Easter weekend camping

[urnmor]

Not sure where to post this so I thouight I would start here.

My wife and I want to go camping over Easter weekend. 3 to 4 days max and was wondering where to go. We live on the eastern shore of md.

Thanks

[Taylormade]

I wish you nothing but luck trying to find a camping spot over the easter holiday. Perhaps it's a little better up north, but there's NOTHING available south of Charleston that I've found.

[Protagonist]

You are mistaken, sir. Corps of Engineers campgrounds are not all fully booked for Easter weekend. Eastbank Campground on the shore of Lake Seminole, on the Georgia/Florida border, has at least 13 spaces still available (out of 63 total) for Easter weekend. Go to Recreation.gov and look it up. But do it quickly; those spaces may not last long.

Other Corps of Engineers campgrounds may also have spaces available. I only checked Eastbank Campground because I have a reservation there for the week of Memorial Day, and so I already had that website bookmarked.

As a bonus, if you have the America the Beautiful Senior Pass (formerly Golden Age Pass) or Access Pass you can camp for half price at most Corps of Engineers campgrounds.

[Taylormade]

Originally Posted by Protagonist

You are mistaken, sir. Corps of Engineers campgrounds are not all fully booked for Easter weekend. Eastbank Campground on the shore of Lake Seminole, on the Georgia/Florida border, has at least 13 spaces still available (out of 63 total) for Easter weekend. Go to Recreation.gov and look it up. But do it quickly; those spaces may not last long.

Other Corps of Engineers campgrounds may also have spaces available.

You're right, I haven't checked ANY CoE campgrounds. Frankly I've never seen one. My post was a tad dramatic as there ARE some availabilities, even on Reserve America, just not ones that we want to be in, ha.

We're camping for a week across three different campgrounds from Charleston to Edisto and finally Jekyll Island because none of them had more than three consecutive nights available. It's ok, we like to check out new places. I just wasn't aware of how big a deal camping over Easter is. Each place told us they were booked solid.

[Protagonist]

Corps of Engineers campgrounds are usually associated with lake projects. Some of them are quite nice, but you'll hardly ever find one with sewer hookups, just primitive or water/electric. Most campgrounds with water/electric hookups accept reservations; most primitive campgrounds are first-come-first-served.

I've stayed at three CoE campgrounds in the past year:
Old Post Road Park on Lake Dardanelle, in Arkansas;
Jamie Whitten Park on the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway in Mississippi;
Mill Creek Park on Sam Rayburn Lake in east Texas.
I've never been disappointed by any of them, which is why I had no qualms at all about making a reservation at Eastbank campground on Lake Seminole.

You can find the whole selection of Corps lake projects at the Corps Lakes Gateway www.CorpsLakes.us - Corps Lakes Gateway. When you select a lake project on the Gateway, it will tell you all of the facilities associated with that lake, including sites that have camping as well as day-use-only sites. State parks and private campgrounds associated with a lake project are also listed, but you would have to contact the facility directly for more information about them.

There are only two Corps lakes in Florida that have campsites. One is Lake Seminole; the other is Lake Okeechobee.

Georgia has ten lake projects that each have at least one campsite associated with them (though one is Lake Seminole, since it's on the border between the two states). Altoona Lake alone has no less than seven CoE campgrounds around it that take reservations, plus a number of primitive campgrounds for boondocking expeditions.

South Carolina has three Corps lake projects with at least one campground associated with them, but those three are all north and west of Charleston, so let's not count those for now since a previous post said "south of Charleston."

That leaves you with eleven different CoE lakes to check out in Florida and Georgia, and literally a couple dozen campgrounds, even if you just restrict yourself to the ones with electric and water hookups and that take reservations.

If you can't find at least one that you like, then there's just no pleasing you.

[Taylormade]

@protagonist:
You are right.
I am wrong.
I am sorry.

@urnmor: I hope that you didn't read my posting and say "Well that does it, guess we're not camping this Easter." I was just pointing out that Easter week seems to be a very popular week for camping and the pickings are slim based on my south east searching on reserveamerica.

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by Taylormade

@protagonist:
You are right.
I am wrong.
I am sorry.

I wasn't trying to chastise you. No need to apologize. In fact, it's my turn to apologize, if I made it seem that way.

I just wanted to point out that since you've never even seen a CoE campsite, you're missing out on some good camping sites. Guess I came on way too strongly about it. I do tend to get carried away, far more often than is good for me.

[Taylormade]

Originally Posted by Protagonist

I wasn't trying to chastise you. No need to apologize. In fact, it's my turn to apologize, if I made it seem that way.

