Mountain States

Arizona

Colorado

Arizona

Horspitality RV Park, Wickenburg, AZ

Now this place was a little gem located about 50 miles outside of Phoenix. The campground is located next to the (mostly dry) Hassayampa River, so it was nice to see some trees after so much desert this winter. During the winter there are a lot of snowbirds in residence, so you may want to call ahead for reservations, (928) 684-2519, especially if you are staying more than one night. This is also one of the few parks around that has an area to stable your horse for the night, so it is popular with the equestrian crew. The staff was very friendly, going so far as to back our rig into our spot for us, and they put on a lot of cookouts, pancake breakfasts and other organized activities. No wi-fi or much in the way of TV reception, but plenty of hiking and riding trails. The good staff and nice location made this a place we would like to come back to.

Indian Skies RV Resort, Coolidge, AZ

Just 50 miles south of Phoenix, this RV Park is in the middle of Southern Arizona. We chose this place because we needed a base of operations for a month while we worked the MLB Spring Training and it was well priced and convenient. Formerly a 55+ resort, Indian Skies now classify themselves as an adult park that has a large number of park models. They have a pool, Jacuzzi, library, laundry, restrooms and large rec hall with regularly scheduled activities. The spaces are mostly back-ins and have FHU, a concrete patio, and parking space.  Not bad for a snowbird roost.

Woody Mountain Campground & RV Park, Flagstaff, AZ

Flagstaff is one of the places I claim as a former home, but to be honest, I had never heard of this campground before we found it in our Trailer Life guide. That aside it is a plesent place with lots of tall ponderosa pine trees providing shade and a friendly staff. Unfortunately civilization is encroaching in the form of a new housing development right behind the last row of campsites. We'll see if this changes anything for the park.

Flagstaff / Grand Canyon KOA, Flagstaff, AZ

We stayed here our second trip to Flagstaff and nearly lost the rig to the twisty roads and large trees crowding around. If you have a large rig, think again before staying here. KOA’s in general are pretty expensive and this one was no exception, but it was peaceful and has a great view of Mt. Eldon.

Greer’s Pine Shadows, Flagstaff, AZ

The ad in “Trailer Life Directory” states this is a “Senior Oriented RV Park.” Fortunately they don’t put the arbitrary 55+ restriction on visitors like so many other parks in AZ do. It was a damn cold night when we stayed here, in fact we parked on a sheet of ice. Good pull-thrus with plenty of space. Easy to pull around the park. Friendly people with plenty of long-term residents. Cash and Check only. Much better than the KOA next door.

Colorado

Barr Lake RV Park, Brighton, CO

To be honest, I can’t say I remember seeing a lake around this place, but I’m sure it is out there somewhere. What we did see was a lot of suburban sprawl from northeast Denver surrounding this place. I’m sure it used to be out in the middle of nowhere, but now there is a Lowe’s across the streetn which was the tip of the proverbial iceberg of strip-malls and housing developments. Maybe it was the gray winter day we visited, but the park itself looked a little run down. The facilities were huddled in a dingy cinderblock building. The sites are surrounded by nice grass and there are some good areas to walk your dog.

Mountaindale RV Park & Cabins, Colorado Springs, CO*

Well outside of Colorado Springs, this park is nested in a deep valley in the foothills of the Rockies. I’m pretty sure you would not have to search far to find NORAD somewhere near there. The sites are surrounded by tall pine trees with plenty of small wildlife to keep your pet’s attention. There are cabins farther up the valley. Nice hiking trails wander throughout the hills. A fun place to spend a few days.

Idaho

Village of Trees RV Resort, Declo, ID

Declo is in southern Idaho west of Pocatello in an agricultural valley. There are several campgrounds in the area, but we wound up at the Village of Trees. A very picturesque campground on the Snake River, this place had everything – FHU, cable, wi-fi, club house, pool & spa, boat launch, gas station with diesel, etc. They do get pricey, but what can you do.

Snake River RV Park and Campground, Idaho Falls, ID

Formally the Idaho Falls KOA, this is a large park with mostly grass covered spots. There are a limited number of full hook ups, so you might call ahead if you need one. We were there the first week they were open for the season, so the store was empty, and so was the park. Very nice people running the place.

