Take your furry friend and pitch your tent at one of these pet-friendly parks out West.
San Francisco, North Petaluma:
Nestled near the Napa and Sonoma wineries, this spot is rated one of the top campgrounds in California. Only thirty miles from the Golden Gate Bridge, you and your dog are welcome in most of the Bay Area parks and trails.
Yes, Lake Tahoe is as pretty as the pictures suggest and the lakes are as blue as the bumper stickers boast. But don't just take my word for it--go see for yourself. With infinite places to stay and play near the big lagoon, here are a few recommendations to keep in mind when planning your trip.
Hikes in Lake Tahoe
Mt. Tallac: Take in all of Lake Tahoe from the top of Mount Tallac. With a 3,500-foot elevation gain in only four and a half miles, it's a tough one, but the panoramic view of the Sierras and surrounding lakes are an ample reward. The trail head is only one mile from the Fallen Leaf Campground and less than five miles from town.
Tip: Chipmunks on Mt. Tallac are ruthless. When you stop to refuel, avoid a picnic-style lunch.
Mississippi's premier nature park! Nestled in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, Tishomingo State Park is steeped in history and scenic beauty.
The Setting
Archaeological excavations confirm the presence of Paleo Indians as early as 7000 B.C. in the area now encompassed by the 1,530 acre park. The park takes its name from the leader of the Chickasaw Nation, Chief Tishomingo. The famous Natchez Trace Parkway, the premier highway of the early 1800s and a modern scenic parkway, runs directly through the park. The Civilian Conservation Corps constructed many of the park facilities during the 1930's. Tishomingo was the fifth state park opened in Mississippi in May 1939. Today's visitors discover the same timeless natural beauty that enchanted the Indians centuries ago. Tishomingo offers a unique landscape of massive rock formations and fern-filled crevices found nowhere else in Mississippi. Massive boulders blanketed in moss dot the hillsides, and colorful wildflowers border trails once walked by Native Americans.
The Facility
Six rustic cabins overlooking Bear Creek are available for rental. Cabins are furnished with bed and bath linens, basic kitchen equipment, are air-conditioned and heated, and have screened-in porches or patios and stone fireplaces. Each cabin accommodates four to six people.
The 62 sites available for RV camping feature picnic tables, grills and water and electrical hook-ups. Restrooms, showers, and a central sewage dumping station are located in the developed camping area. Each RV pad offers direct access to 45-acre Haynes Lake.
Also, available is tent camping, group camps (meal service available), rental pavilions, lake, playgrounds, swimming pool, ballfield, picnic areas, thirteen miles of nature trails, canoe float trip, permitted rock climbing, two disc golf courses.
Additional Information
Information, trail maps, and souvenirs are available at the Park Office. Seasonal Interpretive Programs and Sunday worship services. The park staff will be happy to provide you with information and directions to area attractions.
The Park offers a 6.25 mile canoe float trip on Bear Creek from April to mid-October. Bear Creek is unique in that it has great cypress trees and cypress knee lined banks in combination with rocky rapids and bluffs beyond.
The thirteen mile nature trail system is nationally recognized as the Best in Mississippi. An 1840s restored log cabin in a natural setting offers and interesting look at pioneer life, and the Bear Creek swinging bridge, constructed in 1939, offers a scenic passageway high above Bear Creek. The park features over 600 species of ferns and wildflowers many of which are endangered. The Chickasaws who lived in the mountains are gone but the beauty they left behind is preserved in Tishomingo.
Address
P.O. Box 880 105 C.R. 90
Tishomingo, MS 38873
Phone: (662) 438-6914
Nolin Lake State Park located on the northern edge of Mammoth Cave National Park in Edmonson, Grayson, and Hart Counties.
The Setting
Campers can enjoy a beautiful natural setting with over 300 acres at the Brier Creek site and joining Nolin Lake which consist of 5,795 acres.
The Facility
The campground has 32 sites. Utility hook-ups, one central service buildings with showers and rest rooms, a small grocery store at the camp booth, playgrounds and a dump station are available for your convenience. Each site has a picnic table and fire ring. Primitive sites are also available.
Camping Tips
The park offers plenty of recreation whether enjoying the beach, fishing or checking out the 1-mile hiking trail. Campers also may check out basketballs, volleyballs and badminton equipment for use on the courts provided.
Park Features
Besides the campground, there is the convenience of a boat launch which affords anglers the opportunity to catch some prized bass, walleye, catfish and crappie. If you forget your rod, no problem - one may be checked out from the camp booth at no charge.
