Melton Hill Dam Campground

 

Melton Hill is one of our favorite camping spots when we want a quick get away. It is located just southwest of Knoxville, Tn., just off of I-40.  It's a very short drive to Lenoir City, so if you forget something and need to run to a store, there are some nearby.

Melton Hill is a self-sustaining TVA Campground.  It is first come, although there are plans to possibly change to a reservation system in the future. Management just switched from TVA to Recreation Resource Management. The campground is seasonal: this year it is open from 15 March through 15 November.

You can have your pick of what amenities you want at your campsite: hook-ups, electricity, and water are all available.

The sites are a decent size. We were there the 2nd weekend the campground was open, and it was pretty much empty.
The handicapped sites are very nice:

There are some sites that are "pull-over":

Those are a tight squeeze, but they're ideal for teardrops or small trailers.
The tent sites are gorgeous. They almost make me wish we were tent camping! Notice I said "almost"! Our heater came in handy at  night!

The bathrooms are decent. There are 2 in the campground; 1 is also used for people who come to enjoy the park for the day. That one got a little less than clean (obviously), but it was still "okay".
(This is the one at the top of the hill, but they are identical on the inside, except for the lower bathhouse accommodating the handicapped.)

The park got pretty busy during the day on Saturday with boaters and picnickers. There are pavilions available; some of them have grills.

Camping areas are clearly marked to keep the park's day users from roaming around the campsites.  Surprisingly, I didn't see anyone roaming or driving around the campground.  The camp host drove around what seemed like every hour.
There is an overlook with a nice observation building. I think the building is actually for the TVA police, but you are allowed to walk around and take in the views. There is also a hiking trail and a couple of pavilions in that area.

The dam area also had quite a bit of traffic, with people biking, running, or just enjoying the sunshine.

Dogs are allowed. (I wouldn't want to forget Laika!) She's a good camping dog, but when it starts to get dark, she's ready to head inside.

As always, we also ate some pretty good food/chow:

The only other time we've been to Melton Hill is the last weekend of the season, so I don't know how hard it is to get a spot other times of the year. They don't have reduced rates for government workers or TVA employees, but they do honor Golden Age, Golden Access, and America the Beautiful; however, if you camp in a premium site, they are not honored. Find out more at RRM's website here

Another good camping weekend, but then again, any weekend is a good camping weekend!

Ft. De Soto State Park, Florida

We stayed at Ft. De Soto on our way home from The Keys at the advice of our James Island neighbors. We only stayed 1 night, but we were very impressed with how beautiful this campground was.
The sites were shaded and private.

They were fairly wide, we just happened to get a site that had a tree in the way of the drive, so it took a few tries to get the trailer in. It would have been extremely difficult if we had a larger camper/trailer.
Each site has water & electricity; there are sanitary disposal stations. Grills are also provided. There are no fire pits, but campers can rent one from the store for a small fee.
Each of the waterside sites had a grassy area, then a small private beach.

 Private beach:

From the beach looking back at the site:

Another view from the beach:

We aren't certain what the sites on the other side of the campground are like since we didn't take the time to ride around and look.

The bath houses are large and appear to be well taken care of. There are washing machines that are coin-only just outside of the bath houses.

Right when you pull into the campground, there is a small store with staples. They also appear to sell pizza and other small snacks. A Snack Bar is also in the park, but it was closed when we arrived. It is a short drive to grocery stores and restaurants.

According to their website, there is also primitive camping available, but pets are not allowed in that area. A permit is required to camp on Shell Key Reserve.  

There are 7 miles of  paved walking trails connecting the "keys" within the park. There is a fort, a quartermaster museum, dog park, canoe trail, as well as a ferry to Egmont Key.  

We definitely want to go back to Ft. De Soto State Park to take in everything it has to offer!

Knights Key, Florida

2017 Update: Our beloved Knights Key is no more, due to a developer buying the land with plans to put up condos. If anyone knows of a campground in The Keys that you can actually reserve a spot, please contact us!
Between Christmas and New Year's, we have spent the last 3 years in The Keys. We found a very nice private campground in the Mid-Keys, right before you go over the 7 Mile Bridge: Knights Key. It's close enough to Marathon that you can ride a bicycle to just about anywhere you want to go. It's close to restaurants, shops, and convenience stores, but you would probably want to drive to a grocery store.

Compared to other private campgrounds in The Keys, the sites are decent size. The following is a picture of the site that we've had all 3 years. Our next door neighbors drove their camper to the beach for the day, so the picnic table you see in is theirs.

The views from the campsites on the water are beautiful:

There are some sites that come with a place for your boat:

All sites have water & electricity, but no hookups. They do offer a service that will come and take care of your toilet needs for $10 each time. The only exception is the tent area, which is really just a big field:

The campground has spacious, clean bathrooms.

 There are laundry facilities onsite that take credit cards. There are 4 washing machines, and 6 dryers. 

There is a restaurant in the campground that serves everything from fish to lasagna to sandwiches. They also serve breakfast. Customers can eat inside, or at one of the many outside tables in the shade. the food is excellent, but have cash on hand...the restaurant doesn't take credit/debit cards. There  this also a "Tiki Bar", but be aware that it does not have a liquor license so only beer, wine, and what I call "over the counter drinks" (drinks you can get at the grocery store) are served. It also doesn't take credit cards.  (The website indicates that the restaurant and Tiki Bar are only open December-March.)
If you are there for an extended time, the campground has a book club that meets, as well as other activities.

