One of the joys of traveling in a small camper is not being limited by your size. Small campers fit into places where larger campers can’t, including campsites or boondocking spots with length restrictions or tight spacing.
Rig Roundup: RVs Perfect for National Park Camping
Below are some of the top-rated campsites that are best suited for small campers.
Alabama
Turnipseed Campground, Talladega National Forest
“I’ve stayed here at least twice a year for the past 10 years and love it. I have never seen anything larger than a teardrop-size camper here, almost exclusively tents. Lots of trees for hammock camping.” —Bruce
Alaska
Black Bear Campground, Chugach National Forest
“After a very full day in Whittier, we stopped here for the night before heading back to Anchorage. The campsite is close to the road, but there is very limited traffic so it didn’t bother us a bit.” —ShayneH
Arizona
Cattle Tank Road, BLM
“Established campsites along the road are limited, but the setting is gorgeous. A few campsites are pretty large. Beautiful sunsets in a cactus garden setting. You’ll be surrounded by large saguaros and lots of chollas.” —RV With Tito
Kingman Wash, Lake Mead National Recreation Area
“You can snorkel, swim, or kayak to get a view over Hoover Dam. Two spectacular hikes with hot springs and the Colorado River are within a few miles drive: Arizona Hot Springs and Goldstrike Canyon. You can camp here for up to 15 days at a time.” —jackh
Beaver Dam Mountain Wilderness, BLM
“Quiet, remote stay. Stayed here for 1 night. Did some hiking on the surrounding trails, target shooting and stargazing. Enjoyed the serenity, only saw one other person during our stay.” —DaN
Arkansas
Richland Creek Recreation Area, Ozark National Forest
“Beautiful secluded campground on two creeks with multitudes of waterfalls in the area. Great swimming hole. Sometimes it fills up on weekends, but there are also several dispersed sites along the road. Awesome scenery and hiking.”—Scott
Lake Sylvia Campground, Ouachita National Forest
“Nicely wooded area with nearby fishing lake.Two loops, one without electricity, the other with water and electricity. It’s $20 per night with electricity, $15 per night without.” —Stannie
California
TV Tower Road, Los Padres National Forest
“The view is vast and beautiful. Nice sunset and sunrise. Neat seeing the marine layer move over the land. Totally worth the drive up and down. There are hiking trails nearby. Great place to fly a kite too.” —Hypsy-Gypsy
Kelbaker Boulders, Mojave National Preserve
“Nice place on the road to the Grand Canyon. We never saw more stars and the sunrise. Really quiet and easy to find by night with our 25-foot RV. There are a few fireplaces around.” —bambi
Soda Lake View, Mojave National Preserve
“I love being in places where I don’t have to cover the windows. The road in was fine and short. A little wobbly, but no big deal if you go slowly. I’m right near the first big mount of rocks and love scrambling.”—TheGalavan
National Park Roads You Can Only Drive With a Small Rig or Tow Vehicle
Dharma Tower, Mojave National Preserve
“Wonderful isolated spot in the Mojave Preserve. This site is next to an old radio tower and control shack, which are locked and fenced closed. I found the tower added to the vibe of the site. The scenery is beautiful out of your door.”—Huffy1166
Big Black Mountain, Cleveland National Forest
“We were heading to San Diego and wanted a place to camp, this was amazing. There is plenty of wood for a fire. In the morning the fog had started to roll in when we stopped for a picture.” —Salm
Colorado
Twin Lakes View, Pike-San Isabel National Forest
“Beautiful sights. Watched the sunset and sunrise over the snow-topped mountains each night. There are about 20 to 30 sites with fire rings up and down the road.” —Totzcamplife
County Road 34, BLM
“Sites are big enough to have privacy. You have an amazing view of Mesa Verde Mountain. There is a lot of wood to make a fire, and you can have shade.” —Emma & Doudou
Hartman Rocks Dispersed Camping, BLM
“High desert hiking, biking, and stargazing. All camp spots are designated with a sign and a steel fire ring. Some are easily large enough for 25-foot rigs and some have picnic tables and are handicap accessible.” —Moby Goes!
