Rondout Valley?

[rkresge]

Anyone been to Rondout Valley in NY? We're headed there for the first time next week. Online reviews are decidedly mixed, to say the least. It appears that Thousand Trails members (that's us) may get better sites than non-members. We've reserved a full-hookup site, and we'll be arriving late Sunday afternoon, so I'm guessing/hoping there will be plenty of sites to choose from when we get there. If you've been there, are there any areas of the park we should try to stay away from? And what are the best parts of the park for us with full hookups for our Jay Feather 23RLSW? Or anything else we should know?

Thanks!

Roger

[Marcm157]

Worst camping experience ever. Was there memorial day weekend of this year. Are you Thousand Trails Members? We are not and never will be after the experience we had. We paid for full hookup but got placed on tent sites that were clearly not designed for 30 plus foot trailers and motor homes. Electric was spotty and my EMS kept killing power to my camper. Park worker stated the infrastructure in that part of the park had not been upgraded in 40 years. If you moved the power pedestal even slightly power would drop.

No cable TV or wifi even though we paid for those services. When we complained, and asked for a partial refund we were told full hook up sites are on a first come first serve basis. Not what we were told when we made reservations.

Interior roads were miserable. Dirt / mud and filled with potholes. 2 people in our group got stuck in mud holes trying to back into the sites clearly not designed for their rigs.

The main section of the park is very nice and well maintained but the treatment and services we got were very poor considering what we paid. I've contacted Thousand Trails regarding the negative experience and got little to no response from them.

If you have the ability to reschedule or would.

I will PM you my contact info if you would like more specific info on our experience.

[rkresge]

Originally Posted by Marcm157

Worst camping experience ever. Was there memorial day weekend of this year. Are you Thousand Trails Members? We are not and never will be after the experience we had.

Sorry to hear about your stay at Rondout Valley. Yes, we are Thousand Trails members. From what I've been able to find, it's mostly non-members that are having the bad experiences there. So far our Thousand Trails stays have been very good, except for the location nearest our home - that particular location has more problems than you can count. Reviews are similar to what I see for Rondout Valley.

Anyway, we're committed, and it's because of location. It's reasonably near home for us (a little over 4 hours), and convenient for some family plans. I'm taking a portable dump tank and a portable fire ring, just in case.

Thanks!

Roger

[Marcm157]

Good Luck - the main part of the park is OK. Sites seemed very close together but that is pretty much the norm these days. Hope you enjoy your stay there. I'm only just under an hour from there myself and was hoping to have a quick local getaway place but that just wasn't it for us

[sean_cj7]

My in-laws having been members there for probably 30 plus years, and they are very disappointed in the resort these days. They only stay there when they are in the area and still dislike it. We've camped there and it is probably the worst campground I've stayed at in 4 years of camping. It is a first come, first serve system so you may not get a full hook up site. I'm not trying to scare you, but be prepared. I'd highly recommend looking into the Jelly Stone campground in Gardiner, NY. Very nice campground and only 20-30 minutes from Rondout. Even if it is to split the week up.

[rkresge]

Originally Posted by sean_cj7

My in-laws having been members there for probably 30 plus years, and they are very disappointed in the resort these days. They only stay there when they are in the area and still dislike it. We've camped there and it is probably the worst campground I've stayed at in 4 years of camping. It is a first come, first serve system so you may not get a full hook up site. I'm not trying to scare you, but be prepared. I'd highly recommend looking into the Jelly Stone campground in Gardiner, NY. Very nice campground and only 20-30 minutes from Rondout. Even if it is to split the week up.

Thanks! I'm prepared. Got a portable waste tank, and a portable fire ring, to go with the rest of our standard camping gear. Hoping for the best, doing my best to be prepared for the worst.

We're Thousand Trails members, so spending money going to another campground is kinda out of the question. But I appreciate the suggestion!

Roger

[gcloss]

We camped at Roundout Valley in the 80's when it was a Jellystone Park. I know some fellow campers who have been there recently and they did not have good things to say about it.

Jellystone in Gardiner is an option if you want to pay over $100 per night for a super crowded, greedy corporate owned campground.

Another option is Rip Van Winkle in Saugerties NY. Rip Van Winkle is privately owned with spacious wooded sites at half the price of Jellystone. The owners live on site, are super friendly and helpful if you need anything.

[sean_cj7]

I agree with the overpriced over crowded aspect of the Jellystone. We normally do a Sept trip there, so rates are less and so are people. But I'd take the over crowded over Rondout any day.