Is Thousand Trails Worth It? (from a camping expert)
The Traveling Elms contains affiliate links and is a member of the Amazon Services LLC Affiliate Program. If you make purchases using one of these links, I may receive compensation at no extra cost to you. Read my disclaimer for more information.
Have you been wondering “Is Thousand Trails Worth It”? I’m here to answer your questions and help you decide!
With 200 locations across the country, Thousand Trails campgrounds make traveling the country easy! As full-time RVer’s, we have been to over 20 campgrounds in the Thousand Trails network over the last year and a half. We have some we love, some we will never go back to, and lots more to explore!
Thousand Trails has several different levels of membership (super confusing, I know). The one you should choose will depend on your camping style, budget, and booking preferences.
OUR FAVORITE CAMPING RESOURCES
Getting Mail: Escapees
Roadschooling Classes: Outschool
Route Planning & RV GPS: RV Life
Unique camping stays: Harvest Hosts
Find other families on the road: Full-Time Families
Camp all year for $670: Thousand Trails Membership
Snag Reservations at Sold Out Campgrounds: CampNab
What Is Thousand Trails: Is Thousand
Trails Worth It?
Thousand Trails is a membership-based network of RV parks and campgrounds across the country. Thousand Trails provides access to hundreds of locations without breaking the budget with their affordable camping membership!
Many campgrounds offer resort-style amenities like swimming pools, mini golf, and planned activities, which are great for families and full-time travelers.
Is Thousand Trails Worth It: Campground List
With a membership to Thousand Trails, you can explore the great outdoors from coast to coast. From rustic lakeside retreats in Maine to the beaches of California – there is something for everyone no matter where your adventures may take you! These 90 Thousand Trails campgrounds are the base-level campgrounds that members have access to.
Arizona
Foothills Village RV Resort, Yuma AZ – Open Year Round
Verde Valley RV and Camping Resort, Cottonwood AZ – Open Year Round
👉 Get Your Thousand Trails Membership Here 👈
California
Idyllwild RV Resort, Idyllwild CA- Open Year Round
Lake Minden RV Resort, Nicolaus CA – Open Year Round
Lake of the Springs RV Resort, Oregon House CA – Open Year Round
Morgan Hill RV Resort, Morgan Hill CA – Open Year Round
Oakzanita Springs RV Campground, Descanso CA – Open Year Round
Palm Springs RV Resort, Palm Desert CA – Open: September — May
Pio Pico RV Resort & Campground, Jamul CA – Open Year Round
Ponderosa RV Resort, Lotus CA – Open Year Round
Rancho Oso RV and Camping Resort, Santa Barbara CA – Open Year Round
Russian River RV Campground, Cloverdale CA – Open Year Round
San Benito RV and Camping Resort, Paicines CA – Open Year Round
Thousand Trails Snowflower, Emigrant Gap CA – Open Year Round
Soledad Canyon RV and Camping Resort, Acton CA – Open Year Round
Turtle Beach Resort, Manteca CA – Open Year Round
Wilderness Lakes RV Resort, Menifee CA – Open Year Round
Yosemite Lakes RV Resort, Groveland CA – Open Year Round
👉 Get Your Thousand Trails Membership Here 👈
Florida
Orlando RV Resort, Clermont FL – Open Year Round
Peace River RV and Camping Resort, Wauchula FL – Open Year Round
Three Flags RV Campground, Wildwood FL – Open Year Round
Illinois
Pine Country RV and Camping Resort, Belvidere IL – Open: April — October
Indiana
Horseshoe Lakes RV Campground, Clinton IN – Open: April — October
Indian Lakes RV Campground, Batesville IN – Open: April — November
Twin Mills Camping Resort, Howe IN – Open: April — October
👉 Get Your Thousand Trails Membership Here 👈
Kentucky
Diamond Caverns RV & Golf Club, Park City KY – Open Year Round
Maine
Moody Beach RV Campground, Wells ME – Open: May — October
Massachusetts
Gateway To Cape Cod RV Resort, Rochester MA – Open: May — October
Sturbridge RV Resort, Sturbridge MA – Open: May — October
Michigan
