According to a survey by vacasa.com (an international provider of vacation rentals), Americans are indeed planning to travel this summer and at least 63% of those surveyed said they intended to travel domestically. More than 50% indicated these domestic trips would be long weekend getaways with water-focused locations (think oceans, lakes, and rivers) and national parks ranking highest as the most popular of getaway destinations.
That sounds like a plan, and after factoring in the cost of gas, road trips will most likely be shorter but planned with the intention of getting the most bang for the time and money spent. Camping sounds like it would fit well into that plan and camping with Thousand Trails allows the popular destinations mentioned above to be on the travel agenda. Here are a few quick trips to consider:
Head north from New York City and after about a 4-hour drive, you’ll find yourself in Lake George territory. Nicknamed the Queen of the American Lakes, Lake George has over 100 miles of shoreline and offers all kinds of water-based fun as well as other attractions, including historic sites and family activities. Plan a stay at any of our three Lake George campgrounds (Lake George Escape Campground, Lake George Schroon Valley Resort, and Alpine Lake RV Resort) and you’re in for a fabulous water-based getaway in this idyllic Adirondack setting.
Looking for a quick getaway from some of California’s big cities? Check out Ponderosa RV Resort which is located at the foothills of the Sierras and sits along the South Fork of the American River. The river provides opportunities for kayaking, canoeing, rafting, and swimming. Ponderosa is just over 100 miles from San Francisco, a little over a two-hour drive from San Jose and less than 40 miles from Sacramento.
If Chicago is your home base, heading toward the water is pretty simple. In addition to the Great Lakes, camping with water-related activities can include a trip to Wisconsin for some great fishing and water fun. Consider Fremont RV Campground with a 3.5-hour road trip or a shorter road trip to Lakeland RV Campground in Milton which is located on Lake Koshkongong, Wisconsin’s second largest lake.
If Tennessee is your home state, then you will be happy to know that a road trip to Alabama’s Hidden Cove RV Resort, which sits on the beautiful Lewis Smith Lake is a very doable road trip, with mileage clocking in at approximately 210 and 170 miles from Memphis and Nashville, respectively. The lake’s crystal-clear waters are great for water sports and fishing.
From a National Park perspective, there are several Thousand Trails campgrounds near some of the best parks in the U.S. (but, seriously, aren’t they all spectacular?) Yosemite Lakes RV Campground is just about five miles from Yosemite National Park and a little over two hours from San Francisco and about a four-hour road trip from LA.
Maine’s Acadia National Park, convenient to our three Bar Harbor campgrounds (Narrows Too Camping Resort, Mount Desert Narrows Camping Resort, and Patten Pond Camping Resort), is just about 3 hours from Portland and only an hour from Bangor. Rocky Mountain National Park is about a 4-hour road trip from the most recent addition to our family of campgrounds, Blue Mesa Recreational Ranch in Gunnison, Colorado. Florida’s Everglades National Park is just 50 miles from the Miami Everglades RV Resort and both Fiesta Key RV Resort and Marina and Sunshine Key RV Resort and Marina are great Keys-based campgrounds to stay at while exploring the Dry Tortugas National Park.
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- Find more campgrounds at ThousandTrails.com.