Car Camping Tips: Cheap & Safe Places to Sleep in Your Car

There’s nothing like a stretch of empty highway, the perfect soundtrack, and grand views along the way to make a long drive worth it. Each tick of the odometer rolling over marks another new memory to look back on.

If it isn’t obvious, we absolutely love road trips. We’ve driven up the east and west coasts of the US countless times and even criss-crossed the country for one big adventure to see every National Park. Conveniently for us, road trips happen to be one of the cheapest ways to travel, too!

But even if you save money on plane tickets by driving to your destination, hotel stays can be expensive. That’s why we like to sleep in our car whenever possible. This frugal habit started during our trip from Florida to Alaska and back in a Honda Civic packed to the gills, which meant catching Zs in the reclined front seats. We’ve also curled up in the back seat of a rental hatchback in Hawaii, and we more recently outfitted a camper van with a full-size bed that allows us to comfortably stretch out at night.

Regardless of what you’re driving, you still need a place to park overnight that’ll let you get some shuteye — and that can be tough to find. So here’s our list of the overnight car camping spots we’ve personally tried, complete with some pro tips we’ve picked up over the years.

Let’s dive into the specifics of each place you can safely pull off the road, park, and sleep in your car, because there’s honestly a lot to consider.

Stealth Camping at Truck Stops and Rest Areas Off the Highway

Sleeping in our van at travel centers like Pilot, Flying J, TA, Petro, Maverik, Buc-ee’s, and Love’s has become our most common strategy. They’re widely available across the country and usually located right off the interstate.

The great thing about travel centers is that they’re open 24/7, which means you’ll have access to bathrooms, running water, fuel, drinks, and snacks any time you come rolling through. Most travel centers will also have wifi available (usually for free, although sometimes for a fee) and even showers.

A truck stop might not seem like the safest place to sleep overnight, but the fact that they’re heavily trafficked at all hours means that it’s difficult for anything nefarious to happen unnoticed. There are always people nearby, and more eyes means more safety.

It’ll almost always be free to stay a night or two in the parking lot of a travel center, but few of them have full RV amenities like hook-ups or dump stations. They are ideal for boondocking, which is how we tend to camp anyway.

Parking Overnight at Walmart, Cracker Barrel, and Other Commercial Lots

Our next favorite way to save on overnight parking is by camping in our van at Walmart. Why Walmart? They’re in nearly every town, they’re open late or 24 hours, they’ve got free wifi, and they carry almost anything else you may need on your adventure.

Walmart has an unwritten policy allowing parking in their lots overnight for free, and we’ve had no issues with management when staying in our van for a night or two. Some Walmart stores will have signs prohibiting overnight parking, but if you don’t see one, you’re probably good to go.

Don’t expect RV hookups or dump stations — this is another boondocking scenario. Honestly, the more you blend in as “just a car in the parking lot” instead of a camper, the better — Walmart stores draw all kinds of people.

In terms of safety, most locations will be okay, though it can depend on what town (or part of town) you’re in. You should always go into it knowing that you could be woken up by some People of Walmart. One time, we were stirred awake by some loud dudes who were lighting a fire in a cooler a few spots away from us, so, uh, proceed with caution.

Other commercial or retail locations will also let you park in their lots overnight for free. Cracker Barrel often has areas of their parking lots designated for RV parking that can be used for car camping, too. Cabela’s stores, Camping Worlds, and casinos will sometimes let people stay overnight, but it’s on a store-by-store basis, so you may want to talk to management to get permission. We actually kinda like parking at casinos because they usually have all-night security and 24/7 access to bathrooms (if you don’t mind a little smoke inhalation).

Sleeping in Your Car on Bureau of Land Management and National Forest Land

For a more natural car camping experience that’s still free, you can boondock on National Forest land or areas maintained by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Luckily, these areas are not only beautiful and wild themselves, but they often surround even prettier natural places like National Parks.

National Forest and BLM land is plentiful, but often remote. If you’re on a road trip and willing to drive out to wherever it may exist, it’s a great option. You may end up passing through these areas incidentally as you travel, as we did on our seven-month road trip to every National Park.

In National Forests and on BLM land, you’re allowed to pitch a tent, camp in your car, or boondock in your RV almost anywhere off the main roads, although some additional rules may apply to specific locations. Some National Grasslands, Wildlife Management Areas, and other conservation areas may also allow camping, but that varies from place to place.

