How to Find Year Round RV Parks and Campgrounds

Here at AirSkirts, we’ve finished our spring cleaning, and our taking some time to look into year round campgrounds and RV parks.  If you don’t know, we specialized in RV skirting (see: ‘What It Is RV Skirting?‘) which protect your pipes from freezing in cold weather and offer energy efficiencies in all seasons, even summer (see: ‘RV Skirting in Summer: Does it Help Keep My Camper Cool?‘.

Unfortunately, there isn’t a central source for year round campgrounds. AllStays has some of this information, but it’s incomplete, which is no surprise considering the breadth of information they seek to capture for both RVers and truckers, things like  hike-in spots, clearances, and bridge weight capacities. So what’s the best way to find a year round RV Park or campground? You’ll have to do just a bit more research and in the next section we highlight some of our favorite sources when we are doing this research for ourselves.

Sources of Year Round Campground Information

From directories, to blog posts, to official campground websites, their is a variety of disparate sources for information on year round campgrounds. Here are just a few of the sources we’ve used in our own travels and research.

  1. Search Engines: Google / Google Maps
  2. Official Campground / RV Websites and Offices: check sites or call to confirm year round availability
  3. Camping Network Sites: KOA, Thousand Trails
  4. Directories: e.g. All Stays, RV Life
  5. Camping Booking Sites: Reserve America, Campspot
  6. RV Blog Articles: see specific links below

Examples of helpful articles

Look for a similar article to those below about the area in you’ll be camping in.

Conclusion

As you can see, there is no one-stop shop for figuring our a a place to stay during the winter or for a year round stay. Start at All Stays, supplement that with Google searches and don’t be afraid to calls some places up directly to doublecheck.

Good luck out there and happy RVing.

Bonus content:

The content below was originally published on November 17th, 2021

Finding a Great Year-Round Campground Is Worth the Effort

You have been a weekend warrior since you’ve owned your RV. It has all been great, which is why you and your significant other have decided to go full-time. You are selling your stick house, downsizing your possessions, and preparing for a life of adventure on the road. Great. Have you ever considered the difficulty of finding year-round campgrounds?

Here in North America, it is not unusual for campgrounds to close down during the winter. They tend to open in early spring and close sometime around mid-autumn. It is not that campground owners don’t want business during the winter, it is just that the business is so sparse that staying open isn’t worth it.

That could leave you in a lurch. The good news is that there are year-round campgrounds out there. You just have to know where to find them. Moreover, finding a really good one is worth the time and effort invested in the search.

Camping in Warmer Climates

Chances are that the greatest selection of year-round campgrounds are found in warmer climates. States like Florida, Georgia, Arizona, and California immediately come to mind. The nice thing about camping in warmer climates during the winter is that you still get access to amenities. Camp in central Florida and you’ll still have access to a swimming pool. Camp in Maryland and you might be out of luck.

Demand is still an issue in warm-weather states. Some of your smaller campgrounds may still close because they do not get enough traffic. But your bigger properties, especially those that are popular with snowbirds, tend to remain open.

Camping and Winter Weather

The flip side of the winter camping coin is choosing a location more prone to cold temperatures and snow. Maybe that’s your thing. Perhaps you enjoy the sunshine and warm temperatures of summer but still look forward to everything winter brings to the table.

You will probably have a harder time finding a good campground in winter-weather states. But again, they are out there. You might just have to dig a little deeper. Be prepared to not have access to as many amenities, either.

As long as we’re talking winter weather camping, don’t forget the RV skirting. The whole point of RV skirting is to protect your plumbing when temperatures dip below freezing. A good skirting product keeps cold air from getting under your rig, decreasing the chances that your pipes will freeze.

Don’t Wait Until the Last Minute

Camping has become so popular in the wake of the COVID crisis that reserving a site at the height of the season means planning well in advance. Do not assume advanced planning isn’t necessary for winter camping. There may be fewer campers, but there are also fewer campsites. Don’t wait until the last minute to reserve something for your next winter stay.

Those lazy summer afternoons when you are all worn out are perfect for searching online or making some phone calls. That’s the time to figure out what you’re going to do when the seasonal campsites start closing. Make your reservations early enough and you will be able to enjoy the rest of the summer without worrying about it.

In terms of what you should be looking for, that’s entirely up to you. Some people prefer to winter at campgrounds that are fairly close to shopping, healthcare services, etc. Other people want to be as close as possible to winter sports opportunities. It is really a matter of what floats your boat. It’s about putting in the time and effort to find a good campground you know you’ll be happy with.