Your site is your yard, and theirs is theirs
The single most common complaint in RV park reviews is people walking through occupied sites. A campsite has no fence, but it has a boundary: the pad, the patio, the picnic table, and the grass around them belong to whoever is checked in. Walk on the road, even if it adds 200 feet to the trip to the bathhouse, and teach kids to do the same. Do not park a second vehicle, a bike, or a dog run on the empty site next door; someone has it booked for tonight. If your slide or awning would extend over the line, ask for a different site rather than a favor.
Quiet hours are real, and so is the hour before them
Most parks post quiet hours from 10 pm to 7 or 8 am. What the rule sheet does not say is that campground sound carries. A conversation at a picnic table is audible three sites away; an outdoor TV or Bluetooth speaker is audible across the loop. Keep music at a level you cannot hear from the road, and shut the outdoor speakers off well before 10. Diesel engines idling at 6 am, slide motors, and jacks retracting are loud: if you must leave early, do the noisy prep the night before and roll out quietly. On the other side, if a neighbor is loud at 11 pm, a polite word usually fixes it. If not, call the office or the after-hours number; that is what the fee pays for.
Generators
At a full-hookup park or any site with electric, running a generator is simply rude, and most private parks ban it outright. At public campgrounds without hookups, generator hours are usually posted, commonly 8 am to 8 pm with a midday quiet period in some national park campgrounds. Even inside the allowed window, run it only as long as it takes to charge batteries or cook, point the exhaust away from neighbors, and never run a contractor-style open-frame generator in a campground; an inverter model (Honda EU2200i, Yamaha, Champion) is the accepted standard. A small solar setup removes the issue entirely for most campers, as our boondocking guide explains.
Pets
Nearly every pet-friendly parkhas the same three rules, and they exist because people break them: leash at all times outside the rig (6 feet is the usual maximum), pick up every time, and never leave a dog outside unattended. The unwritten fourth rule is barking. A dog that barks for two hours in a trailer while you are at the pool is the fastest way to get a note from the office and a bad reputation on the loop. Use the dog run for off-leash time, keep dogs off other people's sites, and ask before letting a dog approach anyone. Our pet camping tips cover heat, tie-outs, and breed restrictions.
Speed and driving in the park
The posted limit is usually 5 to 10 mph, and it is meant literally. Kids on bikes, dogs on leashes, and people backing trailers are all on the same narrow road. Ten mph feels absurdly slow from a truck seat; it is the right speed. Give anyone backing into a site the whole road and wait, do not squeeze past. Headlights on high beam after dark light up every window on the loop, so use low beams or parking lights when creeping to your site late.
Slides, awnings, and lights
- Slides should not extend over the site line or into the road. If they do, the site is too small for your rig.
- Awning lights and porch lights that stay on all night shine into neighbors' bedrooms. Turn them off at quiet hours, and skip the color-changing LED strips unless you are at a rally where everyone has them.
- Roll the awning in when you leave the site and when wind is forecast. An awning torn off in a gust often lands on the neighbor's rig.
- Grills, mats, and chairs stay on your pad, not on the grass between sites, at parks that ask you to keep the grass clear (many do, for mowing).
Campfires
Use the fire ring where it is, do not move it, and do not build a ring where there is none. Burn local firewood only; moving firewood more than about 50 miles spreads invasive insects like the emerald ash borer, and many states ban it. Check the fire danger level at the office, because burn bans change daily in the West. Keep fires small enough that smoke does not drift into the rig next door, never burn trash or plastics, and drown the fire completely before bed or before you leave: cold to the touch is the standard. At state parks and forest campgrounds, unattended fires are the leading cause of wildfires that start in campgrounds.
Bathhouses, laundry, and shared spaces
Leave the shower stall the way you would want to find it, keep showers under ten minutes when there is a line, and do not wash dishes in the bathroom sinks. In the laundry room, set a timer and move your clothes promptly; it is normal for someone to move a finished load to the top of the machine, so do not take it personally. Clean the dryer lint trap. At the dump station, be efficient and rinse the pad, as detailed in our dump station guide.
Neighbors and rally culture
A wave and hello when someone pulls in is the norm; helping a solo camper spot while backing is welcome if you ask first. Do not offer unsolicited advice on someone's setup, and do not walk up to a rig with the door closed unless it is urgent. If you are at a park with long-term residents, understand that their site is their home and treat it like a neighbor's house. Sales pitches, religious tracts, and knocking on doors to sell anything are prohibited almost everywhere.
Checkout
Checkout is usually 11 am or noon, and the next guest often arrives at 1 or 2 pm. Leaving at 12:30 with the water still connected puts the office in an awkward spot; if you need a late checkout, ask the day before. Before you go: dump the tanks if you have sewer, pick up every piece of trash including zip ties and bottle caps, leave the fire ring clean, and check that the pedestal breaker is off and the sewer cap is back on. Walk the site once. Fill out the review honestly afterward; the next camper reading it is you in a different state, and our guide on what to look for in reviews explains why specific reviews matter.
These habits are the same at a $30 county park and a $150 RV resort. Browse parks by state when you are ready to put them into practice.
Frequently asked questions
Is it rude to walk through someone else's campsite?
Yes. It is the most common complaint in campground reviews. Stay on the roads and paths even if it means a longer walk to the bathhouse, and teach children to do the same.
Can I run my generator during the day at an RV park?
At a park with electric hookups, almost never; most private parks prohibit generators entirely. At public campgrounds without hookups, follow the posted generator hours, usually something like 8 am to 8 pm, and use a quiet inverter model.
What are typical RV park quiet hours?
Most parks set quiet hours from 10 pm to 7 or 8 am. Sound carries in a campground, so keep outdoor music and conversation low well before 10 and avoid noisy departures early in the morning.
Should I leave my outdoor lights on at night?
No. Awning lights, porch lights, and LED strips shine into neighboring rigs. Turn them off at quiet hours and use a small motion light or a headlamp if you need to see the steps.