Does Walmart allow RV overnight stays in its parking lots? – Jalopnik

There is a ton of parking in the United States – we’re talking football fields on football fields on football fields. The US has approximately 2 billion parking spaces, a significant portion of which are dedicated to supermarkets and shopping centers such as Walmart. The average Walmart parking lot is three times the size of the store. So there’s a lot of empty parking space in the United States, especially at Walmart.

All these parking spaces can be attractive as an overnight stay for the camper during a cross-country ski trip. But can you actually park your RV overnight at Walmart? Is it legal? The simple answer is that overnight parking in Walmart parking lots is generally allowed (and free and legal in most states). However, overnight parking at each store is subject to local law and the manager’s discretion.

The easiest way to confirm whether parking is allowed at your Walmart of choice (both by management and local law enforcement) is to call ahead or go inside to alert the store manager that you want to stay overnight. As long as you get their permission, comply with local laws, and maintain a calm presence (like: don’t pitch your entire campsite on the asphalt), you should be able to stay safe. And if a particular Walmart denies your request, you can ask at nearby locations — the logistics for overnight parking are similar at stores like Costco.

RVing and Walmart go back much further than you might think. Walmart founder Sam Walton enjoyed taking RV trips with his family and created a policy allowing overnight RV parking in store lots. Walmart’s endorsement of overnight camping has helped make the practice widespread among road trippers and full-time nomads alike.

However, according to RV community forums, it is becoming increasingly difficult to get permission to park overnight – some reports suggest that only 58% of stores still allow overnight parking, a stark decline. So following best practices for overnight parking at Walmart will be helpful not only for your immediate stay, but also for maintaining the practice in general.

The main recommendations are to vacate your premises after one night (Walmart’s policy limits parking to 24 hours), keep your parking lot tidy, notify management of your intention to stay overnight, follow the manager’s instructions on where and how to park, and follow any signs. If you do all of the above, you can add Walmart as a welcoming stop on your cross-country trip.