We are in month two of life on the road so we thought we’d share more about what we’ve learned about places to park at night while on the road. We’ve done almost every place vanlifers have done except for Walmart or Cracker Barrel. It seems pretty common for vanlife folks to stay in Walmart or Cracker Barrel parking lots but we haven’t done it yet. All of the different places have pros and cons and some are definitely better than others.
KOA: Kampgrounds of America
KOAs are a kind of go-to place for us on workdays to ensure WIFI, but we’ve learned that all KOAs are not created equal and neither is their WIFI. We have stayed at KOAs in the past with our kids because they usually have activities, playgrounds, and showers. Those times we were tent camping or staying in the Kabins. This time around we either pick tent sites or plugin sites with no frills. A lot of RV people will say KOAs are expensive. But for us, a tent site with WIFI and free showers is usually not too bad for the workweek. But we’ve had to leave KOAs early twice. Once was because the WIFI was barely working and the location had no cell signal around for us to use our hotspot. Another time was because it was smoky. That one was not a picturesque KOA to begin with, but it was $20 a night. The cost of KOAs varies depending on the site and the campgrounds amenities.
Harvest Hosts
Harvest hosts are a free stay based on membership. We paid about $100 for a year membership and we’ve stayed at 4 locations I think so far. When you stay at a Harvest hosts location, you’re supposed to be self-contained, meaning they don’t have water, bathrooms are trash collection for you. But they can be out in the country with nothing but stars and cows nearby. It encouraged for you to visit and buy from the host. This could be at a winery or a farm. We’ve bought eggs, vegetables, or even dinner at some locations. We even bought gifts for friends at some locations. Breweries are a little hit and miss. This is because most breweries are in the city and the parking is their parking lot, which may be busy at night or have a lot of street traffic. You can search the website to include WIFI or if pets are ok, but generally Harvest hosts are for 1 night only. It’s a good option when we are looking for nonwork stays on the way from one to another.
Official State or National Campgrounds
These are fun to book because you want to visit the location. So far we’ve done the redwoods, Yellowstone, and Crater Lake. They are usually beautiful places we’ve never been able to visit until now. During covid and droughts, some amenities are not operational so you should check what is open. For example, some places don’t have food services or showers operating and some places even said they had no running water. Despite that, these have been some of our favorite stops.
Boondocking in the National Forest or BLM land
These locations we tend to find on iOverlander as we aren’t as familiar with all of the BLM sites and forest maps. We have found some really pretty spots with amazing views and it’s nice that iOverlander usually has reviews from people who’ve stayed there. The roads to the sites tend to be gravel or dirt and it’s nice when a review lets you know if the road requires 4WD (which we don’t have). That was how we found the start gazing site in Idaho. These sites tend to be more isolated and less likely to have a cell signal. They are also pack in, pack it out places. Occasionally there may be a fire ring. But we have to be sure to bring our own water and have everything we need.
Stealth Camping: Parking Lots and Street Camping
These locations are my least favorite. They usually involve traffic noise, street lamps, and worrying if someone will complain. But we have done it a few times. Once was at a truck stop we knew a lot of vanlife people had stayed at. The parking lot stayed pretty well lit and even though we kept our window covers up, we have one window where light comes in. We also did a casino parking lot, which was great. The casinos run by native people may allow overnight stays. You just have to ask the security guard if it’s ok. We did street camping while visiting our kid and we made sure we rolled up late and left early so as not to irritate the neighbors.
We have also slept in driveways, at friends’ houses, and in hotels. We don’t have a favorite, but we do enjoy some of these for different reasons. Is it a workday, is it the location, is it the shower-these are all questions we consider. Now that we are getting the hang of vanlife, we feel more comfortable staying in different places. In fact, we feel like overall, it’s getting easier to live, work and travel around in a van. It also started to be less stressful in general and we are having a lot more fun from place to place.
Oh the challenges (but mostly fun!) of finding a spot for the night! 😅 I’ve only done Walmart in Missouri during a quick trip covering a long distance (San Diego to Missouri to New Orleans in 4 days!) and I couldn’t find other options…seems like there’s a lot less in that area. It worked out for the best because it stormed and rained that last leg from MO to New Orleans. While having 4WD and higher clearance would be nice (and less stressful in the deserts dealing with sand), I’ve loved every spot we’ve been in. We’re always exactly where we’re meant to be!