Written By: Liz Voosen
I’ve been lucky enough to travel for over a decade with my Pleasure-Way van. The first year, my family stayed at public state campgrounds, private KOA campgrounds, and the occasional Walmart parking lot with our van. But in the years since, we have expanded our use of the Pleasure-Way to include all kinds of driving vacations (and local day trips).
In this blog, I’ll cover some options for overnight stays that go beyond the basics that most beginners know.
I am not going to cover hotels/motels and big box store parking lots like Walmart, nor will this post cover the more complicated ins and outs of free BLM (Bureau of Land Management) land.
Here are 7 types of overnight stays you might want to consider, for inspiration on your next trip.
1. Public Campgrounds
Now this may seem obvious, but hang on. Have you looked at state, national, county and city parks with camping? Or state forest campgrounds? What about Army Corp of Engineers parks? There is a wide variety of public campgrounds available, and to keep you on your toes, they’re not all listed conveniently on the same government website.
While crowds flock to the national parks (and for good reason, they’re spectacular), during peak times, especially, the smaller parks are easier to get reservations at and are still exciting and beautiful.
Last June, we pulled into a remote Army Corp of Engineers-run park late one night in northern Oklahoma (Osage Cove Kaw Lake Campground). It was dark, the park was nearly empty (just one other RV in the entire huge loop of sites we chose), and I admit to a bit of trepidation in this scenario. Some of the sites were quite hilly and I was not familiar with the terrain. We found a level spot and went to sleep with the stars shining bright above us and silence all around.
In the morning, we woke to the most magnificent blue sky, green grass, and rippling lake beside us. Fishing and boating were a big part of the draw for folks here. We met our friendly neighbor in the one nearby RV and had a good chuckle over the raccoons that had found their way into her dog food during the night.
(Photos of Osage Cove Kaw Lake public campground, OK, run by US Army Corp of Engineers)
State Parks typically have more infrastructure and resources than Army Corp of Engineers and other government-run parks (aside from national parks). At Sue-meg State Park on the northern California coast, we enjoyed a ranger-led bird talk one evening. The kids in the audience were invited on stage to help with part of the talk. Don’t assume your kids are too old for this! Mine were 16 and 17 at the time and gleefully participated with the 4 and 5 year olds. Camping just brings out the kid in us, I think.
County-run parks are often easy to get reservations at, and some have surprising features, while still being less expensive than state and national parks. Agua Caliente County Park, in the southern California desert and less than an hour from Mexico, offers natural hot springs and multiple pools at the campground.
Public parks aren’t all on the same online reservation system. Using an app like RV Life (or one of the many others) helps me find a variety of campgrounds. Sometimes a Google search such as “camping near (city name)” is helpful too. Then I can go directly to the park site I need to get details and make reservations.
2. Private Campgrounds
Private campgrounds are typically more resort-style, more fully staffed, and include all the basics in price (vs public, which sometimes charge extra for showers, dump stations, etc.). In theory, they should be nicer, to go along with the higher price. They sometimes offer boat rentals, a stocked convenience store, and other bonuses.
Showers are usually more “house-style” with tile and shower curtains than the industrial restrooms you find at public campgrounds, and have electrical outlets for hair dryers and benches to put your things on (perks that are sometimes lacking elsewhere).
We stayed at a lovely private campground in Kentucky, along the wide and lazy Kentucky river (Cummins Ferry RV Park). It offered a pool, boat ramp access to the river, kayaks, summer concerts, and a little shop. They had a bigfoot theme going on, but we didn’t see him while we were there. (Note that this location had no cell reception, but did have a tiny patch of wifi outside the shop.)
(Photo of Cummins Ferry RV Park, KY, a private campground)
3. Camping in a Tent
Yes, it is ok to bring a tent with you when you have a Pleasure-Way! Now personally, I’m not sleeping in the tent (been there, done that). I love the bed in my van. But kids, teens, and extra passengers may be totally fine with this and even find it desirable.
Having some of your passengers set up a tent frees up some space in the van as well while you’re at your destination. It gets people and gear out, and if we’re somewhere for a couple of days with kids or young adults, a tent can be part of a really nice set up.
Here we are, set up at Humbug Mountain State Park on the southern Oregon coast.
