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What Is Wallydocking?
If you’re new to RVing, the term “wallydocking” is used to refer to the practice of camping overnight at Walmart with an RV.
Walmart is arguably the single most well-known and openly RV-friendly business in the U.S.
It has been a temporary reprieve to RVers across the country for so long that the act of camping at one of its 4,700 locations has now playfully come to be referred to by the aforementioned moniker.
Can You Park Overnight at Walmart?
Yes, you can park overnight with an RV at many Walmarts around the U.S.
Walmart’s policies have been RV-friendly since its founding, going all the way back to founder Sam Walton who was an RV enthusiast himself.
According to Walmart’s official FAQ page:
“While we do not offer electrical service or accommodations typically necessary for RV customers, Walmart values RV travelers and considers them among our best customers.
Consequently, we do permit RV parking on our store parking lots as we are able. Permission to park is extended by individual store managers, based on availability of parking space and local laws.”
With that said, not every Walmart allows RV parking.
Misuse and abuse of Walmart’s parking lots by overnight campers has caused many locations to rescind that rule and ban overnight parking altogether.
According to data by RoadTrippers and reported by CNN in a 2010 article, Walmart allowed RV parking at 78% of its 4,700 locations in 2010. That number dropped to 58% a decade later in 2020.
With that in mind, Walmart requests that travelers contact store management before arriving to ensure accommodations.
In addition to that, it’s important to practice good etiquette when camping overnight anywhere. Clean up any trash, keep the noise level down and generally don’t be a nuisance (by the legal definition of the word), and don’t overstay your welcome.
After resting for the day and getting a good night’s sleep, set off with your space as clean as when you pulled into the lot.
Camping at Walmart: Rules and Regulations
Walmart doesn’t have specific rules and regulations regarding RV camping at its locations outside of its normal customer rules and regulations.
With that said, local laws and regulations apply to each Walmart on an individual basis, so while some allow overnight RV parking (2 days at most), others do not due to those local ordinances.
In addition to this, as mentioned Walmart requests that travelers contact store management ahead of time to verify if that particular Walmart allows overnight RV parking.
How Long Can You Stay?
Walmart allows 24-hour parking at many of its locations, but call ahead to ensure that overnight RV parking is allowed at the Walmart you’re interested in camping at.
How to Find a Walmart that Allows Overnight RV Parking
There is a better way to find a Walmart that allows overnight parking than just calling around at a bunch of locations.
There are actually a few great apps that have amassed a huge collection of Walmart locations and whether they allow RV parking or not.
While you should still call ahead to verify, this really helps narrow down the search and can help you figure out which direction to go when traveling.
Two of the best apps for finding RV-friendly Walmarts near you include:
No matter which app you use, it’s useful to have one of these in your back pocket for when you need to find a Walmart (or other RV-friendly location) quick to camp for the night.
6 Tips for Camping at Walmart
Next, let’s talk about a few tips for camping at Walmart.
When you camp overnight at Walmart, there are a few “unspoken” rules. Really, if you’ve camped anywhere at all they’re mostly the same:
- Call ahead
- Pick up after yourself and leave the site just as you found it
- Don’t be a nuisance and respect those around you
1. Call ahead
We talked about this earlier so I won’t go into detail here, but just remember that the most important thing is to call ahead.
Be respectful and don’t assume that a particular Walmart will accommodate RVs. Many don’t, so call management and ask to find out before making the trip over.
2. Don’t disturb fellow shoppers (keep the noise down)
One of the more important best practices is to keep your volume down and not be too loud.
While you may be welcome to stay at a particular Walmart, that doesn’t mean you should drop camp and start partying.
Walmart is often open late, and in some cases 24 hours, so it’s important to keep the noise down out of respect for other shoppers and those Walmart employees just doing their job.
3. Restock at Walmart
You may do this automatically, after all, it’s pretty convenient!
However, in case you don’t think of it: consider restocking while you’re at Walmart.
This is the best way you can show your support for the store allowing you to camp, and allows you to do your part to help the RV community keep its good name.\
4. Leave your space as clean as when you arrived
If you’ve camped before, you know what this is all about.
Any time you camp you should leave the site exactly as you found it (or better).
This is no different at Walmart. Think of this as just another campsite that you should treat with respect and responsibility.
Don’t dump trash on the ground, spill, and pick up anything you leave on the ground. If you do happen to drop anything on the floor, make sure you pick it up before leaving and that you place any trash in your RV’s trash bins as opposed to Walmart’s.
5. Park somewhere out of the way
Some Walmarts have designated areas where they’ll direct you to park.
However, if they don’t, make it a point to park at one of the far ends of the parking lot away from visitors to disturb business and other shoppers as little as possible.
Also, if there are other RVers, make sure to park a decent distance away out of respect for each other’s space.
6. Don’t set up camp!
One final tip: Do not extend your slide outs, awning, pull out your chairs, and start grilling.
In other words, don’t set up camp at Walmart. Out of respect and consideration, don’t do anything that might disrupt business.
Setting up camp in the middle of the parking lot can be a bad look to some, so it’s best to be as quiet and unassuming as possible.
Alternatives: Other Free RV Parking Locations
Walmart isn’t the only business that allows overnight RV parking.
There are quite a few businesses across the U.S. that are RV friendly and knowing what these businesses are can help alleviate some of the pressure of finding campsites while traveling.
Here are a few of the most common businesses that offer free RV parking:
1. Costco
Costco doesn’t get as much attention as Walmart for RV camping, but they offer overnight parking at many of their over 600 locations.
They tend to have huge parking lots and lots of extra lot space, making them a great choice in many areas of the country.
2. Sam’s Club
Similar to Costco, Sam’s Club is a large warehouse-style membership retailer.
They’re actually owned by Walmart, so no surprise they allow overnight RV camping at many of their locations!
3. Home Depot
Another business that typically has very large lots with tons of parking spaces, The Home Depot offers free RV camping overnight at many of its locations throughout the U.S.
The Home Depot is unique to the aforementioned retailers in that its lots don’t tend to be very packed, offering a bit of added privacy.
Keep in mind that this is quite literally just scratching the surface of the businesses that offer overnight camping.
We put together a whole guide of 14 businesses and other locations where you can park overnight for free with your RV.
Check out the complete guide here and bookmark it when you’re in need of somewhere to stay after a long day on the road: How to Find Free RV Parking Near You: 14 Locations.
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