We rate some of the campgrounds we visit using our “5-Bambi” rating system.
Our “BAMBI” Rating System
One BAMBI
Should’a boondocked.
Should’a boondocked.
Two BAMBI
Better than a Cracker Barrel or Walmart.
Better than a Cracker Barrel or Walmart.
Three BAMBI
Adequate for a short stay.
Adequate for a short stay.
Four BAMBI
Great place with minor tradeoffs.
Great place with minor tradeoffs.
Five BAMBI
Destination camping at its best — nothing we’d improve.
Destination camping at its best — nothing we’d improve.
Historically, Airstream has called their small one-axle trailer a “Bambi”.
Only six campgrounds have earned our coveted “5-Bambi” rating:
- Cochiti Lake Recreation Area – Peña Blanca, New Mexico
- Fort Wilderness Campground – Disney World, Florida
- Gulf State Park – Gulf Shores, Alabama
- Maumee Bay State Park – Oregon, Ohio
- Sun Outdoors San Diego Bay – Chula Vista, California
- A sixth once earned the rating, but that campground has since closed, so we removed the review.
Many of the campgrounds listed here that earned a “4-Bambi” rating missed “5-Bambi” status only because they did not offer all four of our favorite activities — swimming, hiking, kayaking, and cycling — within walking distance of the campground.
These reviews reflect our personal experience. We were not paid, reimbursed, or influenced in any way.