The open road awaits but the time you have to travel it isn’t open-ended. Traveling the country in a recreational vehicle frees you from constraints, but it’s a bit of a bummer if you haven’t figured out where you want to go while you’re still healthy enough to get there.
We took a spin around the navigable portions of North America and found several spots worth adding to an RV bucket list. The destinations are worth the trip, but so are the paths you’ll take to get to them.
The Grand Canyon
Nearly 280 miles long and up to 18 miles wide, the Grand Canyon and its national park are a wonderland of rim hiking, donkey riding, and whitewater rafting. Though the North Rim of the canyon is closed until mid-May, the South Rim is open all year and features Trailer Village, where RV sites start around $55.
The Grand Canyon Bonus
The opium dens, bordellos, and other landmarks of Williams’, rough-and-tumble past are long gone. But some kinder, gentler vestiges of this town’s Wild West era remain. And that’s fortunate for Grand Canyon-bound visitors seeking a fun, full-service spot as a base before and after a trip to the Canyon’s South Rim, 56 miles north.
The town of 3,000 residents, considered the gateway to the Grand Canyon, is also home to the Grand Canyon Railway, an excursion train that traverses the scenic, high-desert plateau between a historic depot and the Canyon. Make the Grand Canyon Railway RV Park your home base where sites start around $36 and walk to the adjacent depot.
Zion National Park
You could simply drive Route 9 through this national park in Utah and get a tremendous view of the natural beauty around you. But if you want to trek the Zion and Kolob canyons, visit the Zion Human History Museum, hike Kolob Arch, or take in the mountains, stay a while. Granted, you could bounce around to Bryce Canyon National Park and Cedar Breaks National Monument to the northeast or the Grand Canyon to the southeast, but there’s a lot to absorb here. Also, your RV would need a permit to get through the Zion-Mount Carmel Tunnel.
Zion National Park Bonus
The South and Watchman campgrounds in the park itself have RV access, but only Watchman has electric hookups. Neither has sewer, water, or Wi-Fi, so if those things are important, you may want to consider a place such as the Zion River Resort, the highest rated RV park near Zion. It offers full-service sites with cable TV and wireless internet service starting at $37 a day. You also get access to a spa, a fully air-conditioned social hall, and a concierge.
The Canadian Rockies
We really don’t want to make you choose between Banff National Park and Jasper National Park. Instead, if you have limited time to take this trip, drive your RV from Banff to Jasper via the Icefields Parkway. Though named for the Columbia Icefields, its views of the Rockies, the valleys, the wildlife, waterfalls, glacial-silt lakes, and Icefields Skywalk are well worth the trip.
The Canadian Rockies Bonus
RV parks such as the Hinton/Jasper KOA are an option for your stay, but the national parks themselves offer RV sites in Banff, Lake Louise, and Jasper. They start taking reservations in mid-January for the peak summer season, so it helps to plan well in advance especially if you desire a site with utilities.
Albuquerque
There’s a lot more to do here than look at filming locations for “Breaking Bad” and “Better Call Saul.” Nob Hill, the ABQ BioPark, and the 2.7-mile Sandia Peak Tramway just scratch the surface of this place’s natural beauty, and the Petroglyph National Monument and Cibola National Forest are easy to explore. With nearly two dozen RV parks to choose from, it’s also an ideal destination for your home on wheels.
Albuquerque Bonus
What’s the best reason to come to Albuquerque in an RV? The Balloon Fiesta that puts hundreds of hot air balloons over the city. Not only can you park your RV right near the Fiesta site, but you can stay overnight for $40 to $250 and watch the balloons from right outside your front door. Take in the sites, smell the roasting chiles, and enjoy the festivities from your own accommodations. Just be prepared to stay the minimum three-night reservation.
Worth Pondering…
The journey not the arrival matters.
—T. S. Eliot