Bear Cave RV Campground, Buchanan – Open: April — October
Thousand Trails St. Clair, St. Clair MI – Open: April — October
👉 Get Your Thousand Trails Membership Here 👈
Nevada
Las Vegas RV Resort, Las Vegas NV – Open Year Round
New Jersey
Chestnut Lake RV Campground, Port Republic NJ – Open: April — October
Lake and Shore RV Resort, Ocean View NJ – Open: April — October
Sea Pines RV Resort and Campground, Swainton NJ – Open: May — October
New York
Rondout Valley RV Campground, Accord NY- Open: April — November
North Carolina
Forest Lake RV and Camping Resort, Advance NC – Open Year Round
Green Mountain Park, Lenoir NC- Open: April — November
Lake Gaston RV and Camping Resort, Littleton NC – Open: April — November
👉 Get Your Thousand Trails Membership Here 👈
Ohio
Kenisee Lake RV Campground, Jefferson OH – Open April — October
Wilmington RV Resort, Wilmington OH – Open: April — October
Oregon
Bend-Sunriver RV Campground, Bend OR – Open Year Round
Pacific City RV and Camping Resort, Cloverdale OR – Open Year Round
Seaside RV Resort, Seaside OR – Open Year Round
South Jetty RV and Camping Resort, Florence OR – Open Year Round
Whalers Rest RV and Camping Resort, South Beach OR – Open Year Round
Pennsylvania
Circle M RV and Camping Resort, Lancaster PA – Open: April — October
Gettysburg Farm RV Campground, Dover PA – Open: April — October
Hershey RV and Camping Resort, Lebanon PA – Open: April— October
PA Dutch Country RV Resort, Manheim PA – Open: April — October
Scotrun RV Resort, Scotrun PA – Open: April — November
Timothy Lake North RV Resort, East Stroudsburg PA – Open: April — November
Timothy Lake South RV Resort, East Stroudsburg PA – Open Year Round
👉 Get Your Thousand Trails Membership Here 👈
South Carolina
Carolina Landing RV Resort, Fair Play SC – Open Year Round
The Oaks At Point South RV Resort, Yemassee SC – Open Year Round
Tennesse
Cherokee Landing Campground, Middleton TN – Open: April — November
Natchez Trace RV Campground, Hohenwald TN – Open Year Round
Texas
Bay Landing RV Campground, Bridgeport, TX – Open Year Round
Colorado River RV Campground, Columbus, TX – Open Year Round
Lake Conroe RV and Camping Resort, Willis, TX – Open Year Round
Lake Tawakoni RV Campground, Point, TX – Open Year Round
Lake Texoma RV Campground, Gordonville, TX – Open Year Round
Lake Whitney RV Campground, Whitney, TX – Open Year Round
Medina Lake RV Campground, Lakehills, TX – Open Year Round
Virginia
Chesapeake Bay RV Resort, Gloucester VA – Open: April — November
Harbor View RV and Camping Resort, Colonial Beach VA – Open: April — December
Lynchburg RV Resort, Gladys VA – Open: April — October
Virginia Landing RV Campground, Quinby VA – Open: April— October
Williamsburg RV and Camping Resort, Williamsburg VA – Open: March — December
👉 Get Your Thousand Trails Membership Here 👈
Washington
Birch Bay RV Campground, Blaine WA – Open Year Round
Chehalis RV and Camping Resort, Chehalis WA – Open Year Round
Crescent Bar RV Resort, Quincy WA – Open: April — September
Grandy Creek RV Campground, Concrete WA – Open: March — October
La Conner RV and Camping Resort, La Conner WA – Open Year Round
Leavenworth RV Campground, Leavenworth WA – Open Year Round
Thousand Trails Little Diamond, Newport WA – Open: April — October
Long Beach RV and Camping Resort, Seaview WA – Open Year Round
Mount Vernon RV Campground, Bow WA – Open Year Round
Oceana RV and Camping Resort, Ocean City WA – Open Year Round
Paradise RV Campground, Silver Creek WA – Open: May — September
Thunderbird RV and Camping Resort, Monroe WA – Open Year Round
Wisconsin
Plymouth Rock Camping Resort, Plymouth WI – Open April – October
Tranquil Timbers Campground, Sturgeon Bay WI – Open: May – October
Thousand Trails Resort in British Columbia
Cultus Lake RV Resort, Lindell Beach BC – Open Year Round
👉 Get Your Thousand Trails Membership Here 👈
5 Age Qualifying Campgrounds
Thousand Trails has reserved the following 5 campgrounds exclusively for
guests ages 55+.
