Converted dirt parking lot near the balloon fiesta and historic district with some nice perks. We even got to see balloons flying over the park almost daily.
Campground: This is a large parking lot converted into a campground for the annual balloon fiesta. They paint the lines into the dirt and the sites are spacious for a parking lot style setup.
Campsite # 26
Our campsite was a dirt, back in site. It needed a little leveling. And there were no hookups, this is dry camping.
No picnic table or fire ring.
Propane refill at Chevron on Carlisle Blvd about 3.5 miles away.
Water was free at Flying J Avalon Rd location about 6 miles away. They also have a dump station for $10 fee.
Whatever you do, don’t go to the Maverick on Menaul Blvd. They are a truck stop, but 1 person said they didn’t have water, the other wanted to charge us $0.53/Gallon for water.
The Cultural Center provided a packet on check-in that has information about dump stations and water available in the area. They also provide the name and number for a service that will come to your site for $50 to refresh your tanks both fresh water and dumping services.
Wifi:
They offer free WIFI and it is really good!
Verizon and Starlink are also good. Any of these options are capable of streaming or teleconferencing.
Noise Level: Moderate road noise inside and out. I-40 is visible from the campground and most of the time you are going to have your windows open. It is also near an airport though we didn’t hear much noise from that and you can occasionally hear a train in the distance. Also generators will be running during non-quiet hours.
Amenities:
This is a no-frills location. Think boondocking.
They do offer dumpsters and port-a-johns with hand washing stations.
No pool, laundry, or playgrounds facilities.
Other facilities: They do have the Cultural Center (pay for entry) and multiple restaurants (including a Starbucks and Dominos) within walking distance to the campground. And, the campground provided coupons to some local business including one for 2 free pizzas as part of our welcome packet!
They offer security including a fence surrounding the exterior of the lot, cameras, and patrols which is nice because it is in the downtown area.
Dog friendly:
They are dog friendly, but don’t have any amenities for dogs.
There are 2 parks with grass areas within walking distance and there are several pick up stations with bags and trash cans. The area is very dog friendly and many of the restaurants have patio seating and welcome dogs.
Camp store: None, but Walmart is about 3 miles away.
Amazon Locker: Convenience, at Circle K about 2 miles away on your way to truck stop, Walmart, the mall, and other areas of interest.
Camp staff interactions: The camp hosts were super friendly and helpful. Marianne the Special Projects Manager at the Cultural Center helped me several times with making changes to our reservation. She was always friendly and very accommodating. Shout out to her for making our stay even better!
Reservations: We made our reservation online through RoverPass. I would recommend calling them to make a reservation because they do offer discounts that you can’t get through RoverPass.
Cost $55/night + the taxes and fees through RoverPass
Site costs vary from $25-65 based on site size.
Value: (4) It’s close to the balloon fiesta grounds. Compared to other campgrounds during this festival, it’s priced fairly for what is has on offer.
While this wasn’t our first choice, we tried booking the at the Balloon Fiesta grounds. We did some research and knew what to expect, but we were pleasantly surprised with this location.
If we come back again for another festival, we’d probably choose to come back here next time.
Verified
Felt they advertised this was close enough to see the balloons which wasn't the case. Just a large muddy concrete parking lot. There is a layer of dirt on the concrete and when it rains there's mud. I won't be back, better off reserving one of the lots near the event just be sure to reserve early.