Everyone at the campground is extremely friendly, which is one of the reasons we keep going back. They have a wonderful New Year's Eve party, complete with a pot luck, DJ, and dancing. The party is at the Tiki Bar, which is where everyone gravitates at sunset to view the end of the day with the 7 Mile Bridge in the background.

If you're looking for a campground in The Keys, this is definitely the place to be. To visit their website, view rates, and make reservations, click here.

Mt. Pisgah Campground, NC

Mt. Pisgah Campground is 20 miles southwest of Asheville, NC. It is located on the Blue Ridge Parkway. The views from the Restaurant and Inn (just across the road from the campground) are breathtaking.

The restaurant is a bit pricey, unless you get a take-out sandwich from the gift shop area.  There is also a store with very minimal supplies next to the restaurant and inn. 

There is no electricity or water at the sites, although there are flushing toilets and a hot shower available. The modern bath house boasts toilets with dual flush. There is only 1 shower per bath house, so you may have a wait for the shower.

 The actual sites have plenty of space, although the paved space for the camper and the car are a bit tight. Each site has a fire pit, picnic table, and lantern holder.

The tent sites include a bear box to discourage the bears from getting into your food.

On Saturday nights, educational programs are available at the Campfire Circle.

The campground is open from 08 May through 01 November. Pets are allowed, although there are signs indicating that coyotes are active in the area. There is also a threat of bears & raccoons, so if you take your pet with you, keep this in mind.

There are hiking trails to be explored that are accessible at the campsite. Recreation.gov indicates that a trail leading to the summit of  Mt. Pisgah starts at the campground and climbs for nearly two miles to an observation deck. 

The campground was gorgeous with the leaves changing. There are a lot of rhododendron on the property, so I would think the spring would also be a beautiful time to visit.

 We only stayed one night, but this would be a place where we would return for a weekend, or a long weekend. With an elevation of almost 5000 feet, this would be a perfect place to camp during the summer to escape the heat.

James Island County Park, SC

(To see larger pictures, just click on them!)

We recently took a week-long camping trip to James Island, SC. James Island is located just outside of Charleston.  If you're planning on visiting the Charleston area, then this is definitely the place to camp. Downtown Charleston is only 15-20 minutes away (depending on traffic), and you're close to Folly Beach, Isle of Palms, and Kiawah. If you're a guest of the campground, the entrance fee to the Folly Beach County Park and Kiawah Beachwalker County Park is waived. After 1 October during the week, both parks (along with Isle of Palms County Park) do not have an entrance fee.

(The star on the bottom left corner is the campground)

James Island Campground is located within a county park. Charleston County has several very nice parks, but this is the only one with a campground. This particular park has so many amenities that you could stay here for a week and have enough to do without leaving the park.

There are miles of trails, so if you have a bicycle, plan on bringing it. If you don't have a bike, there are some available to rent for $10 the first day, $5 after that. There is also an extremely nice dog park on site, with places for your dog to get into the water. We didn't see any alligators, but had been told that there were a couple who were relocated due to getting too close to humans and dogs.

(View of the dog park from the road)

As you might have guessed, the park is extremely dog-friendly. There are containers for "doggy bags" all through out the park. You still need to watch where you step in the dog park: I saw one woman walking toward the water while her dog pooped. She never even noticed.

Also in the park are a water park, climbing wall, 18-hole disc golf course, kayak & pedal boat rentals, and a fishing dock. The water park was closed for the season. I'm assuming that, even though you are a guest at the campground, you would still be required to pay the $11.99 entrance fee (non-residents of Charleston County).

 (Boardwalk to fishing dock)

 (View from fishing dock)

While we were there, the lights were being put up for The Festival of Lights. I was kind of hoping that they would have to test them while we were there; I would have liked to have seen what the park looked like with all of the lights on. 

The campsites were well-space out, and included , water, electric, full hook-ups, and a fire ring. 

The bathhouse, laundry area, and activity center are all together:

The bathhouses were as close to immaculate as you can get. The shower curtains are bleached at least once a week, and one day when I was in the bathhouse, several workers came in to double check that everything was the way it should be.

Even the laundry area was nice:  there are rocking chairs in front of the machines so you can rock the cycles away, or there is a swing directly across from them.

The activity center includes a tv, kitchen area (great for washing dishes when you don't have a sink in your camper!), ping pong table, foosball, fireplace, book swap, outside eating areas, as well as a swing overlooking a pond.

There is a sign around the pond area next to the activity center, just in case you forget where you are:

Wildlife is abundant, so it is important to make sure your food is packed safely away from the animals. One night, a raccoon walked within a few feet of me as he walked through our campsite. I had a non-food tote open, so I'm assuming he was planning on looking to see what he could find. I hit my book, so he scurried away. Our last night there, 2 raccoons walked on the edge of our neighbor's site, and then 2 more climbed down from a tree right behind our neighbor's back. We didn't see any gators, but the squirrels will come within a couple of feet if you sit very still. We also saw several toads & frogs. This little guy was on our camper window one night:

Cell service was decent; every now and then we would get a 4G signal. We had a WiFi router on our site and the signal was good, it was just extremely slow. If you're planning on working while you're visiting and need internet, it would be a good idea to have a booster.

Our overall impression of this campground was very positive. We would rate this as a very sound "A".