Corps of Engineers Campgrounds: A Good Buy For Senior Citizens

By Jane Kenny
Camping on public lands is a long-standing American tradition. Huge portions of public lands, managed by a variety of government agencies, are available to the general public for recreational use.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which manages more than 12 million acres of land and water, provides over 30 percent of all recreation on federal lands. And, it is the largest provider of water-based recreation, with over 25 million individuals visiting a Corps project at least once a year.

Traveling seniors will find their best buy at Corps-managed campgrounds. Individuals age 62 and older may purchase the new federal “America the Beautiful” lifetime pass for $10, and it gives them 50% off the camping fees at all Corps-managed campgrounds. As of January 1, 2007, the “America the Beautiful” pass replaced the Golden Age Passport. However, existing Golden Age Passports can remain valid for the lifetime of the passholder.

No matter where you are in the U.S., there’s a Corps of Engineers lake nearby. The Corps operates more than 2,500 recreation areas at 463 projects, mostly lakes. Hundreds of attractive campgrounds have been developed by the Corps at its projects and they are popular destinations for RVers. Corps campgrounds generally feature wide and comfortable sites suitable for any size RV…even modern big rigs with multiple slideouts. Corps of Engineers-managed campgrounds are noted for their tidy, spacious sites, lovely lakeside settings and excellent fishing spots.

The newly-released book, RVers Guide To Corps of Engineers Campgrounds, lists over 600 Corps-managed campgrounds across the nation that have sites suitable for RV camping. The user-friendly guide is organized alphabetically by state, with a state locator map at the beginning of each section, and accurate directions to each campground

The RVers Guide To Corps of Engineers Campgrounds is available on the Travel Books website.