We landed this afternoon at Ely KOA Journey, pretty much right in the middle of Nevada, elevation, 6500 ft. This is just a stop-over for a night, but it really is a nice campground. We plan to drive around this after and check out the town.
From here we're heading north to Idaho. Our first stop is a place called Anderson Camp. We plan to spend a couple of days there so we can check out Shoshone Falls and what's left of Twin Falls
Click on "Top Panel" to see where are and where to next
Our original thought on choosing Natchez Trace to camp at was to visit Nashville, but we never made it there. We had planned on staying for six days and moving on toward Memphis, but the couple (Bud and Melanie) next to us at Diamond Caverns were heading there the day after us so we added four more days to spend more time visiting with them. (Also, Melanie was sewing us new curtains.)
Another couple (Ron & Glenda) that we had met at Diamond Caverns also joined us a week later. On our first day there we checked out the store/cafe and met some of the local people who invited us to join them at their table for breakfast. That wound up being a daily thing. We also met three other couples there, one park ranger and his wife (Thomas & Pam), the other two (Bob & Debi) & (Rick & Kim) had also been at Diamond Caverns while we were there but we hadn't met them yet. With all the truly great people there, we added another four days to our stay.
When we arrived at the campground we went off in search of a full hook-up with 50 amps, but the only one available was in a bad location in the sun and at the time our AC wasn't working. So we then looked for a 30 amp full hookup site and found only a few of them, but they were also in full sun. So we found a great spot under the trees (I had to trim some branches while standing on the motorhome for us to back in) It was 30 amps and no septic hookup, but it was a great spot and there was a full hookup 30 amp spot that Bud and Melanie could use when they came the following day. Our park ranger friend (Thomas) set us up with a pumping service, so after five days we ponied up $10 bucks and got pumped out. When Ron & Glenda showed up, there were a few full hookup sites at the beach and we all moved over there. We occupied four of the seven beach sites for the Labor Day weekend. It was camping at its best. Thomas offered up his pontoon boat to use while he was working and once we took him up on his generous offer, we drove it back to the beach and picked up the rest of the clan and enjoyed a couple of hours out on the lake.
The weekend before Labor Day the campground hosted a charity auto show which featured mostly "Rat Rods". It was an interesting take on restoring old cars. The campground is also located right next to the Natchez Trace. The Natchez Trace is a 444-mile long national park. It's a road starting from Natchez, Mississippi extending north almost to Nashville. No commercial vehicles are allowed on the road and it has a 50 mph speed limit throughout. It followed a trail that pioneers used as they traveled north through the area. The site where Meriwether Lewis is buried is pretty close to the campground. That, and the Amish community nearby are just about the only thing to see near the campground as Nashville is about an hour and a half drive.
From what we understand about the campground is that the previous owners were going bankrupt when Thousand Trails picked it up. There are over 500 sites and it's very spread out. Because of the park's age, most of the sites are 30 amp without septic. Most of the facilities are run down and are in need of a lot of work. There are only seven sites at the beach that are near the lake that are available for "transients", the rest of the lakefront sites are annual sites. Hopefully, with enough annual sites, the park will be able to make the improvements that it desperately needs. The campground also has a lot of cabins, which we didn't learn much about. I think the number one draw to the campground is the people who live there, work there, and live nearby. Everyone we met was so nice. The other nice feature is the cafe that serves three meals a day with the best prices. Jackie and I both ate breakfast there every day for around six dollars together. I'm sure that the campground will continue making improvements and we're looking forward to our next visit.
Natchez Trace RV Camping is a beautifully wooded RV camp in Tennessee that offers camera-worthy lookouts and a relaxing getaway environment. Located right off the scenic Natchez Trace Parkway, Natchez Trace makes RV camping an adventure. Its position within an 830-acre forested preserve means fewer crowds and more privacy. This nature-focused RV camp features some of the best outdoor resources and recreation in Tennessee: a large 3 mile long lake, pontoon tours, and excellent fishing for bass, shellcracker, crappie and more.
