During our 20s and early 30s, we carried a pack into the woods. But after one taste of the RV life, we were hooked. Sleeping on the ground became a thing of the past once my husband and I discovered the joys of camping in spectacular settings with the option to enjoy water, electric, and sewer utilities. We traded our backpacks for a fifth-wheel trailer in , but rarely visited RV parks with hookups.
Twelve years later, we are more open to occasionally enjoying those full-hookup creature comforts. For example:. And finally, RV hookups eliminate noisy generator exhaust from the campground.
Privately-owned, full-hookup RV parks and campgrounds are easily found outside national parks. So why should RVers look for spots inside the park? The National Park System has destinations with overnight camping. Getting a dry campsite no hookups in one of them is relatively easy. Unfortunately, only 13 parks have full or partial utility connections for RVs. You will see just five national park sites with full-hookup RV camping.
Seven more provide water or electric or water and electric hookups. It all adds up to stiff competition for utilities in the following locations:. California Death Valley National Park. Florida Everglades Flamingo Campground electric only. The secret is out: National park RV campsites with hookups are a good deal when compared to nearby rivately owned RV campgrounds.
A National Park Campground Usage Study revealed that many national park campgrounds are near or at capacity for most of the year. When wanderlust strikes, give yourself at least a six-month window ahead of your desired arrival date at the park. Create a flexible plan with alternate camping dates and remember to take advantage of slower times by visiting on a weekday.
