Pennsylvania campgrounds and RV resorts win most "A" ratings from ARVC

Buttonwood Campground

The National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds' (ARVC) annual Outdoor Hospitality Conference and Expo wass held in Savannah, Georgia last month to award grades for their over 3,200 private RV parks and campgrounds across the country.

According to ARVC, the company's mission statement is "To promote the success and growth of RV parks, campgrounds and the Outdoor Hospitality industry."

ARVC claims to be "only national association exclusively representing the interests of all commercial RV Parks and Campgrounds in the United States. Membership includes RV parks and campgrounds, cabin and lodge resorts, membership campgrounds and resorts, industry suppliers, and park developers.

Membership provides group purchasing power, national public relations and promotional services, advocacy representation on state and national policy issues, and business management services including educational offerings, industry publications, and marketing and advertising opportunities.

But this is not a commercial for ARVC. What is interesting, though, is that of the 44 A" ratings in the fourth annual consumer satisfaction survey given to member campgrounds and resorts, ten of those "A" grades  were in Pennsylvania--the most awarded state at the conference.

According to an article written by Shannon M. Nass for the Post-Gazette in Pittsburg, "more than 30,000 camping and RV enthusiasts participated in the online survey, which evaluated guest experiences at campgrounds, RV parks, and resorts that are affiliated with the National Association."

That would certainly take some steam out of Western states RVers' beliefs that the best camping in the country is west of the Rocky Mountains. In fact, since the result reflects that of users, it likely will stir some interest in some westerners to make a trip back east to check out these "A" campgrounds.

Here is the list of the Pennsylvania "A" winners, and a few others close by:

Named the Top 10 Pennsylvania campgrounds: Meadville KOA (formerly Brookdale Family Campground), Meadville (Crawford County); Dogwood Acres Campground, Newville (Cumberland); Gettysburg Campground, Gettysburg (Adams); Kalyumet Camping and Cabins, Lucinda (Clairon); Keen Lake Camping and Cottage Resort, Waymart (Wayne); Mountain Vista Campground, East Stroudsburg (Monroe); Pioneer Campground, Laporte (Sullivan); and Rose Point Park, New Castle (Lawrence).

Also on that list are Yogi Bear's Jellystone Camp Resort, Harrisville (Butler), which also was named Medium Size Park of the Year, and Buttonwood Campground, Mexico, PA (Juniata), also tapped as Large Park of the Year (photo).

Several winning campgrounds are in nearby states include Ashland Resort in Northfork, West Virginia; Cross Creek Camping Resort in Delaware, Ohio; and Cherry Hill Park in College Park, Maryland.

New mobile app guides visitors to New Jersey outdoor, historic sites

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection has launched a new mobile phone application to help visitors plan for and make the most out of their trips to New Jersey’s state parks, forests and historic sites. The free Pocket Ranger application provides information on activities, amenities and services directly to users’ smartphones, and is designed to make the park system more self-sustaining while improving visitor services.

The version of the application compatible with Apple iPhones was launched January 3. The Android-compatible version should follow within days. The applications can be downloaded at www.StateParkApps.com

With a few taps of the screen, visitors can use their smartphones to find overviews, directions, operating hours and activities available at various sites managed by the DEP’s Division of Parks and Forestry. Visitors can also fine-tune their searches by looking for activities that interest them, such as hiking, bicycling, swimming, fishing, boating, canoe rentals or winter activities.

Pocket Ranger can help visitors make lodging reservations, has social networking capabilities, and provides an advanced map-caching feature that allows users to continue to navigate even if mobile service is lost. In addition, advanced GPS technology allows hikers to keep track of where they are and how far they’ve hiked. The same technology enables hunters and anglers to mark favorite hunting spots and fishing holes.

The application also has a Friend Finder feature that allows users to keep track of the location of friends and family. As an added safety feature, Pocket Ranger has an alert feature that notifies select contacts of your GPS coordinates in the event of an emergency.

The DEP will receive a portion of advertising revenues generated by the application, which is not costing anything for the department to implement.

The state park system encompasses 440,000 acres in all 21 counties, and includes more than 50 historic sites, historic battlefields and villages, and 39 active recreation areas with year-round operations. The park system also includes more than 500 miles of hiking and riding trails and 10 miles of ocean beaches.

New Jersey is the ninth state to make the mobile tour guide application available to the public. The others are Pennsylvania, Delaware, Kentucky, Louisiana, North Carolina, Missouri, Rhode Island and South Dakota.

Pennsylvania gears up for 44th annual RV & Camping Show slated for September

The 44th annual Pennsylvania RV and Camping Show will be held Sept. 12-16 at the Hershey Entertainment and Resorts Co. Giant Center in Hershey, PA.

Sponsored by the Pennsylvania RV & Camping Association (PRVCA), there will be plenty of parking and good things to eat. There are numerous campgrounds in the region, some as little as two miles from the show and others as far as 56 miles away. Additionally, there are many hotels and motels in the region.

The Hershey show is the first in the nation to debut new products. It is set up differently from many other RV shows since it is laid out by manufacturers instead of dealers, making it the easiest way to shop and compare the many RV brands.

There will be more than 21 acres of RVs on display, allowing attendees to examine hundreds of RVs of every make and model. It is estimated that two days are required to see everything.

Accessory vendors are a major part of the show, providing RV and camping accessories and quality educational seminars from RV industry experts.

The show debuted in 1968 and has evolved to be the largest of its kind. With the first two days attributed to members of the RV industry and the remaining five days dedicated to consumers, it is also the largest hybrid show in the country.

Admission will be $10 for adults. Children under 12 are free. A three-day pass will be $20 and a twilight pass that allows entry after 3 p.m. on public days is $5. Wednesday, Sept. 12 is designated Senior Day with 50 per cent off the regular admission price for persons 55 years and older.

For more information visit www.prvca.org

New Jersey is more than Newark, Elizabeth and other urban areas

Too many people think of New Jersey as a vast urban state with no trees or campgrounds.

But nothing can be further from the truth.

Once you get past Newark, Elizabeth and other big cities, there are attractions, farmlands and campgrounds. The N.J. Campground Owners Association operates a web site that has become the most complete source of information regarding camping in New Jersey.

No matter what type of camping you choose, tenting, RVing or cabin rentals, New Jersey has something for you. There is even a campground in very urban Jersey City that is a hop, skip and a jump away from Manhattan.

One of the state's more popular areas is the Delaware River Region that includes the N.J. State Aquarium at Camden and Trenton, the nation's second-largest state capital in continuous use. It is the site of one of George Washington's greatest Revolutionary War victories.

The region is home to the Pine Barrens, a million acres of preserved forests and waterways. It is the largest wilderness area east of the Mississippi River.

Inside these forests you can camp, hike, fish or paddle a canoe. You can visit the historic town of Batsto, a preserved 19th-century bog-iron town where craftsmen still ply their trade.

There are many campgrounds and state parks in New Jersey, many of which rival the best of those in other areas of the United States.

For more information about camping and attractions write to the N.J. Campground Association at Box 808, Marmora, NJ 08223, or call (609) 545-0145 or toll free at 1-(800) 222-6765. Visit www.newjerseycampgrounds.com