The travel season of 2020 may forever be known as “the summer of the RV.” RV sales are booming across the U.S. and more people searched for RV information on Google this year than ever before.
So, what did RVers do this summer? We reviewed app usage from nearly 18,000 RVers who use Roadtrippers, Togo RV’s companion road trip planning app, to find out. Here’s what we know about the trips RVers planned this summer—from where they planned to camp to which national parks they planned to visit.
Top 10 States with the Most Stops Planned by RVers
- California
- Arizona
- Utah
- Colorado
- Wyoming
- Texas
- New Mexico
- Florida
- Oregon
- South Dakota
Many RVers took to exploring the western half of the U.S. Not surprisingly, California took the top spot by a long shot. With its scenic coastline, numerous national and state parks, and comfortable climate, the Golden State has long been a popular road trip destination for RVers. Arizona and Utah rounded out the top three, much thanks to national parks such as Zion, Arches, and Grand Canyon.
Fun Fact: Despite being home to just 1 percent of the U.S. population, Utah had 7 of the top 50 destinations.
Top 50 Stops Planned by RVers
Of the 50 most popular points of interest from Roadtrippers app users, 46 were west of the Mississippi River. The only stop along the East Coast to appear in the top 50 was Acadia National Park. Other popular stops east of the Mississippi were Chicago, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and Nashville. Check out all 50 top RV road trip stops below.
- Yellowstone National Park
- The Grand Canyon National Park
- Zion National Park
- Arches National Park
- Glacier National Park
- Yosemite National Park
- Mount Rushmore National Memorial
- Sequoia National Park
- Four Corners Monument
- Great Sand Dunes National Park
- Badlands National Park
- Horseshoe Bend
- Monument Valley
- Crater Lake National Park
- Las Vegas
- The Hoover Dam
- Grand Teton National Park
- Denver
- Lake Tahoe
- Death Valley National Park
- Crazy Horse Mountain Memorial
- Rocky Mountain National Park
- Shoshone Falls Park
- Joshua Tree National Park
- Garden of The Gods
- Devils Tower National Monument
- Mesa Verde National Park
- Canyonlands National Park
- White Sands National Park
- San Francisco
- Los Angeles
- Bryce Canyon National Park
- Great Smoky Mountains National Park
- Nashville
- Salt Lake City
- New Orleans
- Cadillac Ranch
- Portland
- Seattle
- Carlsbad Caverns National Park
- Grand Prismatic Spring
- Albuquerque
- San Diego
- Redwood National and State Parks
- Hot Springs National Park
- Havasu Falls
- Graceland
- Petrified Forest National Park
- Acadia National Park
- Chicago
Fun Fact: A road trip to all the top 50 destinations would take 285 driving hours and span 14,837 miles. This would likely cost at least $3,000 in fuel (using $2.25 for the national average price of gas at 10 mpg), depending on the RV you drive.
Outdoor attractions, like national parks, are always popular among RVers. In fact, 15 of the top 20 RV stops this summer were national parks. Even with campground closures and travel restrictions due to COVID-19, outdoor attractions remained popular in 2020.
Top 10 National Parks
With their wide-open spaces and access to some of the country’s most spectacular nature, national parks can be the perfect places to practice social distancing. Of the 10 most popular national parks among RVers this summer, parks across three states—California, Montana, and Utah—accounted for 60 percent of planned visits.
Fun Fact: It would take 27.5 driving hours and cost around $160 in gas (depending on your vehicle) to travel between the five most popular national parks among RVers in the summer of 2020.
Top 10 RV Resorts and Campgrounds
- Mount Rushmore KOA at Palmer Gulch Resort
- Yellowstone Park / West Gate KOA
- Watchman Campground
- Yellowstone Grizzly RV Park
- West Glacier KOA
- Resort Moab KOA Holiday
- Ruby’s Inn RV Park & Campground
- Wahweap Campground
- Zion Canyon Campground
- Albuquerque KOA Journey
Of course, RVers need a place to park and sleep for the night. Many of the top RV resorts and campgrounds were located in or near national parks. Of the top 10 campgrounds among RVers this summer, only Albuquerque KOA Journey along Route 66 was located in a major city.
Four of the top 10 RV parks were located in Utah, which was also one of the top three most popular states among RVers this year. Half of the top campgrounds were KOA properties while the remaining five were privately owned, with the exception of Watchman at Zion National Park.
RVing Beyond the Summer Months
When planning an RV road trip this year, make sure to keep up with local travel orders and restrictions. Some national parks are fully open, while others are limiting services and/or capacity. For example, Yosemite National Park is open, but only to those with advance reservations.
You can view state-by-state opening and closure information here. Always be sure to research your destination ahead of time and stay up to date with current CDC recommendations.
Disclaimer: While RV users on Roadtrippers.com freely select their own campgrounds and points-of-interest, KOA is a current advertiser and sponsor of select content and trip guides.
