How to Find Army Corps of Engineers Campgrounds: Full Guide

US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS 2

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What Are the Army Corps of Engineers (COE)?

US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS 2

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE) has been around since 1908, playing roles in everything from the first and second World Wars to building the Library of Congress and the Pentagon.

According to the COE’s official website:

“As the nation’s environmental engineers, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers manages one of the largest federal environmental missions: restoring degraded ecosystems, constructing sustainable facilities, regulating waterways, managing natural resources, and cleaning up contaminated sites from past military activities.”

And that’s just touching the surface, as they even help with humanitarian efforts outside of the U.S.’s borders. 

But more to the topic at hand: 

Why Does the COE Have Campgrounds? And Why Are They Special?

In part, the mission of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is to maintain public water sources that are vital to the health and safety of U.S. citizens. This is why you’ll notice that every COE campground is on one of 450 major U.S. lakes.  

COE campgrounds came about essentially on accident, originally as part of on-site camps for workers taking part in COE conservation projects. Since then, part of the COE’s mission has extended to preserving these natural recreation areas similar to national parks.

These campgrounds are prime locations for RVing, with well-maintained campgrounds, pristine natural settings, and super affordable campground fees typically ranging from $20-30 per night for reservations (with 50% off on all reservations with an affordable annual pass). 

Activities open to the public at COE campgrounds include:

  • Camping
  • Hiking
  • Rafting
  • Fishing
  • Hunting
  • And much more

How to Find Army Corps of Engineers Campgrounds

Now, let’s get to the important part: where do you find these COE campgrounds?

There are 450 COE campgrounds located in 43 different states, so they’re virtually everywhere. But it’s a bit hard to locate information on them online. 

And even when you do find the information, it’s a bit hard to navigate.

Here’s how to find the Army Corps of Engineers campgrounds in your area (wherever you happen to be at the time) as well as how to reserve your stay:

The official COE website has a database of all COE campgrounds across every available state.

It’s a pain to locate (so save the link!), but fortunately, it’s not so bad to navigate: Corps Lakes.

You’ll see a collection of resources, the most important of which are those at the top row:

COE RESOURCES WEBSITE

The first is a list of all COE campgrounds (or Corps Lakes), which you can locate quickly by selecting your state.

From that page, you can get basic information for each individual campground by clicking on one:

COE CAMPGROUND INFO PAGE

And a quick status chart showing availability of both the campground and its recreational activities and amenities:

COE CAMPGROUND INFO PAGE 2

If you go back to the main Corps Lakes page, the third option on the list gives similar status information but with more detail.

The main convenience is that you can get that information for all campgrounds in a given state on a single page, which makes things much faster and easier to scan through:

COE CAMPGROUNDS STATUS PAGE

Lastly, the second resource you’ll use on the main Corps Lakes page is Recreation.gov.

Once you’ve located the campground you’d like to reserve at, Recreation.gov allows you to quickly and easily reserve at any COE campground throughout the U.S.:

RECREATION DOT GOV

The site allows you to even filter based on amenities to further help you decide between different campgrounds.

That’s it! With those resources in hand, you can:

  • Locate all COE campsites in your area (in addition to national and state parks)
  • See the status of those campgrounds to decide which you’d like to visit
  • And reserve a campsite

See here to learn more about Recreation.gov: 

What Is Unique About Army Corps of Engineers Campgrounds?

Army Corps of Engineers campgrounds offer super low-cost camping throughout the U.S. at pristine natural reserves, some of the most affordable you’ll find anywhere (especially if you get an annual America the Beautiful pass, see the resources section below). 

Beyond that, with typical campgrounds, you never really know how well they’re taken care of before you get there. With COE campgrounds, you can be assured that they’re well-maintained campsites 

They’re also unique in that they’re managed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers. And while that doesn’t have anything to do with the quality of your stay, it’s nice knowing you’re supporting an organization that has been around for over 100 years. 

Who are the Army Corps of Engineers Campgrounds Available to?

Army Corps of Engineers campgrounds are available to everyone! 

No reservation is necessary either, but you can make a reservation just as you would with an RV park. 

Just keep in mind, as mentioned earlier, COE sites aren’t guaranteed to be open, nor are their various recreational activities always available.

It’s a good idea to check online first or call ahead to ensure availability before setting out. 

How Much Do Army Corps of Engineers Campgrounds Cost?

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers campgrounds typically cost about $20-30 per night in camping fees.

Every site has slightly different pricing, however, so you may want to verify online or call ahead to double check. Some COE campgrounds can reach above $50 per night so it varies.

That cost typically includes:

  • Electric and water hookups
  • Trailer dump station
  • Picnic table
  • And various recreational opportunities

However, every campground is different. The location you visit might not have all of the above-listed amenities.

One great aspect of COE parks vs. typical RV campgrounds is that they apply to the America the Beautiful annual pass:

AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL ANNUAL PASS

The pass is $80 annually and gives you a number of benefits related to federal nature reserves and similar campsites across the country. 

More to the point, however, with it you can get a huge 50% discount on all COE campground reservations. 

They even have other exclusive passes for additional savings such as their senior pass, which is just $20.

Army Corps of Engineers Links and Resources

We mentioned a few resources throughout this guide, plus there are a few more you may want to know about.

Here are a few COE campground resources for finding campgrounds, more information about the campgrounds themselves, and links to passes you can use for getting up to a 50% discount each time you stay at any COE campground:

  • Corps Lakes (Campgrounds) Database: A master page with links to all COE campground sites across every available state, campground status and availability, and more. 
  • America the Beautiful Annual Pass: Get a whopping 50% discount at all COE campgrounds year-round, for just $80 annually. Additional more affordable passes available for military (free), seniors ($20), and the disabled (free) makes this an even better deal.
  • Recreation.gov: Federal program that lists all U.S.-owned campgrounds and related sites and allows you to reserve online. Also has a handy mobile app.
  • Allstays app: The Allstays app has several handy features for RVers, one of which is a list of all COE campgrounds. 

This post may contain affiliate links. Check out our disclosure for more information.

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