RV parks and national parks are both great options for your next camping or RV trip. There are significant differences between the two that might make you side with one over the other depending on what you are looking for. Choosing the correct location for your trip can be make or break so it is important to know how RV parks and national parks compare.
What’s The Difference Between An RV Park And A National Park?
The difference between RV parks and national parks is quite vast but we will try to break it down into sections. The first major difference between the two is ownership. RV parks are owned by companies or private individuals. Some of the bigger RV park companies that you may be familiar with include KOA and Thousand Trails. There are also many mom and pop type RV parks which are personally some of our favourites. You really get the “welcome to the family experience” in those types of parks. National parks on the other hand are owned and operated my government organisations. This also include state parks and forests. The upkeep and care of these parks is partly funded by the government but there is still a nightly fee to help cover costs also. Private RV parks are funded entirely by the business they bring in renting out sites, hiring equipment out etc
Rv parks are found all over the country and the world. They are in major cities, little country towns and everywhere in between. You won’t have to travel too far to find an RV park of some kind a long the way. National park camping grounds are as you would imagine, located in national parks. This means that they are less common but also they are usually located out of built up areas and can take a bit of effort to get too. It won’t be easy to pop down to the Walmart if you are staying in a national park.
The last point I want to make about the main differences between RV parks and national parks is in relation to their ammenities. National parks are going to be limited in their ammenities. The main draw card of national parks is the proximity to nature and the national park itself. Some have water, electrical hook ups, sewer and dump points others have none. Many may also lack showering or bathroom facilities. So you would need to be fairly self contained and self sufficient. RV parks on the flip side can offer almost any kind of amenity you could think of. More often than not you will have access to water, and electrical. Dump points, laundries, kitchens and bathrooms are more common than not in RV parks. Families are well catered for in RV parks with many having pools, games rooms and scheduled activities especially through the weekends and vacation periods. The last RV park we stayed at put on the most spectacular fireworks display on the Saturday night. Aside from sleeping under the koalas that was definitely the highlight for our family.
Can You Park In A National Park?
You can park in a national park. If you are planning to camp in a national park you have a few options. The first is to book a campsite through the online booking terminal if that is available or many national parks have a “first in first served” type of deal. In this case you would turn up on the day and the ranger will allocate you a spot if there are any available. This is usually not a problem most of the year but can be a bit heart pounding in the peak of summer or holiday weekends. We would suggest booking something for those periods. The second option you have is back country camping or boon docking. Some national parks allow you to hunt out the best spot in the park (within reason) to where you want to park for the night, there aren’t allocated spots in this instance. This approach is brilliant if you want to get away and not be surrounded by other campers. A bit of isolation out in nature can be priceless.
Is There A Size Limit For RV’s In National Parks?
There are size limits for RV’s in National parks. Each national park will vary depending on how big of an RV will safely fit in their sites. The rangers are very strict on this so I wouldn’t try fooling them, in the end you may just fool yourself by becoming stuck or damaging your rig.
90% of national parks will safely accomodate RV’s of 25 ft or less. It is really only once you are 37 feet in length that you are going to run into problems. Only about 50% of national parks can accomodate rigs longer that 37 feet. If that is the situation you find yourself in, it will be best to find a nearby RV park or try “boondocking” somewhere near by.
How Much Does It Cost To Stay In A National Park?
National parks range from around $10 right up to $90 a night if you wish to stay within the park. Much like RV parks it is also all about location and timing. Most national parks will have and off season, shoulder and peak season and the prices will fluctuate accordingly. You may gawp at thought of paying $90 a night to stay somewhere where having a nice hot shower at the end of the night is probably out of the question or where you may have to hobble out to an outhouse with a torch in the middle of the night to do your business but the pay off is most certainly the incredible location in which you will find yourself.
How Much Does It Cost To Stay In an RV Park?
The average cost for staying in RV parks is between $25-80 a night. As you can see there is a fair bit of variation in that price. There a few things that are going to impact how much you can expect to pay. Location is everything. Prime location is going to push up the prices considerably. This also goes for event weekends where a usually sleepy rural village comes alive for that one weekend a year.
Amenities will also play into cost. A park with limited facilities will definitely be at the lower end of the scale but if you are staying in a park with waterslides, fully equipped games rooms and entertainment it is reasonable to assume it is going to cost more.
Within RV parks you will also see price variation based on the site that you select. Sites closer to amenities, prettier locations, bigger sites and easier access will also cost more.
The length of time you choose to stay in a park will influence the end price also. Most RV parks will have discounts for full weeks stays and an even steeper discount if you choose to stay for a full month. Sometimes this discount can be 50% off the advertised nightly rate. If you are keen to stay in the area awhile this could be a great money saver for you. Our local RV parks at the moment are doing a lot of pay for two stay for three deals so be sure to check out what deals are going on in the area.
As with all things in life you generally get what you pay for when it comes to RV parks.