(Photo of campsite at Humbug Mountain State Park, OR)
(Photos of Humbug Mountain State Park, OR)
4. “Free Sites” (via a membership group, like Harvest Hosts)
Harvest Hosts is the most popular of these types of membership sites that connect RVers to places to stay. It’s a bit like AirBnB. Someone with a farm and land, or a business with a parking lot, offers a boondocking site (no hookups) for you to stay at “free” but with the expectation that you’ll purchase something at their location. At a few locations, electric hookups are available for a small fee. Note that Harvest Hosts charges an annual fee to be a member and have access to their listings.
I have boondocked many nights in my van. My 2011 and now my 2023 Pleasure-Way both do just fine running off batteries for the night.
Farms, wineries, museums, churches, coffee shops, and golf courses are the most common locations for Harvest Hosts. Our favorite overnight locations on membership sites are farms. We love to see the animals and often the host has fresh eggs and produce available to purchase.
In Halladay, Tennessee, we hit the jackpot, and our host baked fresh sourdough bread and cinnamon rolls. What a breakfast to wake up to! And with the clucking of the hens, the rooster, and the kittens, us city folks were thrilled with our stay.
(Photos of baked goods and farm in Holladay, TN, found through Harvest Hosts)
If farm life is not for you, the basic Harvest Hosts plan also includes wineries offering both wine tastings and overnights. We stayed at DelMonaco Winery in Tennessee. It offered a large gravel parking lot for overnighting, which we shared with 3 other RVs, surrounded by a rural/suburban residential area and grape vines.
The location was quiet, just 8 minutes off the highway, and we picked up some great red and white wines to bring to friends. While it wasn’t our usual nature-y stop, we took a long pleasant stroll in the evening and had fun taking nighttime photos in the gravel lot.
(Photo of DelMonaco Winery parking spot in TN, found through Harvest Hosts)
5. AirBnB
This past year, we stayed at several AirBnBs with our Pleasure-Way. It’s ok to have a van and not always be camping in the woods! I like to stay at an AirBnb when the weather is too hot to be comfortable, when one of us is sick and we want more “home” type comforts and space, and in cities.
When looking at properties on AirBnB, I always take a good look at the parking available to make sure I can fit my van somewhere nearby, safe and legal. Ideally, I want my Pleasure-Way parked right outside the front door, with an exterior outlet to plug into if I’m going to be there for several days. It takes some hunting, but I have found quite a few that meet my criteria for easy access to the van and electric power.
Near Mount Rushmore, we stayed at a newly built AirBnB that was absolutely gorgeous. Located in the tiny town of Rockerville, SD, the rental was clean, spacious, and the perfect location to hide from bad weather while both my travelling companions were sick. My van fit in the driveway, keeping all our stuff within easy reach. The garage had an outlet, which ran the van AC during the day (it was 100+ degrees outside) and kept the fridge cold. (Tip: always carry a heavy duty extension cord and adapter for just this purpose.) We used the Pleasure-Way for day trips from this AirBnB base “camp.”
(Photo of AirBnB in Rockerville, SD, near Mount Rushmore and Custer State Park)
6. Highway Rest Areas
In contrast to AirBnBs, some highway rest areas allow overnight stays. Check with the state you’re traveling in. In some states, this is legal, some not, and some just have a time limit (like 8 hours).
When we’re on the road, trying to make time, and just want to pull off to sleep, a highway rest area can be a wonderful option. It’s free, has toilets available, and sometimes even a free dump station. We found a scenic one in Washington state, surrounded by tall pine trees (Indian John Hill rest area on I-90 East). We slept well, and in the morning made a quick breakfast of eggs and bagels. We ate at a picnic table with a great view of the mountains. It was a good start to another day of driving!
With highway rest areas, always check the vibe of the place, and make sure you feel safe at the location before spending the night.
(Photo of Indian John Hill rest area on I-90 East in WA)
7. A Friend’s Driveway
Staying in a friend’s driveway is better than a hotel and closer to all the fun, when we’re visiting people. Plus, we can retreat to our own space when we need some quiet time.
Look for friends who have large, level driveways (joking, sort of!).
I hope this post gives you some ideas for future overnight stays. Having a Pleasure-Way has given us so much freedom in how and where we travel. I wish you many fun-filled future adventures.
Happy Travels!