2022 RV Trip Details

OK, y’all asked for it, here are the details of the Great West 2022 RV Trip. We logged almost 15,000 miles on the RV in 2022. Our route was not the most efficient. We had a goal to be in Seattle in September in order to see the salmon run (Jonathan is a massive fish guy). We had also booked our spots in Yellowstone/ Grand Teton way ahead of time so we had to work around that as we planned the rest of the trip. We had friends and family that visited us in Sedona, Zion National Park, Yellowston and Seattle so we made sure to route our trip around those visits and their availbility. We also wanted to see as many National Parks as we could so we occasionally went a little out of our way since we were as close as we figured we would ever be to some of them. We ended up logging 27 National Park visits in 2022!

So here is what we did- We left Florida on December 17th, 2021 and returned on October 31st, 2022.

Margaritaville RV Resort: Located on Lake Lanier outside Atlanta, GA. This resort would be awesome for the summer, and even at Christmas time they had a lot of activities for the kiddos like a snow tubing hill!. A little on the expensive side and we decided that for us, visiting family and friends, this was on the wrong side of town. Overall, if you’re looking for a place to stay in the Atlanta area, this is super nice.

Gulf Beach RV Resort: Located in Biloxi, MS. The spots are tight but the location is pretty great. The beach is directly across the street from the RV park and we walked over almost every day.

Dellanera RV Park: Located in Galveston, TX. This is a city park and has direct access to the pet friendly beach. For more details, click here.

Texan RV Park: Located in Athens, TX. This is where we went to get Jonathan’s RV Tech Certifications. The sites are spacious and we made a lot of new friends while Jonathan was in school. This was where we got a lot of Amazon packages and got a lot of our RV Essetials. For more details on Texan RV Park, click here.

Guadalupe River State Park: Located in-between Austin and San Antonio, this state park is a great retreat with plenty of recreation opportunities.

Port Isabel RV Park and Marina: Located before the bridge to South Padre Island, TX. We loved this place so much that we decided to book it again for 2023. There are a few sites that are amazing and back right up to the marina. We saw dolphins out our back window almost every day. For more details, click here.

Stillwell Store and RV Park: Located outside Big Bend National Park. For more info on Stillwell Store, click here. If we went back to Big Bend, we would probably split our time between Stillwell and Terlingua.

Tumble Inn RV Park: This was an overnight stop in Marfa, TX while we went on a hunt for the famous Marfa Lights. For more details, click here.

White’s City RV Park: This park is located directly outside Carlsbad Caverns National Park. We chose it for the location. Carlsbad Caverns is really only a day or two stop and we might recommend checking out Bottomless Lakes State Park as an add on or an alternative destination.

Palo Duro Canyon State Park: This state park is located outside Amarillo, TX. Texas state parks can be booked up to 11 months in advance. I highly recommend this along with a day trip over to Cap Rock Canyon. For moe details click here.

Santa Fe Skies RV Resort: We stayed a week in Santa Fe and really enjoyed driving up to Taos, Spence Hot Springs, and Bandelier National Monument. From Santa Fe, it is a short drive to Albuquerque and you can easily combine these into 1 stop if you’re pressed for time.

Elephant Butte Lake RV Resort: We used this as a jumping off point to see White Sands National Park.

Roper Lake State Park: Located in S. Arizona, this state park was a reminder of how much we love state parks- plus free wi-fi!. For more info, click here.

Cattle Rest RV Park and Saloon: This was a quick Harvest Hosts stopover. We loved the saloon and since we love talking business, this was an especially fun stop as we got to visit with the new owners of the bar and restaurant.

Silverado RV Resort: located between Tucson and Phoenix, this 55 and older RV resort allowed us to sneak in for a few days. We were super grateful since we had trouble finding anything else in the area. We used this as a jumping off point to see Saguaro National Park and Mount Lemmon.

OK RV Park: This stop is really out of order if you are trying to map it correctly. We used this as a jumping off point to see Petrified Forest National Park and Meteor Crater.

