US National Parks for RV travelers

American Samoa

Per-loop limits · Dry sites

American Samoa is 4,800 miles southwest of LA — most remote NPS unit, no RV infrastructure at all. Fly Hawaiian to Pago Pago, do the Homestay Program, hike Mount Alava.

Hot Springs

Up to 30 ft · electric · dump on site

Gulpha Gorge is the year-round 30-ft basecamp with 30A/50A electric — two miles from the 143°F thermal springs that have been federally protected since 1832, four decades before Yellowstone.

Indiana Dunes

Up to 35 ft · electric · dump on site

Dunewood holds 35-ft rigs with 30A electric April–October — set back from the lakeshore, adjacent to the state park, and the South Shore Line runs from Beverly Shores into Chicago.

Mammoth Cave

Up to 40 ft · Dry sites · dump on site

Mammoth Cave's tours sell out months ahead — book the tour first, then the 40-ft Mammoth Cave Campground. Green River ferries cap at 16,000 lbs, which rules out most Class A rigs.

Acadia

Up to 35 ft · Dry sites · dump on site

Acadia's Schoodic Woods is the only NPS campground here with electric hookups — 35-ft cap, less crowded than Blackwoods, and the Schoodic Peninsula side dodges Bar Harbor's summer traffic entirely.

Isle Royale

Per-loop limits · Dry sites

Isle Royale is ferry-only and the park literally closes Nov–April. Stage the rig in Houghton, Copper Harbor, or Grand Portage MN; the visit is backpacking, paddle, and 36 wilderness sites.

Voyageurs

Per-loop limits · Dry sites

Voyageurs is 40% surface water and every in-park campsite is boat-access only — stage your rig at Rainy Lake or Kabetogama, rent a houseboat for the island visit, drive the ice road in winter.

Glacier

Up to 40 ft · Dry sites · dump on site

Going-to-the-Sun Road's 21-ft cap is enforced at the checkpoint — book Apgar or St. Mary for a 40-ft basecamp, then take the park shuttle or a toad up to Logan Pass.

Theodore Roosevelt

Up to 50 ft · Dry sites · dump on site

Cottonwood (South Unit) holds 50-ft rigs year-round; Juniper (North Unit) is 35 ft seasonal — two units 70 miles apart with no connecting park road. Feral horses visible 80% of summer days.

Cuyahoga Valley

Per-loop limits · Dry sites

Cuyahoga Valley has zero in-park camping — stage at Streetsboro KOA or the Cleveland-area metroparks, ride the scenic railroad with your bike on the Bike Aboard! program, and use Boston Mill VC parking.

Crater Lake

Up to 50 ft · Dry sites · dump on site

Crater Lake's Rim Drive sits at 7,000+ ft and the snowpack closes the north section 9 months a year. Mazama Campground holds 50-ft rigs but only mid-June through late September.

Great Smoky Mountains

Up to 35 ft · Dry sites · dump on site

Great Smoky charges a $5/day parking tag on top of the campsite — required everywhere in the park. Cades Cove and Smokemont hold 35-ft rigs year-round but the Cades Cove Loop takes 3+ hours.

Big Bend

Up to 40 ft · full · dump on site

Rio Grande Village RV Campground is the only full-hookup site in the park — 25 spots, 40-ft cap, run by Forever Resorts. Nearest grocery is 70 miles in Marathon; book early for winter.

Virgin Islands

Per-loop limits · Dry sites

Virgin Islands National Park is on St. John in the US Caribbean — fly in, ferry from Red Hook, stay in Cinnamon Bay cottages. There is no RV infrastructure of any kind in the territory.

Shenandoah

Up to 35 ft · Dry sites · dump on site

Skyline Drive sits the entire park on a 105-mile ridge at 7-8% grade. Big Meadows and Mathews Arm hold 35-ft rigs; expect fog 60 days a year and Yosemite-style bear protocol.

New River Gorge

Per-loop limits · Dry sites · dump on site

New River Gorge became the 63rd national park in 2020 — eight primitive NPS campgrounds, no hookups, length caps 25-35 ft site by site. Adventures on the Gorge offers private hookups outside the boundary.

Yellowstone

Up to 40 ft · mixed · dump on site

Yellowstone's only full-hookup loop holds 310 sites for a 4-month window and books out fast — bring the rig, book Fishing Bridge the morning the window opens, and stage every other loop as a dry-camp backup.