Address
Nolin Lake State Park
2998 Brier Creek Road
Mammoth Cave, KY 42259
(270)286-4240
Jenny Wiley State Resort Park, located deep in the heart of the Appalachians, is accented by 1,100 acre Dewey Lake. Enjoy a variety of activities, from Broadway shows in the amphitheatre and hiking trails through the wilderness, to disc golf and boating. The park is named for Virginia Sellards Wiley, a brave pioneer woman.
The Setting
Visitors can enjoy a beautiful natural setting in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky, surrounded by trees and nearby 1,100-acre Dewey Lake. The lake is 18.5 miles long, and 52 miles of shoreline.
The Facility
The campground has 121 sites. All sites have a picnic table and fire ring / grill. 93 sites are developed with electrical hook-ups (30amp – 50 amp) and water hook-ups. 31 of the 93 sites have sewer hook-ups. The campground has a central dump station available for your convenience. 28 sites are primitive sites with picnic table, fire ring / grill, water and paved designated parking area for vehicles at each site. At the campground area two central service buildings with hot water showers and rest rooms, a grocery store, playgrounds, basketball court, volleyball area, dance pad and Jenny Wiley Nature Trail.
Camping Tips
Daily summer activities and special events throughout the year are under the direction of the trained recreation staff. During the summer, folk and country line dancing is offered at the campground dance pad every Friday and Saturday nights. Consult the schedule of activities, or contact the Office of Recreation and Interpretation.
Park Features
Restaurant; 224 seat dining room serves breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Conference Center; accommodates from 500-800 guests, theatre or banquet style.
May Lodge; 49-rooms are available, check-out by noon. Free Wi-Fi available.
Cottages; enjoy a one or two bedroom cottage, tableware, cooking utensils, linens, cable TV are provided.
Marina; Boat dock offers marine and fishing supplies, open boat slips, launching ramps and pontoon boat and canoe rentals.
The Jenny Wiley Theatre; Broadway musicals are performed in repertory from mid-June to mid-August in our 560 seat outdoor amphitheatre. Information and Reservation: 606-886-9274 or www.jwtheatre.com
Gift Shop; located at the May Lodge, offers a large selection of Kentucky handcrafts and souvenirs.
Interpretive Center; Exhibits features the park’s woodland animal’s habitats, coal mining in Eastern Kentucky and history of Virginia Sellards Wiley.
Trail System; 13.5 miles of trails that will fit your interest.
Address
Jenny Wiley State Resort Park
75 Theatre Court
Prestonsburg, KY 41653
606-889-1790
1-800-325-0142
www.parks.ky.gov
Camping, boating, fishing and FUN in North Central Kentucky.
The Setting
Campers can enjoy a beautiful setting on the river below Rough River Dam. The campground is surrounded by trees with a nearby hiking trail, and many opportunities for wildlife viewing. The 5,100 acre lake has a marina, boat ramp and provides excellent fishing and recreation opportunities.
The Facility
The campground has 64 sites, including RV and tent sites. Utility hook-ups, a central service building with showers, rest rooms, and laundry area. A playground, tennis and basketball courts, horseshoe pits, are all available, with equipment available to check out at the registration building. A dump station is available for your convenience. Each site has a picnic table and fire ring. Primitive sites are also available.
Camping Tips
The park offers free summer recreational programming, and hosts several special events. In the spring, a Camper’s Appreciation Weekend is held with special discounts and entertainment. The Park has a public beach, mini golf course, 9-hole golf course, golf driving range, hiking trails, pontoon boat rentals, and “Lady of the Lake II” tours available. New improvements have been made to the tailwater recreation area, including an ADA-accessible fishing pier.
Park Features
Besides the campground, Rough River Dam State Resort Park also has a lodge, conference center, cottages, airport, marina, pro shop, restaurant, and gift shop.
Location
Rough River Dam State Resort Park
450 Falls of Rough, KY 40119
1-800-325-1713
The Park is located only 90 minutes west of Louisville and an hour northwest of Bowling Green. Located 50 minutes south of I-64 and 25 minutes north of the Western Kentucky Parkway
Lake Barkley Camping Offers Woods and Water at Kentucky’s Largest State Park.
The Setting
For the rustic tent camper or the modern RV-er, Lake Barkley’s wooded campground offers plenty of recreational opportunities, necessities and amenities, and a beautiful “temporary home” to its guests. From the high ridge overlooking the water and secluded Goat Island to a short walk to the Beach, along hiking/biking trails, and through the Park’s top seasonal wildflowers blooms, this shaded campground will bring you back again and again! Lake Barkley rests next to the 186,000-acre public recreation area, "Land Between the Lakes," with wildlife viewing, elk and bison prairie, living history farm, a planetarium, and myriad backcountry and water-based opportunities.