Getting outside of Natchez Trace RV Camping can be just as exciting. Nashville offers many sports and entertainment attractions including music, theme parks, and interesting museums. Other noteworthy day trips include Loretta Lynn's Dude Ranch in Hurricane Mills and the home of President James Polk in Columbia, both of which can be easily accomplished from your home base at Natchez Trace RV camp in Tennessee.
General Policies:
Reservation & Payment Policies:
Helpful Information:
We do not allow pets in some accommodation types; however, we do allow service animals and a service animal may have stayed in a non-pet rental.
The Alabama cabin is the perfect getaway for the Crimson Tide fan. This newly remodeled cabin has everything for you to completely unwind. This cabin has 2 full beds and a nice size bathroom with a shower and is nicely decorated in Alabama colors. Be sure to enjoy the wildlife here while sitting on your deck.
The deluxe cabin sleeps 4 people and is located near the beach. These rentals include two full size beds. The back porch has a ceiling fan and patio table and chairs overlooking the lake. No pets.
The deluxe cabin sleeps 4 people and is located near the beach. These pet-friendly rentals include two full-size beds. The back porch has a ceiling fan and patio table and chairs overlooking the lake.
Welcome to the Fishing Cabin! Your perfect getaway for making memories. Screened in deck overlooking Chief Creek Lake right next to Natchez Trace Parkway. Fully stocked cabin: Towels, linens, pots, pans, stove, refrigerator, and a flat-screen TV. Sleeps 6 and 1 1/2 bathrooms
The newly remodeled Hunting Cabin is a perfect place for the family. It sleeps 6 and has 2 full bathrooms and the deck on the cabin overlooks Chief Creek Lake. Pack up the kids and food. The rest of your supplies is furnished in this cabin. A fully stocked kitchen, linens and towels, stove, refrigerator, microwave, coffee maker, toaster, and a flat-screen TV are here waiting on you. You and kids will make lifetime memories here.
Gather up the family and friends for a one of a kind experience at our lodge. Overlooking Chief Creek lake, this huge lodge has five bedrooms and three baths. With eight full-size beds, you can sleep 16+ people. Be sure to spend time out on the large gazebo right on the lake. With the gazebo's gorgeous, wrap-around deck, the lodge is the perfect place for outdoor weddings, family reunions or just making memories.
Phone Reservations Only - Please Call 888-551-9102 to Reserve Today .
The Nashville Cabin is the perfect place to get away and just relax. It has all the amenities of a home decorated in the music industries motif. Fully stocked kitchen, stove, refrigerator, towels, linens, microwave, and a flat-screen TV. Screened in the deck for you to enjoy the scenery and wildlife surrounding Chief Creek Lake located next to the famous Natchez Trace Parkway. Sleeps 4 with a large handicap bathroom.
The Pavilion has tables and chairs to seat 75. With a kitchen area, sink, refrigerator and more, it is an ideal location to host your wedding, reunions or party.
These three-bedroom cabins sleep 8 people and include two queen beds, two full-size beds in each room as well as one twin bunk. The large screened back porch has a patio table and chairs. Linens included. No pets.
Steps away from the lake and near a large grassy expanse, the big red barn is a great option for your wedding, reunions or party. This unique barn comfortably holds 75 and has a bonus loft space.
Venture back to the days of Route 66. This newly remodeled cabin takes you back to when times were more relaxed but has all the modern amenities. Lay back and relax on the 2 full-size beds that sleep 4 people, while watching your favorite movie on the flat-screen TV. After your shower in our spacious bathroom, go out on the screened-in deck and enjoy your favorite beverage.
These rental cabins sleep 4 people and are complete with linens and kitchens. Numbers are limited, so reserve one today. Call for availability.
These rental cabins sleep 4 people and are complete with linens and kitchens. Numbers are limited, so reserve one today. Call for availability.
Escape to the newly remodeled Tennessee cabin next to Natchez Trace Parkway. Perfect for the dedicated Vols fan!! Decorated with official orange and white Vols furnishings. The Tennessee cabin has 2 bedrooms with queen beds and sleeps, 4 people. The extra-large bathroom includes a full-size closet and a large handicap walk-in shower. This beautiful cabin features, AC/Heat, full kitchen, w/refrigerator, stove, microwave, toaster, coffeemaker and all necessary utensils to cook up a meal. After watching the game on the flatscreen TV, gather on the screened-in deck overlooking Chief Creek Lake. Memories made here will lure you back again and again.
