What Is a RV Park? (Understanding the Differences)

If someone asked you the question, “What is a RV park?” you could probably rattle off a basic explanation. But the truth is that there is more than one type of RV park.

From the rustic to the upscale, the quaint to the modern, RV parks come in all shapes, sizes, and styles. Some are like bustling mini-cities, complete with swimming pools, golf courses, spa facilities, and even on-site restaurants. Others are hidden gems nestled deep in the heart of nature, offering nothing but peace, quiet, and the soothing sounds of chirping birds, rustling leaves, and rushing streams.

Keep reading to learn about the different types of RV accommodation, from RV Parks, campgrounds, and resorts to unique RV camping, resident-owned RV parks, primitive campsites and more.

What Is an RV Park?

Standard Features of an RV Park – Full hookups, restrooms, showers, laundry, & concrete pads.
Average Pricing of an RV Park – $50 to $100
Popular Examples of RV Parks – KOA, Yogi Bear’s Jellystone Parks, & Sun Outdoors
Who It Suits: RVers who want a clean and secure place with modern amenities and some fun activities.

A recreational vehicle park is a privately owned facility where RVs can park and stay for a temporary period, ranging from a single night to an extended stay. Unlike RV campgrounds and RV resorts, most RV parks are dedicated to RV campers only, so tents and cabins are not available.

This type of RV accommodation offers a decent range of standard amenities, such as electrical, water, and sewer hookups, concrete pads, fire pits, picnic tables, restrooms, showers, and a laundry room. Many also offer WiFi, cable, a clubhouse, a convenience store, a gift shop, a playground, yard games, a game room, a dog park, and a walking trail.

RV parks vary widely in size and style. They could be tucked in nature, located in an urban setting, or positioned close to a tourist attraction like a beach, amusement park, or national park. Others are designed to offer a full vacation experience, with upscale features like an infinity pool, hot tub, lazy river, fishing pond, BBQ grills, patios, sports courts, and a fitness center.

Characteristics of RV Parks:

An RV park is a middle ground between a basic RV campground and a luxurious RV resort.
It mainly caters to RV owners, although some have tent sites and cabins.
They have all the essentials you need for a comfortable stay, from full hookups to showers.
Many are close to popular natural, urban, or historical attractions.
Can be part of a franchise or independently owned.
Some are geared towards short-term stays, others offer seasonal spots, and others are for long-term stays.
Some only allow seniors (55+ RV parks).
Many have a 10-year age limit for old RVs.
Their RV campsites are level and often a mix of pull-through and back-in, plus roads are paved.
Sites are usually close together and are not always big-rig friendly.
Most have on-site staff and management.

What is an RV Campground?

Standard Features of an RV Campground – Full or partial RV hookups, tent sites, picnic table, fire pit, toilets, & showers
Average Pricing of an RV Campground – $15 to $50
Popular Examples of RV Campgrounds – National Park and State park Campgrounds and Army Corps of Engineer campgrounds.
Who it Suits: Campers who want a quiet, affordable place close to outdoor activities.

An RV campground is a simple RV camping facility designed to accommodate RVers for short-term stays. These getaways are geared towards campers who don’t need creature comforts. They are often sprinkled along wilderness areas like national parks, state parks, and national forests. Some are privately owned, others public.

Campgrounds can be as basic as a patch of dirt with a picnic table and fire pit or developed with a gravel/asphalt RV pad with full hook-ups. The well-developed options have flush or vault toilets, shower facilities, full utilities or electric hookups, a dump station, a water filling station, and laundry facilities.

Characteristics of RV Campgrounds

They offer a more rustic camping experience with very few modern facilities.
They are very affordable.
Often located in rural areas or in natural settings on federal or state land. Campers have easy access to outdoor activities like hiking, biking, boating, fishing, birding, and wildlife viewing.
Not all offer hookups or laundry facilities, plus sites aren’t always level.
Some are basically parking lots with hookups.
Sites are a good distance from one another, offering more privacy.
Some don’t have dedicated personnel, meaning facilities or grounds may not be super clean or well-maintained.
Roads are often dirt and narrow, and there may be trees that limit maneuverability for big rigs.
Most also welcome tent campers.
Some city parks, county parks, fairgrounds, and casinos also have RV campgrounds.
No restrictions on RV age or type.

What is an RV Resort?

Standard Features of an RV Resort – Huge RV sites with patios, landscaping between sites, massive clubhouse, sports courts, heated pools, hot tubs, & community activities.
Average Pricing of an RV Resort – $100 to $400
Popular Examples of RV Resort – Bluewater Key RV Resort, Camp Margaritaville RV Resort, and Bella Terra RV Resort.
Who it Suits: Campers who are ready to spend and want access to a plethora of upscale amenities and creature comforts.

An RV resort is the most luxurious of the places you can park your RV. These private-owned getaways boast spacious and meticulously landscaped sites equipped with full hookups, often complemented by features like concrete pads, patios, and even private tiki huts.

