Your Complete Guide to Van Life Camping and Overnight Parking
Our favorite van life dispersed camping spot in Sedona, Arizona
Aside from living a life full of adventure and new experiences, one of the big reasons vanlife has grown in popularity is the low cost of living. Vanlife allows you to save a ton of money in a short amount of time.
Imagine if you could get rid of your monthly rent payment, utility bills, and expensive travel costs like flights and hotel/AirBnb prices. Seriously, do the math real quick – you’d be saving a ton of money every month! Not to mention you can’t fit much in your campervan, so you aren’t going to be making many impulse buys, either.
But where can you park a van overnight? Is it free? Is it safe? How do you find van life camping spots anyway? These are some of the most common questions we get from people considering van life.
Good news – there are plenty of options for free van life camping and safe overnight parking. Your options range from empty parking lots to neighborhoods to beautiful dispersed camping spots in the wilderness.
We hope to make your transition to life on the road as easy as possible, so we’ve compiled a list of both free and paid resources. By the end of this article, you’ll know exactly where you can park overnight in your campervan, car camper, or RV – no matter where you’re heading on your next adventure.
A quick note for travel therapists: Please know that you’re required to maintain a tax home (see FAQ section here for more info) in order to accept tax-free per diems while on contract.
For this reason, we opt to stay at paid campgrounds as a means of duplicating expenses while Skip is working. When he’s not on contract, we opt for free camping options to save money.
By the way, we are by no means tax professionals – click here to learn more about maintaining a tax home so you can confidently (and legally) accept those per diems.
Free Van Life Camping Spots
Keep in mind that you’ll be boondocking at most of the free camping spots. This means you’ll have to plan ahead because you’ll be off-grid and self-sufficient during your time at the site. Make sure to have plenty of water, food, and power for all your devices.
iOverlander
iOverlander is the O.G. van life camping app and the first resource we used on our van life journey. It is completely free to use and you can use it to find free or paid campsites, water fill-ups, showers, dump stations, and more!
It’s as simple as this:
Open the app and zoom in on the map where you’ll be staying
Filter for what you’re looking for – a campsite, water, shower, etc.
Use Google maps to route you to its location
You can also quickly copy the coordinates to share them with friends. Sharing is caring, after all.
Users often leave reviews on campsites so you can get a vibe for what the spot is like before you arrive. Like whether the spot is quiet or loud, how many bars of cell service there are, if it’s pet-friendly, and if a camping spot has any amenities.
You’ll learn to look out for things like public restrooms near your camping spot – GAME CHANGER!
The reviews will sometimes even include pictures so you can see what your views will look like before you arrive. Hello, beautiful sunset views!
Sēkr
Sēkr (previously The Vanlife App) functions very similarly to iOverlander, but it’s more up-to-date and user-friendly. You can filter for all kinds of amenities, filter for free options only, or filter specifically for vehicle access, which is awesome for those of us who don’t have 4WD.
Sēkr is much more than just a van life camping app, though. One amazing feature that differentiates it from iOverlander is the community aspect. You have the ability to create a profile with your interests, social accounts, etc. Then you can use the app to find other van lifers near you and plan or attend meetups via the app.
Meeting other nomads is one of the best parts of van life and we’re so happy to have resources like Sēkr to help our community come together.
FreeCampsites.Net
This map-based search engine is web-based only (no app). Simply search for or zoom to the region you’ll be traveling on the map, filter for what you’re looking for, then check out the comments to catch a vibe on the place you’re considering staying.
iOverlander, Sekr, and FreeCampSites.Net all function similarly. You will probably choose a favorite pretty quickly. But at some point, you’ll find yourself in an area where they have different campsites on each app, so it’s great to have several resources on hand.
Walmart Parking Lots
Anyone know this Chris Cagle country song? Anyone? Okay then, carry on.
Some people really talk junk on this option, but we actually enjoy staying in Walmart parking lots. There’s always a bathroom right inside, they’re well lit and have security cameras, it’s usually pretty quiet, and you can pop in to grab snacks, wine, propane, or anything else if you’re running low on.
It’s important to note that not all Walmarts allow overnight parking. You can check out this resource to get an idea of which Walmart stores are cool with it. But you should still always check with management before parking to avoid getting a knock or a ticket in the wee hours of the morning. We’ll usually call on our drive to the Walmart so we can rest easy at night.
Other Businesses – Bass Pro, Cabella’s, Cracker Barrel, Home Depot, Lowes, Etc.
Just like Walmart, we recommend calling ahead and confirming they allow overnight parking before your stay at any of these businesses. Many places are just renting the lot they’re on and don’t actually own it, so it’s up to city ordinances and not the store owner/manager.
Also, this probably goes without saying … but you’re obviously not going to set up camp like you would at a dispersed camping site. You’re going to be in stealth mode while staying in any of these businesses’ parking lots.
An added bonus is that Bass Pro and Cabela’s are dog-friendly so we can wear our puppy, Honey, out while getting our shop on.
Skip OneWheeling and “walking” Honey in a Bass Pro parking lot
Stealth Camping
AKA staying in a neighborhood, in street parking, an apartment complex, etc. This is usually a last resort option for us. It’s just not fun to worry about getting a knock in the middle of the night and often leads to a poor night of sleep.
If you do choose stealth camp, you’ll want to be sure to:
Arrive late and wake up early (make it seem like you were never there)
Make sure there are no signs restricting parking in the area
Be ready for bed when you pull up – cover your windows, make your bed, etc. You don’t want the neighborhood watch wondering why the creeper van has people walking around in it late at night.
