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| contractID |
INDP |
| description |
History of Smithwoods R.V. Park Circa 1920 Welcome to this family owned resort! It all started in 1920 by Charles & his wife, Frances Smith under the name of Big Trees Auto Camp. They traveled to the Santa Cruz Mountains on vacation and fell in love with the trees, the river and the weather and decided to purchase the 13 acres of paradise.. The property, originally a brickyard, became an immediate attraction for auto campers from far and wide.. Here the visitors would enjoy the beautiful outdoors and relax under the redwoods. The Smiths raised their four children Bette, Florence, Eric & Charlotte on this property. During this time a couple of locals, Earl & Amy Powers, became friends with the Smiths and helped build the main house, referred to for years as "The Big House." In later years, Frances' mother came to live with them in the second story apartment - her name, Gragor Holt (of the Benjamin Holt Caterpillar Tractor Family from Stockton.) Charlie spent much of his time developing the park. One by one he built single room cabins and leased them by the year to family and friends. As Big Trees Auto Camp evolved tent camping became another way to get out under the stars. Charlie and his wife cherished this land and when they finally died it was their oldest daughter Bette and her husband Don Kelly who took the reins. So that left Bette and her husband Don to continue the family tradition. For the next 35 years Smithwoods was run by the Kelly's with the help of 2 of their 3 children Doug and Penny. From car camping to tent camping to RV camping many families have built a tradition around this home away from home. There were summers of crawdad fishing on the river, Spring trips to Roaring Camp and winter months of campfires and 'smores. After the death of Bette in June 2005, the care of the park changed hands to the next in line, oldest daughter Brenda and 2 of her children Chris and Rick (Charlie's great-grandsons.) They welcome you to their extended family with hopes of building long and lasting relationships in the years to come. Enjoy! |
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Thank you for your interest in Smithwoods RV Park. We are located among the redwoods in the Santa Cruz Mountains. We are 1 1/2 miles south of Felton, between Highway 9 and the San Lorenzo River. Our location on the Central Coast is an ideal spot to spend some leisure time. We have been family owned since 1920. |
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Full Service Sites Water Electric Sewer Cable tv Picnic Tables Fire Pits Laundry Room Lodge with Kitchen Clean Restrooms and Hot Showers |
| facility |
Smithwoods RV Park |
| facilityID |
729000 |
| fullReservationUrl |
http://www.reserveamerica.com/campsiteSearch.do?contractCode=INDP&parkId=729000&cmp=39-32--joewils |
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| nearbyAttrctionDescription |
Roaring Camp & Narrow Gauge Railroad Henry Cowell State Park Big Basin Redwoods Felton Covered Bridge (Historical site) Santa Cruz Beach & Boardwalk |
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| recreationDescription |
Heated Swimming pool (no lifeguard, seasonal) Billiard Room Basketball Ice Cream Social Movie Nights |