Outdoorsy Yosemite | Most Popular National Parks for RVs

Most Popular National Parks for RVs

Few destinations attract outdoor enthusiasts like America’s national parks. Among the various ways to experience these natural wonders, RV camping stands out as a popular choice. Consequently, states boasting numerous national parks also witness a significant influx of RV overnight stays. Most popular is California, proudly hosting nine national parks, securing its position as the state with the highest number of RV campers, nearing a staggering 600,000 overnight stays—a remarkable 3.5 times more than the runner-up state.

Not to be outdone, other leading states enticing RV travelers include Utah, housing five majestic parks, and Colorado, with four splendid destinations. Following closely are Montana and Tennessee, each boasting two of the system’s most beloved parks, namely Yellowstone and Great Smoky Mountains, respectively.

While national parks unquestionably garner substantial recreational visits, let’s not overlook the National Park Service’s maintenance of national recreation areas, parkways, historical parks, and national seashores—each drawing their fair share of visitors’ attention. Nevertheless, national parks continue to hold sway as the primary magnet.

To identify which particular national parks attract the most RV visitors, researchers at Outdoorsy analyzed National Park Service data from 2017 to 2019. Parameters such as the total number of recreation visits, overnight stays, and specifically RV camper stays were evaluated. The fruits of their labor culminated in a ranking of parks based on the average annual number of RV camper overnight stays.

Without further ado, let’s unveil the most popular national parks for RV adventurers.

The most popular national parks for RVs

Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo

15. Kings Canyon National Park

Number of overnight stays by RV campers: 36,846
Total overnight stays: 232,286
Total recreation visits: 674,688
Total park area (acres): 461,901

Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo

14. Bryce Canyon National Park

Number of overnight stays by RV campers: 38,219
Total overnight stays: 132,120
Total recreation visits: 2,615,355
Total park area (acres): 35,835

Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo

13. Shenandoah National Park

Number of overnight stays by RV campers: 54,699
Total overnight stays: 317,515
Total recreation visits: 1,383,087
Total park area (acres): 199,224

Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo

12. Acadia National Park

Number of overnight stays by RV campers: 57,241
Total overnight stays: 217,588
Total recreation visits: 3,494,711
Total park area (acres): 49,077

Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo

11. Rocky Mountain National Park

Number of overnight stays by RV campers: 64,484
Total overnight stays: 233,196
Total recreation visits: 4,565,920
Total park area (acres): 265,807

RELATED

Home to more than 400 square miles of majestic peaks that soar as high as 14,000 feet, Rocky Mountain National Park is the perfect getaway this spring.

Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo

10. Grand Canyon National Park

Number of overnight stays by RV campers: 67,476
Total overnight stays: 1,224,546
Total recreation visits: 6,203,048
Total park area (acres): 1,201,647

Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo

9. Sequoia National Park

Number of overnight stays by RV campers: 68,055
Total overnight stays: 312,060
Total recreation visits: 1,255,634
Total park area (acres): 404,063

Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo

8. Zion National Park

Number of overnight stays by RV campers: 74,382
Total overnight stays: 334,645
Total recreation visits: 4,437,704
Total park area (acres): 147,243

Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo

7. Yellowstone National Park

Number of overnight stays by RV campers: 74,929
Total overnight stays: 1,417,285
Total recreation visits: 4,083,937
Total park area (acres): 2,219,791

Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo

6. Olympic National Park

Number of overnight stays by RV campers: 75,774
Total overnight stays: 441,629
Total recreation visits: 3,250,752
Total park area (acres): 922,649

Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo

5. Joshua Tree National Park

Number of overnight stays by RV campers: 76,604
Total overnight stays: 400,780
Total recreation visits: 2,928,183
Total park area (acres): 795,156

Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo

4. Death Valley National Park

Number of overnight stays by RV campers: 97,069
Total overnight stays: 216,725
Total recreation visits: 1,571,477
Total park area (acres): 3,408,396

Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo

3. Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Number of overnight stays by RV campers: 112,429
Total overnight stays: 398,779
Total recreation visits: 11,769,279
Total park area (acres): 522,427

RELATED

Outdoorsy has detailed guides on America’s national parks, including Olympic National Park in Washington and Great Smoky Mountains National Park straddling Tennessee and North Carolina.

Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo

2. Glacier National Park

Number of overnight stays by RV campers: 115,768
Total overnight stays: 381,367
Total recreation visits: 3,106,887
Total park area (acres): 1,013,126

Photo Credit: Alamy Stock Photo

1. Yosemite National Park

Number of overnight stays by RV campers: 255,180
Total overnight stays: 1,576,865
Total recreation visits: 4,256,396
Total park area (acres): 761,748

And when you visit Yosemite National Park, be sure to come see us at Outdoorsy Yosemite. We’re an RV resort situated on Bass Lake that provides easy access to the park. You can even have an RV rental delivered right to your campsite if you don’t have one of your own – for easy Yosemite enjoying.

Detailed findings & methodology

All data is from the National Park Service. To determine the most popular national parks for RVs, researchers used data from 2017 through 2019 to rank national parks by the average annual number of overnight stays by RV campers. In the event of a tie, the national park with the greater number of total overnight stays (including lodge guests, backcountry campers, tent campers, etc.) was ranked higher.