Customer Reviews

Moon West Coast RV Camping: The Complete Guide to More than 1,800 RV Parks and Campgrounds in California, Oregon, and Washington (Moon Outdoors)

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

West Coast Camping includes information on more than 1800 RV parks in California, Oregon and Washington. The more I look at it the more I like it. You can find RV parks in several ways:

1. if you know the name, use the index

2. if you are looking for a certain area, use the map at the beginning of each section or look in those pages

3. if you have an interest such as fishing, seeing wildlife or camping along a pretty river, check that listings in that section for ones in your state

Each campground is described according to general location and nearby recreational opportunities, RV sites and facilities, reservations and fees. Directions and contact information are given. Icons give you certain information at a glance, such as whether pets are allowed.

Two things make this book unique:

* One is a scenic rating. The rating is just that and does not take into consideration noise level, facilities, maintenance, recreation options, or management. It is basically rating how picturesque the campground is, not the quality of the experience.

* The other unique feature is listings of his the best parks in several categories: best coastal sites, best fishing, best wildlife-viewing, prettiest lakes, prettiest rivers. For those with a specific interest, this information is quite helpful.

Stienstra does not include all campgrounds, nor those that are in extremely remote locations, very difficult to reach or where the access road is extremely narrow or twisty. Included are many state parks, some national park and other federal campgrounds. He does mention the longest RV the campground can accommodate but not how many sites of each. If you have a rig longer than 35 feet, you may want to verify that there are open sites of the size you need. Also, prices can go up anytime so verify the price if that is a concern.

If you are like most RVers we know, one campground guide is not enough. If you will be spending time in these any of these three states and want to enjoy their beauty, this is one campground guide you must add to your collection.

I had previously purchased several editions of Sientra's "Camping in California" which we have used extensively on motorhome expeditions. My favorite was actually the first one I purchased in the mid-nineties. The subsequent editions were never quite as good and more difficult to follow. When I saw that he wrote this guide specifically for RV camping....I was very excited to purchase it....but what a let down. It is very vague and not nearly as helpful as TrailerLife or Goodalls. Consequently, I would not recommend it. However, the aforementioned Foghorn publication of California Camping is much more helpful...even for large RVs.

This is my favorite campground finder for the West. It is the best. Period.

Who am I and why do I say that? I am an AVID Casita camper who (along with my husband and a dog) has made it my mini mission to camp in every area of the West. While I am in an area I scout out other campgrounds in the area (for future use) and to see if I agree with what Moon's sez. I take notes in the book.

What this book is NOT: It is not filled with advertisements. In fact, I do not think it has any. It does not tell you where Wal-marts are, where cheap gas is or where you can pick up fuel filters for your Monaco.

What this book IS: Well organized, logical, easily referenced, straightforward, honest and accurate (in ratings - NOT pricing). It is voluminous. It is compact.

Miscellanea: The scenic ratings are fairly accurate. I have stayed at or visited most of the camps in the Olympics and along the Oregon coast and they have proven themselves accurate (IMO) within a point or so. I think they favor lakes over rives and I given to get a little more dreamy over mossy fog shrouded trees and cliff banks over the ocean than they do. I also think they include boat ramp access as part of the scenic rating. But I know that now and can read into that with their rating. They admit that scenic is very subjective - I think they do a very even handed, objective job with their ratings - given the subjective nature of it.

This book is very organized and easy to use. Each section or chapter of the book explains each regions of the three states with locator maps and road maps. The symbols (a picture of a dog for dog friendly site, a picture of a fish for fishing site, etc.) that are being used to explain key interest of each campground are very useful for quick reference. Moreover, the book also list best of campgrounds such as best fishing and best wildlife viewing. We are a rv camper beginner and I found this book to be very helpful

I got this for my parents to use in their RV through WA, OR & CA. They love it and rely on it constantly, as they are first timers in a rig and need lots of help to find services and stops. They tell me they have it out constantly and find it easy to use.

Tom Stienstra puts together a good reference book on probably every single campground on the West Coast of the united statesa. One of the things I liked about it was the addition of Parkgound limitations on RV sizing. Another words each camping spot came with information on what length of RV the campground could acoommondate, ie. up to 28ft or up to 33ft etc. Another thing I liked was the listing of what services were available at each camp ground, ie. propane, minimart, picnic tables and barbacue pits etc. Also what dates the camp grounnds were open through. Tom's personal recommadations on the camp grounds were included as well. Recommended for thoes planhning to RV throughout the western united states, a good planning guide. Recommended.

Cover claims to be "complete" listing, should have said "most of the RV parks". Whole towns that I know have 2 or 3 RV parks were left out. I'm a full timer so I need every parking option there is. Moon has the best Hawaii and Pacific guides but I would give this a pass unless you just need to know most of your options.

Very informative. Too bad it's a little old. But at that price, how could we go wrong? This is a 'must-have' book for those who don't have internet, or if you just like researching different campgrounds.

A friend of our had an older version of this and I was glad to find this one on Amazon. It is a great find for any traveler.

This is a great book for anyone and everyone who likes to camp whether it be RV parks, tent camping, bicycle camping, or primitive sites. The rating system, amenities, directions, cost, etc. are very well done.