Camping at Corps of Engineers Parks

[SNY SD UP]

Forum Members,

there are a number of titles (w/slight variations) of books addressing the above topic.  (if this has been discussed before, please let me know what to search for, for hits, as i found none)

authors are;   Roundabout Publications, Don & Joyce Wright, Spurgeon L. Hinkle to name a few.

is there one that rises above the others.  how about the same for State & National Parks.  are any of these books worth it, or do you use the INet for research for up to date camping locations.

i am of course reading all the contributions on the current thread > Oliver Camping  Campgrounds & Parks 

 

we just finished our 2nd outing of, 6 weeks, 6622 mi, 13 (mid-west & southern) states, 1-3 nights in each, at State, City, CoE & Harvest Host sites.  we have already started to look at the next outing.

 

Regards, Bryan & Maggie

[SeaDawg]

Hinkle's book is in our library. 

We do love the coe parks in which we've camped.

[johnwen]

29 minutes ago, SNY SD UP said:

1-3 nights in each, at State, City, CoE & Harvest Host sites

Hey Bryan and Maggie,  what have been your experiences with Harvest Hosts?

John

[Mike and Carol]

We prefer COE parks to others because they are usually very nice (not always - there are a few clinkers out there) and the price is right with the senior pass.  We don’t have any of the books, we research online with campground reviews and campground pictures.  We’d also be interested in any book reviews.  Mike

[Mountainman198]

14 hours ago, SeaDawg said:

Hinkle's book is in our library. 

We do love the coe parks in which we've camped.

I second Hinkles COE book

[SNY SD UP]

so it appears that the book of preference (by some) is;

Camping with the Corps of Engineers (7th Ed): The Complete Guide to Campgrounds Owned and Operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: Hinkle, S.L.: 9780937877500: Amazon.com: Books  (pub. 2007)

my only angst with this book is; i see was published in 2007, so how current is it?  how many CoE campgrounds have been created or closed since then, and have they added or removed hookup / amenity options?  i see newer (2018) books by others, so are they just updates or rewrites of the same.  the cost of the book is running about $50, because it is no longer in print, and is scarce  (the law of supply & demand), but WTH, we bought an Ollie, so i will buy this book, if it is the best reference.

just a FYI,

i did score a free CD https://corpslakes.erdc.dren.mil/visitors/booklet/Whole.pdf which can also be found on the www.CorpsLakes.us - Corps Lakes Gateway (dren.mil) website, in the Office at Great Salt Plains State Park, Jet OK.  the reason i pulled it, was because of our limited cell/INet coverage in some of our boon-docking campsites, while trying to plan for locations on our route ahead.  we look at the CD on the PC in SNY SD UP, find the future sites we are interested in.  then when we have cell/INet, we start making our reservations for our CoE locations. 

now at home (suffering from Post-Camping Depression), we are looking at that CD's link on the CoE website, as we begin planning our next outing.

Regards to all this Great Camping Season.

Bryan

Edited June 16, 2021 by SNY SD UP
forgot something, i never remember it all the first time...

[BackofBeyond]

COE are usually pretty decent and cheap for those with passes. 

Given the availability of internet apps...mainly Campendium.... I  no longer have much use for written copy. 

I simply head were we want to go and then find a place in the area.

I'm actually happily surprised we have had great choices despite the reported increase in RVers. 

RB 

[SeaDawg]

2 minutes ago, BackofBeyond said:

actually happily surprised we have had great choices despite the reported increase in RVers. 

Because you look for beautiful,  isolated spaces, and defer hookups???

[BackofBeyond]

8 minutes ago, SeaDawg said:

Because you look for beautiful,  isolated spaces, and defer hookups???

Not always.  Sometimes an RV park just happens to be where we want to be . GO figure? 

However, when we left Lake City I was full h2o and had 12 gal in the portables. I was Prepared!!.

FIBARK - starts tomorrow.  We last went about 7 years back. Google it. We may attend once again  Chance is a great mistress. 

