Friday, June 5, 2009
|
TOWNSEND, Tennessee - As summer heats up, many families will be heading to America's scenic rivers, which offer the full gamut of river rafting experiences, from gentle tube rides to thrilling white water rapids.
And private campgrounds from Alaska to the Great Smoky Mountains will be waiting to welcome them with everything from inner tubes and river rafts to kayaks and canoes, which they can rent from the campground or obtain from a local concessionaire.
Many campgrounds, in fact, have close working relationships with river rafting companies, which provide the equipment and transportation needed for virtually every kind of river trip.
"It's a major industry here," said Barbara Johnson, co-owner of the Big Meadow Family Campground in Townsend, Tenn., near Great Smoky Mountains National Park. "The ‘River Run' usually starts in May and goes into September, depending on temperatures."
Families who stay at Big Meadow Family Campground typically spend the whole day floating down the Little River, which is still considered to be a wild river. "It's a very gentle, mountain stream," Johnson said. "You float over water that's 3 to 18 feet deep."
Families looking for a little more adventure may consider staying at the Wilderness Cove Campground in Saluda, N.C., near the Green River. "The Green River offers six miles of Class I and II rapids for tubers and relaxing kayaking. But it also has about a four-mile run of Class II and III and a ‘steep creek' section with Class IV and V rapids," said Christy Houser, the campground's owner.
Of course, while many wild and scenic rivers are in remote areas of the country, it's not too hard to find rivers within a short driving distance of major cities. Casini Family Ranch & River Bend, which borders California's Russian River, is less than two hours from San Francisco, and offers a variety of tubing and kayaking experiences.
"A lot of people will start kayaking or tubing six miles north of us in Guerneville and spend the day floating down to our campground," said Jenny Summers, reservations manager for Casini Family Ranch. Others, she said, opt to simply float around the campground, which is built on a peninsula that sticks out into the river.
In the Rocky Mountains, Denver area residents can easily take a two-and-a-half-hour drive to campgrounds like Snowy Peaks RV Park in Buena Vista, which is within a short drive of the Buena Vista Whitewater Park on the Arkansas River.
"Private campgrounds are often located in areas where there are ample river tubing and kayaking opportunities, and many of these are close enough to major cities for an easy weekend getaway," said Linda Profaizer, president and CEO of the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds, the Larkspur, Colo.-based association that represents the nation's 8,000 privately owned campgrounds.
Profaizer said demand for campgrounds near popular river rafting locations has gotten to the point where the association is redesigning its GoCampingAmerica.com website with expanded search capabilities that will enable consumers to readily identify and book reservations at campgrounds and RV parks with river rafting and kayaking opportunities, as well as any other amenities or features that may be of interest to them that the parks have referenced in their online descriptions. The new search function is expected to go live in early July.
For additional commentary, statistics and sources on the latest camping trends in campgrounds and RV resorts or for leads on campgrounds in your news coverage area that offer canoeing, river rafting or whitewater rafting opportunities, please contact Linda Profaizer at the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds at (303) 681-0401 and visit the association's website at www.gocampingamerica.com.
