In 2021, my wife Jeannine and I bought a small vintage camper. We spent four COVID months painting, laying new floors and getting it ready, and that fall we set out on a road trip that changed us in a lot of ways. We already knew we loved travel and the open road. Over three weeks and 7,500 miles we went coast to coast, and we saw just a tiny slice of this amazing natural reality this country has to offer.
We left our two dogs Sadie and Zoey and our cat, Lilly, with family for that trip. While we were away, our dog Sadie passed away suddenly. The loss was terrible. It also settled something for us: camping and the open road would always be part of our lives and that we would always have our dogs with us.
A few months later we set out again, with Zoey and newest addition, Hayward.
Over the past four years we’ve crawled all over the Southeast, camping at the beach, in the mountains and everywhere in between.
We think of our dogs as family, so of course we think every campground should allow them, and happily, many do. But we’ve come to appreciate the ones that go the extra mile for our fur babies. Allowing dogs is the minimum. A place that has thought about dogs makes the whole trip better for them, and for us.
That’s why we created rvwithdogs: to highlight the campgrounds and RV parks that take dog accommodations seriously, and to build a community of like-minded travelers.
What we look for
We list a park only when its own website says it offers at least one of these for dogs, on its own grounds:
- A dog park. A fenced dog park, dog run or off-leash area.
- A dog wash. A wash station for dogs saves our RV floor after a swim or a muddy hike.
- An agility course. Equipment that gives an energetic dog something to do.
- Pet sitting or daycare. Sitting, daycare or dog walking, for the times when our dogs can’t be with us.
- A dog beach. A beach on the park’s own grounds where the park says dogs may play.
- Sites with a fenced pet area. Campsites with their own fenced yard, so you can open the door without clipping on a leash.
- Treats or pet supplies. Welcome treats, a pet supply store, or the forgotten bag of food solved at the front desk.
- Dog events. Pet parades, costume contests and dog-themed weekends.
Know a park that belongs on the list? Add a listing, and tell us where your dogs have been happiest.