Staying at Pontchartrain Landing

(another catch up post. We promise we only have a couple more of these!)

We stayed at Pontchartrain Landing for eight days. We got a special deal because we were there for an Escappees HOP, but we understand there are different prices, depending on where in the park you want to stay.

Address: 7001 France Rd, New Orleans, LA 70126

Website

Dog Friendly: The park does not have any specified areas for dogs. Because this park sits in an industrial area of New Orleans, there wasn't any other options near the park to walk a dog either. We choose to board Crockett during most of our stay, and Pet Paradise in Kenner was wonderful. In fact, Pet Paradise might've gone a bit overboard in trying to take care of our oh so neurotic baby. We warned them Crockett is a finicky eater who skips meals regularly, but still got several calls from staff who 'just wanted to let us know Crockett was refusing to eat'. Um, yes, we know - he doesn't even eat for us sometimes!

Motorcycle Friendly: This park's roads are gravel. While the RV park's roads are maintained, France Road and many other New Orleans roads are in very poor condition. Add in New Orlean's traffic and we'd recommend using extreme caution while riding here.

Cell Service/Wifi: Verizon was 2-3 bars, without a booster. The park does offer free wifi, but it only seems to work in the restaurant area.

Amenities: The park has two sets of bathrooms, both with showers. There is also a pool, and a hot tub. There were minor maintenance issues with the bathrooms while we stayed here. The park does offer propane, and has one of the nicer restaurants we've seen in a RV park.

Getting There: You will need to take France Road to reach this park. The road is poorly maintained, and not RV-friendly, so go slow! 

Know Before You Go: Although it bills itself as a resort, it feels like the owners are more worried about keeping expenses low, and doing the bare minimum to keep the park going. There are numerous long-term RVs in poor condition, dead plants in the landscaping, and obvious maintenance issues.

Another example is the shuttle. The park's website says it offers shuttle service, but the shuttle only runs a couple of times a day, stops at 8 pm, and costs $6 a round trip. Even worse, the designated pick up area in the French Quarter is right next to a restaurant's trash cans - yuck! Having said all of this, we talked to campers who make frequent trips to New Orleans, and they say this is the best of the RV parks in the immediate area. 

Local Stuff: Duuude, it's New Orleans! Oh, and there is a Walmart within ten  minutes of the park.

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Staying at Fountainbleau State Park

(yes, another catch up post from March)

We made a stopover at Fontainebleau on the way to New Orleans. Fountainbleau State Park is a large park that sits on the bank of Lake Pontchartrain. New Orleans, on the other side, can just be seen from the shoreline. Camping fees vary depending on the day of the week, but you can find rates here.

Website

Map

This park was part of the property of Bernard de Marigny de Mandeville, and the remains of his sugar mill are near the visitor information center. 

Dog Friendly: The park does not have off leash areas. There is a beach and walking trails, but we couldn't find a place to walk our dog that wasn't crowded. We're glad to see a park that is clearly well-loved by locals, but it was a little too packed for us!

Good to know: The RV spots are very tight, and too close together. There is also a large pavilion area and beach, so the park has continuous traffic from day visitors. We will also repeat that this park is too busy. We didn't see anyone enforcing the limit number of cars or people at a campsite, and we also saw tents pitched in areas not intended for camping. While we don't mind the occasional person wandering through our campsite, having ten cars at the next campsite and random children blithefully trooping through our campsite was a bit much!

Motorcycle Friendly: There are only a few pull through sites where you can load and unload a bike easily. The roads are paved and well-maintained, but we would recommend using caution because of the large number of day users on the park roads. 

Cell Service/Wifi: Verizon was 2-3 bars, without a booster. The park offers free wifi, but it was too slow to be usable.

Amenities: Campsites have water, electric, and a picnic table. There is also several bathhouses with toilets and showers. The showers were only lukewarm, and the water temperature cannot be adjusted. The park does have washers and dryers. When we stayed, the park had just put in new washers, which were free. The dryers still required quarters. The park does have an information center, but it was closed on the weekend we stayed there. 

Getting There: The park is right off of I-190, and well marked by signage.

Know Before You Go: This is a great park - if you like crowds and traffic! The park is expensive for a state park, and the tight, crowded spots do not offer the usual enjoyment of nature typical of these kind of parks. There seems to be a problem with enforcement; from speeding and traffic, to too many occupants and cars at RV spots

Local Stuff: There is both a Rouse's and a Walmart about 20 minutes from the park. The park is in St. Tammany Parish, and there are quite a few things to do on "the North Shore." The causeway across the lake to New Orleans is also nearby, so it's an quick drive to New Orleans!

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