We'll be meandering across Interstate 10 from Arizona to about Baton Rouge to head north to our spring workamping job in Branson, Mo and we're looking for campgrounds and must-see stops along the way. We'll be starting around early February and take a month to get there.
We aren't set up for boondocking yet but can do one-nighters. We can also do military parks.
We do want to stop in San Antonio and Carlsbad Caverns but haven't planned beyond that. We have a large 5th wheel and truck and I drive our tow car. Pretty flexible budget and we love spacious state and other parks as close to the it factor as possible. Or parks with a lot of personality.
We'd appreciate any suggestions about your favorite places to stay and see And whatever happened to Howard and Linda's campground reviews. I miss those.
Sherry
bjoyce said
06:43 PM Jan 19, 2014
Las Cruces NM is a nice city, worth a couple days including visiting Mesilla (eat at La Posta de Mesilla), and White Sands National Monument. If you are going to be camping across Friday, stay at Hacienda, since they have a nice free party every Friday afternoon. It is a bit pricey as a campground, but nice. Otherwise just go to the Passport America campground.
Leaving Las Cruces to get to Carlsbad Caverns you have two choices to get to Carlsbad, take US70 to Alamagordo and then take Cloudcroft Hill up to Cloudcroft (4400 feet of elevation change in 16 miles), and then US82 to US285. Or, brave El Paso, wild traffic, and take US180 through nowhere to get to Carlsbad Caverns/Carlsbad. There is a nice Escapees park north of Carlsbad, the city. Otherwise I can't make any recommendations since it has been many years since we spent time there. Guadalupe Mountains NP is also here, worthwhile for a day. Going to Carlsbad bypasses much of I-10 between El Paso and Fort Stockton.
No special campgrounds in Fort Stockton, but it is worth a full day visit, http://www.tourtexas.com/fortstockton/ftstockhistorical.cfm . The Annie Riggs Museum is really good. You can camp at the Caverns of Sonora, http://cavernsofsonora.com/, between Fort Stockton and the Hill Country/San Antonio. There are decent campgrounds around Kerrville and Fredericksburg to visit the Hill Country. I think there are FamCamps in San Antonio. The PA campground in Luling TX, between San Antonio and Houston, is OK. Houston is a mess to go through.
-- Edited by bjoyce on Sunday 19th of January 2014 07:05:53 PM
bigredoes said
06:45 PM Jan 19, 2014
If you do head up to Carlsbad Caverns I would recommend a stop at Guadalupe Mountain National Park.....only boondock camp there so plan accordingly...but at night when the stars come out.....well you know the song.....they are definitely BIG and BRIGHT
Caverns of Sonara (TX) is also a nice cave - privately owned so a bit $$$ but they do have a campground there
Also you might consider dipping a bit south to Fort Davis - Marfa - Alpine and then down into Big Bend National Park
That's it ...I am out....have a great trip east...
WestWardHo said
11:08 AM Jan 20, 2014
Thanks Bill and Greg and Jean,
Great suggestions and Bill we're glad you made the food recommendation too!
Sherry
Sushidog said
02:17 PM Jan 20, 2014
There is free RV parking at the visitors center in the Achafalaya Basin before you get to Baton Rouge, LA (Butte LaRose exit). There is also a 24 hr restroom with security.
Chip
PIEERE said
08:49 PM Jan 20, 2014
Sherry: I will mention this one in San Antonio!!! It is owned by a lady and her husband I met on LinkedIn.com Teri and Mark Blascke; Called Hidden Valley RV Park; they just renovated and have some newer spaces. I get their Monthly News letter as they have a website. They are on my bucket list. Worth a Preview on RvParkReviews.com! PIEERE
-- Edited by PIEERE on Monday 20th of January 2014 08:51:02 PM
Linda said
07:06 AM Jan 21, 2014
Sherry,
You can find our campground reviews on RV-Dreams.com by using the Site Map button. Once you are in the site map, scroll towards the bottom of the page and you will find the reviews under Resources.
I hope that helps!
Frac999 said
10:13 PM Jan 21, 2014
If you decide to take route from Las Cruces to Alamogordo on 70 by white sands is very good roads, at Alamogordo you will get on 82 and head up the mountain to Cloudcroft which is 16 miles of up hill, the good thing about the other side its beautiful country and its very gradual down hill takes 90 miles to lose the 4400 ft you just climbed in 16. There is the escapee park that he was talking about just south of Artesia about 12 miles or just past that about 3 miles there is a very nice KOA park http://koa.com/campgrounds/carlsbad/ there is also a state park at Brantley lake with and RV park that is listed in on this site that is another 4-5 miles down the road on 285 http://www.emnrd.state.nm.us/SPD/BrantleyLakeActivities.html from that point you are only around 35 miles to the caverns.