Verde Ranch RV Resort: We loved Verde Ranch. Located outside of Sedona, AZ, this is a super kid friendly resort with an amazing pool. The food truck was delicious. We also took a day trip to the Grand Canyon National Park- although we had been there before so this was mainly a stop for my friend who had flown out to see us. For more info, click here.

Red Rock Park: This is a tribal nation park located in Western New Mexico. We used this as a jumping off point to drive to Mesa Verde National Park as well as the Bandera Volcano and Ice Caves.

Route 66 RV Resort: This was one of our “God stops”. I usually have everything super planned out but this week I had nothing and didn’t feel like anything I wanted to do was “right”. Jonathan mentioned that he would really like a place with a concrete pad so he could do a couple maintenance items under the rig. While at this stop, we made new friends and for sure, it was a God ordained connection. The RV park itself is connected to a casino and is super clean and nice. It is just outside Albuquerque, NM. In Albuquerque, make sure to take time for Petroglyphs National Monument. This is also where I started writing my book, "What Does It Cost to be a Full Time RV'er and Can I Afford It."

Navajo State Park: Located in SE Colorado. Colorado allows bookings 6 months in advance.

Poncha Springs, CO Visitor’s Center: This was a great boondocking night. And a good reminder that there are a lot of “out of the box” places that allow you to park overnight.

Big Horn RV Park and Campground: We loved this small campground in Eastern Colorado. It was a great place for us to explore the small town of Salida. We made some new friends and decided to do a helicopter tour of the Royal Gorge. We also drove from here to Great Sands National Park.

Ridgeway State Park: Located in Western Colorado. We loved this state park. From here we were able to explore The Million Dollar Highway and Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park.

Moab, UT: We were on our way towards our reservations near Zion National Park but had a couple days in between. We decided to boondock at BLM 134 in Moab. We took the extra day to do a tour of Canyonlands National Park.

Bauer’s Canyon Ranch RV Park: This RV park was close enough to Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon National Park that we could explore both parks. The sites are a bit tight but we didn’t mind too much since we were only there for sleeping.

Green River State Park: Located about 45 minutes north of Moab, UT, we used this as our jumping off point for Arches National Park, touring Moab, and another tour of Canyonlands National Park. We loved this park for the green spaces and shade trees and cheaper nightly rate, but it was a little far from Moab. Utah allows booking of state parks up to 4 months in advance. For more info on Green River, click here.

Otter Creek State Park: Located in Central Utah. Jonathan really enjoyed fishing in and around this area. We also used this as a jumping off point to explore Capitol Reef National Park. I might recommend staying somewhere closer if you really want to take a lot of time for this park. There is camping within Capitol Reef if you can get a spot. For more info on Otter Creek, click here.

Stargazer Inn: This was a last minute booking, over Memorial Day Weekend, right outside of Great Basin National Park. This is basically a parking lot with electric hookups. We were a little concerned at first but then a few more people showed up and it was fine. We loved Great Basin and even though it was out of the way, we were super happy that we had added this to our itinerary.

Deer Creek State Park: Located near Provo, UT, this park is amazing. Utah parks can be booked only 4 months in advance. We did a ton of fishing and used this as a jumping off point to explore Antelope Island State Park. We also did a hike to Fifth Water Hot Springs and Falls which I highly recommend. For more info on Deer Creek, Click here.

Headwaters Campground at Yampa River State Park: Again, we love state parks! Colorado allows booking state parks 6 months in advance. We used this to tour Steamboat Springs, Fish Creek Falls and Rifle Falls State Park.

Spruce Lake RV Resort: We were a little late booking our accommodations for Rocky Mountain National Park and felt super lucky to get in here. I’ve got gobs of notes on our days in Rocky Mountains including where we saw wildlife! We also used this as our jumping off point to hit Mount Evans. This stop was also a great reminder that we are always exactly where we are supposed to be, doing exactly what we are supposed to be doing.

Comanche Park Campground: This is a National Forest Campground. If you can stay in Custer State Park, I highly recommend that. Custer State Park allows reservations by phone only 1 year in advance. We boondocked at Comanche for a few days and then transferred to Black Hills Trailside. While at Comanche, we used the opportunity for a day trip to The Mammoth Site.

