From Monkey-Filled Rivers to Private Hot Springs: 12 RV Campgrounds That Redefine Camping
Most RV parks offer the same basic setup: a parking pad, hookups, and maybe a playground or a pool. But some campgrounds take things in a completely different direction.
Across the country, there are places where you can soak in a private hot spring at your campsite, camp beside the tallest sand dunes in North America, stay next to a restored Old West ghost town, or even hear wolves howling nearby at night. Some parks put you steps from exotic animals, while others sit next to natural springs famous for crystal-clear water and unexpected wildlife.
The 12 RV campgrounds below stand out because they offer something you simply don’t see every day. Each one delivers a camping experience that goes far beyond the typical campground stay.
1. Bluewater Key RV Resort
Why it’s unique: Private waterfront RV lots where every site includes its own tiki hut and dock in the Florida Keys.
Address:
2950 Overseas Hwy, Key West, FL 33040
Website:
https://www.bluewaterkey.com
Bluewater Key RV Resort sits along the waterfront in the Lower Florida Keys and is known for its tropical landscaping and spacious RV sites. The resort is made up of individually owned lots, many of which are rented to visitors. Most sites include furnished tiki huts, and many offer private docks with direct access to the surrounding canals. Amenities include a heated swimming pool, clubhouse, boat ramp, dog park, and gated entrance. The property is located along U.S. Highway 1 about 14 miles from downtown Key West, placing visitors within a short drive of restaurants, shops, and attractions while staying in a quieter part of the Keys.
2. Great Sand Dunes National Park Campground (Piñon Flats Campground)
Why it’s unique: Camp beside the tallest sand dunes in North America, with massive dunes rising thousands of feet above the campground.
Address:
11999 State Highway 150, Mosca, CO 81146
Website:
https://www.nps.gov/grsa/planyourvisit/pinonflatscampground.htm
Piñon Flats Campground in Great Sand Dunes National Park sits at the base of the tallest sand dunes in North America, placing campers just a short walk from the massive dunes and the seasonal waters of Medano Creek. The campground contains over 80 sites that accommodate tents and RVs, with amenities that include restrooms, potable water, and picnic tables, though there are no electrical hookups. Open seasonally from spring through fall, Piñon Flats offers wide views of the dune field and the surrounding Sangre de Cristo Mountains. The campground is located a few miles from the park’s main visitor center, making it a convenient base for hiking the dunes, sand sledding, and exploring the park’s trails.
3. Boothbay Craft Brewery, Tavern & RV Resort
Why it’s unique: A full RV resort attached to a working craft brewery and tavern where campers can enjoy beer, food, and live events.
Address:
301 Adams Pond Rd, Boothbay, ME 04537
Website:
https://www.boothbaycraftbrewery.com
Boothbay Craft Brewery, Tavern & RV Resort offers a campground experience centered around an on-site craft brewery and tavern in coastal Maine. RV sites include pull-through and back-in options with full hookups and access to amenities such as Wi-Fi, bathrooms, showers, and laundry. Guests can walk from their campsite to the brewery’s beer garden and taphouse, which serve craft beer and food and host events like live music. The resort is located about five minutes from downtown Boothbay Harbor, making it a convenient base for exploring the harbor, boating excursions, shops, and nearby attractions like the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens.
4. Edgar Evins State Park Campground
Why it’s unique: The campground is built into a steep bluff, with RV sites located on elevated wooden decks overlooking Center Hill Lake.
Address:
1630 Edgar Evins State Park Rd, Silver Point, TN 38582
Website:
https://tnstateparks.com/parks/campground/edgar-evins
Edgar Evins State Park Campground sits on the steep hillsides above Center Hill Lake in Tennessee and is known for its unusual campsite design. The campground includes 60 campsites, many built on wooden platforms reinforced with concrete and steel along the slope overlooking the lake. Sites provide water and electric hookups and include picnic tables and fire grates. Restrooms, showers, and a central dump station are available for campers. The park itself covers about 6,300 acres along the shoreline of Center Hill Lake, with boating access, hiking trails, and other outdoor recreation nearby.
5. Benton Hot Springs Campground
Why it’s unique: Many campsites include private natural hot spring soaking tubs with wide-open views of the Eastern Sierra.
Address:
1 Benton Hot Springs Rd, Benton, CA 93512
Website:
https://www.bentonhotsprings.us
Benton Hot Springs Campground offers a rare camping experience where many sites include their own private soaking tub filled with natural mineral hot spring water. The campground features a small number of secluded “hot tub sites,” each with a private tub, picnic table, and charcoal grill. Campers can pitch a tent or park a camper or RV directly at the site, though the campground operates as dry camping with no utility hookups. Trees and fencing separate the tub areas for privacy, and the hot spring water temperature can be adjusted by adding more hot water from the natural source.
6. Wild Adventures Safari Campground
Why it’s unique: Campers stay just steps from exotic animals such as zebras, giraffes, and ostriches, with some campsites facing animal habitats.
