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Discover a great trip through the United States by motorhome. Enjoy the mythical Yellowstone and other national parks through a surprising route led by some good friends from Kucavana.
Before diving into this route, remember that you have a complete guide to the United States by RV with other posts such as the checklist of things to prepare and requirements for traveling to the United States or how to rent an RV in the United States and how much it costs.
About BonaVidaTravel
We are Manel and Cristina . We love to travel, in any way we can, discovering new places, meeting different people, and trying local cuisine, wherever we go! We also love photography and try to combine all these things and reflect them on our Instagram profile.
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The United States in a motorhome: the video of our trip
Route through the US National Parks
How it all started
We had dreamed of visiting Yellowstone National Park in the United States for many years . And doing it in a motorhome was a bonus, which turned out to be the best idea for this trip! It was 36 wonderful days.
We started in Las Vegas
Our trip begins in Las Vegas . There we rented a campervan or motorhome (as they call it in the US) with pickup and drop-off in the city that never sleeps…
We valued the possibility of returning the motorhome in a different place to the pick-up, to optimize the tour, but the price supplement to do so was too high and finally we opted to return it also in Las Vegas.
Rental details
Most rental companies require a deposit when making the reservation (in our case 10%) and the full payment was made 30 days before picking it up.
Heading north
We began our journey north, visiting along the way other parks that were also on our list: Bryce Canyon NP, Zion NP, John D. Rockefeller Memorial Park, Grand Teton, finally arriving at Yellowstone.
The mythical Yellowstone
We spent a week there, discovering and admiring everything around us . When the weather started to turn, we decided to begin our "downhill" route, heading towards Las Vegas, where we had to return the RV.
Amazing Grand Canyon NP
During this part of the route we visit DeadHorseState Park, Canyonlands NP, Arches NP, GoosenecksState Park, Monument Valley Navajo, Tribal Park, Grand Canyon NP North Rim, Glen Canyon NP, LowerAntelopeCanyon, Upper, AntelopeCanyon, Horseshoe Bend, Grand Canyon NP South Rim , Lake Mead NationalRecreationArea and Death Valley NP (apart from this caravan route we did 3 nights in San Francisco, 2 nights in Las Vegas and 4 nights in Los Angeles, visiting the city and the Disney parks). So we enjoy a lot of experiences in the United States in a motorhome.
The United States in a motorhome: an unforgettable experience
What we liked most about this route was the mix of visiting big, lively cities and spectacular landscapes.
Without a doubt, the National Parks of the United States are a prime example of making things easy for tourists. They allow us to feel immersed in nature while also offering a wealth of amenities.
The other side: huge distances
What we liked least was the enormous distances; getting from one park to another involves traveling many kilometers. In our case, since we enjoy driving, it wasn't a problem except for some long days of driving, but traveling by road can be tiring.
The ubiquitous hamburger
The limited food options can be a drawback for food lovers. In big cities, you'll find a huge and varied cuisine, but in small towns, it's a different story. There, the culinary variety is scarce, and we can't deny that greasy hamburgers are the star dish. Luckily, traveling in a motorhome allows us to cook to our liking.
Motorhome and home exchange
The motorhome has been our home on wheels for most of the route, but for accommodations in the big cities of San Francisco and Los Angeles we used a system we've used for years to travel: house swapping.
Of the 36-day motorhome tour of the United States, we only stayed 4 days in hotels: Jackson (Wyoming), Las Vegas and in Orange County, right next to Disneyland.
Where to stay
There's more to our RV trip across the United States. We take our home with us, but most days we set up camp in government-run campgrounds or designated camping areas. Forget the idea of camping freely anywhere in the US. While it's true you can find spots to park and spend the night in your RV, the best areas are usually either off-limits or require payment.
The campsites, a good option
During our trip we slept in some open fields on the side of the road, and even in the parking lot of a Walmart shopping center, but mostly we chose campsites to spend the night.
Once we access the National Parks, it is totally forbidden to camp freely and we have to register in one of the various campsites, if we want to camp, or spend the night in the hotels if we travel by car.
There are many types of campsites to suit all budgets. Some offer a wide range of amenities (swimming pool, laundry facilities, supermarket, etc.). The most common have communal toilets, showers, and electrical and water hookups. The simplest (like the campsites in many National Parks) are simply a designated area where you can park your vehicle.
Some may also have electricity and water connection, but others do not have any type of service. Here it is important to know the motorhome to know the days that we can circulate without needing any type of connection (remember that the electric batteries must be charged and the dirty water tanks must be emptied and the drinking water tanks must be refilled).
We liked the KOA chain
One of the campsite chains we used most often was KOA. It's a franchise with campsites spread throughout the country. They aren't the cheapest, but when we rented the motorhome, they gave us a small discount at this chain, and something that was really useful while traveling was their mobile app. This allowed us to make reservations and payments in advance, solving a lot of the problems of finding a campsite when you arrive late.
Open route or book accommodation?
This route can be done independently , without having booked all accommodations in advance. However, it's true that during peak season (July-August and mid-September) things get more complicated , and some places will require prior booking, resulting in less availability.
Many campsites operate on a "first-come, first-served" system , meaning it works on a first-come, first-served basis. Whoever arrives first to an empty site pays the fee and can then occupy the space without fear of not finding a place to camp.
Payment can be made at the service office, if they have one. In other camping areas, we will simply find an information panel with a mailbox where we will fill in the data, the number of the area where we will camp and we will leave the cash in a mailbox.
Attention! They check every day, so please be lawful! Each campsite has a simple stick with a clip where you must leave your payment receipt. This way, if new campers arrive, they'll know the spot is occupied. These are some of our tips for traveling in a motorhome in the United States.
Enter the National Parks
Entrance to the National Parks requires a fee , and you'll find ranger booths at all entrances where you can buy tickets. You can purchase tickets for each individual park, so if you plan to visit at least three during your trip, buying an annual pass is much more economical.
This is a ticket that allows entry to all U.S. government-managed National Parks for 365 days from the date of entry to the first park. Additionally, two cardholders can be designated, so the pass can be used by another family member or friend in the future.
Ah! It must be taken into account that there are accesses to natural and interesting areas that are not managed by the government and have their own entrance ticket.
The United States by motorhome, without a doubt a great trip highly recommended for anyone who likes nature. And if it can be done in a motorhome, much better!
