A small RV in a park near water with an open laptop inside.

How to Find RV Parks for You & Your Family

You have vacation time, an RV and an excited family ready to hit the road. But where do you go? It’s not always easy to find RV parks that meet your needs – but that’s only because you don’t know where to look!

There are plenty of tools available to help you locate the ideal campgrounds for your vacation. Read on to learn about them, plus some tips to help you make the most of your getaway.

Consider Your Needs

To have a great experience at an RV park, the most important thing is to find one that meets your needs:

All of these questions and more can help you narrow down your potential campground. With thousands of options available across the country, it’s much easier to focus on just the RV parks that will offer you everything you want.

How Far Are You Willing to Travel?

Another key consideration is deciding how far you want to travel. If you’re just looking to go away for a weekend, you’ll likely want to stay nearby. The United States is full of breath-taking national parks, but depending on where you live now, they could be quite a drive.

And depending on the type of RV you own, certain trips can be easier. While the cost of RV travel isn’t prohibitive even for long-distance trips, you should consider your budget and plan appropriately.

Finding the Best RV Parks

Use Online Resources

Almost any campground in America can be found online. It’s easier than ever to research your trips before your wheels touch the road! All you need is to know where to look. Here are some of the best resources available to you online:

Go Camping America

With an incredibly robust search tool, Go Camping America makes it easy to find not only the best campgrounds in your state, but the ones with activities suited for your family. You can sort by a handful of categories, with dozens of options, such as:

  • Amenities
  • Lifestyles
  • Site Options
  • Recreation
  • Services
  • Discounts
  • Payment Options

When it comes to narrowing your search, this site can make it takes minutes instead of hours. Most of the parks have their relevant information listed: their website, contact number, rates and which seasons they’re open.

Kampgrounds of America

Like Go Camping America, KOA offers a map and search feature to find campgrounds near you. The one caveat is that KOA’s maps only show KOA campgrounds. All you have to do is put in your location and you’ll see dozens of near-by campgrounds.

Their trip planner will also quickly help you find directions and understand the distance of your trip. This can help when you figure out how long the trip will take and let you estimate your gas budget!

The National Park Service

Scattered across America are hundreds of national or state parks ready for you to explore them. With so many to choose from, it helps to narrow them down. Fortunately, the National Park Service maintains a website that includes details for all of these major parks.

 A fifth-wheel RV parked at a national park in New Mexico.

Every listing includes the most critical information for each park, such as:

  • Things to do
  • Notable landmarks
  • Eating and sleeping accommodations
  • Operating hours and seasons
  • Accessibility

With all of the information available, it’s easy to learn the ins-and-outs of a park before you visit. This can help you focus your search on only the best options near you – which will lead to an unforgettable trip!

In addition to parks, the NPS website also features national monuments, memorials and historical sites. Even full-time RVers would find it impossible to cross every location off their checklist.

Speak with Other RV Enthusiasts

The offline and online RV community is massive. Every year you travel in your motorhome or fifth wheel will introduce you to countless new friends and families that are just like you. That network is invaluable for finding hidden gems and amazing experiences all over the country.

Ask around your RV groups to get opinions and suggestions on where you should go next. Not only can these enthusiasts help you find great places to go, they can clue you into the must-see landmarks and secret retreats that you may have otherwise missed!

Tips for After You Find RV Parks to Visit

The most important step to planning a great RV trip is to avoid being blindsided by unexpected issues. You can avoid them with just a little due diligence.

Call for More Information

After you’ve chosen your campground to visit, call them! Natural disasters, severe weather or something as simple as new construction can impact a park’s availability or hours. It’s crushing to drive for hours only to arrive at a park that’s not open to the public.

You can’t always trust official websites or online map resources to have up-to-date news on sudden closures. Call the park, confirm your plan with them and ask if there’s anything important to know before you hit the road.

Read Online Reviews

Online reviews let you get a snapshot of opinions from other travelers like yourself. If a park website has an official review section, or if Google reviews are available, briefly browse through them. Pay close attention to see if there are any recurring comments, such as an issue with park upkeep or dangerous areas to avoid.

While not every park will have reviews available, you can use some other online resources to get information. For those that love trails, you can use a website like AllTrails to get information and reviews on official trails at the most popular parks.

Make a Reservation

The last step before you leave is to make a reservation. Almost every major park accepts reservations during their busiest times of year. Your reservation will ensure that you won’t be forced to dry camp when you were expecting to have hook-ups for your RV.

During the off-season, many campsites are first come, first serve and won’t accept reservations. In those instances, it’s still helpful to call and ask if it’s likely that they’ll have open campsites for you when you arrive.

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Find a Great RV for Your Next Vacation – Contact RV Wholesale Superstore

Are you ready to go camping but need a new RV? The professionals at RV Wholesale Superstore are ready to help you! We can answer your questions and help you choose the perfect RV for you and your family! Visit us in-person at 5080 W. Alexis Road, in Sylvania, OH or call us at (844) 601-1171.

 

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