Montana

Dick's RV Park, Great Falls, MT

We stayed here on our third trip up to Alaska when we needed a hot shower.  Dick's may never be a destination resort park, but it is a good place to stop when you are traveling the northern stretches of I-15.  They have the basic facilities, WIFI and cable.

Fairmont RV Park, Anaconda, MT*

Going camping in Montana in April does limit your options. This park was the only one open within 100 miles of our destination. They did a good job of plowing out a spot for us, but we had to dig our hookups out of the snow bank. Being Montana there was plenty of wildlife, including a herd of fifty deer that surrounded our site one afternoon. The caretakers at the time were not the friendliest people, they locked our laundry in the laundry room two hours before it was scheduled to close, but the park was nice.

Picnic Area on I-87 between Hobson and Windham

A very small picnic area that has no facilities, but was a good place to dry camp for a night. Traffic was light on I-87 that night so we were not disturbed. During the summer season you might not get away with sleeping over here.

New Mexico

Balloon View Homes & RV Park, Albuquerque, NM

This was our first RV park in Albuquerque. The best thing about it was the location was in the middle of town, so it was convenient and it does have a great view of the balloons launching in the morning. But the gun shots, nearby train tracks, some not so great neighbors and the endless gravel landscape made us want to move on ASAP. Live and learn.

Cactus RV Park, Tucumcari, NM*

This little campground seems to have fallen on hard times, or it could have been because we were there in December, because the place was empty. Nice level gravel sites with full hook ups and cable TV. The young man who helped us was very helpful. Not so big on the facilities, but a good place to stop for the night.

Carlsbad RV Park & Campground, Carlsbad, NM

Carlsbad is a nice corner of New Mexico in the winter because it doesn’t usually get too cold. This park seems to attract a regular group of snowbirds and possibly full time residents. It has an extensive camp store, decent bath house, a heated, indoor swimming pool, petting zoo and organized activities. The only complaint is the pull-thru sites can be difficult to maneuver because of tight turns and trees waiting to grab your rig.

Enchanted Trails R.V. Park & Trading Post, Albuquerque, NM*

Located on the western edge of the city, this park has an illusion of being in the middle of nowhere that is only spoiled by the ceaseless traffic passing by on I-40. The park is mostly dirt roads and campsites with a variety of full timers and people passing through for the night. Amenities are limited in the winter (no pool), but the facilities are clean, the people are friendly, and the price is the best we have had yet. UPDATE: we have returned to this park for the past three winters and they have made some improvements. If road noise bothers you ask to be put in rows G – L which are on the back of the property. Like many parks they do charge electricity for monthly visitors, but it is still the best deal in ABQ and some of the best camp hosts you will come across in your travels.

Little Vineyard RV Park, Deming, NM
Just a few blocks off I-10, this RV Park caters to both snowbirds and overnight visitors.  While it’s not the most picturesque park, they have large gravel pull through with FHU, cable, and use of the indoor swimming pool and spa.

KOA, Lordsburg, NM

Lordsburg itself is a “Gas, Food, Lodging” town along the western end of I-10 as it runs across the bottom of New Mexico. Like most of the campgrounds we have experienced in NM, the KOA was dry gravel, with wind blowing across it in a constant howl. The sites were large enough to pull in easily, but needed a little leveling. Free cable comes with the stay, but limited channel selection, and while they advertise free wi-fi after 8:30, we had it all night. At close to $30, it was a little on the pricey side, relying on the name to get people in. The KOA is the only campground listed in the Trailer Life guide, but there are several other dumpy campgrounds if you are just looking for a no-frills place to spend the night.

Riverbend Hot Springs, Truth or Consequences, NM*

This was a fun little hippy place located in downtown Truth or Consequences. It only has a few RV spots and it would be difficult to fit anything bigger than our 32’ fifth-wheel in the sites. Campers get free soaks in the hot springs, which are to die for, and they are making constant improvements to the place. We will definitely be back.