RB

[Mountainman198]

On 6/16/2021 at 2:25 PM, SNY SD UP said:

so it appears that the book of preference (by some) is;

Camping with the Corps of Engineers (7th Ed): The Complete Guide to Campgrounds Owned and Operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: Hinkle, S.L.: 9780937877500: Amazon.com: Books  (pub. 2007)

my only angst with this book is; i see was published in 2007, so how current is it?  how many CoE campgrounds have been created or closed since then, and have they added or removed hookup / amenity options?  i see newer (2018) books by others, so are they just updates or rewrites of the same.  the cost of the book is running about $50, because it is no longer in print, and is scarce  (the law of supply & demand), but WTH, we bought an Ollie, so i will buy this book, if it is the best reference.

just a FYI,

i did score a free CD https://corpslakes.erdc.dren.mil/visitors/booklet/Whole.pdf which can also be found on the www.CorpsLakes.us - Corps Lakes Gateway (dren.mil) website, in the Office at Great Salt Plains State Park, Jet OK.  the reason i pulled it, was because of our limited cell/INet coverage in some of our boon-docking campsites, while trying to plan for locations on our route ahead.  we look at the CD on the PC in SNY SD UP, find the future sites we are interested in.  then when we have cell/INet, we start making our reservations for our CoE locations. 

now at home (suffering from Post-Camping Depression), we are looking at that CD's link on the CoE website, as we begin planning our next outing.

Regards to all this Great Camping Season.

Bryan

Prices for the Hinkle book vary widely. We were fortunate to find one on the Thriftbooks.com site for about $30

[Nancy K.]

What I like about Harvest Hosts:  quiet, generally flat, we usually don't unhitch, the small amount of money that you spend is often for products (farm produce, a museum tour, etc.) that have intrinsic value.  

[John E Davies]

Nobody mentioned this excellent resource. …. https://www.ultimatecampgrounds.com/

If you change the search filters from default to “Corps of Engineers” it will show you just those campgrounds. HOWEVER, you need to be aware that sometimes a different bureau will actually operate those facilities. For example, along Lake Roosevelt National Recreational Area (Columbia River) in Washington there is a whole nest of wonderful Corps CGs that are operated by the National Park Service. All the green icons are NP operated, the red icons are Corps operated.

Click on an icon, then an info box pops up with details and links.

John Davies

Spokane WA

[SeaDawg]

5 minutes ago, John E Davies said:

Nobody mentioned this excellent resource. …. https://www.ultimatecampgrounds.com/

If you change the search filters from default to “Corps of Engineers” it will show you just those campgrounds. HOWEVER, you need to be aware that sometimes a different bureau will actually operate those facilities. For example, along Lake Roosevelt National Recreational Area (Columbia River) in Washington there is a whole nest of wonderful Corps CGs that are operated by the National Park Service. All the green icons are NP operated, the red icons are Corps operated.

Click on an icon, then an info box pops up with details and links.

John Davies

Spokane WA

Well, that's a pretty cool feature.

Thanks, John. 

[JRK]

Thanks, John,

I did not know about Ultimate Campgrounds. I like it. Leaving on my first Oliver camping trip ever, and first non-tent camping in about 10 years, this coming Sunday the 27th. Heading to Thomas Pointe Beach Campground in Maine as the ultimate destination, July 9-11. Then return to California, getting home when I do. First time out on a trip while fully retired. Unfortunately, first trip as an adult without my wife. Might try to meet my middle daughter for a trail run/race on Mt. Rainier near the end of July.

I will defintely make use of this app as well as Harvest Hosts.

John

[Mike and Carol]

25 minutes ago, JRK said:

I did not know about Ultimate Campgrounds. I like it.

Ultimate Campgrounds is my first go-to app to find a campground.  If there is nothing public that works then I go to Allstays or Campendium.  Mike

[SNY SD UP]

Actually the Garmin 890 GPS has the "Ultimate Campgrounds" aka "UG" built in to it, so it shows them to you. 

along with Forsquare, National Parks, and a few others. it appears as though you can download additional apps to be available thru the G890, however i have not done that yet.

Bryan, Out