RV Travel… Crime Reaches me in Two Ways

AND… Budget RV Camping Tips

Our society is clearly becoming less safe, even in the remote and lightly populated regions I travel through. Since leaving a GREAT boondocking area in Clark Canyon Reservoir last week, I traveled to Idaho Falls (Shelley), Pinedale, Rock Springs and now Saratoga. All these spots are in Wyoming, except for Idaho Falls.

Boondocking: The BEST way to keep RV Camping affordable

It amazes me how few RV’ers partake in “dry camping.” Especially at this time of year when days are shorter and air conditioning is truly not needed (in these parts!) This is why I prefer to boondock when feasible. Boondocking also SAVES MONEY! Note: You will also save is you opt for “electric only” or other limited hook-up camping options. More on this in upcoming posts.

Thanks to a burst in new RV’ers since the “you know what” happened in 2020, and thanks to punishing runaway inflation, RV parks have raised their prices to well more than I used to pay for a motel room when driving the I-95 corridor to Florida! A typical overnight stay in a full service RV park now exceeds $50. per night (for full hookups – water, sewer, electric.) As a result, I boondock as often as possible!

I planned to boondock during a brief stay while visiting “IF”

Idaho Falls (IF) is (overall) a really nice town in eastern Idaho. There is a boondocking campground very close to the historic downtown area. It is called South Tourist Park. Located along the river and bikeway, it would appear to be an idyllic location. But…

Crime and homelessness are even an issue in small-town America

After speaking with a few different individuals familiar with South Tourist Park, I concluded that staying there would not be a wise idea. Reason? Homeless “camping” there and crime. Granted they’re (mostly) crimes of opportunity, but when I boondock, I do leave things outside and would greatly prefer they not “grow legs and walk.” Too bad, because camping at South Tourist Park is only $18 per night and its proximity to the “city” is outstanding.

As we approach winter, IF you plan to camp in your RV in cold weather, you NEED an RV skirt! Most of the nation gets COLD at night and freezing of your water lines/tanks causes significant damage. A good RV skirt will provide the buffer you NEED. I have “a guy” I discovered who does a great job – and I can recommend strongly to you. Here’s my experience on winter RV skirting. Contact me to get a quote for YOUR camper.

Affordable RV Camping near Idaho Falls

I was then left with the quandary of where to stay? As noted earlier, all the campgrounds in and around IF are over $50 per night. At one local campground if you only opt for electric and water, you’re STILL over $50 with taxes! So, where did I stay and what would I recommend to you?

North Bingham County Park in Shelley, about 10 miles south of IF is $40. per night for water and electric (incl. tax.) They even have a dump station on site. There is a max stay of 7 nights. This location was perfect for me as I only stayed 2 nights and was there primarily to make some purchases from the Idaho Falls Farmers Market. This farmers market is hands down the best I’ve been to. In speaking with one of the vendors, I learned there are nearly 150 vendors. Many of the growers there are located in the region being impacted by the absurd (and illegitimate) water restrictions now being imposed by the “fine and wise leaders” in Idaho’s state government.

Another RV camping option is Juniper Campground at the Ririe Reservoir. The reservoir is located about 17 miles east of IF. Heise Hot Springs and other outdoor recreation opportunities are nearby. Two of the campgrounds at Juniper are “first come, first served”, in other words, no reservations needed. Costs are $30 per night for full hookups and $20 for dry camping (tax incl.)

Recently Crime hit me personally…

After leaving IF, I traveled to Pinedale/Boulder and spent a few nights with friends on their expansive property. It was great to get back to the Pinedale Aquatic Center as well! Incidentally, while in Pinedale, Soda Lake and Willow Lake offer FREE dry camping dispersed campsites for up to 14 nights. You read in my post HERE about how I “leverage” the Pinedale Aquatic Center (for exercise and showers) while dry camping minutes away in the foothills of the Wind Rivers.

The stay in Pinedale / Boulder was much as it has been in past visits, however when I reached Rock Springs I experienced a “crime of opportunity.” Rock Springs has been described to me by friends and Wyoming residents as the “armpit” of Wyoming.

I’ve stayed a few times at the Rock Spring’s Sweetwater Fairgrounds. With a Good Sam discount, it costs about $45. per night for full hookups. I will continue to visit Rock Springs, however I will have my “New Jersey” defenses up! Why? Somewhere in town – probably in the Walmart parking lot – my two year old Aquaglide kayak grew legs and walked.

I blame myself for letting my guard down. It’s unfortunate that now I will have to lock my kayak inside my truck rather than leaving it rolled up in the truck bed. Incidentally, I’m replacing it with another Aquaglide kayak. Want to see what’s “on its way” to me? Check out the Chelan 120 (pronounced Chillean, as in how you would refer to a resident of Chile.) Again, it should be here tomorrow!

An annual return to Saratoga with some NEW experiences…

I’m prepping this post and sharing my thoughts with you from Lollypops in Saratoga on September 18th. It’s a breezy, cool day with temperatures in the low 60’s. There’s a hint of Autumn in the air but this area has yet to experience a frost or freeze, even though we’re at about 7200 ft. elevation.

I will be here in Saratoga for another week or so. I have actually been coming here since at least 2016!

As tranquil as Lollypops and Saratoga are, “the times they are a changin'” to quote a song from an earlier day. I recently wrote a post about using your RV Camper as a bug out vehicle – if my comments here resonate, perhaps its worth checking out?

Tomorrow I will have my NEW kayak (thanks to FedEX and Aquaglide/Bote’s fast shipping!) If the weather forecast is accurate, I’ll be paddling either tomorrow afternoon or more likely Friday morning.

Incidentally, Saratoga hasn’t changed much. Lollypops is under new ownership (about 12 months now) and it is a BIG improvement. Great breakfast and home-made ice cream! SunnyCup is still here (coffee/ice cream as well!) Interestingly, both establishments are within 100 ft. or so of each other! The Lazy River Cantina (mex food) and Wolf Hotel (american food) and Hugus (good breakfast) are all still here and appear to be thriving.

While staying in Saratoga, I highly recommend RV Camping at Saratoga Lake. Operated by the town, electric (only) sites are $15./night (tax incl.) and dry camping is $10/night. Saratoga Lake is about 2 miles North of town.

Recommended RV Accessories (while you can still get them)

Oh, and accessories while you can still get them (as I write the last of this post, it is October 1st and the dock workers are now striking on the east coast… NOT good news for consumers if this goes on for any length of time. See my recommended RV Accessories here…

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