Ok, so we understand we are well into the new year with this post and we agree, it’s better late than never! We have deliberated, discussed and delivered our reviews of Thousand Trail campgrounds year one below.

If you have been considering a Thousand Trails membership, this article provides a glimpse into a year spent living full time in an RV taking advantage of some of the Thousand Trail campgrounds along our route.

When we bought our brand new 5th Wheel included was a membership to Thousand Trails. We are so glad we took advantage of the purchase bonus! We have saved over $5,000 dollars in camping fees over the course of 1 year. You can read more about this cost savings, here.

In that year, we have stayed at ten different Thousand Trail campgrounds. There are certainly way more TT campgrounds than what is shared in this article. The following is our ranked list of stays by our particular trip route. Our favorites were in North Carolina, New York, and Indiana, so if you are looking to visit these areas and have a Thousand Trails membership, you have to read below to find out what you’d be missing out on if you don’t stay.

This is your typical Florida RV park. It’s Winter, it’s close to Disney World, and it’s crowded. Spots are tight unless you’re in an Elite spot. The staff here were extremely accommodating when they helped resolve an issue upon arrival and upgraded our stay when our site would not fit our rig size. They were also super-helpful when we had to extend our stay due to a last minute truck issue and inclement weather. The grounds and laundry could use a little upgrade but the pool has a tiki bar with a hot tub, so there’s that.

Silver Dollar

Odessa, FL

This is a golf club and trap shooting resort. So this place is your jam if that’s your thing. If you don’t like the sound of gunfire then this park might not be your place. Located north of the city of Tampa but still close to the many restaurants and shopping of Citrus Park. There are a lot of seasonal campers especially during the Winter months when we were here. We appreciated that there was an onsite restaurant and our particular spot was shaded by big beautiful oak trees.

Oaks at South Point

Yemassee, SC

We opted for this park due to its location between Savannah and Charleston and we wanted to visit both. This park is conveniently located off the interstate and access is quite easy. Plus it’s far enough away from the road back in the woods that the traffic noise is lost. You are definitely in the low country at this campground. We love the all-natural setting but we recommend not staying during the wet season. This was the only campground all year (outside TT parks included) where our front porch ended up being underwater during a rainstorm and stayed that way for days after. You’re in the swamp for sure and we’d hate to stay here during the Summer months as one can only imagine what the mosquitos are like. We recommend taking note of the time of year you are planning your visit before staying.

Green Mountain Park

Lenoir, NC

We’d give this place 5 stars if the spaces weren’t so tight. This campground is beautiful with it’s large pines and natural creeks peppered throughout. If you stay here, don’t stay in the far back. While spots are larger, that area tends to be more wet and muddy. Instead opt for spots closer to the front of the park. The pools, playgrounds, and family centers are well maintained. It’s definitely a family-oriented campground with plenty of walking trails on site and you can even hike the Green Mountain and find a magical waterfall. While the park is quite large with lots of full-timers and seasonal campers, we really enjoyed the natural state of this campground.

Lynchburg RV Resort

Gladys, VA

Our recommendation is to avoid this TT park altogether. Unfortunately this was one of the worst TT visits all year and we were here for two weeks. In that two weeks, we really did try to find our silver linings with this park but waivered to find such. We give it two stars because we feel like this park has tons of potential and is clearly a representative of how TT is failing at maintaining their ‘home’ parks. While the sites were spacious and grounds natural, the washed out roads, busted light fixtures and additional charges for 50-amp seemed to counter thoughts of efforts being made to maintain a quality campground. From the drained pool to the poorly maintained pond and nature trails, we felt like we stepped onto the camping scene of National Lampoons Vacation. This park is an unfortunate disappointment in our experience.

Robin Hill

Lenhartsville, PA

This TT park is ok. Not bad, but nothing to write home about either. Spots are grass, a bit smaller in size and leave a lot to be desired by way of feeling like you are camping. The park is mainly filled with full timers and seasonal residents. You can tell this is an area where locals come to get away. The park is overall quiet and has a nice fishing pond and pool area. The park is also not too far from visiting natural caverns as well as heading into Reading, PA for some history.

Brennan Beach

Pulaski, NY

Beachy and fun! We really enjoyed this park. It’s the largest we’ve been in with at around 1600 sites. The park is huge and offers all the amenities and more. This is truly an RV resort and we can see why it is a popular location for area locals. There are a ton of activities from kid’s games to morning yoga for the adults. The beach area is also very nice. With lifeguards on staff, a convenient snack shack, and lots of fun in the sun, why leave the campground? Beach access is a great option for this area. It’s all about the lake life up here and being able to ride your bike to the beach from your campsite is a sweet bonus!

Another thing we loved about this park is that they recycle! It’s not too often you see campgrounds have recycling efforts in place. So as sustainability masters of the universe, we applaud all efforts.

Sites are large and spacious. Plenty of trees and shade when staying in the 800’s section. However, be prepared for the bugs! They do have another section that isn’t as wooded if you prefer more sun and less bugs. We enjoyed having the trees and the space to hang our hammock. Nothing like enjoying an afternoon laying under all those maple leaves.

Twin Mills

Howe, IN

Quiet and tranquil. This campground is loaded with big pines so there is lots of shade and the smell is amazing! Spots are sizeable giving you plenty of room to porch. The only misstep here is all hookups are at the rear of the site so you will need your long hoses for sewer and water. While there is a good amount of seasonal residents, the majority seem to be weekenders at this particular location. During the week we encountered very few full-timers. It could have been our time of year also. We were camping during middle to late August when kids return for the new school year.

There is great access to the Pigeon River as well as the South Twin Lake. The Pigeon River is absolutely charming. Its waters are pristine and healthy. The pebble shore and shallow depths are inviting. You cannot swim in the river but it is a perfect spot for a glass of wine or picnic lunch so you dip your paws in. The lake is just as clear and large enough for pontoon boats. There is a designated swimming area and you can rent kayaks directly from the office. Paddle out and release the stress of the day.

Another thing we really liked about this TT park is that it is well maintained. Even the mini-golf was in great condition. When maintained, a campground becomes so much more inviting where you want to come and play! The mini-golf course is a true indicator of a well-maintained park in our opinion. We actually wanted to play when looking at this course, instead of standing before it like at a funeral, offering empathy to the broken down remnants of better campground days.

O’Connell’s Yogi Bear RV

Amboy, IL

Big spaces here! This is such a great family park. We were visiting during Halloween and it was awesome. Even during the pandemic, this park helped to demonstrate safe outdoor fun with distanced trick or treating, an outside haunted corn maze, campsite decorating contests, golf cart decorating contests, and they even hosted a live band for Saturday evenings of fun! You can rent paddleboats, play mini golf, and enjoy amazing trails for bikes, golf carts, and walking here.

We stayed a full two weeks in this campground and were super happy we did. Check out this gorgeous campground and enjoy the beautiful lake and corn fields.

Winters Quarters Pasco

Lutz, FL

For us, this park is a good choice because it is centrally located for our annual visits to Tampa. We usually have a lot friends to visit and activities to travel to, so we chose because of its location. This campground is situated in the middle of things, so if traffic noise is a problem for you, this might not be a great choice. Facilities are clean and the pool and grounds are well maintained. Spots are tight but there is a concrete pad which the bulldog always appreciates. The electric box for our particular spot was pretty far away and our 50ft cord just barely made it. It definitely works for a stay close to all the amenities of the city. We get excited when places have cable TV, so we can’t really complain about being on top of our neighbors when we get Free Form during the Christmas holiday season.