He was definitely correct about El Paso its a crazy place to go through on I-10. And if you have never been through the Cloudcroft area its a pretty place to visit. If you decide to come this way let me know I live in this area and would be glad to help in any way.
-- Edited by Frac999 on Tuesday 21st of January 2014 10:19:37 PM
WestWardHo said
10:03 AM Jan 22, 2014
Awesome responses all. Thank you so much for the great suggestions.
We'll be meandering across Interstate 10 from Arizona to about Baton Rouge to head north to our spring workamping job in Branson, Mo and we're looking for campgrounds and must-see stops along the way. We'll be starting around early February and take a month to get there.
We aren't set up for boondocking yet but can do one-nighters. We can also do military parks.
We do want to stop in San Antonio and Carlsbad Caverns but haven't planned beyond that. We have a large 5th wheel and truck and I drive our tow car. Pretty flexible budget and we love spacious state and other parks as close to the it factor as possible. Or parks with a lot of personality.
We'd appreciate any suggestions about your favorite places to stay and see And whatever happened to Howard and Linda's campground reviews. I miss those.
Sherry
Las Cruces NM is a nice city, worth a couple days including visiting Mesilla (eat at La Posta de Mesilla), and White Sands National Monument. If you are going to be camping across Friday, stay at Hacienda, since they have a nice free party every Friday afternoon. It is a bit pricey as a campground, but nice. Otherwise just go to the Passport America campground.
Leaving Las Cruces to get to Carlsbad Caverns you have two choices to get to Carlsbad, take US70 to Alamagordo and then take Cloudcroft Hill up to Cloudcroft (4400 feet of elevation change in 16 miles), and then US82 to US285. Or, brave El Paso, wild traffic, and take US180 through nowhere to get to Carlsbad Caverns/Carlsbad. There is a nice Escapees park north of Carlsbad, the city. Otherwise I can't make any recommendations since it has been many years since we spent time there. Guadalupe Mountains NP is also here, worthwhile for a day. Going to Carlsbad bypasses much of I-10 between El Paso and Fort Stockton.
No special campgrounds in Fort Stockton, but it is worth a full day visit, http://www.tourtexas.com/fortstockton/ftstockhistorical.cfm . The Annie Riggs Museum is really good. You can camp at the Caverns of Sonora, http://cavernsofsonora.com/, between Fort Stockton and the Hill Country/San Antonio. There are decent campgrounds around Kerrville and Fredericksburg to visit the Hill Country. I think there are FamCamps in San Antonio. The PA campground in Luling TX, between San Antonio and Houston, is OK. Houston is a mess to go through.
You do know about http://www.militarycampgrounds.us/.
-- Edited by bjoyce on Sunday 19th of January 2014 07:05:53 PM
Caverns of Sonara (TX) is also a nice cave - privately owned so a bit $$$ but they do have a campground there
Also you might consider dipping a bit south to Fort Davis - Marfa - Alpine and then down into Big Bend National Park
That's it ...I am out....have a great trip east...
Great suggestions and Bill we're glad you made the food recommendation too!
Sherry
Chip
Sherry: I will mention this one in San Antonio!!! It is owned by a lady and her husband I met on LinkedIn.com Teri and Mark Blascke; Called Hidden Valley RV Park; they just renovated and have some newer spaces. I get their Monthly News letter as they have a website. They are on my bucket list. Worth a Preview on RvParkReviews.com! PIEERE
-- Edited by PIEERE on Monday 20th of January 2014 08:51:02 PM
Sherry,
You can find our campground reviews on RV-Dreams.com by using the Site Map button. Once you are in the site map, scroll towards the bottom of the page and you will find the reviews under Resources.
I hope that helps!
If you decide to take route from Las Cruces to Alamogordo on 70 by white sands is very good roads, at Alamogordo you will get on 82 and head up the mountain to Cloudcroft which is 16 miles of up hill, the good thing about the other side its beautiful country and its very gradual down hill takes 90 miles to lose the 4400 ft you just climbed in 16. There is the escapee park that he was talking about just south of Artesia about 12 miles or just past that about 3 miles there is a very nice KOA park http://koa.com/campgrounds/carlsbad/ there is also a state park at Brantley lake with and RV park that is listed in on this site that is another 4-5 miles down the road on 285 http://www.emnrd.state.nm.us/SPD/BrantleyLakeActivities.html from that point you are only around 35 miles to the caverns.
He was definitely correct about El Paso its a crazy place to go through on I-10. And if you have never been through the Cloudcroft area its a pretty place to visit. If you decide to come this way let me know I live in this area and would be glad to help in any way.
-- Edited by Frac999 on Tuesday 21st of January 2014 10:19:37 PM
Linda, yippee! Glad to know they are there!
Sherry