Another thing you should consider when staying in a national park is the proximity to the parks and not having to drive in each day you want to explore which is nearly always the case if you choose to stay in a RV park outside the national park. When we last visited Zion National park we stayed in St George and drove in. It was a decent drive and then there was the issue of trying to find parking during spring break when it felt like the entire country was visiting. The value of being able to walk to the trails or drive a short distance is priceless.
We have included a list of some of the most popular national parks and their prices so you can have an idea of the price to expect when staying in a national park.
| National Park | Cost per night |
| Smoky Mountains | $25 |
| Grand Canyon | $10-18 |
| Rocky Mountain | $20-60 |
| Zion | $20-30 |
| Yosemite | $18-26 |
| Yellowstone | $15-32 |
| Acadia | $30-64 (depending on location) |
| Grand Teton | $15-91 (depending on location) |
| Olympic | $40 |
| Glacier | $20-23 |
Do National Parks Have Cabins?
You can absolutely find cabins at certain national parks. Cabins aren’t available at all national parks though so if you think that is the direction you are wanting to head in then make sure you do a bit of research and see what kinds of accomodation is available at that particular national park. Some of the more popular parks such as the Grand Canyon National Park have lodge style accomodation that can be quite pricy so if a cheap family holiday is what you are after this is not the place to be looking. A cabin in a national park could be a perfect splurge though if you are up for it.
Do National Parks Have RV Hook Ups?
Full RV hooks ups can be found at national parks but they are a luxury! If you manage to score a site with hook up that you are very blessed indeed. Currently there are only 13 national parks that have any kind of RV hook ups. If this is important to you, or you are not equipped to be of grid so to speak then opt for a RV park outside of the national park. The are often a few on the parks edge which cater for others in similar situations.
The main draw card for having RV hook ups in our opinion is the heating and cooling options. In the heat of a southern Utah summer you want to have a way to escape the heat and the same goes for the winter months. The ability to not freeze is always a bonus. If you are traveling with pets who hang out in your RV during the day while you are exploring then heating and cooling is vital for them. You are not able to take your pets in to the many of the national parks but they are welcome to stay with you at your camp site.
What Should I Look For In An RV Park?
Below we have listed the top things we look for when choosing an RV park
- Location
This is always our first priority when we are choosing where to stay regardless of if it is a hotel, airbnb or RV park. Make sure that the location fits your desired outcome. Sometimes you will really want to disconnect with the world and an RV park out in the middle of nowhere surrounded in forest is going to be ideal. Other times you are seeking an RV park that is near to all the attractions and close to town. - Services Offered
We love and RV park that makes an effort add those special extra touches to guests experiences. Bonfire nights and pancake breakfasts really do make a big difference. Kids really enjoy when there are organised activities for them and parents enjoy being able to take a break and know that their kids are having great supervised fun. - Laundry Facilities
There is nothing worse than running out of clean clothes or having to put on wet socks with hiking boots. There is no doubt that you are going to be getting dirty. This kind of vacation or lifestyle does no lend itself to immaculate clean clothes at the end of the day. More often than not you end the night with a thick layer of dirt covering every inch of your body. Laundry facilities become invaluable, especially for families. If your RV park doesn’t have a laundry seek out a laundry mat near by and make sure to get all your clothes and towel washed and dried to stop them becoming wet, stinky and developing mould. - Hook ups Required
Another important thing to consider is if the RV park you are looking at has the required hook ups that you need. Some RV parks will have full hooks up meaning there is electric, water and sewer, or they may have some or even none. Even within the same park there can be variation on what is provided between sites. - Mail Service
This can be such a valuable service especially if you are on the road for an extended period of time like we are planning to be soon. You need somewhere to have mail sent especially if you are shopping online. RV parks who graciously allow you to have mail or packages shipped to the park are angels in disguise. - Amenities
Laundry was a big amenity that deserved its own point but other things to consider are if a park has a dump station. Our kids love RV parks that have a lot of dedicated kids attractions like games rooms, pools and the all important jumping pillow! Other amenities you might want to look out for is a park store especially if you are in a remote location. No one wants to drive an hour away to get a new phone charger or bandaids. Thing will likely cost more but it’s worth it if you can skip an inconvenient trip. - Special Features
A lot of RV parks have special features in them. Last year we stayed in an RV park where we camped out right under big eucalyptus trees full of koalas. This was an amazing experience and it is what set this RV park a part from others we were considering. The RV park we are looking at visiting shortly has its own river where kids are able to go gold mining and hunt for fossils. These are just a couple of examples of special features that can really add extra value to your trip and definitely something to pay attention to when booking your RV park.
Overall Differences
| National Park | RV Park | |
| Cost | Average $15-30 pn | Average around $40-50 pn |
| Accessibility | Often in remote locations. Large stores and amenities a decent drive away | Can be found in all areas of the country from remote rural towns to urban cities. |
| Amenities | Very basic | Range from basic right through to luxury |
| Family Friendliness | No extra family activities or extra amenities. | Often many family friends activities and provisions made. |
No matter where you choose to stay, whether it be in the back roads of Yosemite or the magical forest of Disney’s Fort Wilderness you are guaranteed to create memories that are going to last a lifetime. There are few things better than sitting around a campfire with those that you love.