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I love a good RV park.
After all, they are temporary homes for us full-timers.
Somehow, in three and a half years of full-time RVing and visiting all 50 states, we’ve never made a definitive list of the best RV parks and campgrounds in the country.
I should’ve done this years ago, I know.
Well, wait no longer. I’m here to share our absolute favorite places we’ve camped in the past few years. Because there is a stark difference between RV parks and campgrounds, I’ve broken up this blog into two distinct sections. First, we’ll review the best RV parks and then the best state or national park campgrounds.
Our Top 3 RV Parks
Now I’m not going to lie to you. Some of these parks cost a pretty penny per night, so these aren’t necessarily your “let’s spend a week there spots.” These are definitely your more luxurious and amenity-heavy parks.
1. Sunshine Key RV Resort & Marina, Florida Keys
Beachfront campsite? Check.
Crystal clear water? Check.
Pool? Check.
On-site restaurant? Check.
Wifi? Check.
A ridiculously beautiful part of America with a ton of things to do in the area? Check.
This campground is currently closed after Hurricane Irma, but should re-open in 2018. Hands down, this was the most beautiful campground we’ve ever visited. You can see a bit of the park, including our sunrise breakfast on the beach in this vlog episode:
(There’s another nearby RV resort on Fiesta Key that is run by the same company, but our RV site there didn’t have a private white sand beach, so it lost a few points. It did, however, have an awesome tiki bar on the beach with killer piña coladas.)
2. Normandy Farms Campground, Foxborough, Massachusetts
This campground is insane. We’ve stayed here twice in our travels and each time I visit, it blows me away.
Four pools, three hot tubs, sauna, gym, tennis courts, 18-hole frisbee golf course, softball field, and the crowning glory: their spa.
During our most recent stay, I pampered myself with a 60-minute massage and it. was. glorious. This was my first time visiting an RV park so luxurious it offered an entire spa and it didn’t disappoint.
And to make it all that much sweeter, this giant park is only $50/night, a steal for the amenities. Plus, even though the park itself is huge, there are lots of trees, fields, and ponds to make it not feel like a giant parking lot, even though there are hundreds of sites.
3. Myrtle Beach Travel Park, North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
This is the ideal summer vacation RV park. There were multiple pools, a lazy river, two restaurants on-site, and our site had a view of the lake from our front window and the ocean from our back window.
But most importantly, this park is north of the crazy, packed beaches of Myrtle Beach and is incredibly private and quiet. We visited in May and the weather was perfect. With miles of beach stretching in each direction, I instantly fell in love with this park. You can see more of our experience there in the video above!
Honorable mention:
Texas Wine Country Jellystone Park, Fredericksburg, Texas
Nugget RV Park, St. Regis, Montana
Narrows Too Camping Resort, Bar Harbor, Maine
Our Top 3 Campgrounds
While most RV parks are privately owned and where you’ll be guaranteed at least the basic amenities of hookups,
1. Tunnel Mountain Village 1 Campground, Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada
I mean, come on! Does any other campground even have a chance?! Look at this photo!
Banff is the most beautiful place I’ve ever visited and this campground offers incredible mountain views. Plus a bear casually strolled by while we sipped on our coffee one morning. Nature is wild.
This campground offers hookups and since we decided to stick around longer than our reservation, we ended up boondocking in their overflow section for nearly a week. This is the only park where we’ve ever made reservations and it was definitely necessary!
You can read our blog on our favorite things to do when visiting Banff here.
2. Kirk Creek Campground, Los Padres National Forest, Big Sur, California
Campgrounds along the Pacific Coast Highway book out six months in advance. We didn’t know that when we started our scenic drive three years ago. We passed dozens of campgrounds, all of which were full.
But we lucked out when a ranger took pity on us. Someone had paid for a three-night reservation but had never shown up. So the ranger gave us the last night—though he still made us pay. This campground is on the cliffs of Big Sur, and you can listen to the waves hitting the rocks while you fall asleep. We stayed here in July of 2014 and still talk about it often. It was just that amazing!
3. Signal Mountain Campground, Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming
This campground has crazy lake and mountain views—if your RV is under 30 feet. We camped here in our first rig, which was 29-feet in length. Two deer came up to our window while I was cooking soup (in July, because it gets COLD in the Tetons) and Heath jumped in the lake as his “shower” since we didn’t have hookups. He said it was the coldest water he’s ever been in, but with the best view.
Okay, now I officially am itching to get back out on the road and revisit these places! What’s been your favorite RV park or campground in your travels? Share in the comments!