Lake Durant is a great place for RV users to set up a basecamp. Campsites are generous and private with hiking, fishing and paddling activities all nearby. Photo By Mark Bowie
July 07, 2016
By Todd Smith
OK, so you've put in with the boss for some time off this summer and you're looking ahead to do something fun with the family. You want this trip to be fun for everyone, a chance to spend some quality time together and maybe get a little fishing in along the way.
Have you ever considered doing an RV adventure? It's a lot easier than you think . Whether you want to book an RV for a few days or an extended vacation, it's simple. And with gas prices at all-time lows this summer, getting away with the family in an RV is economical, too, which just might free up some additional dollars to try a few more fun things along the way.
While your choices of where to go are only limited by your time and imagination, here are three getaways that will provide family memories of a great road trip together for years to come.
Adirondack Adventure
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Situated in the heart of the Adirondacks, the 327-acre Lake Durant Campground is the perfect jumping off place to explore the many outdoor activities the Blue Mountain Lake area has to offer. The campsites offer plenty of privacy and are large to accommodate RVs up to 30 feet in length. The best thing about this location, however, is that it's surrounded by adventures that you can hike, bike or easily drive to.
Things to Do
Fishing — Great angling for bass, trout and panfish abounds in the many lakes surrounding the area.
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Hike — Take a hike up to one of the area's fire towers for spectacular views.
Paddle — Canoes and kayaks available at the marina on nearby Blue Mountain Lake. Take a picnic lunch and paddle to any of a dozen islands on the lake.
Fly — Take a seaplane flight from the base at nearby Long Lake to see the entire area from the air. Go early in the morning and you can park your RV near the beach where the seaplanes pull in.
Bike — Lots of places to explore by bicycle or mountain bike
Adirondack Museum — One of the finest small museums (and totally undiscovered) in the U.S. Great art, boat and Adirondack-style twig furniture on display. The gift shop is incredible with a full 30-foot wooden sailboat and there are plenty of indoor and outdoor activities for the kids.
Getting There
2 Hours from Albany
4 ½ hours from NYC
Lake Durant is a great place for RV users to set up a basecamp. Campsites are generous and private with hiking, fishing and paddling activities all nearby. Photo By Mark Bowie
Escape to Colorado's Steamboat Lake
Everybody knows Steamboat Springs, Colorado for its great skiing, hot springs, restaurants and nightlife, but just 26 miles north is one of Colorado's best-kept secrets — Steamboat Lake.
Located at the base of Hahn's Peak, 1,055-acre Steamboat Lake offers great, hiking, mountain biking, boating and world-class fishing. Campgrounds offer full RV hook-up facilities.
Things to Do
Fishing: The coves of Steamboat Lake are known for their giant rainbow trout, while nearby Pearl Lake is flies and lures only.
Hike: Miles of trails surround the entire area
Paddle board/kayak: Rentals available at the full-service marina on Steamboat Lake.
Sailing/water skiing: Steamboat Lake offers both.
Pearl Lake: Want an even more remote experience? Nearby Pearl Lake offers a peaceful getaway in a lush forest setting. Campsites here a "non-electric" but perfect for RV enthusiasts.
Getting There
3 ½ hours from Denver
38 minutes from Steamboat Springs, CO
Discover Copper Harbor, MI
Copper Harbor is located at the tip of the Keweenaw Peninsula at the western end of Michigan's UP. Go any further north and you'll fall into Lake Superior. Surrounded on three sides by water with a mountain at its back, Copper Harbor is one of the best spots to RV in America — scenic, unspoiled and largely undiscovered.
Things to do
Fishing — Nearby Lake Fannie Hooe is loaded with trout.
Historic Fort Wilkins State Park — Offers excellent RV camping on site with paved pads for big towable RVs. Fort Wilkins is a fully restored 1844 military outpost and features one of the first lighthouses on Lake Superior.
Mountain Bike — the town offers world-class trails for the hardcore but there are plenty of beginner rides as well with rentals available in town
Paddleboarding — Keweenaw Adventure Company in Copper Harbor is a center for paddleboarding and kayaking.
Hike — Take a trail through 500 acres of virgin white pines — one of the few remaining stands left in North America. These trees, which grow to 150 feet tall, provided masts for sailing ships back in the day.
Explore a lighthouse — Just a short boat ride out from the quaint harbor.
Local craft brewery — At the end of the day, everyone congregates at the Brickside Brewery, a very friendly microbrewery that handcrafts artisan brews.
Getting There
3 hours from Marquette, MI
5 hours from Duluth, MN
The area surrounding Copper Harbor provides a variety of stream and lake fishing opportunities for brook trout, walleye, splake and smallmouth bass. Photo Courtesy Go RVing, Inc.