So you just got yourself a brand new (or new to you) RV and want to start exploring the world. Or maybe, you just grabbed a cheap tent and some cases of beer with your friends at the local Wal-Mart. Either way, you’ve come to the right place! We’ve got a guide to help you out with all of the different types of campgrounds.
There are plenty of options for camping that range from roughing it in the middle of the woods, to resort and glamping experiences. Prices and amenities vary heavily depending on where you stay, and you can easily overpay. In this blog we’re going to go over camping options for every budget and also tips & tricks for saving big.
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State Park Campgrounds
According to a study in 2009, there are over 6,600 state parks within the United States. These parks sprawl over a total of 14 million acres of land. State Parks are fairly common across the US and are VERY popular during the spring & summer months. I’ve seen typical rates for dry-tent camping sites ranging from $15-$25/night and RV/hookup sites ranging from $30-$50/night.
State Parks highlight beautiful & ecologically significant locations – they typically include bodies of water and trails sprawling through the local topography. Prepare for a great time in the woods with any of these campgrounds. Spots are typically spacious with a few trees in between you and our neighbors. Another trade mark of the State Park system is the eclectic on-site camping stores. Here you can grab stickers and t-shirts to say that you’ve been there and any essentials you may have forgotten last minute for your weekend in the great outdoors!
Keep in mind, not all State Parks offer camping. Some of them are just day-use, meaning you can have a picnic there, hike trails, swim in the lake, etc. but are expected to leave the park right before dark. Rhyming will definitely be my fall-back job one day if this doesn’t work out. What do you think about me rapping about campgrounds?
National Park Campgrounds
There are 423 National Parks in the United States says the National Park Foundation. These are your big hitters. When you think of iconic spots for nature and camping, you think of places like the Grand Canyon, and Yellowstone National Park. These are premier destinations that people travel to from all over the world to see.
Typically, these are near IMPOSSIBLE to get a camping reservation for, unless you are an extreme planner who is ready to book a year in advance – or more. These campgrounds are usually remote and don’t include hookups, or even cell service in many cases. But being in proximity to some of the most beautiful places in the world is well worth the lack of traditional amenities. If you have the chance to snag a spot at any of our National Parks – take it!
COE’s (Army Core of Engineers)
In our opinion, these campgrounds are some of the best, at least for how we like to camp. They usually have plenty of sites available at these campgrounds, ranging between 100-250 sites each. Often a portion of these spots are primitive (meaning no electricity, water, or sewer hook ups.) These are your cheap options to tent camp or boondock with your camper, typically ranging from $15-$25 per night to stay.
The other portion of these sites are for campers and RVs. These are usually electricity only, but they do a great job of positioning water fill-up and sewer dump stations near the entrance of the campground for camper use. These sites are usually between $20-30 per night making these some of the cheapest options to have access to electricity, water, and a dump station while you are enjoying the great outdoors. We’ve stayed for as cheap as $18/night at a COE with electricity.
Another great benefit of COE’s is that they are typically located on a large body of water like a lake or river where you can swim, kayak, or fish. These parks are very well thought out by Army engineers. They also offer shower houses and kid’s playgrounds in most cases.
KOA’s (Kampground’s of America)
When it comes to KOAs, these are located all over the place. There’s about 480 of them spread across the United States and a few in Canada as well. See the comprehensive list of KOAs here if you want to plan your next family camping trip at a KOA.
They have done a great job of placing KOAs near a lot of the major travel destinations. Places like beaches, National Parks, and mountain ranges will typically have a KOA within driving distance. It’s hard to miss one of these kampgrounds with their highlighter yellow signs on the road. In our experience, it’s pretty costly to stay here. We’ve seen prices around $60-$100/night to stay here. KOAs typically offer amenities such as wifi, full hook ups, a pool to swim in, and dog parks. If that wasn’t enough – they’re espeically geared towards children and will include host activities, theme nights, and kid zones too.
Private Campgrounds
You can find GREAT private campgrounds all over the place. These aren’t affiliated with the parks system or government (city, state, etc.) in any way. They’re basically like you or I opening up our own campground and making our own rules and campsites how we like them.
A great example here is Hollywood RV Park which is where we recently stayed right outside of LA in Hollywood, California. It’s a super cool place that actually houses many film makers and production set workers for nearby film studios. It’s about $90/night in a place like this – mostly because of the prime location in one of the hottest real estate markets in the world – Los Angeles County.
