First Come, First Serve - Waterloo, IA and Surrounding

ctechbob

ctechbob

Well-known member
I guess I'm spoiled by the GA state park system. Been looking to book a site for our 2025 SD trip somewhere near Waterloo. There's a plethora of small county campgrounds that look great. Only problem is, they're FC/FS - Self Register. I get it, cheap way to run a campground, but man I can't see dragging halfway across the US and having to look for a spot.

There's another park up there I'll probably end up booking, 2 night minimum, but still cheaper than the KOA, even by wasting a night.

Of course, now I can't find the tab with that park I had open and have to find it all over again!!!

Lol...my life.
 
Wayne said:
We have stayed at both of these:

https://maps.app.goo.gl/1XZ8oBwBUfQL8Bje7

https://maps.app.goo.gl/mVkmTsttW7upBbzLA

Both are good and Wilder Park is completely outstanding.

If you want to stay in my home town, camp here:

https://maps.app.goo.gl/sZSvq3SGZpT8Vne78

The campground is ok and most sites have electric hookups.

If you want to dry camp, we have several places you could sit for an overnight.
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I actually booked Big Woods Lake. Just paid for 2 days.

Currently have everything except one site going and one site coming back booked.
 
there are alot of obscure campgrounds in the USA that are still old school
and you either show up in person and see if you can get a spot or try getting them on the phone..
but it is funny that a state adminstered park doesn't have some reservation system or way toi contact them.

that skid row RV park we frequent in Hendersonville NC doesnt have any way to pre arrange, in fact even if you call the phone number the owner never replies. what you do there is self serve, drive in and take a spot if available, and put either cash or a check with the spot# and the number of days in an envelope and slide it thru the slot on the little office so it only works if you know about the place and have daylight to work with if you cant get in.
 
MSCH said:
there are alot of obscure campgrounds in the USA that are still old school
and you either show up in person and see if you can get a spot or try getting them on the phone..
but it is funny that a state adminstered park doesn't have some reservation system or way toi contact them.

that skid row RV park we frequent in Hendersonville NC doesnt have any way to pre arrange, in fact even if you call the phone number the owner never replies. what you do there is self serve, drive in and take a spot if available, and put either cash or a check with the spot# and the number of days in an envelope and slide it thru the slot on the little office so it only works if you know about the place and have daylight to work with if you cant get in.
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Yea, it is a really oddball setup. They appear to be county parks administered through a single website or something.

I dunno, I didn't dig into it super far. I'm happy paying the $60 to be able to book almost a year in advance, so that's what I did.

Almost booked the KOA, but they'll only book 90 days out.

Now I just have to deal with the 'single choice' parks that don't book online. Phone calls.....yay
 
I plan our trips out like you're doing, just can't deal with having to hunt up a site after a 400+ mile day. Downside is being locked into a schedule and not being able to stay a day if there's something interesting. We tend to be destination RVers not touring RVers it seems. Pick someplace interesting and get there then spend enough time to really get to know it. Then go home.
 
Azjeff said:
I plan our trips out like you're doing, just can't deal with having to hunt up a site after a 400+ mile day. Downside is being locked into a schedule and not being able to stay a day if there's something interesting. We tend to be destination RVers not touring RVers it seems. Pick someplace interesting and get there then spend enough time to really get to know it. Then go home.
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We're sort of mixing the two. There's a day on the way out that we're going to spend touring and same on the way back, but yea, this trip is largely destination.

I probably go pretty far overboard with the planning, but my brain likes the way I do it. :) I'm at 6 pages of document for this trip so far with at least 50 google map links, and that is just for the transit stages, none of the touring is in there.
 
ctechbob said:
I probably go pretty far overboard with the planning, but my brain likes the way I do it. :) I'm at 6 pages of document for this trip so far with at least 50 google map links, and that is just for the transit stages, none of the touring is in there.
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I'm a planner too. Almost all sites are reserved for the entire trip months in advance. I'll have several things on the list to stop and see along the way.
 
Wayne said:
I'm a planner too. Almost all sites are reserved for the entire trip months in advance. I'll have several things on the list to stop and see along the way.
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I have one left for this trip, called them today. The very nice lady told me to please wait until April to book it. According to her, when we'll be going through there they will be pretty empty.
 
there are so many APPs available for finding a place for overnight stops when travelling,
we literally look for an overnite spot day by day.. once inawhile it becomes difficult, but not very often.

nowaday's ,either the night before leavin or in the morning I tell my wife whereabouts to look, and she finds something.
I dont know which Apps she uses, but I could ask her if any of you care.

then again, I am not much of a destination RVer... I don't think I have ever sat in one spot for more than 4 days in my life. Gotta see what is over the next hill.
 
ctechbob said:
We're sort of mixing the two. There's a day on the way out that we're going to spend touring and same on the way back, but yea, this trip is largely destination.

I probably go pretty far overboard with the planning, but my brain likes the way I do it. :) I'm at 6 pages of document for this trip so far with at least 50 google map links, and that is just for the transit stages, none of the touring is in there.
Click to expand...

Ctech, that is the OCD kicking in... ... my wife is OCD.. overthinks everyting.
no petty detail is to small for her to overthink...

try not to be that way... you just wear yourself and others out expending way more mental energy than is necessary
to get somewhere.... it isn't a mission to Mars. :)
 
When I'm retired and no longer on a schedule, I may not plan nearly as much, but until then it's plan plan plan.. :)
 
Wayne said:
When I'm retired and no longer on a schedule, I may not plan nearly as much, but until then it's plan plan plan.. :)
Click to expand...

definitely applies as to being tied to a job... then again, during my work life other than one time in my last 15 years, I never took more than one week off at a time...

but there are times when a person needs to plan.... and actually plan ahead ,for instance if you wanted a RV spot in a particular area during a big event like Sturgis Rally and Races, if you don't plan ahead you will end up 75 miles away in dispersed.
 
MSCH said:
Ctech, that is the OCD kicking in... ... my wife is OCD.. overthinks everyting.
no petty detail is to small for her to overthink...

try not to be that way... you just wear yourself and others out expending way more mental energy than is necessary
to get somewhere.... it isn't a mission to Mars. :)
Click to expand...
Well, I also work nights as a supervisor, so there's lots of time where I have nothing important to do and it keeps my brain awake.

That and the ASD + Google maps is a match made in heaven!! :)
 
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