The Facility
Choose your favourite of Lake Barkley’s 79 sites, offering utility hook-ups, two central service buildings with showers and rest rooms, boat ramp, newly-renovated playground, amphitheatre, recreation/nature family programs, and a dump station available for your convenience. Nearly 1/3 of the sites have sewer hook-ups, and many have added decks. Each site has a picnic table and fire ring. Primitive sites are also available.
Camping Tips
The Park offers recreation/nature family programs throughout the Memorial Day to Labor Day season. Additional events are offered on holidays and throughout the year. Enjoy horseshoes, volleyball, 9 miles of hiking / biking trails, boat ramp, and more!!!!
Park Features
Lake Barkley State Resort Park also features Windows on the Water (a full-service restaurant offering outstanding views of Lake Barkley), the 18-hole Boots Randolph Golf course, marina, lighted airstrip, year-round gift shop, recreation / naturalist programming and special events, an outdoor pool, heated indoor pool, and Fitness Center.
Location
Lake Barkley State Resort Park
3500 State Park Road
Cadiz KY 42211
Lodge: 800-325-1708
Green River Lake offers great camping, fishing, boating, swimming and multiple-use trails in central Kentucky.
The Setting
Green River Lake State Park contains 1,331 acres along with the 8,200-acre lake. The park has many attractions for those who love nature and wish to experience the beauty that is Kentucky.
The Facility
Fresh air and good times couldn’t be better than in this 157-site campground. A grocery, a dump station, and three central service buildings with showers, rest rooms, and a laundry facility are available. 72 tent sites are available. Shelter available for rental. Whitley Field to fly your favorite radio controlled model airplane, and mini golf course for family fun.
Park Features
Beautiful lake views and the great outdoors always enhance a family picnic.
Location
Green River Lake State Park
179 Park Office Rd.
Campbellsville, KY 42718
Phone: 270-465-8255
Beautiful scenery and quiet surroundings make Crawford State Park a great destination to enjoy recreational activities and explore all that the Western Slope of Colorado has to offer. Located a few miles from Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, Crawford State Park features mild temperatures, a clear mountain reservoir, and take-your-breath-away views of nearby land features.
The Setting
Crawford State Park is situated in Colorado’s scenic Western Slope region, just 12 miles from the spectacular Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park. The park sits at 6,600 feet above sea level in the midst of a stunning mountain backdrop. With a mild climate and serene beauty, Crawford State Park features 334 acres of diverse plant and wildlife populations.
Several interesting landmarks dot the landscape near Crawford State Park, including Castle Rock and Saddle Mountain. If visitors look toward the northwest from the Peninsula day use area they will see the 800-foot tower of Needle Rock, which jets out from the floor of the Smith Fork of the Gunnison River Valley. The rock originated roughly 28 million years ago as the throat of a large volcano. Over millions of years, the surrounding rocks eroded exposing the more resistant igneous core.
While land surrounding Crawford State Park offers plenty for visitors to admire, a wide variety of plants and wildlife guarantee that there will be something different to enjoy with each visit to the park. Several different migratory and resident birds inhabit the park along with mule deer, cottontail rabbit, coyote and raccoon. Crawford Reservoir is home to several species of fish, making it a great place to catch yellow perch, channel catfish, German brown trout, northern pike and crappie.
The Facility
Crawford State Park has two different campgrounds that offer visitors 66 camp sites to choose from. Both the Iron Creek campground and the Clear Fork campground provide a peaceful environment for visitors to enjoy and accommodate tents, trailers and campers.
Iron Creek campground is located off Highway 92 at the west end of the reservoir and has 45 sites, six of which are universally accessible. This campground has close proximity to a boat ramp and is a popular spot for boaters. There is also an informative watchable wildlife kiosk to take in the park’s surroundings. A dump station is available and located at the campground entrance. Amenities available at the Iron Creek campground include electric and water hook-ups, hot showers and flush toilets.
The Clear Fork campground is smaller than the Iron Creek campground with 21 camp sites that do not have water or electric hookups. The Clear Fork campground, located just west of the Peninsula Day Use area, has five tent sites and two universally accessible camp sites. Portable water is located throughout the campground and visitors have access to showers, and flush and vault toilets.
Crawford State Park has three camper services buildings that provide visitors with amenities while they enjoy the park. There is a camper services building located at both campgrounds.
