If you’re anything like the rest of us, the feeling of springtime leaves you absolutely restless. Those of us who live in the frozen north who have spent the past several months fighting cold drafts and snow drifts are tired of dreaming about warm summer evenings and are ready to start living them. The feeling begins slow — maybe it is a sunny afternoon where you can finally ditch the jacket. Buds arrive on the trees, grasses start to turn a shade of green, and birds dot the branches again.
Wouldn’t it be great to wake up at a campground in all of this? Of course it would! Two truths get overlooked. First: the nights and mornings are still a little chillier than you anticipated. You may be waking up to frost on your tent walls or around the windows of your RV. Spring is here, but it’s not quite ready to be a full-time experience.
Second, with great irony, you are as antsy as anyone else to get out of the house and into the wild again. The great question of our time: how do we share our list of favorite, under-the-radar spots to thousands of readers while keeping them a secret? How can they remain a great place to “get away from it all” when “it all” could also show up the very same weekend you planned on visiting?
Until we find the answer, here are a few of the best places to park your rig this Spring that you may not yet know about.
Pack Creek Campground
Moab, UT
If you’re worried about being lonely, then Moab is the spot for you. For decades the popularity of this small town as the way station to the adventurous lands of Arches, Canyonlands, and Grand Staircase National Parks has grown exponentially. On the plus side, this means many creature comforts are readily at hand. It can also be a challenge to find a place to camp and set up your RV. Pack Creek is a great spot to check out if you are looking for amenities without the crowds.
Farish Recreation Area
Woodland Park, Colorado
Turns out, if you’re an active member or veteran of the military, there are a wealth of exclusive campgrounds available to you. If you don’t mind the chill that sometimes accompanies a high-altitude Springtime, check out the Farish Recreation Area outside of Woodland Park, Colorado. Off the beaten path and not terribly crowded, this camping area is near a wealth of mountain adventures. Pike’s Peak is always visible, and Gold Medal waters are available to fish in the nearby South Platte River.
EchoPark and Yampa River State Park
Maybell, CO
Are you looking to get off-the-beaten-path? Check out the campsites near the Yampa River Canyon near Maybell, Colorado. Immediate access to the Yampa River makes for endless rafting and fishing potential. The dramatic rise of the canyons over the desert floor offers picturesque sunrises and sunsets. Campsites in this area are very much the road less traveled, so tread softly and plan your route.
Congaree National Park
Columbia, SC
Need a quick getaway to whet your appetite for the rest of the camping season? Lesser known, under-the-radar national parks might be right under your nose. Consider Congaree for instance. Located less than 30 miles from Columbia and on the shores of the Congaree National Park, this heavily wooded area is ideal in the springtime as the forest comes back to life and before the heavy summer rains start.
Looking for something more remote? Are you the kind of camper who isn’t happy unless the fire pit hasn’t been touched in years? Going farther off the grid requires your own research and discovering the kind of place which will never make a list on the internet. Every place available is just waiting for you to find it if you know where to look.
ReserveAmerica is a great way to check out campsite availability at state and national parks. Want to know what the locals think? It might be worth checking out the community discussion boards on Yelp or TripAdvisor to see where others have gone.
Ready to snag a cool RV to get you to the campground in style? Start your search now, before rental rates spike for the summer season.