Following is a sample listing of campgrounds across the country that offer canoeing, kayaking and whitewater rafting opportunities:
• Benners Meadow Run Camping & Cabins in Farmington, Pa.: This park is within five miles of Ohiopyle State Park and Youghiogheny Lake and River, which offer everything from flat water to Class V rapids. (724) 329-4097 or www.bennersmeadowrun.com
• Boiling Springs Campground, Dixon, Mo.: This campground offers canoeing, kayaking, rafts and tube rides on Missouri's Big Piney and Gasconade Rivers. (573) 759-7294 or www.bscfloattrips.com
• Buttonwood Campground in Mexico, Pa.: This campground offers canoe and kayak trips on the Juniata River. (717) 436-8334 or www.buttonwoodcamp.com and www.juniatarivertrips.com
• Coloma Resort in Coloma, Calif.: This campground, which offers RV and tent sites, tent cabins, miner's cabins, bunkhouses, park models and onsite RV rentals, works with a local company to provide white water rafting, tubing and kayaking on the South Fork of the American River. (530)621-2267 or www.colomaresort.com
• Denali Grizzly Bear Resort & Campground, Denali National Park, Alaska: This park offers kayaking and white water rafting on the Nenana River. (907) 683-2696 or www.denaligrizzlybear.com
• Flat Rock Bridge Family Resort in Lebanon, Me.: This park, which also has a 300-foot waterslide, offers a 30-minute tubing trip on the Salmon Falls River. (207) 339-9465 or www.flatrockbridge.com
• Indian Valley Campground and Canoe Livery in Middleville, Mich.: This campground offers canoe and kayak trips and tube rentals. (616) 891-8579 or www.inlandvalleycampgroundandcanoe.com
• Magic Falls Campground in West Forks, Me.: This campground is located along the Dead River offers RV and tent camping sites for people who are taking whitewater rafting trips offered by the Magic Falls Rafting Co. (800) 207-7238 or www.magicfalls.com
• Redbeard's Ranch in Lebanon, Mo.: This campground offers canoeing, kayaking and river rafting. (417) 533-7337 or www.redbeardsranch.com
• Snowy Peaks RV Park in Buena Vista, Colo.: This campground is located about 5 miles from Buena Vista Whitewater Park, a section of the Arkansas River that has been developed for the sport of kayaking. (719) 395-8481 or www.snowypeaksrvpark.com
• Waterways Campground in Cheboygan, Mich.: This campground offers access to 42 miles of inland waterways. (231) 627-7066 or www.waterwayscampground.com
• West Canada Creek Campsites, Poland, N.Y.: This campground is located on the West Canada Creek, which offers river tubing opportunities, including a seven-mile stretch that allows tubers an opportunity to float for the day. (888) 461-2267 or www.westcanadacreekcampsites.com
• Wilderness Cove Campground in Saluda, N.C.: This park is near the Green River, which offers every category of whitewater, from gentle to extreme. Phone: (828) 749-9100 or www.wildernesscovecampground.com
And private campgrounds from Alaska to the Great Smoky Mountains will be waiting to welcome them with everything from inner tubes and river rafts to kayaks and canoes, which they can rent from the campground or obtain from a local concessionaire.
Many campgrounds, in fact, have close working relationships with river rafting companies, which provide the equipment and transportation needed for virtually every kind of river trip.
"It's a major industry here," said Barbara Johnson, co-owner of the Big Meadow Family Campground in Townsend, Tenn., near Great Smoky Mountains National Park. "The ‘River Run' usually starts in May and goes into September, depending on temperatures."
Families who stay at Big Meadow Family Campground typically spend the whole day floating down the Little River, which is still considered to be a wild river. "It's a very gentle, mountain stream," Johnson said. "You float over water that's 3 to 18 feet deep."
Families looking for a little more adventure may consider staying at the Wilderness Cove Campground in Saluda, N.C., near the Green River. "The Green River offers six miles of Class I and II rapids for tubers and relaxing kayaking. But it also has about a four-mile run of Class II and III and a ‘steep creek' section with Class IV and V rapids," said Christy Houser, the campground's owner.
Of course, while many wild and scenic rivers are in remote areas of the country, it's not too hard to find rivers within a short driving distance of major cities. Casini Family Ranch & River Bend, which borders California's Russian River, is less than two hours from San Francisco, and offers a variety of tubing and kayaking experiences.
"A lot of people will start kayaking or tubing six miles north of us in Guerneville and spend the day floating down to our campground," said Jenny Summers, reservations manager for Casini Family Ranch. Others, she said, opt to simply float around the campground, which is built on a peninsula that sticks out into the river.
In the Rocky Mountains, Denver area residents can easily take a two-and-a-half-hour drive to campgrounds like Snowy Peaks RV Park in Buena Vista, which is within a short drive of the Buena Vista Whitewater Park on the Arkansas River.
"Private campgrounds are often located in areas where there are ample river tubing and kayaking opportunities, and many of these are close enough to major cities for an easy weekend getaway," said Linda Profaizer, president and CEO of the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds, the Larkspur, Colo.-based association that represents the nation's 8,000 privately owned campgrounds.