The Bank Campground, BLM
“The campground is located about 11 miles north of Canon City. There are hiking trails and rock climbing in the area. The sites are gravel and have a concrete picnic table and a fire ring.” —The Moores
Twin Lakes North, Pike-San Isabel National Forest
“The views are what makes the spot and is 100 percent worth the work to get up there! We had good service while we were there and there are several nearby hikes, including the tallest mountain in Colorado Mt. Elbert.”—EatSeeRV
Florida
Warren Bluff Campsite #48, Tate’s Hell State Forest
“Great view and a great breeze. Nice kayak access. Lots of bird activity, low light pollution. Nice charcoal grill, firepit, and picnic table. It’s big enough that you could set up three or four tents if you really wanted. There’s a couple of trees right by the water where you can get a hammock up.”—Koelker12
Idaho
Old River Road, Coeur D’Alene National Forest
“The dogs loved running around carefree, we chatted with tubers, watched the Osprey, skipped rocks and fished a little. We had 25 yards of private rock beach. It is a short drive to the Trail of the Coeur d’Alene, a 70-mile paved bike path.” —33andfree
Chatcolet Campground, Heyburn State Park
“Quiet, elevated lake views, not crowded. Stayed only 1 night in site 131 with views through the lodgepole pines and red cedars of Chatcolet Lake. Only 10 or so miles off Highway 95 and about an hour and then some from Coeur d’Alene.” —Nessie The Navion
Michigan
D.H. Day Campground, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore
“Great location. All types of spots from sunny to shaded. Short walk to a beautiful beach area plus the heritage trail goes right through the campground.” —Mel
Montana
McGinnis Creek Dispersed Camping, Flathead National Forest
“Perfectly secluded boondocking overlooking Glacier National Park. There’s a fire ring up there and plenty of dead wood around for fire. Very easy to get to and we had no problem getting a 33-foot Class C up the road to the site.” —NomadicNeighbors
Flint Creek Campground, Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest
“For being in the middle of nowhere, at the base of mountains, I was shocked to have three bars of service. The campground was nice, clean, and quiet; every spot has a fire pit and almost all are creekside.” —John_MidlifeWanderlust
Rock Creek Dispersed, Custer National Forest
“Beautiful area, close to Beartooth. The road is a washboard in a few sections, but not bad. A lot of nice level spots further in, just have to drive in for quite a ways, past MK campground. Would definitely stay here again.” —Rui
Confederate Dispersed Campground, Canyon Ferry Lake USBR
“It was a very quiet area with tons of wildlife. We saw a young moose in the morning, lots of geese and antelope. There was a picnic table and fire pit at our site. We would love to come here again.” —Ireland
New Mexico
Parks Ranch Campground, BLM
“It is so quiet and dark here. The night sky was so clear and moonless one of the nights making for some great stargazing. There are two caverns here as well that you can explore, which is cool.” —Woodsaroundtheworld
Granite Gap Dispersed Camping, BLM
“Once you get here, you won’t complain. Surrounded by desert greenery shared with some free range cattle. Dark at night. Quiet day and night. Great hikes and views too.” —Lilmsnomad
New York
Chautauqua Gorge State Forest
“There is a great hike down to the gorge where you can swim and cool off and lots of beautiful nature all around. It was always busy on summer weekends, but quiet during the week.” —TheHappiestWanderers
Jones Pond Designated Dispersed Campsites, State Forest
“Jones Pond is a pretty area and makes a decent base camp to explore this area of the Adirondacks. There were several people everyday that came to paddle and fish the pond. Otherwise it was quiet there at night.” —glasgows_onthego
North Carolina
Ammons Branch Campground, National Forest
“Camping is free and there are only four sites here. Lots of hiking trails with great vistas and waterfall rewards.Chattooga River is gorgeous and offers great fly fishing.” —Carrie
