
Some of these restrictions are due to RV travelers leaving litter in parking lots and dumping out wastewater from their toilets on the pavement. People who track the industry say part of the reason more Walmarts are restricting overnight stays is because local ordinances have cropped up in recent years banning overnight RV parking in business parking lots in places such as Branson, Missouri, Sherwood, Oregon and Mountain View City, California. While no one knows exactly why O’Briant’s data shows a drop in the percentage of Walmart stores allowing RV parking, RVers have theories. People often wind up at the Walmart lots if they are not able to find a reservation at a local campground. Others can’t afford a home and are living out of their RVs. Some are going cross-country and looking to get a good night’s rest before visiting a national park, RV enthusiasts say. Walmart lots attract an eclectic mix of travelers. Retro RV's on display at the 2020 Florida RV Supershow on Saturday, Jan. (LOW) and Cabela’s are also popular stores for overnight parking, but Walmart’s store count dwarfs all three chains. Most RV parks and campgrounds charge an overnight rate, and Walmart lots appeal to travelers looking to save money. Walmart says on its website that it “values RV travelers and considers them among our best customers.” Typically, RV parking at Walmart lots is allowed for 24 hours. Many dealers have reported record-breaking sales in May and June, according to the trade group. Forty-six million Americans plan to take an RV trip in the next 12 months, according to the RV Industry Association. RV sales and rentals are surging as people look for ways to travel around the country and enjoy the outdoors during the pandemic. RV parking policies are subject to store manager discretion. “RVers looking for a place to park overnight for one night will need to find other places,” O’Briant said.Ī Walmart representative said the company does not track how many stores allow overnight RV parking or whether the number has gone down in the past few years. This presents a problem for scores of self-proclaimed nomads just looking for a place to settle after dark.

VANCOUVER BC WALMART BOONDOCKING FREE
Now, it’s close to 58%, according to Jim O’Briant, who runs, a website that tracks more than 14,000 free RV parking locations in the United States and Canada. (WMT)stores allowed overnight RV parking. Even RV enthusiasts Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and his wife, conservative activist Ginni Thomas, have been known to stay at Walmart. The company has allowed overnight parking for RVers in many of its 4,700 US lots going back to the days of founder Sam Walton in the mid-twentieth century.

For thousands of RV travelers, though, its stores are appealing for a different reason: Spacious parking lots where people can relax and stay overnight for free.

Walmart is known for its mammoth superstores that sell everything from groceries to treadmills.
