The US National Parks offer an amazing way to experience nature from an RV. Most national parks have campgrounds which can accommodate RVs of various lengths, and some even offer full hookups. Here is list of some of the top RV sites in the national parks. We have tried to offer some diversity in both location and what the parks have to offer.
Acadia National Park
Acadia is a fantastic park, rich in history and very diverse in natural surroundings from lush forest to granite seawalls. There are two RV campgrounds within the park. Blackwoods campground is located 5 miles south of Bar Harbor and Seawall is located 4 miles south of Southwest Harbor. Blackwoods is closer to the heart of the park with quicker access to the main park visitor center and the town of Bar Harbor. Both take reservations which are highly recommended, especially during the peak summer season. If either is full or if your rig is over the 35-foot limit, try the KOAs. Bar Harbor Oceanside KOA is a great big rig friendly park located just after the causeway when you enter Mount Desert Island. Just down the road is the Woodlands KOA, it is great for smaller rigs and has a pool that is shared with the Oceanside facility.
Mammoth Cave National Park
If cave exploring is your thing, Mammoth Cave offers the largest cave network in the world and the park has some great tours. For camping, Mammoth Cave campground is located adjacent to the main visitor’s center and can accommodate RVs up to 38 feet and trailers up to 26 feet. There are no water or electric hookups except for two sites so you will have to plan on being self-sufficient. For bigger rigs or full hookup sites try Singing Hills RV Park which is located on RT 70 just east of Mammoth Cave National Park.
Everglades National Park
For paddlers, there’s no better place then Everglades National Park. There are hundreds of miles of paddling trails throughout the park. During the winter months it is also considered a birder’s paradise with several species of interesting birds wintering within the park boundaries. For RV camping there is the Flamingo Campground with spaces to accommodate RVs up to 45 feet. The busy season, and best time to visit, is from late November through mid-April. Reservations are recommended during this time.
Glacier National Park
No park in the US national park system rivals the sheer beauty of Glacier National Park. This gem in Northern Montana is a fantastic RV destination and should be high any RVers list of must-see destinations. The west side of the park, around the Apgar visitors center, is the busiest section of the park. The Fish Creek Campground is on Lake McDonald just a short drive from Apgar village and provides an excellent base camp from which to explore the park. On the east side, there are two campgrounds that take reservations and have RV spots. St. Mary Campground is on the Going to the Sun Road about a half mile from the St. Mary Visitors Center. Many Glacier Campground is about 22 miles north of St. Mary in the Many Glacier District of the park. This is one of the least visited areas and can offer a little more solitude then Fish Creek or St. Mary. The sites here are small, limited to 30 feet or less with most under 21 feet. There is generally no space for slide outs either. Larger rigs, or those with slide outs should look for space at St. Mary or Fish Creek. If space is full at the park campground, consider staying at North American RV Park. It is located about 5 miles south of the Apgar entrance and is a great place to stay in that area.
Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone is a great place to visit, it has nearly every environment you can find in North America, aside from deserts and salt water, wrapped up into one giant park. It is also right next door to Grand Teton National Park, which is beautiful in and of itself. Yellowstone has five reservable campgrounds, and seven which are first come first serve. Fishing Bridge is the nicest and is the only one to offer full hookups. Unfortunately, it is closed for the 2019 season. Grant Village is also an excellent location. For big rigs, try Mammoth. It is first come first serve, but it has sites up to 65 feet in length. If all the campgrounds are full within the park, there are several private parks in West Yellowstone. If those are full, try Red Rock RV Park in Island Park, ID. There are also several boondocking opportunities in the national forest areas of Island Park if you are set up to camp that way.
These are a few of the top national park campgrounds. There are many more great campgrounds throughout the national park system. To find your national park camping adventure try visiting https://www.nps.gov/findapark/advanced-search.htm?a=23&p=1&v=0 for a list of parks offering camping as an activity.