounds are putting it in. Clean water and electricity, and a dump station and I’m fine.
KEEP ON TRUCKIN
omjones
Generally I’m looking for Coast to Coast or Passport America parks. If there are none available then a location close to the route I’m on at the time that I’m ready to get off the road for the night.
Jerry Shea
Interesting answers. If we are not drydocking and I have to pay for a camp site, then 50 amp is a must. Second is wi-fi. We do have a small dog, but I have yet to come to a park that said “no dogs.” We did however come to a park that said “no children.”
Woodstick
Like others have stated, depends on how long we are staying. Our first priotity is pet friendly then size of site, ease of access for our big rig. If we are staying for an extended time then we look further at the cleanliness of laundromat, etc. and activities, pool does not matter to us but walking areas are nice to have. We prefer to camp away from towns, cities but to be close enough for easy shopping.
Tony
We look for ones that have space between RV”s so that one is not sitting on top
of the other. Many RV parks (good ones) have a park site map so one can see
the arrangement of the camping sites.
Oh, the park must be clean, orderly and well managed.
This is why we belong to some RV clubs.(ie: Good Sams Club, Woodalls, etc)
nushagak
Cleanliness overall – park and restrooms. Ambience – landscaping, layout.
james
Some of the comments are very arrogant . Some people are not as fortunate as some of us not making them any less deserving of life and the right to stay wherever they can afford. No one likes to stay where it is not clean and respectful but we have no right to tell others how to live. Enough said
Don
We have a dog so thats a must I have not come across a place where dogs are not allowed within our other preferences.
We want to feel safe and secure and that generally happens in the higer rated more expensive RV resorts. We like nice sites more than other the activities that may be available. So when I look at photos of the campground I look ( if available ) photos of the RV sites more so than the pool etc… I also like those campgrounds where you are escorted to you site. The office folks give you a map and draw a line , looks easy until you start driving to your site.
Mike
We tend to be on the move..seldom staying more than 1 night at a campground. For us the restrooms tend to be a big differentiator and so place heavy weight in restroom ratings followed by other ratings.
Jim Montgomery
If it doesn’t allow dogs we can’t be there so that has to be our first criteria.
Ron Butler
As Larry mentioned above, we have no top priority for picking a park. It changes depending upon what our plans are. If it is just an overnight stop, location (quick access to highway) and price is the priority.
If we are staying at least a week, then a centrally located park to points of interest is important, with maybe a pool, but not an absolute.
Staying a month or longer, size of spot and a pool take precedence.
How clean the park is very important and being pet friendly.
Charles, sorry you don’t like pets!! Ours don’t bark and we always have baggies and pickup after them!!
Jerry Crute
The campground must be clean with a lot of activities and a great swimming pool. The appearance is a must for nice long walks around the campground.
Larry Guthrie
There is no top reason for picking a park. And the reason change.
For one thing, the top reasons depend on why I need the park.
Overnight while traveling-ease of getting to and from the park.
1-4 nights while RVing around. Price, appearance, wi-fi in no particular order.
A month or two–appearance, personnel, residents, wi-fi in any order.
For the winter–previous experience
John Jackman
For me it is location but I do not travel, but am in a semi permanent spot. Having good neighbours helps, some sense of comfort. I am glad to be away from the party element in our park and like the relative quiet we have.
Good owners/operators can make a difference.
Charles Gee
Clean, neat, tidy, trees, washrooms and laundromat. Heaven would be no children and no pets but that is just a pipe dream for an old Gaffer. Our present location has all of the above except that they do allow pets more is the pity.
Charles
Like others,I feel there are more than one consideration when choosing a site. I study the description, location, price, etc. and, when I arrive, take a good look around. I go elsewhare if it doesn’t fit my perspective of a nice place to stay.
Charles Woodrow
As travelers in a class B, well equipped and clean bathrooms are important to us.
Bill Engelkemier
“Big Rig” site that you can get into.
Alpenliter
I want a park that isn’t half filled with transient trashy trailers. Construction workers, itinerant help, is one thing, but trailers that have lean to’s, junk cars, etc. is just asking for a bad stay. If it isn’t the noise, it will be things disappearing from your site. Pullthroughs are nice too.
Chuck
The size of the site is important. My coach is 45′ long, nearly 13 ft tall and has 4 slide outs and a tow car. Size matters!
Mark Skotek
Campgrounds with more things to do in and out of the campground are the most important. I feel if you want peace and quiet with nothing to do, then stay home
Bruce
Overall appearance is a must. I do not want to be in a dirty, trashy park . I als do not want to be next to the RV that has not been cleaned in a long time or has trash all around it.
Ron
I chose Wi-Fi because on my upcoming trip, I will be gone for several months and wi-fi will be important in keeping in touch with family. On shorter trips, I would answer location.
Mike Ross
I look at ease of parking, site configuration, amenties, cleanliness and price.
dee
No Kids and No pets.
Dave Wiest
Our top priority is the bathroom ratings.