In 2016, Woodrow Wilson signed the act that signed into law the act that created the National Park Service (NPS). I have been to over 40 of the states in the United States but have seen very little outside of board rooms and hotels. I want to be in nature and we are incredibly lucky to have such a large beautiful country. One of the prime reasons I wanted to get an RV was to have access to these parks.
RV Considerations
Most national parks can accommodate RVs up to 19 feet long. If your RV is longer than 25 feet, you’ll still have a lot of options. More than 90 percent of campgrounds allow RVs that long. On average, national park campgrounds will allow RVs with maximum lengths of 27 feet.
You can find a list of NPS campgrounds via the NPS website.
Dogs in National Parks
The National Parks are pet-friendly but you need to understand the rules for pets in the parks. You can even take a pledge to be a B.A.R.K Ranger. Rember the obvious, clean up after your pet, make sure they stay leashed and practice basic courtesy.
Link to bringing your pets to the National Parks from the NPS.
National Parks East of the Mississippi
Since our home base is in North Carolina I have a hit list of east coast national parks I want to target first. I have been to Acadia National Park in Maine and it was by far the highlight of my first road trip with Woodford. It’s an absolutely beautiful park along the ocean. The top of my list for the next year is here:
- Shenandoah National Park (Virginia)
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park (North Carolina & Tennessee)
- Everglades National Parks (Florida)
- Mammoth Cave National Park (Kentucky)
- Cape Cod National Seashore (Massachusetts)
- Cuyahoga Valley National Park (Ohio)
I think these are interesting to me for personal reasons like my fascination with alligators, hence the everglades). And bears, which is what attracts me to Great Smoky Mountains National Park.