Black Hills Trailside RV Park: This park is very close to Crazy Horse Memorial as well as Mount Rushmore. We also used this as a jumping off point to tour Badlands National Park.

Boots Campground: There are not a lot of options near Theodore Roosevelt National Park. This campground was a quick, couple day stop while we toured the National Park. It is self-check in and the spots are super tight. Would not be my first choice if I were back in the area.

Canyon Creek Brewing Co: Another great Harvest Host. Located in Billings, MT, the parking lot was large and the beer was cold. What more can you ask for.

Great Falls RV Park: This is almost the only game in town for visiting Great Falls, MT. It is a mix of long term, workers and vacationers. It is also a meeting point for some of the RVers that are heading to Canada and Alaska. It’s a typical park with row after row of campers. We used most of our week in the area for doing some long day drives and water fall hiking. I’ve got tons of notes on our time in the area. Including notes on our drive from Great Falls to Ennis, MT.

Ennis RV Village: This RV park was centrally located for us as a good pass through stop on our way to Idaho and then again on our way back to Yellowstone. We loved this park and they were super accommodating. We had to get a new sofa for our RV delivered and they were great about us having it sent to the park. We did several day drives from here to Big Sky and the Hyalite Trail. It is close enough that you can technically see the north part of Yellowstone, but it is still pretty far. We did visit Quake Lake and I would highly recommend that for anyone who is going to visit Yellowstone. It really puts the danger of the area into perspective.

Snake River RV Park and Campground: Located in Twin Falls, ID, this park has super tight spots. If we were back in the area we would choose to camp somewhere else. We did use this as an opportunity for several day drives and waterfall hikes. We also drove out to Craters of the Moon.

Castle Rocks State Park: Located in Southern Idaho, we loved exploring City of Rocks National Reserve. Idaho allows state park booking up to 9 months in advance. We also used this as a jumping off point to explore and do some waterfall hikes near Twin Falls, ID.

Ambassador RV Resort: Located just outside Boise, ID. This was a good spot for us while we attended a Kenny Chesney concert in Boise. We were super surprised that in July, it was 110 degrees in Idaho.

Swiftwater RV Park: We loved Swiftwater RV Park and highly recommend it. Located in Western Idaho, this park is a great place to stay while exploring this highly underrated part of America. We did a day drive from McCall to Yellowpine that was amazing. We also explored the Snake and Salmon Rivers.

Soaring Hawk RV Park: This park is super nice and a good location to see Coeur d’Alene. We did several day drives from here and a gondola ride and date night on Silver Mountain.

Kootenai River Campground: This was a couple days stop over on our way to Glacier. We enjoyed touring and doing some waterfall hikes.

Heart of Glacier RV Park: Located on the St. Mary’s side of Glacier this is a pretty simple RV Park. Glacier National Park has 5 entrances to the park and only 2 of them go through the park. West Glacier is where a lot of people choose to stay. I think it is smarter to stay on the St. Mary’s side so that you can explore the entrances of Two Medicine and Many Glaciers. We also drove up to the Canadian side of Glacier, Waterton Park. Keep in mind that the main road connecting West Glacier and St. Mary’s, The Going To The Sun Road, did not open up until July 13th in 2022. You do not want to miss this so I recommend reservations in late July or early August. If you're wondering where I saw wildlife in Glacier National Park, click here.

Holter Lake Recreation Site: A quick stop over stop on our way from Glacier National Park to Yellowstone.

Ennis RV Village: Back again on our way to Yellowstone…

Headwaters Campground: Located in between Yellowstone National Park and Grand Teton National Park. We had full hookups and the site was plenty spacious. We would probably recommend staying inside each National Park if you can get reservations. If not, this is an amazing back up plan. We spent almost 2 full weeks here and loved it. We also used this as a jumping off point to explore the Beartooth Highway. Here are my travel tips for Tetons and Yellowstone as well as where we saw wildlife.