Oregon
Green Mountain Campground, BLM
“If you’re up for a truly remote experience with outstanding views in a little known corner of the high Oregon desert, this place is perfect. We also explored South Ice Cave, Fort Rock, Hole in the Ground, and the Hidden Forest.” —Chris&David
Still Creek Campground, Mt. Hood National Forest
“This is truly a magical place. Huge sites by a lovely creek in a lush forest. It is one of the closest campgrounds to Mount Hood. ” —Road it up
Miller Bar Campground, Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest
“We love boondocking here. You are able to pull your camp trailer right up to the water and the scenery is majestic. Perfect for river kayaking and rafting. Kids love hunting for frogs, crawdads, and newts which are plentiful in the river.” —SAYCamp
Tennessee
Foster Falls Campground, South Cumberland State Park
“Foster Falls is in my top favorite places that I have been to. The campground is close to the start of the trail to get to the waterfall. I was on site 24, which is a great location as neighbors are pretty far away.” —Robdubois
Texas
Chisos Basin Campground, Big Bend National Park
“The setting itself is amazing. Big Bend has such an amazing variety of landscapes to view, but the Chisos campground is maybe the prettiest location in the park. There is lots to see and do using this as a basecamp. We would stay here again.” —ElliottM
Colorado Bend State Park
“The river is calm and beautiful. The moon was full and so bright it was like early morning sunshine. In the morning the open area had many deer jumping and playing. I will return.” —Lente
Utah
North Creek Dispersed Camping, BLM
“Lots of spots and located right next to a creek. Can get hot during summer days with a breeze at night. Perfect stay, and we had cell service. About 20 minutes from the Zion National Park entrance, which makes it 10 times better.” —Aa
Cabin Hollow Dispersed Camping, Dixie National Forest
“What a striking location. Just a few minutes to Bryce Canyon National Park. And the walks at the Red Canyon Visitor Center are beautiful. We loved it there.” —Sue G.
Miners Canyon Dispersed Camping, BLM
“Easy access and beautiful views. There’s a lot of land to camp on. The road you come in on has several places to park that will work for a large RV.” —MarlaSinger
Virginia
Burke Lake Park Campground, County Park
“The camp spots are nestled in the woods with wildlife all around. Each site has a picnic table and a fire ring. They have a train ride, playgrounds, miniature golf, fitness trails around the lake, fishing, and more.” —Reed & Liz
Washington
Goodell Creek Campground, North Cascades National Park
“The creek behind our campsite was beautiful, and there was lots of foliage. Several trails are in the area via driving to them, but just a short distance down the road is the Newhalem CG and the NP visitor center” -RVLIKEMIDGLEY
Hog Lake Dispersed Camping, BLM
“I would definitely stay here again. Campsites are well dispersed and I can hardly see my neighbors. There’s a short hike out to Hog Lake with a nice view of the lake from above. Basalt cliffs are on several sides of the lake.” —Waltbx
Red Bridge Campground, Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest
“Great base camp to some terrific hiking and exploring. We come here every year. And we reserve the same spot. There are some great swimming holes.” —Roger
Wyoming
Shadow Mountain Designated Dispersed Campsite #2, Bridger-Teton National Forest
“Some of the best views of the mountain range from where I camped. It was an unforgettable experience seeing the mountain range from my spot. You’d be hard pressed to find a better view than this!” —Almewho
Campendium and the Camping Community Fund Vault Toilets in Bridger-Teton National Forest
Ayers Natural Bridge Park, County Park
“Everything about our stay here was wonderful. The natural bridge was gorgeous and we quickly ran up the short trail to the top of the bridge to take sunset photos. The surrounding wall of red rock was absolutely beautiful.” —chaurory
Editor’s note: Some quotes have been edited for clarity.
