The RV lifestyle perfectly combines your passion for travel with your love of the great outdoors, making it suitable for any time of year and every season of life. Today, RVT shares some of the benefits of RVing through the seasons, plus some great destinations for travel. Just don’t forget your spring and winter maintenance!
Spring
Spring is an ideal season for couples and young families to travel. Campgrounds are less crowded, wildflowers are blooming, and cooler temperatures mean fewer insects to contend with.
Looking for Spring destinations? Consider the Oregon Coast in the West and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in the East. Both offer gorgeous scenery, along with a variety of experiences to make your trip special.
You can travel the Oregon Coast for over 350 miles (563 km), making it a great option for a longer trip. Featuring rugged coastlines, historic lighthouses, sandy beaches, abundant wildlife, and numerous national parks, this scenic trip checks off a lot of boxes. There are also over 30 small-to-medium sized cities along the way, allowing for some great side trips.
The Great Smoky Mountains National Park straddles North Carolina and Tennessee, covering over 800 square miles (over 2,000 sq km). Abundant wildlife, lush forests, stunning waterfalls, streams, rivers, wildflowers, and hiking trails abound. Beyond the striking scenery, gateway towns like Gatlinburg, Bryson City, Maryville, Pigeon Forge and Townsend in Tennessee, plus Waynesville in North Carolina, offer ample opportunities for those who enjoy forays into populated areas.
Before you head out, use RVT’s spring maintenance checklist to make sure all systems are ready to go.
L: Natural Bridges along Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor, Oregon
R: Middle Prong Little River, Tremont area, Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Summer
Summer is the most popular time of year for RVing. School is out, temperatures are warm, and families and friends of all ages can travel together. Plan in advance for your summertime travels, campsites fill up quickly. Keep in mind that not all campgrounds can handle the big rigs. If you have a large RV, make sure your chosen destination can handle it.
Looking for travel ideas? Consider trips through the Rocky Mountains in the West or the Great Lakes in the East.
The Rocky Mountains stretch from New Mexico in the US to BC and Alberta in Canada, a distance of around 3,000 miles (4,800 km). It is the largest mountain range in North America. This is an ideal trip for RVers who are passionate about the great outdoors. With options to go North or South, or travel the entire length, the Rockies have plenty to keep you occupied, including hiking, whitewater rafting, kayaking, and mountain biking. Experience numerous national parks along the way, including Grand Teton National Park and Yellowstone National Park in the US and Banff National Park and Kootenay National Park in Canada, which are destinations in their own right.
The Great Lakes are a series of five interconnected freshwater lakes. Lakes Erie, Huron, Ontario and Superior straddle the US and Canada, while Lake Michigan is located entirely in the US. You can visit the Lakes individually, or travel around the eight states and single province that they occupy. There’s a lot to see and do in the Great Lakes region. Visit wine country in Ontario, Canada. Check out big cities like New York, Toronto, and Milwaukee. Tour the seven national parks in the area. Popular pastimes include hiking, swimming, boating, and fishing.
Before heading out on your summertime adventures, make sure your fluids are topped up, tires are properly inflated, and no overall repairs are needed. And don’t forget your s’mores skewers and marshmallows!
L: Moraine Lake, Banff National Park Canada
R: Minors Castle at Pictured Rock National Lakeshore, Michigan
Autumn
Autumn is a great time to hit the road if you’re an empty nester or a roadschooler. Like spring, the fall season typically brings cooler temperatures, lower campsite rates, and fewer crowds. And let’s not forget the blazing autumn colors!
If you’re interested in taking in a bit of history and winding through some neat areas of the USA, you may want to consider traveling cross country on Route 66 or taking in the fall colors in New England.
You can still get your kicks on Route 66! While Route 66 is no longer a dominant highway in the US, about 85% of the original route is still available for travel. Traversing eight states and three time zones, from Chicago to Santa Monica, it’s an engaging trip with plenty of educational and nostalgic value. If you plan to experience the whole route, give yourself about three weeks. That will provide plenty of time to explore without feeling rushed. Some favorite stopping points include the Lincoln Home National Historic site, Cadillac Ranch, Petrified Forest National Park, Seligman, and Santa Monica. Popular side trips include the southern rim of the Grand Canyon, the Hoover Dam, and Las Vegas.
New England, in the northeast part of the USA, is composed of six states: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Autumn is a perfect time to experience this beautiful area. Steeped in history, some of the most popular New England sites include Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, the Berkshires, and Boston—all in Massachusetts—and Stowe, located in the heart of Vermont’s Green Mountains. Acadia National Park in Maine, where the ocean and mountains convene, provides a unique and gorgeous experience for hiking and camping. The White Mountain National Forest is another great spot for an escape.
If you will be storing your RV for the winter, check out these tips for winterizing your RV.
L: Route 66
R: Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park, Maine
Winter
Winter can be a great time for an RV adventure. Diehard campers in the northern states and Canada may enjoy camping in the snow, but many will opt for the sunnier climes of the southern USA—a perfect spot for snowbirds and seniors to relax all winter long. Have grandkids? Bring them along! Bunkhouse trailers provide just the space you need.
If you’re looking for places to travel, consider the southwest desert region in Nevada, Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico, or the Florida Keys in the east.
Besides milder weather, the southwest desert region provides great opportunities to explore some amazing national parks, including Bryce Canyon, Zion Canyon, Arches, and Canyonlands. The red rock canyons, unusual rock formations, and sprawling desert landscape will take your breath away. The area is also rich in wildlife. Pronghorn, bighorn sheep, mountain lions, peregrine falcons, and rattlesnakes call this area home. If you want a break from the striking vistas, side trips to cities such as Las Vegas, Scottsdale, Sante Fe, and Sedona are easily accomplished.
Filled with white sand beaches, palm trees, and turquoise waters, the Florida Keys offer a different experience from the desert region. Scuba diving, sport fishing, kayaking, and snorkeling are popular outdoor pursuits in the Keys. Wildlife is abundant and many species here are not seen elsewhere in the world. Keep an eye out for great white herons, key deer, crocodiles, manatees, otters, and more. Destinations like the John Pennecamp Coral Reef State Park, Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum, Looe Key, Theater of the Sea, Dry Tortugas National Park, and Mallory Square are popular.
Winter is the busiest RV season in the southern USA, so make sure you book your RV spots well in advance.
L: Smathers Beach, Key West, Florida
R: Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah
We hope you enjoyed this look at RVing through the seasons. Do you have a favorite vacation trip or tip? Share it with your fellow RVers in the comments. If you’re looking for a new RV to take with you on your next seasonal adventure, check out the latest RVs for sale near you on RVT.
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