How to Find Free RV Parking Near You: 14 Locations

How to Find Free RV Parking Near You

If you’re looking to keep costs down on the road or between RV parks, one of the best ways is by using free RV parking along the way.

However, finding where you can park your RV for free isn’t easy. 

There is no central database for free RV parking locations and businesses don’t advertise it, which means you two best options are:

• Call businesses directly, one-by-one
• Or look at forums, Reddit/etc online for recommendations

To help make this process easier, we decided to do all of that upfront work for you to pool together a list of locations throughout the U.S. where you can park your RV for free.

Read on below to see what we found!

Where Can You Park an RV for Free In the United States? 9 Options

First, let’s talk about the specific businesses that commonly offer free overnight RV parking (later we’ll talk about 5 more great free options and another bonus tool).

Each of the options below are well-known for offering free parking at the majority of their locations and have locations throughout the U.S.

Note: None of the options on this list offer free overnight RV parking at 100% of their locations. So, it’s a good idea to be courteous and call ahead to make sure. 

With that said, the 9 locations we’ll be covering below are:

• Walmart
• Costo
• Sam’s Club
• Home Depot
• Lowes
• Bass Pro Shop
• Cracker Barrel Restaurant
• Cabela’s Sporting Goods
• Camping World

Here are 9 places you can park your RV overnight for free:

1. Walmart

Probably the most well-known business that offers free RV parking (to the point that it has its own special term, “wallydocking”), most Walmarts throughout the country offer free overnight parking.

While Walmart parking lots might not be your first pick for camping overnight, they are a great option to keep in mind given the number of locations they have throughout the country.

Keep in mind that while Walmart is RV friendly, not all Walmarts allow RV parking overnight. So, be sure to call ahead to make sure just as you would for any of the other options on this list.

Note: You can use the Allstays app for a handy list of all Walmarts in the country and those which have been reported to be RV friendly: Overnight Parking Walmart App.

2. Costco

A Costco parking lot might not sound like the most attractive place to camp overnight given how busy they get, but many Costco locations throughout the country do offer overnight RV parking. 

With that said, if you’re just parking overnight, their lots tend to be very big so you can get a decent amount of privacy. 

3. Sam’s Club

Similar to Costco, most Sam’s Clubs offer free RV parking as well and have large lots with ample space.

4. Home Depot

Home Depot typically offers free overnight RV parking at their locations. In addition to this, they’re often located in busy shopping centers that are well-tended and have a good amount of space and privacy via large parking lots. 

5. Lowes

Like Home Depot, most Lowes offer free RV parking as well and in similar conditions.

6. Bass Pro Shops

You know that fishing and wilderness gear shop that feels more like an amusement park than a store? They offer free RV parking at many of their locations as well. Plus, they often have pretty good restaurants connected to their shops as well.

7. Cracker Barrel Restaurant

Located in 45 U.S. states (though most commonly in the South), Cracker Barrel restaurants offer free RV parking throughout most of their locations.

8. Cabela’s Sporting Goods

Cabela’s Sporting Goods is another business that is friendly to RVers, allowing free overnight RV parking.

In fact, some Cabel’s Sporting Goods stores even have specifically designated RV parking spots. How cool!

9. Camping World

Camping World is well-known to RVers throughout the U.S. 

And while they’re not exactly the favorite brand of some, it should come as no surprise that they allow free RV parking at many of their locations.

5 More Free RV Camping Locations: Parks, Stops, and More

Next, let’s talk about some general locations where you can find more free RV parking.

The locations below aren’t specific businesses but rather types of locations. 

10. Casinos

Casinos are rare to come by, but most offer free overnight parking so they’re a great option to keep in mind.

11. Shopping centers

Many shopping centers allow free RV parking, as well as decent privacy given their relative size and ability to park on the outskirts of the lot. 

Most aren’t policed so you’re not likely to run into trouble if it’s a large shopping center either way, but some do have regular patrols. 

Regardless, it’s worth calling ahead if you’re in an unknown area to avoid trouble. 

12. State and national parks

State and national parks can be free, and they’re some of the most comfortable places for overnight parking and camping in general.

However, most parks do charge, so they’re not free (though they’re usually low cost!).

Still, it’s worth keeping them in mind for your travels as a good low-cost option. Plus, they’re a great excuse to visit state parks and national forests!

13. Bureau of Land Management parks

Bureau of Land Management parks (or BLM land), unlike state and national parks, are typically free campgrounds and can be found throughout the country. They’re some of the best cheap camping areas you can find in the country. 

Think of BLM parks as boondocking locations more than anything, as they don’t typically have campground hookups or any sort of amenities. 

Another great benefit besides the price is that BLM parks typically allow you to camp for up to 14 days within a 30-day period like other boondocking locals.

14. Truck stops

Truck stops often have free overnight stays. Some stops even have RV-designated parking spots.

Truck rest stops are unique in that they often have (for a price) dump stations, propane fill up, and even portable water. This makes them one of the best places you can park for free outside of campgrounds and ideal rest areas.

A note on city parks:

You may find guides online that mention city parks as an option to park at. While technically some do allow parking overnight and they’re free, they’re not a great option for a few reasons:

• Most city parks don’t allow overnight parking: We mentioned that some do. Well, most don’t. Enough that it’s safer to assume a particular park doesn’t. And…
• It’s hard getting ahold of someone to verify if a park allows free RV parking. In addition to that…
• Perceived safety concerns: At public parks, parents are often on guard. There’s a chance you’ll be reported for strange behavior if someone finds you parked during late (or early) hours at a city park.

Bonus Mention: Harvest Hosts

One last honorable mention is Harvest Hosts.

We say honorable mention because they’re not technically free. However, for a small annual price relative to the value you get (just $84 per year for their starter plan), you have access to over 5,000 safe RV parking locations across the U.S. 

Locations include:

• Farms
• Local attractions
• Breweries
• Country clubs
• And more

You can even increase that number to nearly 10,000 locations for roughly $152 annually:

If you’re looking to bolster the number of potential locations you have to park your RV while on the road, the relatively small one-time annual price tag can be more than worth it.

Plan Ahead Before Setting Out

There are a lot of places you can park your RV overnight if you know where to look, but they sure can be hard to find.

We hope this guide serves as a resource to you in your travels, helping you find a place to stay when you need something on short notice or simply in more effectively managing your traveling budget.

And before you set out, make sure to pair the list above with a great trip planning app. 7 Best RV Trip Planning Apps: 2024 Guide.