79 Most Visited National Destinations By RV Camping
In 2022, the National Parks Service logged nearly 2.6 million recreational vehicles camping on their properties, according to federal data. While that figure is nothing compared to last year’s 311 million visitors, it makes up a significant portion of overnight stays. Some back-of-the-envelope math shows RV camping accounted for about 19% of all campers.
What’s more is when you review accommodations by location. All of the national parks and recreational areas accommodate campers in different ways but they vary considerably when it comes to RVs. For example, Yosemite National Park hosted the most RV campers in 2022, but when compared to the others that ranked, it offered the most RV campsites.
According to the NPS webpage for the park, Yosemite has 10 campgrounds that can accommodate RVs and trailers of varying lengths. And, while the Great Smoky Mountains is the most visited park, it actually hosted considerably fewer RV campers. However, a review of the website shows that out of all of the campgrounds in the Smoky Mountains, only one accommodated RVs (even though almost all were accessible with an RV).
Most Visited National Parks & Recreation Areas by RVs
- Yosemite | 220,100
- Great Smoky Mountains | 158,750
- Gulf Islands | 131,541
- Glacier | 112,485
- Olympic | 102,358
- Joshua Tree | 97,494
- Death Valley | 95,799
- Zion | 93,947
- Cape Hatteras | 79,406
- Sleeping Bear Dunes | 67,587
- Shenandoah | 65,223
- Lake Roosevelt | 58,726
- Grand Canyon | 56,759
- Rocky Mountain | 55,326
- Lake Mead | 54,901
- Sequoia | 50,295
- Acadia | 49,647
- Chickasaw | 46,603
- Lake Meredith | 44,040
- Blue Ridge | 42,475
- Bryce Canyon | 40,305
- Big South Fork | 38,843
- Buffalo | 38,047
- Padre Island | 36,623
- Organ Pipe Cactus | 36,176
- Hot Springs | 35,741
- Kings Canyon | 34,940
- Mount Rainier | 32,799
- Curecanti | 32,584
- Mesa Verde | 29,520
- Lassen Volcanic | 29,355
- Ozark | 27,156
- Capitol Reef | 25,923
- Assateague Island | 25,887
- Great Sand Dunes | 25,137
- Great Basin | 24,433
- Theodore Roosevelt | 22,321
- Big Cypress | 22,275
- Ross Lake | 21,164
- Big Bend | 20,415
- Arches | 20,216
- Mammoth Cave | 18,810
- Yellowstone | 18,454
- Colorado | 18,004
- Cumberland Gap | 17,723
- Pictured Rocks | 14,219
- Natchez Trace | 13,902
- Dinosaur | 13,097
- Black Canyon of the Gunnison | 12,945
- Craters of the Moon | 11,453
- Indiana Dunes | 11,039
- Glen Canyon | 10,799
- New River Gorge | 9,963
- Guadalupe Mountains | 9,607
- Chaco Culture | 9,522
- Amistad | 9,030
- Bighorn Canyon | 8,605
- Canyonlands | 7,955
- Bandelier | 6,623
- Wind Cave | 5,528
- Chiricahua | 5,243
- Gauley River | 4,508
- Natural Bridges | 3,559
- Lava Beds | 3,312
- Devils Tower | 3,238
- El Morro | 2,118
- Prince William Forest Park | 2,104
- Navajo | 2,053
- Cedar Breaks | 2,001
- Whiskeytown | 1,795
- Greenbelt Park | 1,420
- Chesapeake & Ohio Canal | 1,399
- Mojave | 1,308
- Hovenweep | 1,221
- Badlands | 590
- Catoctin Mountain Park | 213
- Hawaii Volcanoes | 152
- Katahdin Woods and Waters | 128
- Oregon Caves | 108
RV Camping Tips
For many who RV, it’s not just a place to sleep — it’s a way of life. But for everyone else, it’s an experience to be tried once or twice and never again. If you want to try RV camping, remember to plan your trip and make reservations ahead of time. Some of the things experts recommend include:
- Use checklists for maintenance and gear
- Check your tire pressure before every trip
- Weigh your rig and measure the height
- DIY ahead of time (or buy roadside assistance)
Additionally, it also means plan a budget, ration food, map out your routes and stops, and identify your campgrounds ahead of time. Like we said before, every national park and recreation area is different. Some have RV parks and some don’t, and accommodations vary. So plan ahead.
Source: https://outdoors.com/national-park-rv-camping/
