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cool website with campsite photos
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climberjohn
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Joined: January 11, 2005
Posts: 1840
Location: Portland Orygun
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 14, 2014 7:12 am    Post subject: cool website with campsite photos Reply with quote

I know many Samba folks like to boondock camp off the beaten path.
But , if you want to camp at some of the more popular US parks in the summer, now is the time to make reservations.

Now this may be old news to some, but I just found this very cool website that has good photos and actual site recommendations for many parks.
I really like seeing a decent photo and description of the site before I book it.
Given how camp fees, booking fees, out of state surcharge fee blah blah keep adding up, it's nice to know you are getting a decent place to stay.
Is a site oceanfront, or near the highway/train tracks? Is the site shaded of exposed? How close are the neighbors?
A good photo answers all.

The site is here:
www.campsitephotos.com

Tips:
1) Use the search box at the top to find a specific park.
2) Look under "Park Overview" for some (subjective) ratings of the best campsite.
3. The "filter by region" feature is pretty cool, if you are going to a specific place. Play with that and see what comes up.

I of course have no affiliation with this site, and am simply passing on what I find to be a useful resource for trip planning.

And, here is a shot of the annual Silver Falls OR VW campout, a spot Portland area Samba folks have been known to attend in May, stay tuned for details.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.


What do y'all think?
-CJ
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dubbified
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Joined: March 03, 2010
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 14, 2014 2:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Uhm. The site sounds neat!

As for reservations..

I own a Westfalia. We don't need any stinkin directions. Smile

The journey is always better without them, or a destination for that matter.

I find they're for people who require a watch, a smartphone.. or some other distraction or reason to rush.
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markz2004
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 14, 2014 2:23 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thanks John.

Nice contribution.

Mark
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dobryan
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 14, 2014 2:48 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

dubbified wrote:
Uhm. The site sounds neat!

As for reservations..

I own a Westfalia. We don't need any stinkin directions. Smile

The journey is always better without them, or a destination for that matter.

I find they're for people who require a watch, a smartphone.. or some other distraction or reason to rush.


LOL!

sent from my iphone
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joetiger Premium Member
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 14, 2014 4:42 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've stumbled upon that site before; it's a good way to see what you're getting into, especially if you're going to a campground in a national park you've never visited. It's good to get the lay of the land for the larger destinations, especially when travelling with the family.

So Dubbified, I can't make camping reservations if I own a Westfalia?

Man. I guess I've been doing this all wrong.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

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outdoornate65
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 14, 2014 4:54 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I use that site frequently to scope-out potential campsites.

Once booked a site in Sequoia via the on-line reservation system..."site" unseen. When we arrived the site was basically a ditch with a parking pad. Being a large National Park there was no moving sites (even though I tried).
Luckily we had booked the adjoining site as well (two families) and we were able to consolidate into one crowded campsite.

Nice to be able to tell if the site stinks or not but still think dispersed camping is the way to pick the choice sites.

Thanks for sharing...


Nate
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VanWilder
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PostPosted: Tue Jan 14, 2014 5:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I not much of a beaten path kinda guy. But that's just me Cool Very nice site though, perhaps I should get back on the path.
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Solrider
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 16, 2014 9:54 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Here is one I've been using for dispersed camping: http://freecampsites.net/

Its not quite as well organized and there aren't always pictures but there are usually reviews and good directions.
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Captjon1959
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PostPosted: Thu Jan 16, 2014 2:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I'm sure many do this too, but I also use Google Earth. I pull up the camp site map and then zoom in using Google Earth to see things like tree cover (I like camping among the trees) and how close the site might be to other sites or roadways. It's kind of fun.
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