New to Camping ~ Looking for campground with private sites

[Mrsjackieo]

My husband and I recently purchased a large 3 room tent. Now we just need to find the right campsite! We are looking for a campground, preferably, just for the bathroom/shower facilities. With the tent being quite large, we'd like to set up to stay for a few days, at least. Now the hard part, we also want privacy. Waterfront would be even better. Adult only would be nice. We're not into "roughing it" big time, but we don't need much. Just a lot of fresh air and relaxation. We have 3 teenage daughters!! My dream site would be just like this ~ A private waterfront site, within a 10 minute or so walk to toilets and hot showers. It would have electric and water. There would be a lot of shade. I would like to be able to drive to the site. The tent would be set up to relax with a nice blow-up mattress and comfy chairs, maybe bean bag. So I don't want to lug stuff too far.

Does anyone know if this paradise is exists??

[Mrsjackieo]

New to Camping ~ Looking for campground with private sites

Hello!
We're new to camping. We have a nice large tent, now we're looking for the perfect camping site. Our perfect location would be withing a reasonable distance to bath/shower facilities, have electric and water if possible, there would be lots of shade, be on a body of water and, here's the hard part, it would be PRIVATE, and I mean, I can sit outside in my birthday suit and no one would care, private. Is this type of place even a reality?

[RJ Cooper]

Re: New to Camping ~ Looking for campground with private sites

With out giving specific names of locations, there are several between Assateague, VA and Cape May, NJ.

[Mrsjackieo]

Re: New to Camping ~ Looking for campground with private sites

Yes! There are thousands and thousands of sites that fit your criteria! Tell us an area you're interested in. East coast, west coast, rocky mountains, deep south, a specific state?

The east coast. I live in Ohio, so anything within a few hours drive would work.

[NYCgrrl]

Re: New to Camping ~ Looking for campground with private sites

Going a little further afield than Ohio, you may find this article of use:


http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/29/tr...anted=all&_r=0

I'm a NYTimes subscriber so there is always the possibility I can read it but another can't, so I'll quote the pertinent info:

Launch the Boat. We’re Going Camping in the Adirondacks.

By ELIZABETH MAKER

THE Adirondack Mountains have a peaceful quasi-secret that hides in plain sight: some of the best campsites in the Northeast that can be reached only by boat.
There are dozens of these boat-up campgrounds throughout the six-million-acre Adirondack Park in northeastern New York, but the three most popular are the Saranac Lake Islands Campgrounds in Franklin County, Lake George Islands Campgrounds in Warren County and Indian Lake Islands Campground in Hamilton County, according to Thomas Folts, general manager of forest parks for the New York Department of Environmental Conservation.
“We’re getting more and more people every year interested in these boat-up sites,” Mr. Folts said in a telephone interview. “I think it’s the busy lifestyles everyone has these days; lake camping is sort of the antidote.”
He said Indian Lake had 12,307 campers last year, Saranac 19,056 and Lake George 84,527.
Camping on a quiet isle or spit of land on a pristine lake means no snooty social scene, no winging it and winding up at the Bates Motel, and no RV parked two sites over blasting “Welcome to the Jungle” at 2 in the morning.
And you can’t beat the price: just $16 to $18 a night in season, which, at most places, runs from mid-May through early October. If you don’t have a boat, you can rent one at ranger stations or marinas; prices range from around $15 a day for rowboats and canoes to $200 for powerboats for skiing and tubing and $300 for pontoon boats.......

www.dec.ny.gov. Search for “boat camping” in the subject index field. Here are the three locations that Mr. Folts of the conservation department said were most popular. Saranac Lake Islands
Saranac Lake; (518) 891-3170; camping, $18 a night.
“Saranac is definitely my favorite, and I’ve been to all of them,” said Robert Frank, who lives in Queens and has been camping at Saranac since 1988. The best part, he said, is cruising in his johnboat around the two lakes and three ponds that are connected through a lock system.
“You have to experience the lock system to believe it,” he said. “It’s like being in a giant bathtub elevator.”
CAMPING The campground is open through Oct. 8, and the registration booth is open daily from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. There are 87 campsites (5 with lean-tos) spread among the five bodies of water, with barbecue grills, picnic areas and privies.
BOATING Powerboats, rowboats and canoes are allowed. Several commercial marinas in the area rent boats: Crescent Bay Marina, (518) 891-2060; Ampersand Bay Marina, (518) 891-3001; Swiss Marine, (518) 891-2130; and St. Regis Canoe Outfitters, (518) 891-1838.
Lake George Islands
Bolton Landing; these are divided into three groups: Glen Island (518) 644-9696; Long Island (518) 656-9426; Narrow Island (518) 499-1288; $18.
The Lake George Islands are more diverse than the islands of Saranac and Indian Lakes, with 387 campsites on 44 state-owned islands, accommodating everything from canoes to cabin cruisers, depending on the island group. Some sections are crowded, with hordes of hedonists looking to swim and swig their worries away. Others are more secluded and serene.
“We’ve got 90 sites on one island that’s a mile long,” said Robert Dwyer, supervisor of the Long Island section. “It’s not unusual to have 500 people camping on the island at once. There’s a big lawn and people get together and play badminton and boccie. It’s like a big family.”
CAMPING All three island groups are open through Oct. 8. Once you have a reservation, you boat out to one of three registration offices — there’s one on each island — then head to your campsite. All sites have a dock for at least one boat, and there are fireplaces, picnic areas and toilets.
The Glen Island group has 212 sites, 42 of which are specifically for large boats with sleeping quarters. The Long Island group has the 90 sites on one island and picnic areas on a few other islands for day use, and the Narrow Island group has 85 sites on many scattered islands. Dogs are not allowed at any of the Lake George Islands campsites.
BOATING All types of watercraft are allowed, from canoes to Jet Skis to cabin cruisers. There are several private marinas that rent a range of craft, including Snug Harbor South, (518) 543-8866; Beckley’s Boats, (518) 668-2651; Norwal Marina, (518) 644-3741; and Chic’s Marina, (518) 644-2170.
Indian Lake Islands
Sabael; (518) 648-5300; $16.
Indian Lake is the only one of these three campgrounds that is classified as wilderness, and it’s the one that keeps calling my family back, to the same site that my husband, Sandy, discovered with his father some 30 years ago.
CAMPING Indian Lake is open through Sept. 3, and the registration booth is open daily from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. The 14-mile-long lake has 55 campsites on private islands, peninsulas or shoreline, as well as five picnic areas with tables, fireplaces and privies.
BOATING Powerboats, rowboats and canoes are allowed. Canoes can be rented (but they can’t be reserved) at the ranger’s station for $15 a day. Clark’s Indian Lake Marina in Sabael rents powerboats (518) 648-5459. It’s the only commercial marina on the lake.

NOTE: the article was written a few years back and I'm pretty sure camp fees have gone up since then. Out of state campers also tend to pay a higher rate than residents in this region.

Have fun out there whereever you go.

[Mrsjackieo]

Re: New to Camping ~ Looking for campground with private sites

We are in southern Ohio. Would prefer something within 8 hrs driving distance. We would love ocean side but any nice, private waterfront campsite would be fine. Our tent is 20x11.