Symbols & Terms
(You might want to print this and take it with you)


Map Legend
 
= US National Park (NP), Canadian National Park (CNP), National Forest (NF), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Bureau of Reclamation (BOR)
= Corps of Engineers (COE), Tennessee Valley Auth. (TVA)
= State Park (SP), Canadian Provincial Park (PP), State Rec. Area (SRA), State Preserve (SPR), State Beach (SB)
= State Forest (SF), State Fish and Wildlife (SFW) (usually not as highly developed as State Parks - may have vault toilets, no drinking water and may not have picnic tables at every campsite)
= Military only - do not use our lat/lon - contact them for directions and info
= County/City/Regional Park (CP), Authority (AUTH), Utility (UTIL), Native American Reservation (RES) or Unknown type (blank)

WHITE SYMBOL= known to be free or under $12 (there may be others)


AMENITIES:  NOTE: We do not yet have all info for all campgrounds. If there is no mention of an amenity, it does NOT mean it is not there, it means we don't have data about it (yet). Use one of the links to get the full information.

RV HOOKUPS:
 (Some campgrounds listed with only "E" hookups may actually have additional hookups but we don't have specific data)
NH=no hookups
E, WE, WES=Water  Electric Sewer

SANITARY DUMP:
DP=dump
ND=no dump

MAX RV LENGTH: (may not be very accurate - call ahead if you have a long rig.)
32ft=32 feet

TOILETS:
FT=flush
VT=vault
FTVT=some FT, some VT
PT=pit
NT= no toilets

DRINKING WATER:
DW=drinking water at campground
NW=no drinking water(bring your own)

SHOWERS:
SH=showers
NS=no showers

RESERVATIONS:
RS=accepts reservations
NR=no reservations
Blank = unknown Reservations=no data on this
(Reservation phone and web site are always listed (if we have them) so you can check about reservations)

PETS:
PA=pets allowed
NP=no pets allowed

FEE:
L$=free or under $12


LABL* : If the 4 letter name label is followed by a *, it has RV hookups (at least electric). If it has a - , it has no hookups. If blank, it means we dont know, use one of the links to get this information.

PHONE NUMBERS : We usually provide two numbers: 1) for the campground itself 2) for reservations.  For NF, we often list 2 campground numbers: District office (try this one first)/Forest office (try second) - these are offices, not at the campground, so call before 4:30 PM.

RESERVATION INFO (RES.): We list the central res. phone and web (if any) even if we say res. not accepted or res. unknown so you can check youself - these things do change.

EL: elevation in feet

COMMENTS/NOTES: Comments may include important info (like "closed in 2011" or "no RVs") or observations sent to us by visitors.

"WALK TO" or "WALK-IN": This comment means you have to walk a short distance to all camp sites.

(below are not incuded in "campfone" version to save space)

SEASON (OPEN): For many of the most popular US campgrounds we now have seasonal opening and closing dates. This is just approximate as it often varies a bit each year. For those we dont have, if you are camping before May or after September (especially at high altitudes or in northern states), better check. Use the info links or call ahead. (State Parks tend to have longer seasons than Federal - many have at least a few loops open all year.)

PICS: search for photos: Does a google search for related photos - you need to be careful as some will NOT really be relevant.

WEATHER: "Forecast" is for the next 7 days at the exact lat/lon of the campground.

CLIMATE:  accesses www.weatherbase.com for 25 year historical averages for your longer-range planning (you select a nearby weather station but note that it will be about 6 deg F cooler for every 1,000 feet the campground is higher than the weather station and the overall climate is trending warmer.)

Federal, State and Local Coverage:

We include all public campgrounds, whether
reservable or not:

US Federal:
  •   National Park (NP)
  •   National  Forest (NF)
  •   Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
  •   Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA)
  •   Army Corps of Engineers  (COE)
  •   National Seashore (NS)
  •   National Recreation Area (NRA)
  •   US Fish and Wildlife (USFW)
  •   Wildlife Management Area (WMA)
Canada:
  • Canada National Park (CNP)
  • Provincial Park (PP)
  • Provincial Reserve (Quebec) (PR)
US State:
  •   State Parks (SP)
  •   State Forest (SF)
  •   State Recreation Area (SRA)
  •   State Preserve (New York) (SPR)
  •   State Beach (SB)
  •   State  Conservation Area (SCA)
Local & Other:
  •   City and County (CP)
  •   Utility-owned (UTIL)
  •   Native American Reservation (RES)
  •   Authority (AUTH)



Campground Types:

If you are an experienced camper, you pretty much know what to expect of the different types of campgrounds.  If not, maybe the below will help.  (If you think we have characterized some wrong, please tell us)  

NF, NP, CNP:  Scenic settings with well developed facilities, few have hook ups for RVs. Some NF do not have drinking water.

BLM, WMA, SF, SFW: Tend to be more rustic, less developed and perhaps not as scenic, very few have hook ups for RVs.   Some BLM do not have drinking water.

COE, TVA:  Very nicely developed on scenic lakes, excellent facilities, often RV oriented, most have RV hookups, but tents are not out of place.

SP, PP: Very nicely developed, excellent facilities, a variety of activities, often with RV hook ups but tents are well accomodated also.

CP: Very variable, often very RV oriented, tenters may feel out of place. In the mid-west, many small towns have in-town parks with some camping. These are often within walking distance of restaurants, shopping, etc. and many are very nicely developed.

SB: State beaches (mostly in CA) are right on the ocean and tend to accomodate RVs best, tenters may feel exposed and out of place.

OTHERS: Don't know.