Picture a person between the ages of 25 and 45, college-educated, earning anywhere from $40K to $150K in a high-tech occupation, and you will recognize the stereotype of a typical traveler on the information superhighway. At least that used to be the conventional view. Today that small band of webbies, techies, computer geeks, or whatever they are being called these days, has been joined by schoolchildren, homemakers and grandparents, pursuing their lessons, their shopping and their grandchildren, all via the World Wide Web.

A large segment of this new "wired" population has only recently ventured onto the Internet. Once viewed as confirmed cyberphobes, members of this group range in age from 55 to 75, are well established in their trades or professions, and are no longer involved in that frantic, time-consuming race to the top. They have, in fact, some time to spare, some discretionary income, or both, and have finally decided to get with it, buy a PC, and go online.

With the longer vacations or total retirement that typifies this slice of our population, it was inevitable that many would become frequent travelers. Some have opted for the ease and convenience of packaged tours or all-inclusive cruises, but others have chosen a more relaxed and independent mode of travel: the recreational vehicle, or "RV." It is primarily to these more adventurous "campers" that this column is addressed, but hey, if you’re a youngster with a love of the outdoors, you’re welcome to come along for the ride! Whether your RV is a luxury motor home, a compact travel-trailer or a Toyota with a tent in the trunk, there are Web sites to make planning your next outdoor outing a breeze.

One of the first pages to surface during our search for RV parks was the Good Sam Club. More mobile travelers than any other camping organization wear this club’s logo on their rigs. You’ve seen it—the familiar smiling face with a halo? While this site has plenty of useful information for the RVer, it gets bogged down trying to hustle member services and poll visitors, but finding a link to its companion site, Trailer Life Online, made it well worth the aggravation. Admittedly new and "under construction," T.L.O. is unfortunately ugly and clumsily organized, and one must complete a lengthy questionnaire just to enter. However, when one sees the awesome content of the site—12,000 RV parks and campgrounds, 2,400 RV service centers and 1,100 North American tourist attractions—who can help but be impressed? And something for laptop owners to look forward to: plans for a CD-ROM version of the Directory to take along while traveling.

Those who have been "on the road" for a while will recognize the second most common campground guide seen on RV bookshelves: Woodall’s. With a Web site that looks like it was designed by a professional rather than the company receptionist, it is easy to navigate, has campground listings nearly equal to Trailer Life Online, and throws in a lot of good information for would-be or novice campers on a page titled "Camping 101." Other informational buttons include, "All About RVs," "All About Tents," and a terrific page called simply, "Outdoor Activities" which lists destinations dedicated to ballooning, canoeing, hiking, scenic drives, fishing, horseback riding and even spelunking!

One of THE WEB Magazine Editor’s Choice awards last summer went to the Go Camping America Directory. This site has the blessing of the National Association of RV Parks and Campgrounds, and as such, lists only the 3,100 member parks in the chain, but those choosing to travel this route have the assurance of a holiday site that has met certain minimum standards set by the parent organization. Aside from the expected "Camping Directory," which is searchable by state, city, park name or even a portion of a half-remembered name, one may also designate the campground amenities desired, such as "full hook-ups, heated pool, playground, pet-friendly, etc." One added feature of this Web site is an interactive "Message Board" which, although a bit slim on current postings, promises to be a great online meeting place for outdoor travelers in the future.

An even smaller, but quite dependable listing of organizational RV parks is maintained by the California Travel Parks Association. (CTPA member parks in Oregon and Nevada are also supported.) Their stiff "platinum interface," which seems to be all the rage lately, is aimed primarily at park operators, but the "Find a Campground" buttons easily steer travelers to the 400+ "luxury" parks in the network.

No list of camping Web sites would be complete without the U.S. National Park Service’s pages headed by ParkNet. Since visiting this site over a year ago, I was delighted find a reorganized, redesigned home page leading to a dynamic database of the NPS’s national treasures. They’re all there, from the Yellowstones and Yosemites to the lesser-known Lava Beds of Tulelake or the Pinnacles of Paicines. Throughout this site, the page design is attractive, the information is complete and the printouts are compact. In addition to the usual visitors’ information, there are "Links to the Past," featuring America’s histories and cultures; "Park Smart," featuring educational and interpretational programs; and "Nature Net," concentrating on the natural resources of the parks. Key pages include scenic photos which spice up the site without seriously slowing the downloads.

Recently touted by USA Today is RVers Online, a nice addition to any camper’s bookmark collection. Together with a plethora of RV-oriented information is a feature unique among all of the sites reviewed: a "Full-Timers Corner." For the uninitiated, full-timers are those whose only home is their motor home or trailer, or those who spend the better part of each year migrating between a northern and southern base, chasing the sun, the good life or whatever. An "RVers Mailbox" on this page also makes the site attractive as an informal message center for those who are no longer attached to a single home address. Also linked to this site is an intriguing RV club called "The Loners of America" especially for widows, widowers and divorced travelers who prefer the camper to the condo.

Finally, take a look at a somewhat obscure Web site, the kind that Web surfers usually "discover" as they research the obvious. A pair of RV "full-timers," Fred and Suzi Dow, are currently collecting information on U.S. National Forests Campgrounds. While their present database is heavy on western and southern camps, this nonprofit labor of love, this work in progress during a three-year sabbatical, promises a more complete compendium as time passes, so a bookmark for a future view is highly recommended.

These are only a tiny sampling of the camping travel Web sites online, most of which have been posted in the last year. So whether you’re a RV enthusiast looking for a long-term trek like the Dows, an annual vacation with the family, or a weekend getaway with your significant other, these pages will point you to hundreds of resources for planning your next outdoor adventure...or possibly a brand-new lifestyle.

Many N.P.S. and N.F.S. campgrounds assign volunteer park assistants to provide visitor information and lend a hand when needed. The "pay" is usually a free campsite for the term of the assignment, usually two or three months.

The Forest Service depends heavily on a cadre of minimum-wage workers, 55 and older, who help with park maintenance, staff visitor centers, and assist rangers with campground improvement projects.

The Department of Agriculture National Forest Service funds various archaeological projects ranging from archaeological surveys to building restorations, to scientific "digs." Volunteers usually provide their own transportation, camping gear, food and other personal items. One may also request a catalog of these projects by calling (800) 281-9176.