These private campgrounds can range all the way from $25/night hole-in-the-wall type of experience, all the way up to $150/night for your more premium look and locations. Sometimes, they even include things on site like yoga, church services, community events, art classes, or concerts.
Resort “Glamping” Campgrounds
Typically, “resort” or “motor-coach clubs” campgrounds revere themselves for being top notch. Sometimes, they only allow RVs or campers in their park that are models within the last 10 years (2013-2023), or may dictate the type of RVs welcome, to keep up with curb appeal. You will definitely be paying a pretty penny for these – let’s say $90+ and easily into $120/night. These are going to have the most amenities and activities and offer a resort-like experience.
Let me share a little secret with you. If you ever end up in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, then one of the best kept secrets is Ocean Lakes RV Resort. It’s incredible – and well worth the price of admission. Book early, because they generally fill up incredibly fast – months in advance.
Boondocking (BLM Land)
BLM (Bureau of Land Management) land is for staying over night with NO hook-ups. This land is actually provided by the government, for very small fees, to be used for camping off-grid or in the wilderness. Basically, if you want to get the hell out of society – you can grab a camper and have a blast in the great outdoors. These are most common out west, but can be found across the country.
A great resource to use for this is FreeRoam, it’s an app and also website that you can download on the App Store. With this, you’ll be able to pop up a map for finding the nearest off-grid land for you to rough it out in.
Harvest Host (+ Boondockers Welcome)
Harvest Hosts: An RV membership program that allows self-contained travelers to overnight at unique locations around the country including farms, wineries, museums, breweries, and more! With 4773+ of host locations inside of the ever-expanding network, there’s an amazing experience waiting for everyone.
Boondockers Welcome: Enjoy truly unique stay experiences often without any sacrifice to comfort as 70% of Boondockers Welcome hosts offer hookups. Escape the crowded and noisy campground in favor of a private spot on beautiful property and a meaningful connection with a friendly host.
We have a great partnership right now with Harvest Hosts and also Boondockers Welcome. We can save you 15% right now on EITHER subscription. They’re normally $100/year for each of them individually, but we can get you down to about $80/year. Make sure to click the green text above to get the discount! Important: You may have to use code BWFRIENDS15 at checkout for Boondockers Welcome to work!
Military Campground/Army Camps/AFB
These are generally a cheaper place to stay, although you often have to be affiliated with the U.S. military in some fashion. These generally are your “on-site” living for most of the military branches: Army camps, Air Force Bases, etc. If you’ve heard of a family living on base in an RV with the member of their family that’s serving, that’s what this is.
You’ll typically see rates near $20-$25/night which is VERY inexpensive per night for full hook-ups and amenities. You can check with the local base campground if you can stay there not being military, but generally it’s for military and government personnel only.
Not Campgrounds – Wal-mart, Cracker Barrel
Oh, the glorious Wal-mart and Cracker Barrel. If you have ever heard of people living in a RV, you’ve probably heard of these two being common places to stay. We have stayed at a Wal-mart, but unfortunately not a Cracker Barrel – yet. If you are trying to save money and have a lower cost of living, than these are your best bets for the occasional stay.
Make sure that you ask the local Wal-mart or Cracker Barrel managers if they are OK with you staying overnight. Sometimes, they will not allow this and may even have signs posted in the parking lots about no overnight stays. You probably don’t want to get that knock on your door by the police in the middle of the night!
Campground Costs Breakdown and Averages:
| Types of Campground | Average Price ($/night) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| State Park | $35 | Generally hard to get into without 2-3 months out reservation |
| National Park | $40 | Sometimes takes 6 months – 1 year in advance to reserve |
| COE (Core of Engineers) | $20 | Easy to land a spot often |
| KOA (Kampgrounds of America) | $70 | Somewhat easy to get into |
| Private Campgrounds | $60 | Plenty of availability as there are so many options and price points! |
| Resort Campgrounds | $90 | All of the luxuries you would expect at most hotels nowadays |
| Boondocking (BLM land) | $50/monthly | Small fee to use them, no hook-ups |
| Harvest Hosts and Boondockers Welcome | Yearly subscription | Harvest Hosts and Boondockers Welcome are separately $80/year |
| Military Campgrounds/Army Camps/AFB | $30 | Generally have to be in the military or branch that the campground belongs to |
| Other (Walmart, Cracker Barrel, etc.) | FREE | Sketchy at times, be safe out there! |
Thanks for reading! As they say in French, au revoir!
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