Santa Rosa Campground, Santa Rosa, NM

We pulled in here on a cold winter day after driving up from Texas. It is a deceptively large park with a new bathhouse at the far end of the park. They have a nice camp store, propane, swimming pool (open seasonally) and a small restaurant that serves passable bar-b-que that delivers to your site. Two dog runs, and friendly staff make this a place we would come back to.

Stagecoach Stop RV Resort, Bernalillo, NM

Located about ten miles north of Albuquerque, Bernalillo is a nice bedroom community with a convenient commuter train running from the north end of town to Albuquerque and beyond. The park had nice interior roads, concrete sites and very little dirt (which is a feat in New Mexico). The park is FHU including cable-TV. Behind a fence is a “dog walk” but it is mostly covered in goat heads, a virulent bush that drops wicked thorns all over the place. The facilities are limited and only open 9 to 5, plus the park owner was not doing much to upkeep them when we stayed. They also charge extra for using a credit card, so bring cash or a check. Not worth sticking around for.

Town & Country R.V. Park in Roswell, NM

To be honest, we chose this park because it was the only one in Roswell that had an alien in their advertising. Roswell is an interesting town because it seems like half of the people embrace the alien hype in order to feed off the tourists; the other half seem to be stick in the muds. Anyway, the park looked decent, but our stay was marred by loud club music that played most of the night from a neighboring house. Just goes to show the best place can be ruined by location problems.

Utah

Kanab RV Corral, Kanab, UT

Located right in the middle of Kanab, "Little Hollywood," UT, this park is a good place to stop to see what southern Utah and northern Arizona have to offer. The park is small, only 44 spaces, but clean as a whistle. No cable, but they do have free wi-fi. If you stay here we would recommend the Wok Inn Chinese restaurant on the other side of town.

Lakeside RV Campground, Provo, UT

While this place is near Utah Lake State Park, it is not actually beside the lake. Instead it is beside a river that you can't even see because of the dike keeping the water mostly out. Still, it was a nice place with a great view of the mountains around Provo. We did not use any of the facilities, but the pull-thru spots were good and they just upgraded most of the park to 30/50 amp service.

Moab Valley RV Resort, Moab, UT

Located minutes from the Arches Visitor center and close to downtown Moab, this was a great campground to use as a base of operations while we explored this great corner of the country. Good pull-thrus with plenty of space. Several restrooms, a laundry facility, camp storea and rec hall. Only open March to November.

Century RV Park, Ogden, UT

We stayed here overnight after living in Yellowstone for seven months. The close proximity to the highway and construction on nearby roads was a rude reentry to the real world. But they had good pull-thrus, cable, 50amp FHU and nice people.

Wyoming

Cheyenne Rest Stop and Visitor Center

We boondocked here on our second trip up to Alaska. It is located right across the Colorado boarder and has several big truck stops at the same exit. Because the truckers have all these facilities they are not allowed to use the rest stop. This means it was a nice, quiet place to catch a few hours sleep. Along with the normal rest stop facilities like picnic tables and restrooms there is also a free dump station. UPDATE: This rest area no longer allows overnight camping.  Oh well.

Dwyer Junction Rest Area, Wheatland, WY

Located just north of Wheatland, this seems to be the last rest area in Wyoming that allows you to stay over for the night.  They have clean facilities, a dump station and a large truck parking area.  If you use the RV parking area, pull around the building and park in the second lot.  It's a lot quieter at night.

Fort Bridger RV Campground, Fort Bridger, WY

Campsites in this park are mostly grass lots with varying dips and potholes. We were there very early in the season and the only staff we could find when we checked in was a 90-year-old man who waved us in the general direction of the sites. Southwestern Wyoming is beautiful and the scenery around the park was no exception. Not a bad place to stay when the options are limited.

Western Hills Campground, Rawlins, WY

I-80 through southern Wyoming is gritty, windy, and bakes in the summer and freezes in the winter. The same could be said for this campground. They do make a lot with what they have, with lots of sites which very from electric only to FHU 50 amp with cable-TV and free wi-fi. It was freezing rain when we stayed, so we didn’t get to use their dog pens, but they were large and well kept with the only green grass in the area.