I just wanted to point out that since you've never even seen a CoE campsite, you're missing out on some good camping sites. Guess I came on way too strongly about it. I do tend to get carried away, far more often than is good for me.

Ahhh, no offense taken. Ok minimal offense taken, but I decided to treat you as if you were my ex wife who can never be wrong, ha. Sorry, you didn't deserve that. No one does.

I appreciate the tips on the CoE campgrounds... there are some others on RA.com that I've been hovering over but haven't pulled the trigger yet.

Anyway, we're good and I thank you for your input.

[kposey]

McKinney in Cartersville, GA on Lake Allatoona is an excellent CoE campground. Spacious sites, some secluded, some on the lake, others not. We have had 2 rallies there. One of my favorites!

[Hodum]

We spent a few days at Victoria Campground on Allatoona Lake in 2011 and enjoyed it tremendously. It is a COE campground, and is very beautiful. We will go back when possible.

[sandlapper]

Probably won't factor in to your trip urnmor, but might for others looking for a campsite on Easter weekend.

PALMETTO COVE RV PARK near Cleveland, SC ALWAYS has sites. Open from about April 1 to Nov 1. It never fills up, even on the biggest holidays.

Built back in the 70's as an Airstream only rally park, it is now open to all brands. Beautiful park, full hook up, totally open area, club house, pavilion, hiking, small river. In the shadows of Table Rock and Ceasers Head just off Scenic Hwy 11 in the SC mountains. Lots of exploring in the area.

We go there often for a relaxing getaway.

It is a very well maintained park, off the beaten path, and for some reason, not very well known.

John

[Lily&Me]

There is a great app called CampWhere that shows public campgrounds all over the country, on a map. You click on any one and it gives you specifics, phone and reservation numbers.


State, local, national, COE. $4.99 i believe, and well worth it. .Droid, Iphone, Ipad, etc.


Maggie

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by doug&maggie

There is a great app called CampWhere that shows public campgrounds all over the country, on a map. You click on any one and it gives you specifics, phone and reservation numbers.


State, local, national, COE. $4.99 i believe, and well worth it. .Droid, Iphone, Ipad, etc.


Maggie

I use Allstays. Is it worth having both?

[Lily&Me]

I don't have Allstays, so i don't know.

You would have to look at it to see,


Maggie

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by sandlapper

PALMETTO COVE RV PARK near Cleveland, SC ALWAYS has sites. Open from about April 1 to Nov 1. It never fills up, even on the biggest holidays.

Built back in the 70's as an Airstream only rally park, it is now open to all brands. Beautiful park, full hook up, totally open area, club house, pavilion, hiking, small river.

I checked out their website and downloaded their brochure. First time I've seen a campground make a virtue of having no tree cover for the campsites (i.e. "Most sites are in the open, with lots of lush, green grass underfoot," as their web page says) Maybe it's due to growing up in the stark terrain of southwest Oklahoma, where tree cover is hard to come by and the sun is merciless, but I definitely prefer shady campsites!

Still, it does look like a great place to hold a rally, given the facilities.

[Air Cruiser]

I wonder why those two COE campgrounds mentioned above (McKinney and Victoria) aren't listed on uscampgrounds.info? Unless I'm missing something. Are they relatively newer?

We stayed at our first COE campground last May (I think it was in northern Virginia, close to I-77, and absolutely loved it! And, the price was right, used the senior pass for 1/2 price!

Deb

[sandlapper]

Everyone has a preferance on shade/no shade. For me, I like open area parking. Too much stuff can fall out of trees, like limbs, sap, bird droppings, even the whole darn tree. We are fortunate to have awnings all the way around to help keep things cooler.

Historically Airstream rallys were held in large, open areas, perhaps contributing to the original design of "The Cove". Regardless, it is a great park and makes a good base camp from which to explore our SC mountain area.

John

[Protagonist]

Originally Posted by Air Cruiser

I wonder why those two COE campgrounds mentioned above (McKinney and Victoria) aren't listed on uscampgrounds.info? Unless I'm missing something. Are they relatively newer?

Not that new. Allatoona Lake was in full operation in 1950, and the various Corps campgrounds and other parks around the lake collectively see about 6 million visitors per year, making it one of the most-visited lakes in the US.

[urnmor]

We will be camping at Trapp Pond in De for Easter Weekend

[Skater]

Originally Posted by urnmor

We will be camping at Trapp Pond in De for Easter Weekend

Good choice. It's a great campground - one of our favorites.