Cactus Gardens RV Resort, Yuma AZ
Alamo Palms RV Resort, Alamo, Texas – Open Year Round
Fun-N-Sun RV Resort, San Benito, Texas – Open Year Round
Sunshine RV Resort, Harlingen, Texas – Open Year Round
Tropic Winds RV Resort, Harlingen, Texas – Open Year Round
Is a Membership Required to Stay at a Thousand Trails Park: Is Thousand Trails Worth It?
The short answer is yes, a membership is required to stay at any Thousand Trails park. However, there are options for those who don’t want to become members. Passport America offers 50% off nightly camping fees at many of the campgrounds in the Thousand Trails network.
Additionally, several Thousand Trails locations offer daily and weekly rates for those who don’t want to commit to an annual membership. So if you’re considering staying at Thousand Trails Park in the future, remember that membership offers the most perks, but there are options for those who don’t have a membership yet and want to experience Thousand Trails.
👉 Get Your Thousand Trails Membership Here 👈
Is Thousand Trails Worth It: What does a Membership cost?
The cost of a Thousand Trails membership depends on the level you choose. The most basic option is the Zone Pass at $670 per year. With the Thousand Trails Camping pass, you can pick from one of five regions: Southwest, Southeast, Northeast,
Northwest, and Midwest.
With a zone pass, you’ll be able to use all of the campgrounds in that region with no additional nightly fee. You can also add additional zones at $90 each. With a zone pass you have a booking window of 60 days – this means you can only book 60 days in advance.
Higher levels of membership offer additional discounts and access to more parks across the country. Prices for these higher tiers start at several thousand dollars.
What are the benefits of having a thousand trails membership?
The main benefit of having a Thousand Trails membership is camping for no nightly fee! Other benefits include discounts to additional camping resorts, and free cabin passes.
What is the most expensive thousand trails membership?
The most expensive membership (as of right now) is the Adventure Package. The Adventure Package is 10k+ and gives members a booking window of 180 days with the ability to purchase Trails Collection Plus.
Trails Collection Plus is an upgrade Trails Collection membership that offers 3 weeks per stay in Encore Parks, instead of 2. You also have a 90-day booking window at Encores instead of 60 days with the Trails Collection Plus.
Is the Thousand Trails camping pass worth it?
This depends on your level of camping. If you are a full-time RVer, I’d say no. Having only a 60-day booking window will make it difficult to get into the parks you want. If you are a part-time camper and flexible with where you want to go, then a camping pass might be worth it for you.
How can long-term travelers camp for free or cheaply in RV parks?
Many long-term travelers utilize camping memberships, like Thousand Trails. Others like to stay in state parks, workcamp, or pay monthly rates – monthly rates at campgrounds are usually much cheaper than nightly and weekly rates.
Booking Window Calculator
Results:
Thousand Trails:
Trails Collection:
Wrapping Up: Is Thousand Trails Worth It?
By now you’ve probably made up your mind, but in case you are still looking for an answer to “Is Thousand Trails Worth It?”, I’d say YES. I definitely think Thousand Trails is Worth it, especially for anyone looking to travel full-time. You will save a lot of money in the long run because your nightly fees are
included in the cost of the membership.
We chose the Elite Basic membership ($7k+) because we wanted a longer booking window (120 days) and the ability to book any campground in the Thousand Trails network for no nightly fee. We also like the ability to access Encore parks with an upgraded Trails Collection membership – yes, we pay extra for this. For us,
having all of these parks is worth it.
Is Thousand Trails Worth It: How To Buy Thousand Trails Memberships
If you’re ready to buy a Thousand Trails Membership, click HERE and get started today!
