Campgrounds
We stay in a variety of campgrounds. Since we are members of Thousand Trails, it is our most common choice. We try to use them whenever we are close to one, and even somewhat plan our trips around them in order to maximize the cost savings of our membership.
Our second choice is usually a government park. We especially like Bureau of Land Management and Army Corp of Engineers.
We then fill in the gaps with commercial parks, preferably ones that offer a Good Sam or Passport America discount.
Below are the campgrounds we’ve stayed in most recently.
Soledad Canyon RV Park (TT) - Acton CA
RATING: ♦
- Dates: Sep 11, 2019 – Sep 18, 2019
- Length of stay: 7 nights.
- Cost per night: $0.
- Discount: Thousand Trails Membership.
- Hookups: 50 amp electric, water, and sewer.
- Site number/quality: #C-113. Pull-through fairly level site on very dirty gravel. Shaded area with picnic table.
- Park Quality: So sad. Situated in a lovely dry river canyon on the outskirts of Los Angeles, what should be the crown jewel of Thousand Trails is instead the worst maintained RV park we’ve ever stayed in. It’s supposed to be a full hookup park, but many of the sites have no working electric power. In fact, one whole section is closed because of lack of power. Most of the buildings are in poor repair. When we checked in, the clerk informed up that there had been substantial vandalism over the Labor Day weeked to the lodge and pool, so they are closed until further notice. And Mother Nature has also inflicted her share of damage. In the summer of 2017, the usually dry Santa Clara River, which runs through the park, flooded and wiped out a small bridge that connects the upper and lower sections of the park. It has yet to be repaired. On the plus side, the park is close to the big city and all it has to offer. But this closeness also attracts a number people to the park who appear to be one step from homeless camping in very rundown rigs. Los Angeles is in the midst of a serious homeless problem, with 50,000 people living on the street and countless others sleeping in their cars or in derelict RVs parked on the street. We saw many encampments on our visit to downtown LA, especially along the Metrolink rail line.
- Access: Fairly easy access off CA-14, just north of Acton.
- Connectivity: Verizon-Weak, AT&T-OK, and T-Mobile-Weak.
- Return yes/no?: Probably not.
- Notes: The Metrolink commuter train runs along the side of the park. Thankfully, it’s short and nowhere as noisy as a freight train. We decided to board the train in Acton and take it to Union Station in downtown Los Angeles. From the station, we walked across the street to the El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument, which is the original site of Old Los Angeles. From there, we strolled through the Olvera Street Mexican Marketplace, and then had a wonderful lunch at Philippe The Original on Alameda St. After lunch, we headed back to Union Station, and caught the Red Line subway to Hollywood and back. It made for a fun day without having to fight the LA traffic.
- Website: Soledad Canyon RV Park
Orange Grove RV Park - Bakersfield CA
RATING: ♦♦♦♦
- Dates: Sep 9, 2019 – Sep 11, 2019
- Length of stay: 2 nights.
- Cost per night: $45.
- Discount: 10% off with Good Sam Membership.
- Hookups: 50 amp electric, water, and sewer.
- Site number/quality: #40. Pull-through level site on gravel. Somewhat narrow site between two orange trees with picnic table.
- Park Quality: This is a very nicely laid out park situated in an actual orange grove. However, the trees are not tall enough to provide much shade. But the oranges are free to pick, and smell great. Every site looks level, and the interior streets are all paved. Close to shopping and dining.
- Access: Easy access off CA-58, just east of Bakersfield.
- Connectivity: Verizon-OK, AT&T-OK, and T-Mobile-Strong.
- Return yes/no?: Sure.
- Notes: We had planned on only staying here for one night. But there was a high winds warning on the Tehapachi Pass, which was the way we were going. So we decided that “discretion is the better part of valor,” and postponed our departure for a day. Used the time to catch up on some chores.
- Website: Orange Grove RV Park
Riverland RV Park - Kingsburg CA
RATING: ♦♦♦
- Dates: Sep 7, 2019 – Sep 9, 2019
- Length of stay: 2 nights.
- Cost per night: $40.
- Discount: 10% off with Good Sam Membership.
- Hookups: 50 amp electric, water, and sewer.
- Site number/quality: #11. Pull-through on grass. Narrow site, but we did have a shade tree.
- Park Quality: This is a small RV park just off the expressway. Very convenient. There is a restaurant on the property which fronts on the Kings River. We enjoyed a meal there watching the boaters go by.
- Access: Easy access off CA-99.
- Connectivity: Verizon-OK, AT&T-OK, and T-Mobile-Strong.
- Return yes/no?: Sure.
- Notes: We drove into nearby Visalia and took a bus from there up to Sequoia National Park for the day to see the big trees, some of which are thousands of years old and massive. The famous General Sherman Tree is the largest living thing on earth.
- Website: Riverland RV Park
Click here to see all the campgrounds we’ve stayed in since going full-time.