Our favorite RV camping guidebooks

Here are some of our favorite RV camping guides. Most are from our friends at Roundabout Publications. The RVtravel.com staff has used the books on our trips and for research for years. These are the latest editions of each title. The links to the books below take you to Amazon, where we get a small affiliate commission if you purchase. You pay the same as if you went to Amazon directly. 

National Forest Camping

The U.S. Forest Service manages nearly 193 million acres of public land in 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands. These areas provide a wide variety of opportunities for outdoor recreation. Discover trails for hiking, bicycling, and horseback riding. Enjoy boating, fishing, or swimming. Watch the wildlife while enjoying a picnic or explore historic places. From remote mountaintops to secluded canyons, alongside streams, rivers, and lakes, Forest Service areas offer some of the best camping experiences in the United States. In this directory, you’ll discover 3,704 camping areas in 41 states. Read more.

RV Camping in Corps of Engineers Parks

This very popular guide lists and describes RV-friendly camping areas operated by the Corps of Engineers. This guide is perfect for RV travelers because all of the hike-in, boat-in and tent-only camping areas are not included, which makes it easy to find the campgrounds that can accommodate RVs. Corps of Engineers Parks are considered by many RVers are to be the best public campground in the USA. Read more.

RV Camping in State Parks, 7th Edition

Millions of Americans enjoy camping in state parks every year. This guide is designed to help you find them. Although there are thousands of state parks in America, the ones listed in this guide are those that can accommodate and have campsites for recreational vehicles. In all, there are 1,644 parks in 49 states described (Hawaii is not included). Read more.

Bureau of Land Management Camping, Second Edition

Working in partnership with The Ultimate Public Campground Project, this new guide describes 1,273 camping areas managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in 14 states. RVers who “boondock” on public lands — usually far from the crowds — will find this book very useful. Read more.

Book is a must-have for state park campers!

This book, “50 States: 500 State Parks,” is a must-have for all state park campers and explorers. The book is a beautiful visual journey through America’s best state parks. Whether you’re looking for stunning vistas, rare wildlife, a dose of history, or an enjoyable hike, the state parks offer an array of experiences. Learn more or order.

The Ultimate Public Campground Project

The Ultimate Public Campground Project was conceived in 2008 to provide a consolidated and comprehensive source for public campgrounds of all types. It all began with a simple POI (Point of Interest) list of GPS coordinates and names, nothing more, totaling perhaps 5,000 locations. As the list grew in size and information provided, a website was designed to display the data on a map. Next came mobile apps, first iOS and Mac apps and more recently Android versions. Now this information is available in 17 paperback books and includes over 38,000 locations across the United States. Work continues on the Project with information updated regularly.

The project consists of 17 paperback volumes as listed below:

• Volume 1 – Washington
• Volume 2 – Oregon
• Volume 3 – Idaho
• Volume 4 – California
• Volume 5 – Utah
• Volume 6 – Arizona, Nevada
• Volume 7 – Montana, North Dakota
• Volume 8 – Wyoming
• Volume 9 – Colorado
• Volume 10 – New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas
• Volume 11 – Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota
• Volume 12 – Minnesota
• Volume 13 – Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin
• Volume 14 – Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri
• Volume 15 – Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont
• Volume 16 – Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia
• Volume 17 – Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina

RV Camping in National Parks

This book describes all of the RV camping opportunities available in parks managed by the National Park Service. It not only includes National Parks but also National Seashores, National Monuments, National Recreation Areas, and others. It is important to note that other federal agencies (Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, Corps of Engineers, etc.) are not included in this book. It only covers the National Park Service. Read more.

Casino Camping, Ninth Edition

Casino Camping describes hundreds of RV-friendly casinos throughout the United States of America. The book tells you which casinos have an RV park and those that allow overnight parking, which is typically free. RVers may prefer casino campgrounds because they offer modern facilities and conveniences at reasonable rates. Boondockers seek casinos for a quiet, safe place to park for the night. Read more.