Profaizer said demand for campgrounds near popular river rafting locations has gotten to the point where the association is redesigning its GoCampingAmerica.com website with expanded search capabilities that will enable consumers to readily identify and book reservations at campgrounds and RV parks with river rafting and kayaking opportunities, as well as any other amenities or features that may be of interest to them that the parks have referenced in their online descriptions. The new search function is expected to go live in early July.
For additional commentary, statistics and sources on the latest camping trends in campgrounds and RV resorts or for leads on campgrounds in your news coverage area that offer canoeing, river rafting or whitewater rafting opportunities, please contact Linda Profaizer at the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds at (303) 681-0401 and visit the association's website at www.gocampingamerica.com.
Following is a sample listing of campgrounds across the country that offer canoeing, kayaking and whitewater rafting opportunities:
• Benners Meadow Run Camping & Cabins in Farmington, Pa.: This park is within five miles of Ohiopyle State Park and Youghiogheny Lake and River, which offer everything from flat water to Class V rapids. (724) 329-4097 or www.bennersmeadowrun.com
• Boiling Springs Campground, Dixon, Mo.: This campground offers canoeing, kayaking, rafts and tube rides on Missouri's Big Piney and Gasconade Rivers. (573) 759-7294 or www.bscfloattrips.com
• Buttonwood Campground in Mexico, Pa.: This campground offers canoe and kayak trips on the Juniata River. (717) 436-8334 or www.buttonwoodcamp.com and www.juniatarivertrips.com
• Coloma Resort in Coloma, Calif.: This campground, which offers RV and tent sites, tent cabins, miner's cabins, bunkhouses, park models and onsite RV rentals, works with a local company to provide white water rafting, tubing and kayaking on the South Fork of the American River. (530)621-2267 or www.colomaresort.com
• Denali Grizzly Bear Resort & Campground, Denali National Park, Alaska: This park offers kayaking and white water rafting on the Nenana River. (907) 683-2696 or www.denaligrizzlybear.com
• Flat Rock Bridge Family Resort in Lebanon, Me.: This park, which also has a 300-foot waterslide, offers a 30-minute tubing trip on the Salmon Falls River. (207) 339-9465 or www.flatrockbridge.com
• Indian Valley Campground and Canoe Livery in Middleville, Mich.: This campground offers canoe and kayak trips and tube rentals. (616) 891-8579 or www.inlandvalleycampgroundandcanoe.com
• Magic Falls Campground in West Forks, Me.: This campground is located along the Dead River offers RV and tent camping sites for people who are taking whitewater rafting trips offered by the Magic Falls Rafting Co. (800) 207-7238 or www.magicfalls.com
• Redbeard's Ranch in Lebanon, Mo.: This campground offers canoeing, kayaking and river rafting. (417) 533-7337 or www.redbeardsranch.com
• Snowy Peaks RV Park in Buena Vista, Colo.: This campground is located about 5 miles from Buena Vista Whitewater Park, a section of the Arkansas River that has been developed for the sport of kayaking. (719) 395-8481 or www.snowypeaksrvpark.com
• Waterways Campground in Cheboygan, Mich.: This campground offers access to 42 miles of inland waterways. (231) 627-7066 or www.waterwayscampground.com
• West Canada Creek Campsites, Poland, N.Y.: This campground is located on the West Canada Creek, which offers river tubing opportunities, including a seven-mile stretch that allows tubers an opportunity to float for the day. (888) 461-2267 or www.westcanadacreekcampsites.com
• Wilderness Cove Campground in Saluda, N.C.: This park is near the Green River, which offers every category of whitewater, from gentle to extreme. Phone: (828) 749-9100 or www.wildernesscovecampground.com
Contact:
Linda Profaizer, President, National Assn of RV Parks and Campgrounds (303) 681-0401 or lprofaizer@arvc.org
Linda Profaizer, President, National Assn of RV Parks and Campgrounds (303) 681-0401 or lprofaizer@arvc.org
THE OUTDOOR WIRE DIGITAL NETWORK >
FISHING WIRE :
SHOOTING WIRE :
TACTICAL WIRE :
DEALER WIRE :
WOMEN'S OUTDOOR WIRE
© Copyright 2012 The Outdoor Wire. All Rights Reserved.