On our drive from Cape May to Timothy Lake South, we decided that driving past the house I lived in in the early seventies, wasn't too far out of our way. This took us off the interstate and put us on some back roads. After our quick visit to Bridgewater, New Jersey, I set the GPS toward East Stroudsburg. Unfortunately, I decided to use Google Maps vs. the Garmin that was set up for the Motorhome. This put us on some very iffy roads until it came time to cross the Delaware. Once we got to the bride we say that it had a max weight limit of 8 tons. We are well more than double that. When I got close enough to the bride the bridge tender came running out to stop us. It was a simple matter to quickly disconnect and back into the local park driveway and turn around. But the bridge attendant insisted that she call the police and have them open the gate to the park so that I could pull in and turn around. Fun, fun, fun.
We arrived at the campground with no other issues. The campground was very nice with paved roads throughout. Most of the sites were on the narrow side, but not right on top of each other. I believe this was because the sites were built up and leveled leaving a ditch between sites. The campground was sort of broken up into three parts. The area where all the sites were annual sites, the area that had few trees with good satellite reception and the treed area with lots of nice shade. There was annual site intermixed throughout the campground. I think that eventually, Thousand Trails will be all annual site and "Transients" like ourselves with being left out. I hope that they will put a limit on the percentage of annual sites for all their campgrounds. Overall the campground was above average, with nice amenities and friendly helpful staff.
While we were there we saw that there was a dozen of so close-by waterfalls. The campground is located in the Poconos and the Delaware Water Gap Recreational Area is very close. We took off one morning with hopes of visiting as many as we could only to find almost all of them closed. After talking to locals, we found out the severe winter had taken down lots of trees and it was a summer-long project to get trails cleared. We did, however, find Bushkill Falls to be open so we stopped and found that it was a $`14.50 charge each to walk down and see a few falls along the creek. It was hot so we opted to pass until the next morning when it was cooler. Expecting that Bushkill Falls was going to be a typical tourist trap, but I was for the most part wrong. We paid the $29 and started down a very well maintained trail. When the trail steepened, it turned into a very nice wooden network of stairs and bridges. I honestly think that was more impressed with the trails than the falls. We made a three-mile hike and took in several waterfalls. When we got out we checked out the small museum and gift shops. All the buildings were very well maintained. It was obvious that most of the ticket price went back into building and maintaining the park. Overall, it was well worth the price.
On another excursion, we decided to drive into Jersey City and tour Ellis and Liberty Islands. We purchased tickets online so there was no wait when we arrived at Liberty State Park. We hopped on the first ferry which took us to Ellis Island. Jackie immediately went to the registry archives to see if she could locate where her great great grandfather Jacob Kammerer, wife and five children registered. It took some time and with the help of a couple of the park rangers, Jackie was able to find him with Kammerer spelled Kammorer. It was pretty cool. From Ellis Island, we took the ferry to Liberty Island. We didn't purchase tickets early enough (at least a month) to get to climb up to the crown but did make it to the top of the pedestal. Then we took the ferry back to Jersey and tried to get out of town before rush hour. The drive to and from Jersey City was about two hours each way, but the trip was well worth the trouble. I think for a New York City visit, we will need to find a campground much closer.
One of our most popular campgrounds, Timothy Lake South RV Campground is a modern version of a traditional campground. Located just one mile from our sister property, Timothy Lake North, this RV campground in Pennsylvania is designed to accommodate the largest of Class A motor coaches and fifth wheel travel trailers.
Timothy Lake South RV Camping is a fan favorite with those who appreciate the opportunity to enjoy the peace and quiet nature has to offer. Relax at our outdoor pool, take the kids to the play area, and find the conveniences of home with our on-site general store and laundry facilities. Guests at this RV camp in Pennsylvania also have access to additional amenities at nearby Timothy Lake North, allowing them to enjoy twice the fun!
Below is a link to the Thousand Trails Campgrounds that we have visited.
- Indicates Trails Collection Resort