Renee Tilby
Shaun and Renee Tilby have been RVing with their family since 2018. Driven by the desire to spend as much quality, adventurous time with their five young children as possible, they hit the road to explore the USA in their Jayco Jay Flight travel trailer with dirt bikes, mountain bikes, and paddle boards in tow.
If you are an RVer, chances are you aren’t fully taking advantage of all the amenities offered at the RV parks, campgrounds, and resorts you are visiting. We have been traveling in our RV for over six years, and are always looking for ways to stretch our travel dollars. Taking full advantage of RV park amenities is a surefire way to elevate our family trips without increasing overall costs.
What are these amenities, and how do I find out about them?
While most RV parks and campgrounds will provide guests with a welcome sheet detailing amenities, we have found that checking the location's website and social channels is often the best way of getting a comprehensive list of amenities, events, and other offerings.
Natural Amenities
You don’t need to book at a high-end RV resort to enjoy a wide variety of amenities! While state park campgrounds appear to have basic offerings, they can be some of the best places to find recreational amenities like hiking trails, beach access, and jaw-dropping views. Many state parks also offer interpretive tours, free ranger programs, boat, kayak, and paddleboard rentals, as well as cabin and pavilion rentals.
Oftentimes, the less organized events/amenities a park offers, the more natural amenities it has. One of our favorite places to camp, Valley of Fire State Park, doesn’t have a pool, lodge, or pickleball courts. However, it does have towering red rocks, miles of inviting hiking trails, petroglyphs, guided stargazing events, and world-class sunsets. We have found that befriending a camp host or park ranger is the best and most enjoyable way to find out about nearby hikes, points of interest, and organized nature programs.
Water Attractions
Nothing pairs with a long day of RV adventure quite like a plunge into a crystal-clear pool or other waterscapes offered at many RV resorts. While pools and hot tubs are a more common RV park offering, splash pads, lazy rivers, and water slides can also be found, creating a one-stop shop for your family’s RV vacation. Some RV resorts really step up their game by offering pool-side food service, cabanas, swim-up bars, and movie-on-the-water events.
Sports and Game Amenities
Is it really an RV vacation without a game of pickleball? Along with the sport’s explosive rise over the last few years, so have the number of courts popping up in RV parks across the nation. Finding an impromptu or organized game has never been easier, with many RV parks having weekly pickleball events on their calendar.
Pickleball isn’t your only option for a round of friendly competition, with many RV parks offering mini-golf, tennis, basketball, volleyball, shuffleboard, horseshoe, bocce ball, and even putting greens! No space in the RV for rackets, paddles, and putters? Many RV parks offer complimentary recreational equipment rentals for your enjoyment during your stay.
Lodge Amenities
A rainy day doesn’t have to put a damper on your RV vacation. Just head to the lodge, where you might find a selection of puzzles, movies, and games to enjoy, as well as the possibility of a billiard, pool, or another variety of table games. Occasionally our kids get lucky enough to find an arcade and video game space to keep them entertained at the RV park.
Want to catch up on some work? Many RV park lodges offer workspaces with charging ports, desks, and comfortable chairs to create your nomadic office.
If keeping up with your fitness plan is a priority, look for an RV park with an onsite gym. While this amenity isn’t one we run across often, we are always grateful when a resort offers us a dedicated workout space! A few other amenities we enjoy at different RV park lodges are free libraries where you can leave a book and take a book, on-site convenience stores, and cafes.
“Home” Amenities
Even on vacation, laundry must be done and kids must be bathed. Staying at an RV park with a wide variety of in-home amenities such as laundry facilities and bathhouses makes life on the road more convenient. Most RV resorts offer on-site laundry facilities with folding tables and vending machines stocked with laundry supplies. Shower facilities and bathhouses are convenient to get everyone cleaned after a day of explorations without running out of hot water in your RV. Some parks even offer washing facilities specifically for your four-legged family members, as well as for your RV - keeping everything and everyone nice and clean!
If you are concerned about keeping up with your online shopping habit while on the road, you need not be worried; many RV parks offer package and mail service, with some even providing an entire mail room! If mail service is not provided, using nearby Amazon lockers and general delivery to the local post office may be good options to receive your packages.
Being able to completely disconnect is a luxury in our current world, and even RVers need ways to stay plugged in while disconnecting from daily life. That is why many RV parks and resorts offer internet and TV amenities. Free WiFi is offered in most RV park lodges, and paid WiFi plans allow for boosted bandwidth right to your RV.
Campground-Hosted Events
One of the highlights of RV life is community. Campground-hosted events are one of our favorite ways to get to know fellow travelers. Luaus, campfire smores, karaoke, craft time, and food truck events are usually listed on the campground welcome sheet, in the lodge on a calendar, or on the RV park website. Asking the camp host what fun events are happening during your stay is always a good idea to make the most of your RV vacation. RV parks often host festivals, workshops, guided hikes, yoga classes, scavenger hunts, and movie and game nights, creating a feeling of community and connectedness, no matter how far from home you may be.
Next time you are planning an RV vacation, be sure to schedule at least a day or two extra to enjoy all the things your RV park offers!