RVer’s Guide to Dump Stations, 8th Edition

RVer’s Guide to Dump Stations is a directory of 2,070 public dump stations in the United States. Dump stations are found in places like: truck stops and travel centers, city and county parks, gas stations, highway rest areas, campgrounds, RV parks, and more. State maps help make it easy to locate a dump station, while detailed information is listed alphabetically by city name. There’s also a handy chart that lists dump stations by Interstate highway. Read more.

By RV Travel publisher Chuck Woodbury

Book for newbie RVers a must-have!

If you are planning to buy your first RV or are just getting started with your first rig, this book by RVtravel.com publisher Chuck Woodbury should be a must-read. The ABCs of RVing answers important questions that newbie RVers don’t even know enough to ask! Read this, and you’ll save countless hours of research and avoid making costly rookie mistakes. It’s available in both printed and free Kindle Unlimited editions.

Secrets of RVing on Social Security

Author Jerry Minchey takes you on a journey that lets you discover how you can travel around the country and live the fascinating RV lifestyle for far less than it costs to live in your sticks-and-bricks home. Among other things, he shows you step-by-step how to enjoy the RVing lifestyle while traveling and living on just your Social Security income. Learn more or order.

National Park book has everything you need to explore our parks

We all know that National Geographic puts out beautiful, thoughtful work, so it’s no surprise that their brand-new book, Complete National Parks Of the United States, is no exception. This 3rd edition is a travel guide to 400+ parks, areas, trails, historic sites, seashores, campgrounds and much more. Learn more or order.

Where should you camp next? Find out!

This 50-state guide will show you the best campgrounds across the U.S. It gives you a regional, state-by-state breakdown of amazing outdoor accommodations, from campgrounds to RV resorts. It also breaks campsites down by your personality and desired amenities. Now that’s cool! It also highlights regional cuisine, attractions and activities. Learn more or order.

RVers who carry a firearm should pack this along to save them from trouble

A new edition of the annual Traveler’s Guide to the Firearm Laws of the Fifty States is hot off the press. This 2023 edition covers all the basics for armed travel. What is legal in one state could be a felony in another. This book should be used as a reference before entering a new state so you know what to expect as you approach. Clear writing gives you the basics for every state. Plus, each state is rated for its relative freedom, based on its gun laws, from zero to 100. Read more about the book here.

Hot off the press! New Milepost 2023 edition

If you’re traveling or thinking about traveling to Alaska, this is the book you need! It’s the best-selling travel guide to Alaska and includes mile-by-mile descriptions of more than 15,000 miles of road in Alaska, Yukon, Northwest Territories, British Columbia and Alberta. Its 700-plus pages detail accommodations, camping, fishing, gas stops, restaurants, attractions and services found along the highways and byways of Alaska and western Canada. Learn more or order.

Brand new book! Van and RV Camping at State Recreation Areas

Our friends at Roundabout Publications have done it again—they’ve published another helpful book for RVers. This one is for RV camping at 656 camping areas at 415 state recreation areas across 30 states. This includes camping locations at off-highway vehicle areas, state beaches, state recreation areas and sites, state vehicular recreation areas and more. Having this book will save you money! Learn more or order.

Brand new book! Van and RV Camping in State Forests

Our friends at Roundabout Publications have done it again—they’ve published another helpful book for RVers. This one is for RV camping at 585 camping areas in 298 forests across 25 states. Save money by camping on public lands managed by government agencies. Having this book will save you money! Learn more or order.

Big Rig RV owners! You need this!

If you aren’t carrying the 2023 Rand McNally Motor Carriers’ Road Atlas with you in your RV, you’re inviting trouble. This is the atlas that truckers rely on to plan their routes. It helps them get “there” the fastest while avoiding roads where they could get stuck with turns too tight or bridges too low to fit through without shaving off their roofs. Even if you have a GPS, this is an important resource! Learn more or order.