Truck Stops
We haven’t stayed in any truck stops yet in our van life journey, but we’ve met several other van lifers who recommend them.
They often allow overnight parking and some have security, bathrooms, and water fill-ups.
You’ll often be staying among other van lifers, RVers, and truckers which may help you feel safer as well.
BLM Land: Dispersed Camping
One of our favorite dispersed camping spots in van life to date – on top of a mountain overlooking the Grand Tetons
Camping on BLM Land is one of our favorite van life camping options.
BLM stands for Bureau of Land Management. There are two camping options on BLM land: dispersed camping and developed campgrounds.
We’ve only stayed in dispersed camping spots, which offer no amenities/facilities. You are able to stay in these spots for free for up to 14 days within a 28 day period.
It’s completely free to stay in these spots and you get views that you’d pay a fortune to see outside a hotel room window. There’s nothing quite like waking up in a free camping spot in the middle of nature.
BLM land is most abundant out west and we usually find BLM land listed on the iOverlander app or with a quick Google search.
To read more on BLM land, check out the BLM’s website here.
National Forests
National Forests are another beautiful option for free van life camping. All national forests allow dispersed camping unless otherwise marked.
Rules for camping on national forest land are basically identical to BLM land. You can check out The Dyrt app for more help finding dispersed camping spots. They even have an option to download the maps offline so you’re not screwed if you lose cell service – which you often do in these remote areas.
Remember to always be respectful. We are extremely lucky to be able to call these naturally beautiful landscapes our backyards for a night or two. That being said, we all need to be respect the land and do our part so they remain accessible to us and others.
Here are a couple of general rules to follow:
Be sure to leave no trace
Pack it in, pack it out. Leave our campsite looking even better than when you found it. If there’s trash there when you arrive, pick it up. We’re all in this together, after all (that song’s definitely stuck in your head now – you’re welcome)
Park 100-200 feet from any road, trail, or water source and use a previous campsite if visible to minimize the impact on the area
Houses / Driveways of Friends or Family
Know somebody in the area you’re staying?
You can knock out two birds with one stone and pay them a visit while also sleeping outside their house or in their driveway.
We’ve done this at many friends’ houses and it usually comes with a shower and good company. ☺
Paid Van Life Camping Spots
This isn’t a favorite option for most van lifers because we love all the freebies. But any of these options would work great for traveling healthcare professionals to duplicate expenses and rake in those tax-free housing per diems.
Harvest Hosts
Harvest Hosts offers unique stays at wineries, breweries, farms, museums, and other attractions.
It costs only $99/year and gives you unlimited access throughout the year.It is an overnight program, so don’t plan on staying at one spot for more than 24 hours at a time. And they ask that you kindly purchase one local product each time you stay.
They also offer a 3 month 100% money-back guarantee.
You can check out their growing list of host locations here.
Vanly
We have yet to use Vanly, but it’s like the AirBnB for driveway spaces. And since it’s just a driveway space, it’s a lot more affordable than an AirBnB property. It’s web-based only and doesn’t have an app.
You simply search the location you’re heading to, filter for specific amenities if needed, and then check out what’s available.
HipCamp
HipCamp has both a website and an app.
Through HipCamp, private landowners provide outdoor stays, camping, and glamping experiences. Van lifers would type in your desired location, dates, and then filter for “campsites” for the most affordable options.
Campgrounds & RV Parks
Campgrounds aren’t the most affordable option on the list, but it’s what we opt for while Skip is working. There’s usually potable water, shower facilities, full hook-ups and more depending on the specific site. Sometimes it can be rejuvenating to stay at a campground for a couple of days and not have to worry about power or water.
If you’re a traveler and starting a contract soon, Google search for RV campgrounds near your next assignment. Be sure to call ahead and ask them if they allow self-converted campervans at their site as some places won’t allow them and we don’t want you getting turned away at the door.
Also, make sure to ask if they provide monthly rates vs daily rates because you can save some serious cash.
Some campsites will only allow you to only stay for up to two weeks at a time, and if this is the case, you may have to switch between two campsites biweekly during your assignment.
BLM Land: Developed Campgrounds
Developed campgrounds are paid and some offer facilities such as restrooms, potable water, and hookups, but the amenities depend on the specific campground. Some may offer as little as a picnic table and a fire pit. Make sure to call ahead or check a specific campground’s website before heading out on your adventure.
Bonus Pro Tip: AirBnB for RnR
If you’re into it, you can budget to splurge and book and AirBnB every 1-2 months just to rejuvenate. As amazing as van life is, you deal with a lot of time consuming chores, a limited water supply, and misadventures that people living in a house don’t have to think twice about.
You’d be amazed at what taking 1-2 days off can do to keep your love for van life alive and avoid burnout.
Self-care is everything, ya’ll. And no – taking a little time off doesn’t make you “not a real van lifer”.
Tips for Overnight Camping in Your Van:
In closing, we’d like to drop some general tips for parking and sleeping overnight in your van.
Listen to your intuition. If something doesn’t feel right when you pull up to a spot, it probably isn’t.
Try to find your spot before it’s dark outside. It’s much easier to catch a vibe when you can see your surroundings.
Don’t park anywhere near a dumpster or anywhere else you’d imagine critters will be hanging out. We’ve heard some horror stories about mice and ants getting into vans.
Don’t stay somewhere for more than a couple of nights. This not only increases safety for you, but it also prevents van lifers from getting a bad wrap. You don’t want people to think you’re posting up long-term and ruin a spot for future van lifers.
So there you have it. As you can see, finding free van life camping spots and overnight parking isn’t as difficult as you may think.
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