RV Campgrounds to Avoid, According to Reviewers

Summer is RV season, and if you're on the road or in a pinch, you might reserve an RV campground spot without doing much more than a quick website scan. Some camps, however, prove that due diligence is absolutely necessary. Some are overcrowded, old, and dilapidated. Others are noisy, run by lackluster management, or rankled by shoddy facilities or faulty equipment. Cheapism developed a list of RV resorts and campgrounds you'd likely be wise to avoid this summer. Using reviews from TripAdvisor, we chose sites across America that have accumulated at least 15 reviews but maintain an overall rating of fewer than three stars out of five. While it's good to keep an open mind — some camps may have worked hard to improve or recently changed management — these are the places that online reviewers advise you avoid.

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Fireside Buffalo Valley holds a 2.5 star rating after 140 reviews. Of those reviews, nearly half earned the rating of "terrible" one-star or "poor" two-star reviews. Visitors griped about dirty bathrooms and poor customer service, and many felt the park is overpriced given a lack of amenities and generally rundown appearance.

After 70 reviews, Midnight Sun maintains an average of just 1.5 stars for an overall rating of "poor." A full 47 reviews scored "terrible" and another 13 were "poor," meaning all but 10 fell into the bottom two categories. People reported having to check in at a nearby gas station, fumbling through their stay with a lack of information or site maps, and the fact that a nearby bar closed at 3 a.m. and unleashed a crowd of barflies who continued their party at the camp. One reviewer wrote that "the only good thing about" Midnight Sun is its "fake website."

Of Temple Hill's 18 reviews, 10 are "terrible" and another two are "poor." One reviewer writes "CAMPER BEWARE" in reference to bad experiences with management. Others complain about shoddy appliances, clouds of dust, and general uncleanliness.

After 49 reviews, Front Royal has an average rating of 2.5, which is "average." It's important to note, however, that 29 of those reviews are either "poor" or "terrible." Unimpressed travelers describe the camp as rundown, cramped, and unkempt. Several mentioned unsanitary facilities like backed-up toilets. One reviewer noted their rig was scratched by unmaintained foliage, and that their electrical hookup was "completely dead."

All but 10 of Kane Creek's 29 reviews are one star. Of those remaining 10, five are two stars. There's a common theme in the review thread of bait-and-switch sales tactics, sewer hookups that don't drain properly, misleading marketing, and a host of advertised amenities and services that simply didn't exist.

Hejamada has a "poor" overall rating after 24 reviews, exactly half of which are listed as "terrible." Some reviewers complain of drastically unleveled sites, others of old facilities and bugs. The people, however, are a recurring theme. Many reviewers complained of all-night noise and music, disregard for the rules, and even some who didn't feel safe.

After 18 reviews for North Phoenix Campground, 14 are listed as "terrible" and two others "poor." Outside noise was a common complaint, as were shenanigans with billing — some were forced to pay in full only to find their reservation had been delayed and they couldn't get a refund. The facilities themselves were widely panned, but the overarching complaint seems to be with management.

To be fair to Park Ridge, nine of its 22 reviews are four out of five stars, or "good." Unfortunately, the same number of reviews are either "poor" or "terrible" — and after nearly two dozen writeups, it hasn't scored a single five-star, or "excellent" rating yet. Although the views are undeniable, the naysayers cite poor conditions, uncleanliness, and unprofessional staff, including claims of overcharging, denying refunds due to flooding, and even religious proselytizing.

Whites City has accumulated 37 reviews and 14 of them are three stars, or "average." Seventeen, however, are either "poor" or "terrible." Reports of dilapidated facilities, poor maintenance, and generally dismal surroundings plague the site's reviews, and several people complained about the price.

Though this campground was recently renamed, it used to be called the Glenyan RV Park and Campground, and is still listed as such on TripAdvisor. It's earned an overall rating of average, but it's hard to ignore that 17 of its 31 reviews were either "terrible" or "poor." One recent reviewer from June 2019 wrote simply "ICK!" and cited issues like having to trespass on a neighbor's site to access a hookup. Several stated that virtually all of the facilities — buildings, office, pond, and the sites themselves — were all woefully tired and in serious need of an overhaul.

Although Ventura Beach squeaks out an overall rating of "average," 49 of its 122 reviews are "terrible." Reviewers complain that it's right off a major freeway, that management does not provide sufficient oversight, that they charge a dog fee but don't provide a place to walk pets, and that the pool, showers, and even locks were not functional — all for sites that range from around $67 to $105 per night.

Yellowstone, too, maintains an overall rating of "average," but 19 of its 35 reviews come back either "poor" or "terrible." Many complained about poor management, including botched reservations and long response times. Good Sam discounts seemed to do little, and a recurring complaint was crowding — many griped that they were practically on top of their neighbors.