The Struggles of Finding a Place to Stay

Challenges on the Road

After spending a month on the road in our Class A motor home, we realized how difficult it can be to find a place to stay for the night. We often drove until tired and wanted to book a site within an hour of arrival, but it was not as easy as we thought.

Surprising Discoveries

We were shocked to that most campground offices close around 5 PM, and their online bookings do not allow you to book within 12 hours of arrival. This meant whenever we tried to book a site for that night, we were automatically denied. We like to drive until dark, and in the summer that can mean 8 PM. Most campgrounds along our route were a hard, “No.” Their phones went unanswered and their online systems blocked us. It was frustrating for us as two adults and a dog looking for a quick overnight stay. We were willing to pay good money for a FHU site, a bathhouse, and maybe a dog park that we would use for a max of 12 hours.

A Few Bright Spots Along the Way

What Worked Well

Despite the challenges, we did come across a few campgrounds that got it right. The common factors among these places were:

All bookings were done online
All allowed same-day bookings up to midnight
Clear instructions were provided
Maps and regulations were included in our confirmation
Well-lit signage directed us easily once we were in the park
Some campgrounds even gave us an exact site number or allowed us to choose our site in a designated overnight area

In this day and age of technology, it’s surprising to see the struggles faced by tired travelers like us. We were not off the beaten track, we were on interstate highways. Thankfully, we found a few forward-thinking campgrounds that provided the means for us to find the perfect spot to rest and recharge during our road trip adventure.

If you are on a road well traveled, think about how you can make your park a haven for late-night travelers like us.