Ennis RV Village: Back again for our 3rd time because this is how we were routed in order to get back up to Seattle in September.

Yellowrock Campground: This campground is located outside of Missoula, MT. We used this to try and sneak a peek at the Yellowstone Filming Location in the area. If you look at our picture, you will notice that it seems very “yellowed”. That is because in the late summer and early fall there are a lot of fires in the area and the air was super hazy.

Riverbend RV Park: Located in North/Central Washington. This was a quick stop over on our way to NW Washington. We would highly recommend Riverbend RV Park.

Concrete/ Grandy Creek KOA: Located outside Cascades National Park. We enjoyed our stay and used it to explore Cascades as well as Baker Mountain and our dangerous, rapelling hike to Rainbow Falls.

Tall Chief RV Resort: This is a weird park. It is both a KOA and a Thousand Trails park. It is located about 45 minutes directly east of Seattle. When you get there, you are supposed to go in and pick your own spot. This can be very difficult and annoying since we are coming in with a 43’ 5th wheel attached. There are also signs that give direction as to how big you need to be to stay in certain spots. Most people ignore those signs which means that a smaller camper will take up a space that is meant for a bigger camper. There are only so many spots that have a sewer connection which is why some of the small campers took up spots meant for bigger rigs. While we were there we drove out to Mt. Ranier National Park. We also enjoyed touring Seattle and seeing the Salmon run.

Yakima Sportsman State Park: Located in Eastern, WA. Washington allows bookings up to 9 months in advance. We stopped here for a few days to see one of my childhood friends. She and I also did an early morning paddle board adventure on the Yakima River to see the Hot Air Balloons.

Hidden Acres Orchard: Another great Harvest Hosts stop in Mead, WA. We enjoyed visiting with one of our high school teachers that has been following our adventures.

Big Sky Brewing Company: Another great Harvest Host stop.

Osen’s RV Park: This was a quick stopover as we drove across Montana.

Lazy R Campground: This was a quick stopover as we drove across Wyoming.

Spearfish City Campground: Located in Spearfish, SD, we highly recommend this city campground. While here, we explored The Black Hills and Deadwood.

Pioneer Auto Museum: Another Harvest Hosts in South Central South Dakota. If you are a car enthusiast, you would love this place!

Palisades State Park: We would highly recommend Palisades State Park if you are in Eastern South Dakota. It was a great rest and rv repair stop over for us.

Mirror Lake State Park: This park is located near The Wisconsin Dells. We had booked it too late to get anything except a primitive spot. Wisconsin allows booking up to 11 months in advance. We were expecting to be allowed to use our generator but were told we couldn’t. We stayed one night and cancelled the rest of our reservation for the area.

Hollywood Casino Hotel and RV Resort: Located west of Chicago, IL. This was a last minute stop over for us when we changed our Wisconsin plans. They were super accommodating and we would recommend a stay if you are in the area.

Indiana Dunes State Park: Located in Northern IN along the coast of Lake Michigan, we loved this state park. The sites are spacious and there are tons of hiking trails. This is also directly next to Indiana Dunes National Park. It is also less than an hour from Chicago. We love Chicago and have been many times. This visit we used the opportunity to do a great Chicago Pizza Taste Test- it was a blast!

Falls Creek Cabin and Campground: Located in Corbin, KY, we used this campground as a stopping point on our way to a Walker Hayes concert in the area.

Anchor Down RV Resort: Located outside Knoxville, TN, this resort is truly a resort. This is our fancy campground. If you want a spot, make sure and book way in advance. With fireplaces and concrete pads and spacious sites, we love it at Anchor Down. We used this as a jumping off point to visit family in Knoxville and Johnson City, TN. We also explored Smoky Mountain National Park.

McKinney Campground: We can’t say enough good things about this COE campground located on Lake Altoona outside Atlanta, GA. Water and Electric hookups are available and each site is super spacious and most are right on the lake.

Thanks for reading and I hope it helps with some of your travel plans. If you'd like to follow along on our adventures, click the link below and subscribe!