The 5 Most RV Friendly Beaches in USA

RV friendly beaches are amazing for many reasons. First and foremost, RVing is the most economical way to take a beach vacation.

Camping on a beach also gets you closer to nature and (in our opinion) allows for better family-time!

However, most beaches in America are not RV friendly. Think about it – an RV park or (gasp) free beach camping doesn’t make nearly as much money as high rise condos.

Today we’re sharing the 5 most RV friendly beaches in the USA. Additionally, we’ll let you know the best campsites for each location.

Let’s dive in!

1. The Texas Gulf Coast

This is a huge area; the Texas Gulf Coast has 367 miles of waterfront. It’s so RV friendly that we couldn’t choose one specific beach.

From Galveston to Padre Island, you can easily find free camping directly on the beach. In Port Aransas and Corpus Christi, economical beachside RV parks abound.

Here’s a few great campsite resources for your next Texas beach camping trip:

Watch this video on YouTube

2. Pismo Beach, California

Pismo Beach is one of the few beaches in California that allows free camping. Additionally, there are a variety of nearby RV parks (even a Thousand Trails park) offering a range of rate options.

Located 170 miles north of Los Angeles, you can avoid the congested interstates and “tough to navigate your RV” type of roads. We use RV Trip Wizard to avoid steep grades, low hanging bridges and tolls.

Definitely an RV friendly beach town in our book!

Check out these 7 Pismo Beach campsites.

3. Gulf Shores, Alabama

Gulf Shores is an economical beach vacation no matter how you do it. However, for RVers, it’s extra nice.

First of all, traveling to the Alabama beaches by RV is pretty easy. Most likely you arrive via I-10. From there, the Beach Express gives you a straight shot to your destination.

You’ll have many choices for camping. Gulf State Park is a newly, remodeled facility with direct beach access. Island Retreat RV Park offers a chill setting, away from the hustle & bustle, still within 3 miles from the beaches.

If you want luxury camping, try Luxury RV Resort. It’s located a few blocks from the beach and offers full hookup RV spots.

Here’s an overview of the best camping option in Gulf Shores.

Watch this video on YouTube

4. The Olympic Peninsula, Washington

The Olympic Peninsula coastline is great for RVers because it’s entirely under-developed. While you won’t see any white-sandy beaches, you also won’t see condo-lined boulevards.

There are many coastal communities worth visiting. Port Townsend is rich with architecture and has a public, waterfront campground. Neah Bay, at the far northwest corner, offers the best beach camping in the entire state.

During our stay at Neah Bay we saw a huge pod of wild orcas!

We recommend Hobuck Beach Resort as the most RV friendly beach camping.

5. Lake Michigan, Michigan

We’re amazed by the beauty of Lake Michigan. The crystal clear water, historic light houses and rustic campgrounds hit the RV trifecta – location, activities & great camping!

We recommend visiting multiple waterfront communities on Michigan’s western coast. Additionally, it’s very easy to travel along this route by RV.

You can begin your trip at Warren Dunes State Park, work your way up to Sleeping Bear Dunes National Waterfront and finish your Lake Michigan trip at Wilderness State Park (right before entering the Upper Peninsula).

Trip Planning to RV Friendly Beaches

There are a few unique considerations when taking your RV on a beach trip. If you plan on camping directly on the beach, make sure you check the tide charts.

The Texas Gulf Coast is notorious for sweeping unsuspecting RVers into the ocean! Don’t let this scare you – simply review a tide chart before camping.

RV Trip Wizard is helpful for avoiding tolls, low under passes and steep grades. Additionally, you can read thousands of campground reviews directly from this tool.

The Best FREE Camping in the USA

We love camping across this amazing country. And, we really love it when its free. Here’s our list of the 20 Best Free Campsites in the USA.

If you haven’t tried free camping before, also known as boondocking, take a look at our beginners guide to boondocking filled with everything you need to know to get started.