Question Does anyone know if we can drive our RV thru and park in parking lots at all the National Parks? not to camp, just drivingparking

[Long&WindingRoad]

We just want to be able to drive our RV thru the Yellowstone,Rocky Mtn.,Arches, Canyonlands, Grand Tetons, Moab, Mt Rushmore and then thru Rapid City, Sioux City, and Denver
Any suggestions and tips would greatly be appreciated. Every where I look online it always about camping. we are not looking to camp at the campgrounds just drive our RV thru the parks and park there to take photos and see the vistas. Thanks for your help everyone.
Donna

 

[MapNerd]

It will depend on the park and the areas of the park you want to drive through. National Parks are special places so sometimes they don't want or aren't designed for large, oversized vehicles in certain areas. For examples, there may be bridges that are not designed to support the weight of your rig, but only smaller passenger cars.

 

[Jack L]

I know the visitor center at the southern entrance of the Everglades National Park allows it and has plenty of room.
If you are thinking of a particular Park I would just contact them .

 

[redbaron]

Most national parks will be setup to allow the largest rv to get as far as the welcome center. Beyond that, it varies greatly.

I have taken my 43ft rv towing a 3/4 ton crew cab silverado to glacier, Yellowstone, grand canyon, Custer, Arches, and many more. Often we park at the welcome center, unhook and explore from there.

National parks have a lot of traffic, and driving a big rv around is scary in the busy season, as cars will race to beat you to the parking space. I had this happen several different times. I found that parking outside the park is much less stressful.

 

[TJ&LadyDi]

We just want to be able to drive our RV thru the Yellowstone,Rocky Mtn.,Arches, Canyonlands, Grand Tetons, Moab, Mt Rushmore and then thru Rapid City, Sioux City, and Denver
Any suggestions and tips would greatly be appreciated. Every where I look online it always about camping. we are not looking to camp at the campgrounds just drive our RV thru the parks and park there to take photos and see the vistas. Thanks for your help everyone.
Donna

Welcome to RVF, @Long&WindingRoad; we are glad you have joined us here.

What size is your RV? A Class B camper van would be easy; a Class A diesel pusher is a whole other thing, as it towing a trailer. As has been mentioned, many parks have bridges, tunnels, narrow roads and other obstacles that make it difficult for large RVs to negotiate. You can almost always get to the visitor centers, but beyond that, it can get dicey.

If you are thinking of staying overnight in the parking lots, our experience is that many parks (if not most) don’t allow it.

TJ

 

[lemondrop9344]

We did in several years ago in a 40' diesel pusher at many of the parks you listed. No real issues with the roads if you pay attention to height & weight limits which were rarely encountered. The biggest issue was finding a location to park so as to be able to explore. At the time we did not have a toad. However, we acquired one immediately upon our return home. Our lesson learned:
A 40' diesel pusher is not the ideal 'grocery getter' or vehicle for driving around national parks. It's much easier & less stressful to accomplish this in a toad.
Have a safe trip!

 

[redbaron]

As tj says, parking is meant for while visiting. Hours and length are not restricted, but if you are inside sleeping you will be awakened.

We did some late night star gazing at grand canyon. Arrived at 11pm, and disconnected. I left a sign in the door with date and time and stated we where in the park with the license plate and description of tow vehicle. This was someone else's idea that was passed on to me.

While in the park a ranger approached us and said he had seen our sign and thanked us for making his job easier.

 

[TJ&LadyDi]

I left a sign in the door with date and time and stated we where in the park with the license plate and description of tow vehicle. This was someone else's idea that was passed on to me.

Very smart idea!

TJ

 

[Rod]

I'd suggest not attempting to drive through Rocky Mountain Nat'l Park as tempting as it looks on a map to get from one side of the park to the other. Trail Ridge Road is the highest paved through-road (48 mi) in North America topping out at 12,183' above sea level. It's busy, congested and not a good place for a large RV.

 

[MapNerd]

We just visited Yellowstone. Possible? Sure. Would I do it? Absolutely not - for all of the reasons above.