Tennis Has Met Its Match: Play Pickleball at These 45 RV Campgrounds
The sport that combines tennis, badminton, and ping-pong is making quite a racket throughout the country—these RV campgrounds offer pickleball as an on-site amenity.
Played with a paddle and perforated ball, pickleball is considered a low-impact, easy-to-learn sport for all age groups. And you won’t be in a pickle if you’re looking to find an RV campground or resort with a pickleball court—they’re all over the U.S. now, and especially popular in warm-weather climates where you can play year round.
Pickleball was founded in 1965 by Joel Pritchard, Bill Bell, and Barney McCallum on Bainbridge Island, Washington. The name was dreamed up soon after as a nod to the “thrown-together leftover non-starters in the ‘pickle boat’ of crew races,” according to USA Pickleball. Years later, as the sport grew in popularity, a controversy ensued about the family dog, Pickles, who some insisted was the name behind pickleball. But that was discounted by Pritchard and his family, insisting the dog came along after the game debuted, and that the dog, in fact, was named after the game, not the other way around.
“What goes better together than pickleball and RV parks?” asks Lynn Cherry, owner of Pickleball Fire, a database and information resource for pickleball clinics and tournaments. “Essentially you have the same core demographic of people 50 and older enjoying both activities, so it’s no wonder that more than 300 RV parks have pickleball courts.”
Not only will you find pickleball courts at these RV campgrounds, but some also offer loaner paddles, trainers, pickleball clubs, and pickleball tournaments.
Here’s a sampling of 48 RV campgrounds with pickleball courts by region.
Campgrounds in the West and Southwest With Pickleball Courts
Stunning mountain views compete for your attention while playing in this neck of the woods. Also, thanks to pickleball-perfect weather in some of these states, there are opportunities to play year round. Many of these RV campgrounds sport impressive pickleball amenities for players, like Palm Creek Golf & RV Resort in Casa Grande, Arizona, with 32 pickleball courts (24 lighted for night play) and a pickleball club with 1,000-plus members.
Although the sport is seasonal here, the Midwest represents pickleball in the summer with sought-out pickleball courts at its nature-loving RV campgrounds.
Campgrounds in the South and Southeast With Pickleball Courts
Snowbirds and locals know that pickleball is played year round in many destinations in this region, especially in sunny Florida, thanks to warm weather and eager, enthusiastic players. And one of the most luxurious spots is Camp Margaritaville RV Resort & Lodge Pigeon Forge in Tennessee, with a pair of pickleball courts and loaner paddles for newbies—Dollywood and Great Smoky Mountains National Park are just minutes away.
Campgrounds in the Northeast With Pickleball Courts
While seasonal, this area of the U.S. has ideal weather conditions for pickleball in the spring and fall. Check out this range of resorts from the Jersey Shore to the coast of Maine that offer pickleball courts as an amenity.