Camping Tips
• Stop by the Visitor Center to pick up your parks guide and other helpful information about the park
• Plan on swimming, sailboarding and jet skiing, but be prepared for cooler water temperatures from late spring to early summer
• Don’t miss the easy hiking trails around the park, but note that no horses or OHV’s are allowed on the trails or in the park
Park Features
• 400-acre mountain reservoir for anglers, boaters and water enthusiasts to enjoy
• Scenic mountain terrain for sightseeing and reconnecting with nature
• Close proximity to the West Elk Loop Scenic Byway, located along Highway 92
Address
Located one mile south of Crawford, CO on Highway 92
40468 Highway 92
Crawford, CO 81415
As one of the nation’s premier destinations for outdoor recreation, Arkansas Headwaters Recreation Area (AHRA) offers visitors a chance to explore over 6,000 acres of wilderness along 150 miles of the world’s most commercially rafted river. With class II-V rapids to conquer and abundant opportunities for hiking, biking and sightseeing, AHRA is an unforgettable destination for an exciting adventure.
The Setting
AHRA is made up of 6,193 acres of diverse land that stretches from high mountain peaks near Leadville to the plains of eastern Colorado. Visitors can choose trips from wild to mild. There are sections of the river that offer roller-coaster whitewater rapids while others satisfy those who want a serene, easy paddle. The area is well-known for white water rafting and kayaking, but many also take advantage of the varied terrain and cornucopia of sights and sounds featured throughout the AHRA.
With deep canyons, broad valleys and towering mountain peaks, the upper Arkansas River Valley has a unique geological history dating back 325 million years ago. Volcanoes spewed lava and ash, shaping mountains and hills, and causing runoff from both sides of the Rio Grande Rift to form the Arkansas River. The river flows east instead of south because volcanic activity sealed off the river near Poncha Pass, forcing it out of the mountains, across the plains, and eventually to the Mississippi River.
In addition to AHRA’s geologic story, the land features throughout the area draw wildlife that you might not see when camping in other areas of Colorado. Both mountain goats and bighorn sheep inhabit AHRA. Goats are difficult to spot on the rocky cliffs, but are common in Chalk Creek and Cottonwood Creek canyons just west of Buena Vista. Several hundred bighorn also sheep make their home in between Browns Canyon and the Royal Gorge, often descending to the Arkansas River for a drink.
Another popular activity in the AHRA is fishing, as the Arkansas River is home to one of Colorado’s finest brown trout fisheries as well as other species. During the month of May anglers can enjoy some of the best conditions of the year with the annual caddis hatch. Fish are abundant during this time of year, swimming upstream to feast on these bugs and offering anglers the perfect opportunity to catch a big one!
The Facility
AHRA has six campgrounds along the Arkansas River with over 100 different campsites for visitors to experience. From north to southeast along the Arkansas River you’ll find Railroad Bridge, Ruby Mountain, Hecla Junction, Rincon, Vallie Bridge and Five Points campgrounds. Each campground has river access and invites visitors to experience “backcountry” camping conveniently located in the heart of a unique recreation area.
Most of the campsites in the AHRA have a tent pad, fire grill, and table. Facilities at all the campgrounds include vaulted toilets and changing areas except Vallie Bridge and Five Points, which do not have changing areas. The northern most campground, Railroad Bridge, is located north of Buena Vista and has 14 campsites. Down the river is Ruby Mountain, a popular spot for private boaters featuring 22 campsites.
Hecla Junction campground is the traditional take-out for the Browns Canyon run and, like Ruby Mountain, also features 22 campsites. Downstream from Hecla Junction is the RV lover’s favorite spot, Rincon. As the smallest of AHRA’s campgrounds, Rincon has eight campsites. Below Rincon campground is Vallie Bridge campground, located in between the towns of Howard and Coaldale. With 16 tent sites, Vallie Bridge is strictly a boat-in/walk-in campground. Campers who drive will need to park in the day use area, pack their equipment and follow the walking trail across County Road 45 to find the campground. Downstream from Vallie Bridge campground is Five Points campground, the last along the river. It features 20 campsites and has some of the best picnic spots in AHRA.
Camping Tips
• Fish for brown trout during May as the caddis hatch brings great conditions for anglers
• Pan for gold along the shores of the Arkansas River at Railroad Bridge campground
• Campgrounds within the AHRA do not have access to hook-ups or water
Park Features
• Miles of roaring river and quiet eddies for incredible whitewater rafting, kayaking and fishing
• Challenging trails for hiking and mountain biking as well as an OHV track
• Excellent wildlife viewing opportunities that offer rare glimpses of mountain lions and big horn sheep
Location
Unlike other Colorado State Parks, AHRA is not a singular destination because it follows the Arkansas River. Visitors can access AHRA at several different locations. Visit www.parks.state.co.us for more specific directions to various access points.
