Winter is here and snowbirds are gathered in the sunbelt states, waiting out the cold months. Many RVers will stay put for the season, but I get itchy feet when I stay put too long. If you’re like me and want to move around a bit, this short list of what I consider the west’s best urban RV campgrounds in winter can add variety to your winter retreat.
The West’s Popular Urban RV Campgrounds in Winter
A classic sunset in California. Photo courtesy of NPS.gov
San Francisco
When you want urban camping Candlestick RV Park delivers. Like most big city RV campgrounds it’s nothing more than a parking lot with hookups. It can get noisy at times when RVing in San Francisco. However, it’s just 20 minutes from downtown and the high nightly rate may be worthwhile. After all, you won’t get any closer or find cheaper RV parking when visiting the city by the bay.
The grounds of Mission Bay RV Resort.
San Diego
If you’re seeking sunshine and sandy beaches, San Diego’s Mission Bay RV Resort puts you in the heart of it. The pet-friendly park is on the waterfront with grassy play areas and scenic beachfront walking paths. Additionally, if you feel like venturing out further, we often wait out the winter in southern California by visiting such places as the Salton Sea region, which is an hour south of Palm Springs and about three hours from San Diego.
Downtown Las Vegas neon.
Las Vegas
Las Vegas weather can be chilly in winter but it’s still warmer than most places. If you’d rather save money for the casinos instead of a campsite, head to Main Street Station Casino RV Campground. This no-frills parking area in the heart of downtown ranks high on my list. Priced under $25 a night with full hookups and even laundry facilities. You are also just steps from old school Vegas. Try your luck gaming, take in some shopping or enjoy golf and more in Las Vegas.
The Titan Missile Museum. Photo by Dave Helgeson
Tucson
Tucson is a warm spot with many options for RV camping outside of town. Unfortunately the city has few RV park options near the heart of the city. When you want to be close to big events like the Gem and Mineral Show or want to visit Tucson’s Titan Missile Museum, the best urban RV campgrounds are the Prince of Tucson RV Park and Sentinel Peak RV Resort. The first is on the north side of downtown. It has a resort feel and is one of the most big-rig friendly RV parks close to downtown. The newest RV park is the Tucson Sentinel Peak RV Resort. This park puts you as close to the center of town as you can get, but it’s a no-frills kind of spot. Both parks are extremely popular and require reservations far ahead of your arrival date.
This winter you’ll find my husband and I roaming among this short list of parks. Where are you headed? If you have your own favorite winter RV campgrounds in the west we’d love to hear about them.
Rene Agredano and her husband, Jim Nelson, became full-time RVers in 2007 and have been touring the country ever since. In her blog, Rene chronicles the ins and outs of the full-timing life and brings readers along to meet the fascinating people and amazing places they visit on the road. Her road trip adventures are chronicled in her blog at LiveWorkDream.com.
Lazydays RV Park is a great place to stay in Tucson! Also, Salton Sea is East of San Diego, not West!
That is a nice park Glennie, but it’s quite far from the center of Tucson.
We stayed at Lazy days RV park and it was outstanding. Best Rv Park we have stayed.
Close to everything in Tucson. I guess coming from a much larger city (Denver) we found the location was great.