Highlights: Big Sur coastline, elephant seal colonies, Hearst Castle, Morro Bay
Campgrounds: Julia Pfeiffer Burns, Morro Bay State Park, Plaskett Creek
Peak season: May–June, September–October
Browse RV depots near Los Angeles →Highlights: Old Faithful, Mammoth Hot Springs, Grand Prismatic, Jenny Lake
Campgrounds: Fishing Bridge, Canyon Village, Colter Bay (Grand Teton)
Peak season: July–August (book 6mo ahead)
Browse RV depots near Salt Lake City →Highlights: Trail Ridge Road, Estes Park, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Maroon Bells
Campgrounds: Moraine Park, Elk Meadows, Ridgway State Park
Peak season: June–September
Browse RV depots near Denver →Highlights: Cadillac Ranch, Petrified Forest, Painted Desert, Blue Hole
Campgrounds: KOA flagged sites along the route, Albuquerque north valley
Peak season: April–May, September–October
Browse RV depots near Chicago →Highlights: Crater Lake (deepest in USA), Hoh Rainforest, Hurricane Ridge
Campgrounds: Mazama Village, Sol Duc Hot Springs, Kalaloch
Peak season: July–September
Browse RV depots near Seattle →Highlights: Overseas Highway, Bahia Honda, Dry Tortugas day trip, Everglades sloughs
Campgrounds: Long Key State Park, Bahia Honda, Everglades Flamingo
Peak season: November–April (avoid hurricane season)
Browse RV depots near Miami →Highlights: Angels Landing, Thor's Hammer, Delicate Arch, Double Arch
Campgrounds: Watchman (Zion), North or Sunset (Bryce), Devils Garden (Arches)
Peak season: April–May, September–October
Browse RV depots near Las Vegas →Highlights: Vermont covered bridges, White Mountains, Acadia National Park, coastal Maine
Campgrounds: Acadia Blackwoods, Dolly Copp (White Mountains), Button Bay (Vermont)
Peak season: Late September–mid October
Browse RV depots near Boston →Highlights: Clingmans Dome, Chimney Tops, Mabry Mill, Linville Falls
Campgrounds: Elkmont, Cades Cove, Otter Creek (Blue Ridge Pkwy)
Peak season: October (foliage) and June–July
Browse RV depots near Nashville →Highlights: Joshua Tree boulderfields, Badwater Basin (lowest in N America), Cathedral Rock Sedona
Campgrounds: Cottonwood (Joshua Tree), Furnace Creek (Death Valley), Manzanita (Sedona)
Peak season: November–March (avoids desert summer heat)
Browse RV depots near Los Angeles →The Pacific Coast Highway (Los Angeles to San Francisco) is widely considered the best entry point. It's linear (no complex navigation), has numerous large pull-through campsites, stunning coastal scenery, and is served by major fleet depots at both ends. The 380-mile route takes 5–7 days at a comfortable pace.
Yellowstone, Grand Teton, and Zion are all well set up for RV visitors with large campgrounds and good road quality. Rocky Mountain National Park, Acadia, and Olympic are popular but require advance reservations (often 6 months ahead on Recreation.gov) and have vehicle length restrictions in some areas.
May–June and September–October offer the best combination of mild weather, lower rates, and available campsite reservations. July–August is peak season — expect higher prices, full campgrounds, and heavy traffic on popular routes. Winter is viable in the Desert Southwest (Sedona, Joshua Tree, Death Valley) but limits options in the Rockies and Pacific Northwest.
200–300 miles per day is a comfortable pace that leaves time to enjoy destinations rather than just drive. Experienced RVers often go 400+ miles on interstate highway days, but scenic routes (PCH, Going-to-the-Sun Road) realistically average 50–100 miles in a day with stops.
For national park campgrounds in peak season, absolutely — reservation windows open 6 months ahead on Recreation.gov and popular sites sell out within minutes. For KOA and other private campgrounds, 2–4 weeks advance is usually sufficient outside peak dates. National forest and BLM land is mostly first-come, first-served with no reservations needed.