Hilham, Tennessee: Standing Stone State Park

April - May 2024, weekend-weekdays, 3 nights

View out side camper window on site 13 in Standing Stone State Park

Reservations and arrival

We chose this campground because it was enroute between Mammoth Caves and Smoky Mountains. We wanted a place where we could hike and charge our camper for a couple of nights, and this campground looked like it fit our needs. I made a reservation online for campsite 13. We paid a $5 reservation fee, and received a 25% senior discount on the nightly rate. 

Campground arrival/check-in sign in Standing Stone State Park

There is no staff in the campground area of this park, and there is a sign at the entrance with instructions about how to register. Our site had a tag on it with our name and the reserved dates when we got to it. 

Campsite 13 in Standing Stone State Park

Campsite 13 and more

The roads in this campground are narrow and hilly, as are most of the campsites. The campground looked neglected, and there was a lot of erosion. It took us quite a bit of effort to get level on our site because of the ground sinkage. The driver’s side of site 13 when backing in was considerably lower. We backed in as far toward the fire pit as we could get without running into the boards alongside the drive. 

Campsite 13 in Standing Stone State Park

After we tried a few of different positions and blocks of our own to level our camper side to side, we decided we needed to use the concrete slabs that had been left on the site—apparently, for campers like us!

Mammoth Cave National Park and Campground

April and May 2024, 6 nights, campsite 85

Mammoth Cave National Park loop C campsites

Campground

There was no one at the entrance booth when we arrived, so we proceeded to our reserved site. There are no tags or reserved signs on the sites, so if you do not have a reservation, it is difficult to know which sites are available. We did see staff at the entrance off and on during our stay; just not when we arrived.

Mammoth Cave National Park campsite 85 in loop C

We had reserved campsite 85, which is a pull through site in loop C on the right side of the road. It is a spacious and mostly private site; however, it floods during rain.

View from campsite 85 in Mammoth Cave National Park loop C

If you have a pull through site on the left side of the road, be aware that your camper door will be facing the road, unless you turn around and pull through backwards. You can get pretty good views of the campsites in this park on their website and on google maps. One night of our stay, a camper pulled into site 84, a pull through site across the road from us. They opted to stay parked backwards with their camper door open; facing the road and us. Since it is basically just the roadway between our tar pad and theirs, we could easily hear them when we went to bed that evening, even though our bed is at the front of our camper (they were also a loud group of 4 people).

Other than the site flooding when it rained, we liked campsite 85. A couple of other sites we liked were 90 (loop C), and 13, and 11 in B loop. There are two full hookup sites in this campground, 91 and 93, which we were not aware of before this stay. When I looked at the reservation site again during our stay, I saw that these sites are listed as FCFS. Both of these sites looked nice, although it looked like the cost might be twice as much as the other sites. 

Sign posted by restrooms in Mammoth Cave National Park loop C 

Overall, this campground was a noisy place during our stay, and no rules were enforced. During part of our stay, the person on campsite 71 ran a very loud generator (loud generators not allowed, it says) all day long. We were quite a ways away from that site, and could easily hear it. We happened to be chatting with someone at the dump station when we left a few days later, and learned he had been on the campsite across from the loud generator. He said everyone in his area was happy when that camper departed the day before us.

Laundry facilities in Mammoth Cave National Park

Amenities

Along with a sanitation station, this campground has laundry facilities, pay showers, and a post office behind the camp store. The washers were $1.75, and the dryers cost $1.50 for 45 minutes. Flush toilets and fresh water are available in each campground loop. 

Seating area in lodge in Mammoth Cave National Park

Shawnee National Forest: Pounds Hollow Recreation Area, Cave-In-Rock, Garden of the Gods, and more

April 2024, 5 nights

We visited Shawnee National Forest in 2022 and loved it. We were passing through on that trip, and did not have much time to explore, so we returned with our camper this trip. You can find more information via the 2022 link above, and there are more photos of the area in the Shawnee Forest Facebook album.

Above: View from the road around the campground looking up toward the first loop
Below: Campground registration board

Pine Ridge Campground in Pounds Hollow Recreation Area

According to the website this campground has 35 sites, which are all first come, first serve. There are actually four loops in the campground with sites numbered as high as 76. The very first loop on the right was closed in April; however, the other three loops were open. This campground has fresh water at the entrance and a couple of pit toilets in two of the loops. There is no dump station, no flush toilets (except in the picnic and beach area), and no showers. The cost is $10 per night/$5 senior rate.

Campsite 43 in Pounds Hollow Recreation Area - Pine Ridge Campground

The first loop on the left has sites with electricity. We arrived on a Tuesday, and there were only three campers in this loop. Site 41 (or first choice) was taken, so we chose site 43.  Site 43 is the most secluded site in this section with trees on all sides. The campsite is mostly flat; we had to use one leveling block under each tire on the driver's side.

Above: looking at campsite 43 from site 42 in Pine Ridge Campground
Below: campsite 37 in Pounds Hollow Recreation Area/Pine Ridge Campground

We liked most of the campsites in this campground, and I am sharing a few more photos here. The two end campsites in the primitive loop (no power) straight ahead when entering the campground area are great sites. Unfortunately, I did not get any photos of those.

Above: campsite 40
Below: campsite 41

There was quite a bit of pollen, many tent worms, and many bees during our stay in April. We did not have any mosquitoes, and the flies were not too bad. It was quiet during most of our stay. The only somewhat noisy day was our last night, which was Saturday. Overall, we loved this campground and would definitely stay here again.

Garden of the Gods in Shawnee National Forest Illinois

Recreation 

We visited Garden of the Gods again, and enjoyed it just as much as we had the first time. 

Indian Point Trail at Garden of the Gods in Illinois

Montrose, Illinois: Montrose Village Campground

April 2024, weekday, one night

Sunrise from inside our camper on site 4 in Montrose Village Campground

We had originally planned to just sleep in a Walmart parking lot or someplace similar for this one night. I learned about this self-service campground, with a minimal overnight rate, shortly before our trip, and we decided to stay here instead. The information I had read online from previous campers, said that it is $5 for a primitive site, and $15 for electricity. I could not find any actual information or a website for the campground.

Registration and firewood at Montrose Village Campground

Arrival and registration

There was a self-registration box, as others mentioned. This is on the front of the building with flush toilet restrooms. We paid $15 for a power site, and set up on site #4. I deposited a check, which was processed from our account about 10 days later. There is also a donation box for [almost free] firewood.

Our trailer is on site 4 in Montrose Village Campground