In addition to deluxe accommodations, luxury RV resorts provide a wealth of on-site facilities, such as the following:

Air-conditioned bathhouses
Heated Olympic-size swimming pools
Water slides
Hot tubs
Fitness centers
Spas
Gourmet restaurants
Manicured gardens
EV charging stations
Private boat marinas
Entertainment venues

Most RV resorts offer plenty of opportunities for fun and games, like tennis courts, pickleball courts, planned activities, golf courses, and even beach access. Impeccable customer service, shuttle service to nearby attractions, on-site storage, gated security, dog daycare, and concierge assistance further elevate the guest experience.

Most of these 5-star properties are often located close to popular beach destinations. Notably, not all locations that label themselves as RV Resorts are actual resorts. Here are the attributes of a true RV resort:

Characteristics of an RV Resort:

They are usually larger than RV parks, and they offer the fanciest amenities you can imagine.
They have big-rig-friendly sites with large patios to accommodate outside dining and a grill.
Geared towards campers who want to stay for longer periods.
Some RV lots are owned by individuals and then rented out.
Some have cabins, cottages, and villas.
Many have restrictions on an RV’s age and class. Some only allow Class As while others don’t accept pop-up campers, campervans, and travel trailers.
They often have outdoor gear rentals like golf carts, e-bikes, paddleboards, kayaks, and field sports equipment.
Additionally, planned activities like yoga classes, potlucks, dances, and karaoke are offered.

Other RV Park Options

Here are other lesser-known RV camping options:

Resident-Owned RV Park

A resident-owned RV park, also known as a cooperative RV park, is a unique type of RV park in which the residents collectively own and manage the property. Each resident owns their own RV parking space and shares common facilities like bathhouses, clubhouses, pools, and sports courts.

Most of these parks have differences in what has been built on each site. Some sites are just regular RV spots, while others are lavish, with tiki huts, grills, outdoor TVs, chairs, and hammocks.

The members set the park rules, appoint a board of directors, and share financial responsibilities equally. Some of these parks allow the lot owner to rent out their RV sites to non-members, while others don’t. These facilities are popular among retirees and long-term RVers looking for a sense of community. A good example is SKP Co-Op parks.

Non-Traditional RV Accommodation (Unique RV Camping)

Unique RV camping options allow RVers to stay in non-traditional RV accommodations. You join a paid membership program to access these destinations. A good example is Harvest Hosts.

It connects RVers with unique overnight camping experiences at farms, wineries, breweries, orchards, golf courses, museums, wildlife sanctuaries, marinas, and other scenic locations across North America. Note that most of these spots don’t have dedicated RV facilities like hookups and laundry, but you may find showers and restrooms.

Primitive Camping Areas

A primitive, backcountry, or wilderness campsite is a basic camping area with zero to minimal amenities. Typically, there are no hookups, water, restrooms, showers, or picnic tables. A few places may have vault toilets, fire rings, potable drinking water, and food lockers.

These spots are usually located deep in the woods, away from civilization, and accessing them is usually quite difficult, especially for big RVs. The parking pad is usually dirt and often unlevel. These locations are almost always free to use and are a favorite among RVers who love to boondock. Good examples are Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands, National Forests and Grasslands, and state lands.

RV Parks FAQs

Here are some frequently asked questions about RV parks:

What’s the Difference Between a Mobile Home Park and an RV Park?

A mobile home park is designed for permanent or long-term residence in manufactured homes, which are constructed in a factory and transported to the site. On the other hand, RV parks cater to recreational vehicle travelers seeking temporary accommodation. Mobile home parks have utility hookups, paved streets, and often community facilities like laundry, while RV parks have hookups, showers, and some recreational facilities.

What’s the Difference Between a Trailer Park and a Mobile Home Park?

A trailer park is similar to a mobile home park, and the two terms are sometimes used interchangeably. But there are distinctions between the two. The main difference is that a trailer park’s housing isn’t always manufactured homes. It’s often older towable trailers. Also, trailer parks tend to have limited facilities compared to mobile home parks.

Can You Park an RV in a Mobile Home Park?

Many mobile home parks don’t rent RV spaces and don’t allow campers on their property. However, a few have dedicated RV spots with no limit on how long you can stay.

RV Parks, Campgrounds, & Resorts: The Difference

RV parks, campgrounds, and resorts are all great places to park your wheeled home. The main difference is that campgrounds offer basic facilities, RV resorts offer lavish amenities, and RV parks are a middle ground between the other two.

You should never judge a place by its title. Some locations call themselves resorts so they can raise their rates, while truly, they are really just normal RV parks. Others call themselves campgrounds, yet they are well-developed. The best thing to do is research RV parks online and call to ask any questions you might have before booking a spot.

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Author Profile

Cynthia Measom

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Cynthia Measom is the founder and main content creator of RV Top Tips. Not just a writer, she’s a dedicated RV owner and enthusiast, alongside her husband, Joe, who is an experienced RV tech. With their joint knowledge, the two are up on the latest trends and technologies in the RV industry, as well as practical camping and lifestyle tips.

The couple own a 2020 Coachmen Chaparral fifth-wheel that they absolutely love. Their secret to being so satisfied? They purchased the model after a solid year of researching different fifth-wheel campers in person and online to find the perfect fit for their family of three.