RV arrival guide

Louisiana

Arriving in Shreveport, LA with a rented RV

Shreveport is a Caddo Parish city of approximately 184,000 residents (US Census) in northwest Louisiana at the I-20 and I-49 junction — the principal Ark-La-Tex regional hub.

Sourced to municipal code, park-service and operator pages · last reviewed 2026-06-05

Rent a rig in Shreveport See the arrival briefing

LA city guideLive · open to hosts

Shreveport

Planning an RV, boat, or 4x4 trip around Shreveport? This guide walks you through the local terrain and seasons, where to find dump stations and propane, and the parking rules and campgrounds that matter most before you arrive.

Arrival briefing · LA

Your Shreveport arrival, on one dashboard

Every figure below is counted straight from this guide's sourced entries — parking rules that bite, where to dump and refill, and the campgrounds that actually take a rig. Nothing invented; a dash means we haven't sourced one yet.

RV campgrounds

Dump stations

Propane / diesel

Parking rules

13 field-sourced facts · last reviewed 2026-06-05

RV planning is shaped by three contexts: I-20 corridor logistics (this is one of the South's largest east-west truck routes), casino RV camping (Horseshoe and Sam's Town offer dedicated RV lots, both subject to specific rules about generator hours and check-in policies), and Caddo Parish humidity / hurricane planning (Shreveport is inland but receives feeder bands and evacuation traffic during major Gulf hurricanes).

Primary public RV anchor is Cypress Black Bayou Recreation Area (15 mi east in Bossier Parish), a parish-operated facility with full hookups, fishing pier, bald-cypress swamp setting. Cross Lake (city-owned reservoir, the city's water supply) does not permit RV camping at its shore but the surrounding Cross Lake Pavilion lot is day-use only. Lake Bistineau State Park (35 mi southeast) is the LA State Parks RV option.

The Texarkana corridor (I-49 north 75 mi) and Bossier City (across the Red River) handle most logistics. Shreveport City Code Title 78 prohibits on-street RV overnighting. Propane: AmeriGas (Shreveport). Diesel: Bossier's Pilot/Flying J Travel Center and Loves cluster on I-20. Best season is mid-October through April. Avoid July-September humidity peak and any Gulf Coast hurricane evacuation window.

Open Gulf Coast marsh grass and still water, Louisiana — Louisiana scenery

Timing your trip

When should I plan my trip to Shreveport?

Best season to come

Mid-October through April — moderate temperatures, low humidity, hurricane season past.

Season to skip

July through September (humidity 80%+ daily) and any active Gulf hurricane evacuation window.

Read before you park

Parking ordinances that bite RVs

Shreveport prohibits on-street RV/camper overnighting under City Code Title 78

Citation: Shreveport City Code Title 78

What this means for you: Downtown + Riverfront overnight cited by Shreveport PD; plan parish recreation or casino RV lot.

Read the citation

Cross Lake (city reservoir) does not permit RV camping at shoreline

Citation: Shreveport City Code (Cross Lake regulations)

What this means for you: Cross Lake Pavilion is day-use only; no overnight, no shoreline boondock.

Read the citation

Casino RV lot rules apply (Horseshoe + Sam's Town) — reservation, hours, generator

Citation: Horseshoe + Sam's Town operational policy

What this means for you: Casino RV camping requires player-card or reservation; published generator-hour windows; not a drop-in overnight.

Read the citation

Tanks + water

Where can I dump tanks in Shreveport?

Cypress Black Bayou Recreation Area

Free

135 Cypress Park Dr, Benton, LA 71006

Potable water on siteYear-round

Source

Lake Bistineau State Park

Free

103 State Park Rd, Doyline, LA 71023

Potable water on siteYear-round

Source

Shreveport / Bossier RV Park (private)

$10

I-20 corridor, Bossier City, LA 71112

Potable water on siteYear-round

Source

Fuel + propane

Where do I top up propane and diesel?

AmeriGas (Shreveport)

3050 N Market St, Shreveport, LA 71107

Offers: Propane refill 20-lb to 100-lb + bulk

RV access: Industrial yard; workable for 45 ft

Source

Pilot/Flying J Travel Center (Bossier)

300 Sam Houston Jones Pkwy, Bossier City, LA 71112

Offers: Diesel + DEF; truck-grade pull-through

RV access: Big-rig pull-through; best Class A diesel

Source

Loves Travel Stop (Greenwood)

9550 Greenwood Rd, Greenwood, LA 71033

Offers: Diesel + DEF; truck-grade pull-through

RV access: Big-rig pull-through; I-20 westbound

Source

Where to sleep

Which campgrounds actually take RVs?

Cypress Black Bayou Recreation Area

$35/night

Bossier Parish

15 mi from downtownMax 45 ftBooks 12 mo out

Full hookups on most sites; bald-cypress swamp setting

Operator site

Lake Bistineau State Park

$30/night

Louisiana State Parks

35 mi from downtownMax 45 ftBooks 12 mo out

Water + electric on most sites; cypress-and-tupelo lake setting

Operator site

Sam's Town RV Park (Bossier)

$35/night

Sam's Town Casino

5 mi from downtownMax 45 ftBooks 6 mo out

Full hookups; casino-adjacent

Operator site

Caddo Lake Wildlife Management Area (LDWF, 30 mi north)

$0/night

Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries

30 mi from downtownMax 30 ftFirst-come / dispersed

Primitive vehicle camping; cypress-bayou setting

Operator site

Public-land hubs near this city

State parks, National Forests, and NPS units around the city are the anchors for an RV or boat trip — check each unit's official site for current access, fees, and seasonal rules before you go.

Wooden boardwalk winding through a cypress bayou, Louisiana — On the road in Louisiana

Plan around the crowds

Which local events will move Shreveport RV supply?

Independence Bowl (college football)

Late December

Bossier + Shreveport lodging tight; casino RV lots 100%; reserve 6+ months out

Event source

Louisiana State Fair (Shreveport Fairgrounds)

Late October through early November

Fairgrounds area saturates; commercial RV parks tight

Event source

Gulf hurricane evacuation traffic (June-November)

Variable per storm

I-20 + I-49 northbound congested; lodging fills rapidly; LA OEP may issue contraflow

Event source

Arrival playbook

Your first hour in Shreveport

Before you leave the lot

Reserve Cypress Black Bayou or Lake Bistineau SP 6+ months out for any peak weekend.
Top off diesel at Pilot/Flying J Bossier or Loves Greenwood.

Within the first hour

Top off propane at AmeriGas Shreveport.
Read Shreveport City Code Title 78 — no in-city overnight street.

Before bed

Stage tank dump at Cypress Black Bayou or Lake Bistineau SP.
If casino RV camping planned, confirm Horseshoe or Sam's Town reservation + player-card.

Before departure

Monitor LA OEP + NHC if dates inside Jun-Nov hurricane window.
Pre-book any Independence Bowl or State Fair weekend 6+ months out.

The mistake renters make

Avoid this trap

Pulling into the Cross Lake Pavilion lot for an overnight on a Friday assuming city park rules are loose

Cross Lake is the city water supply; shoreline overnight strictly prohibited; Shreveport PD enforces actively

Read the source

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Last reviewed 2026-06-05

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