The government agencies officially refer to this as “dispersed camping,” and it’s primitive, so be prepared for zero amenities (and often zero cell service). Remember to follow ”leave no trace” principles, and bring some safety gear like bear spray and a first aid kit (affiliate links) if you’re going to venture out into the wild on these lands.

Car Camping in Campgrounds at State and National Parks

The most obvious place to camp is, well, in a campground. Most campgrounds draw visitors with amenities like flush toilets and running water, hook-ups, wifi access points, nature trails, bathhouses, laundry facilities, and more. Plus, these places tend to be super safe, especially if they have on-site camp hosts.

The problem? They can cost $20-60 per night! And that really adds up on a long road trip.

If you’re planning to spend time in National or State Parks, or if you need hook-ups for electricity and water, it can be really convenient to pay for a campground. But honestly, it’s very expensive compared to the alternatives.

We like to travel long-term, so recurring nightly costs like these matter a lot to us. Staying at campgrounds or in hotels would have severely ballooned the cost of our National Parks trip. Sleeping in our van for $0/night saved us nearly $20,000 over those seven months! We really hate paying money just to sleep.

Parking Overnight at Private Campgrounds like Good Sam and KOA

Staying at state-run campgrounds is expensive, but it still tends to be cheaper than the commercial campground alternatives. Private campgrounds, including those in the Kampgrounds of America (KOA) and Good Sam networks, offer everything park campgrounds have, plus even more amenities — for even more money.

These campgrounds tend to be located in prime travel destinations — just outside parks and other tourist spots. But they can cost anywhere from $40-120 per night! The more in-demand the location or the more it has to offer, the pricier the campground. Some of these campgrounds have huge swimming pools with water slides, game rooms, massive laundry facilities, playgrounds, dog parks, updated bathhouses, wifi, nature trails, and other extras. These spots are generally well maintained and very safe to stay at in your car overnight.

Other Stuff to Know Before Parking and Sleeping in Your Car

While I typically just search for sleep spots along our route on Google Maps, I occasionally use resources like FreeCampsites.net or iOverlander to find other car camping options where we’re planning to be. Not every place listed on these websites is free, but you can scroll their maps to browse all the options without having to download an app, create an account, or pay any fees.

Other camping apps and websites such as Hipcamp, The Dyrt, and AllStays have lots of info on campgrounds and their amenities, but not as much in the way of free overnight parking spots.

We love that our van allows us to stealthily camp in plain sight where people don’t normally sleep in their cars. But any time you park somewhere new, there’s going to be a few risks to consider. Here are some things we do to stay safe while car camping pretty much anywhere:

• Find well-lit areas to park. I know this sounds a little counter-intuitive since you’re trying to sleep, but areas with more light tend to drive away people who may wish to use the cover of darkness for criminal activity.
• Use a sunshade in the windshield to block light (and anyone trying to look into your car). Put something up in your other windows as necessary (we use a dark cloth for the back windows of our van). If it’s still too bright to sleep comfortably, get an eye mask.
• Keep your keys out of sight to passersby, but within your own reach at all times. 
• Sleep near the front of your vehicle so you can get it started and moving quickly if the need arises.
• If you decide to crack a window for ventilation, make sure it’s barely detectable and not wide enough for fingers or tools to slip in.
• Keep all valuables well-hidden at all times.
• Make sure your doors are locked before you go to sleep.
• Consider carrying some sort of weapon — for wildlife or wild people. Know that laws regulating guns and other weapons vary between cities, states, and countries.
• Don’t park in residential areas without permission — it’s a good way to get the cops called on you. And don’t overstay your welcome at any of the free places mentioned above.
• As tempting as all-night AC or heat may be, it’s not good to keep gasoline-powered vehicles idling for hours, especially with the potential risk of carbon monoxide fumes. Sometimes, we’ll blast the air for a few minutes right before going to bed though.

Remember that getting a good night’s sleep is an important part of being a functional human being and a safe driver. So whether you’re planning to tackle an adventurous hike, taking a long road trip, traveling to visit friends or family, commuting home, or just trying to get from point A to point B, make sure you find a safe place to to rest those weary eyes.

— Lauren