Community Forums

becks · 06-20-2022, 02:43 PM

Everyone had good ideas, most we were aware of. Not much for boondocking in MN. We looked for very small out of the way CG's. After weeks of searching we found one.

**Camp CA** · 06-20-2022, 03:52 PM

Join a private camping rv resort/club, local rv club of campers and Elks Lodge. That is where we generally camp.

FLJOE · 06-23-2022, 07:52 AM

We book ahead at least 2 months, sometimes further out. We have never had issues staying close to where we want to be.

2cyber71 · 06-23-2022, 08:08 AM

Prairie Flower in Des Moines, Iowa is about 1/2 full all with Iowa plates.
I’m the only PA plate here. But for $11 a night it’s a beautiful place.

2cyber71 · 06-23-2022, 08:09 AM

Prairie Flower Army Corp Campground in Des Moines, Iowa is about 1/2 full all with Iowa plates.
I’m the only PA plate here. But for $11 a night it’s a beautiful place.
On my way to Yellowstone, I see very few Diesel Motorhomes on I 80

hilgert · 06-23-2022, 11:25 AM

When we plan travel destinations/stops:

Prior to departure from our permanent home spot we:
- Always book the final destination(s)...we do not take off unless we have a place to land on the other side of the trip.
- Always book the first night in-transit stay, 4-6 hours out (in case we leave a bit late).
- Always (or almost always) book the last night in-transit stay (the night before arrival at the final destination) no more than 4-6 hours out from the final destination (we do not like driving or arriving when it's dark...never a pleasant experience for anyone involved).
In between (if longer than a 3-day transit):
- We start looking mid/late morning each day once we know how long we intend to drive that day.
- This is the "adventure" part of the trip that we actually look forward to.
- Many times we have discovered very nice off-path hidden gems RV parks that we may re-visit later.
If we cannot find an RV park, we overnight at rest stops (where allowed...varies by state), Walmarts (where allowed) or truck stops (last choice).

Returning home we do the same in the reverse direction (except we don't "book" our permanent home spot).

To the point in the original post, we have seen it getting harder than in past years to find destination spots (for a weekend, or a few weeks) unless we book much further into the future.

Bobby F · 06-23-2022, 12:50 PM

Minnesota - my home - is relatively RV-unfriendly. There just aren't that many places to stay, in a state where you'd expect otherwise. Very few boondocking possibilities, and lots of weekend warriors who book every weekend long in advance.

Lots of rest areas on the freeways, though, so you can at least sleep for a bit on your way through.

TJFogelberg · 06-23-2022, 07:15 PM

Lanesboro, MN has a "first come first serve" campground with W+E and DS. If you arrive early on a Friday, you should be able to get a site.

On the North Shore (very popular), you can boondock a few nights a week in between your reserved spots. Here are some spots you can park with no problem on the North Shore:

Black Bear Casino (Cloquet area).
Duluth - Park Point drive across the bridge and park overnight along the road.
Two Harbors - city parking lot near the depot/museum.
Lutsen Ski Resort - the big parking lot for skiers.
Tetegouche Rest Area.
Silver Bay - City has a small RV parking area with DS up the hill before the shopping center.
Grand Marais - allows overnight on street parking.
Rest Area at Canadian Border.

Walmarts in the Lakeville/Burnsville/Apple Valley area unfortunately do not allow overnight parking. However, Lakeville has a Cracker Barrel and is a possibility.

ArtJoyce · 06-24-2022, 07:38 AM

I'm thinking as you get closer to the weekend you want some sites will free up.

oatmeal · 06-29-2022, 03:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by twogypsies

Otherwise we were always settled in by Wednesday and stayed through the weekends.

That works only for first-come first-served sites, which have become much more rare than they used to be. Nowadays, you might get there on Wednesday but you'll have to leave on Friday because somebody has your site reserved.

The tactic of getting there mid-week and keeping the site through the weekend was perfect for fulltimers, at the expense of locals who couldn't get there until Friday. Now, the tables have turned completely, and the system works perfectly for the locals and leaves fulltimers high and dry.