Nightly rates by park type
Prices below are typical ranges for a single RV site with two adults, before tax, in 2026. Peak season and popular locations land at the top of each range or above it.
| Park type | Typical nightly rate | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| BLM and national forest dispersed | Free | No services, 14-day limit |
| BLM long-term visitor area (Arizona, California) | $40 for 14 days, $180 for a season | Dump, water, trash |
| National forest developed campground | $10 to $30 | Vault toilet, water spigot, no hookups |
| National park campground | $20 to $40 | Rarely hookups; some concession RV parks $60 to $90 with full hookups |
| Corps of Engineers | $20 to $40 | Usually electric and water, lakefront |
| State park | $20 to $50 | Electric and water common, some full hookups |
| County park or fairground | $15 to $35 | Often electric, basic |
| Independent private RV park | $35 to $70 | Full hookups, laundry, WiFi |
| KOA Journey / Holiday / Resort | $50 to $110 | Full hookups, pool at Holiday and Resort tiers |
| RV resort | $75 to $150 | Concrete pad, 50 amp, pool, clubhouse |
Region and season move the needle
The same full-hookup site costs very different amounts depending on where it is:
- Plains and Midwest (Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, the Dakotas): $30 to $50. Small-town municipal parks with electric for $15 to $25 are common.
- South and Southeast in summer: $40 to $65. Florida in January: $70 to $120 nightly, if you can find a nightly site at all.
- Desert Southwest: $35 to $55 in Arizona outside snowbird season, $55 to $90 in Tucson and Phoenix from January to March. Quartzsite BLM is the budget alternative.
- Mountain West and national park gateways: $60 to $110 in Moab, Jackson, Estes Park, and West Yellowstone from June to September.
- Pacific Coast: $60 to $130. California coastal state parks are the exception at $35 to $60, which is why they sell out instantly.
- Northeast: $50 to $90, with short seasons that push summer rates up.
- Texas: $35 to $60 most of the year; Hill Country and Gulf Coast parks rise on weekends. See full hookup parks in Texas.
Shoulder-season discounts of 10 to 30 percent are normal at private parks in spring and fall, and many post a winter rate that is half of summer.
The fees that show up at checkout
Quoted rates are rarely the whole bill. Ask about these when you call:
- Lodging or occupancy tax: 5 to 15 percent depending on the state and county. Some states exempt stays over 30 days.
- Extra person fee: $3 to $10 per person per night beyond two adults, and children are often counted.
- Pet fee: $2 to $10 per pet per night at some parks, usually zero at public campgrounds.
- Extra vehicle: $5 to $15 a night for a second car, boat trailer, or cargo trailer.
- 50-amp premium: $3 to $10 over the 30-amp rate at parks that price them separately.
- Pull-through, waterfront, or premium site: $5 to $25 above a standard site.
- Resort fee: $5 to $15 a night at a few high-end parks, covering the amenities you already assumed were included.
- Reservation fee: Recreation.gov adds $8 to $10 per booking; state systems charge $5 to $10; ReserveAmerica-run states vary.
- Credit card surcharge: 3 to 4 percent at some independents; cash or check avoids it.
- Late checkout, early check-in, or dump station use by non-guests: $10 to $20.
Discounts that actually save money
| Program | Cost | Discount | Worth it if |
|---|---|---|---|
| America the Beautiful Senior Pass (age 62 plus) | $80 lifetime or $20 annual | 50 percent off federal campground fees (Corps, Forest Service, NPS, BLM) | You are 62 and camp on federal land at all |
| America the Beautiful Access Pass | Free | Same 50 percent | You have a permanent disability |
| Good Sam | About $30 a year | 10 percent at 2,000 plus parks, fuel discounts at Pilot and Flying J | You stay at private parks more than 10 nights a year |
| Passport America | About $45 a year | 50 percent at 1,400 plus parks, with blackout dates and stay limits | You travel weeknights and off-season; one or two nights pays for it |
| KOA Rewards | About $36 a year | 10 percent at KOAs plus points | You stay at KOAs four or more nights a year |
| Harvest Hosts / Boondockers Welcome | $100 to $200 a year | Free overnight stays, no hookups | You do road trips with transit nights |
| Thousand Trails Camping Pass | A few hundred dollars a year per zone | Free nights at network parks | You camp 60 plus nights a year near their parks |
| Military, first responder, AAA, FMCA, Escapees | Varies | 5 to 15 percent at participating parks | Always ask; it costs nothing |
| State resident senior or veteran discounts | Free | Often 25 to 50 percent at state parks in your own state | Check your state park system |
Discounts stack poorly. A park will honor one, not three, and many exclude weekends, holidays, and peak season.
Weekly and monthly rates
Stay seven nights and most private parks charge for six. Stay a month and the price per night can drop by half or more: a park charging $55 nightly may offer $350 weekly and $750 to $1,200 monthly, with electric metered on top. That is why full-timers and snowbirds think in months. The monthly RV park rates guide covers what is included and how to negotiate.
What a realistic year looks like
Full-timers who mix public campgrounds, a Passport America park on weeknights, and a monthly site in winter commonly average $600 to $1,200 a month on camping. Weekend and vacation RVers spending most nights in state parks and the occasional KOA average $40 to $55 a night. A retired couple who spends four months in a Florida resort and the rest of the year moving through state parks will spend more on the Florida months than the other eight combined. Mixing in free camping is the single biggest lever; the free camping guide explains where it works.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average cost of an RV park per night?
Most RVers pay $35 to $60 a night for a private park with full hookups and $20 to $45 for a state park or Corps of Engineers site with electric. National averages around $45 hide big regional swings: Plains states are cheaper, coasts and national park gateways are pricier.
Is Good Sam worth it?
At about $30 a year for 10 percent off, it pays for itself after roughly six nights at affiliated parks, plus a few cents a gallon off fuel at Pilot and Flying J. Passport America saves more per night but has more restrictions; many RVers carry both.
Why are RV parks so expensive now?
Demand rose sharply after 2020, land near popular destinations is scarce, and utility, insurance, and labor costs climbed. Private parks near national parks and beaches raised rates the most. Public campgrounds have risen more slowly and remain the best value.
Are there free RV parks?
Not parks with hookups, but free camping is everywhere in the West on BLM and national forest land, and some small towns in the Plains offer free or donation-based city park sites with electric. Retail lots and casinos allow free overnight parking in many places. The Free Camping hub in the directory lists no-fee sites.