Address:
3766 Old Clyattville Road, Valdosta, GA 31601
Website:
https://www.wildadventures.com/Campground
Wild Adventures Safari Campground is a seven-acre campground at Wild Adventures Theme Park in Valdosta, Georgia. It offers RV sites with full hookups, tent sites, and premium cottages, with a private fire ring at every site. The campground also includes a pool, gift shop, private entrance to the theme park, and exclusive animal encounters for campground guests. Wild Adventures campground guests can stay beside zebras, giraffes, and other exotic animals, giving the campground a setting that is very different from a typical RV park.
7. Silver Springs State Park Campground
Why it’s unique: Camp near the famous Silver River where wild rhesus macaques monkeys live along the shoreline.
Address:
5656 E Silver Springs Blvd, Silver Springs, FL 34488
Website:
https://silversprings.com/plan-your-day/camping/
Silver Springs State Park Campground is located within a large Florida state park centered around one of the state’s largest natural springs and the clear waters of the Silver River. The campground includes 59 spacious sites across two loops that accommodate tents and RVs up to about 50 feet in length. Most sites provide water and electric hookups, along with a picnic table, grill, and fire ring, and the campground also offers restrooms with hot showers and a central dump station. Campers have access to park activities such as kayaking and canoeing on the Silver River, hiking and biking trails, glass-bottom boat tours, and wildlife viewing throughout the park.
Fun fact:
The rhesus macaques living along the Silver River were introduced in the 1930s by a tour boat operator named Colonel Tooey, who released them on an island to make jungle-style boat tours more exciting for visitors. The monkeys quickly learned to swim across the river and spread throughout the area, creating the wild population that still lives there today.
8. Carhenge (Jeskes Over the Hill Campground)
Why it’s unique: Visit a full-scale Stonehenge replica constructed entirely from vintage cars, one of the strangest roadside attractions in America.
Address:
2151 County Rd 59, Alliance, NE 69301
Website:
https://carhenge.com
Jeskes Over the Hill Campground sits directly next to Carhenge, a roadside attraction in Alliance, Nebraska where vintage automobiles are arranged to resemble England’s Stonehenge. The small private campground is located just outside the sculpture site, allowing visitors to easily walk over and explore the installation. Carhenge itself was built in 1987 and features more than three dozen automobiles arranged to replicate the layout of the famous monument in England.
9. Lost Lagoon RV Resort
Why it’s unique: This resort features a massive lagoon-style pool complex, often advertised as one of the largest pools at any RV resort.
Address:
665 County Rd 451, El Campo, TX 77437
Website:
https://eclostlagoon.com/
Lost Lagoon RV Resort in El Campo, Texas, is a large RV destination built around an extensive water recreation complex. The resort features more than 200 concrete RV sites with full hookups, along with rental cottages and houses for guests who do not have an RV. Its centerpiece is a 650,000-gallon zero-entry swimming pool, promoted as the largest swimming pool at an RV resort, and the water area also includes a 500-foot lazy river, water slides, rope swing, kiddie lagoon, hot tub, and swim-up bar. Additional amenities include a floating Wibit obstacle course, on-site café and bar, golf cart rentals, and planned activities and events throughout the year.
10. Calico Ghost Town Campground
Why it’s unique: Camp beside a restored 1880s mining town where visitors can explore historic buildings and mine tunnels.
Address:
36600 Ghost Town Rd, Yermo, CA 92398
Website:
https://parks.sbcounty.gov/park/calico-ghost-town-regional-park
Calico Ghost Town Campground is located inside Calico Ghost Town Regional Park, a restored 1880s silver mining town in the Mojave Desert of Southern California. Campers stay within the historic park and can explore the Old West buildings, shops, and attractions throughout the town. The campground offers RV and tent sites with no-hookup, partial-hookup, and full-hookup options, along with restrooms and showers. Camping guests receive admission to the ghost town, allowing easy access to the historic streets, mine tours, museums, and desert scenery that surround the campground.
11. Camp Taylor Campground (Wolf Creek Habitat & Rescue)
Why it’s unique: This campground sits next to a wolf preserve where visitors can hear wolves howling and attend guided programs.
Address:
85 Mount Pleasant Rd, Columbia, NJ 07832
Website:
https://www.camptaylor.com/
Camp Taylor Campground is a family-owned campground located on about 400 acres of forest near the Delaware Water Gap in Columbia, New Jersey. The campground contains about 120 campsites offering options that include primitive tent sites and RV sites with water and electric hookups. Amenities include hot showers, flush toilets, a dump station, a small swimming lake, a playground, hiking access to nearby trails, and a camp store. A distinctive feature of the property is the Lakota Wolf Preserve, located on the campground grounds, where visitors can book guided educational tours and sometimes hear wolves howling from their campsites.
12. Lazy Llama Campground
Why it’s unique: A small campground next to a working llama farm where campers can visit the animals and pick seasonal produce from the on-site garden.
Address:
405 Chuckey Ruritan Road, S., Chuckey, TN 37641
Website:
https://lazyllamacampground.com
Lazy Llama Campground sits next to a working llama farm and offers RV camping in a small rural setting surrounded by farmland. The campground provides RV sites with 50/30/20-amp electrical service, and several sites are designed to accommodate larger rigs. A distinctive feature of the property is its 30-by-60-foot organic garden, where campers can pick fresh vegetables during the growing season. The garden soil is enriched using composted llama manure from the neighboring farm. Campers can also visit the llamas and learn about the animals while staying at the campground.
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