8 Best Places To Go RVing This Spring

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After several years of full-time RVing, there are many places I would go back to again, mainly because I don’t feel like I got to do all the things I wanted to do in the first place. But also, I would go back to see all the places I did visit the first time too.

When we travel, we normally pick a location that is central to all the activities we want to do in the area. So, in the cities listed below, there may not be a lot of activities right there; however, I picked these places to go RVing specifically because there are lots of things to do in the spring within a ½-hour to one-hour radius.

1. Fort Davis, Texas

Fort Davis is one of our favorite places to go RVing in Texas. The first thing you will want to do in the area is take the scenic mountain loop. On that loop, you will also want to take the time to stop at the Point of Rocks. The views are amazing, and they have small picnic areas for you to stop and have a nice spring lunch. The trip is OK in reasonable sized RVs, but if you have a large rig, you will want to take a smaller vehicle.

If you have bikes or motorcycles, this is the perfect place to ride. The main roads will be 166 and 118. The McDonalds Observatory is here and a must-stop for views during the day. You should plan a trip back late at night when they do an outdoor spring presentation of the constellations and more.

Campgrounds near Fort Davis

Places to visit near Fort Davis

Other places you might want to visit nearby include:

The City of Alpine – They have murals all over the city depicting the local history.
Marfa – This city is known for the mysterious darting lights in the evening.
Terlingua – If you want to travel a couple of hours, you can check out the chili cook-off city, and drop on down to ride along the Rio Grande.

Riding the Scenic Loop in Fort Davis, Texas

2. Tularosa, New Mexico

Tularosa is a simple town with a lot of pistachio farms. You can see the World’s Largest Pistachio there. We love seeing unique Americana, so it was a stop for us. But the town of Tularosa is central to a lot of places we wanted to visit.

One spot we hadn’t planned was Cloudcroft. We liked it so much we went back three times during our month stay. You go from about a 4500-foot elevation in Tularosa with a flat desert feel up to an elevation of 8600 feet in Cloudcroft. Expect about a 15-degree drop in temperature too. That is why spring is a great time to visit. There will be many places you want to pull over and take photos.

Campgrounds near Tulraosa

Places to visit in Tularosa

Some other places I recommend seeing while you are there include:

Three Rivers Petroglyphs – Here, you can go hiking and see over 21,000 petroglyphs in the area.
White Sands National Park – This national park is home to the largest gypsum sand dune in the world. Go hiking or sledding on the dunes while you’re here.
Valley of Fires – This BLM land is located a little north of Tularosa. Miles of black lava rock created an entire valley. They have a path you can walk through the Malpais Lava Flow that happened about 5,000 years ago.

White sands at the White Sands National Park, near Tularosa, New Mexico

3. Mena, Arkansas

The best thing to see and drive in Mena is the Talimena Scenic Byway. Although it stretches along southeast Oklahoma, the best place to start is in Mena.

It is not too bad and has a slow upgrade, so smaller RVs could still drive it. For bigger RVs, you should opt for a smaller vehicle. There are a lot of turn-outs you can take advantage of for views and photos. And again, this area is great for bikes and motorcycles. You travel 54 miles and can stop in the Talimena State Park for a picnic.

Campgrounds near Mena:

Places to visit in Mesa

Some other places to visit nearby include:

Hot Springs – Here, you can see historical buildings and enjoy the hot springs.
Ouachita National Forest – You can hike, backpack, and go horseback riding.
Weinderkehr Winery – (Pronounced ‘Vi-der-care’.) If you enjoy wine, check out their large, tasty selection of reds and whites. We went back twice!

Thousands take the Talimena Scenic Byway, but the springtime offers the best views.

4. Savannah, Georgia

Out of the many cities on the East Coast, Savannah is one of the best places to go RVing. It has a realistic feel, accepts its history, and maintains it.

We stayed at Fort McAllister State Park and would make our way into downtown Savannah for activities. The state park was beautiful. We have a 44-ft rig, and it was one of the few parks we can get into. Most all their spots are pull-through, and all have great views.

Every night, armadillo and deer were out in our site. In the evening, we would sit and watch the beautiful sunsets over the pine and palms. It was a great area to ride bikes and motorcycles. We visited Fish Tales just down the street and enjoyed some excellent seafood and beautiful views over the river.

Campgrounds near Savannah

Things to do in Savannah

Below are some of the things we enjoyed in the area:

Savannah River Walk – This river walk has cobblestone streets and musicians playing as you stroll along. There are also lots of local restaurants and bars to visit.
Historic Trolly Tours – This is a great way to learn about the history of Savannah without too much cobblestone street walking.

5. Hutchinson, Kansas

One of the most unexpectedly interesting places to go RVing is Hutchinson, Kansas. Initially, this area was just a stop on our way to our next destination, but it ended up being a memorable destination itself.

Hutchinson was built around salt mining, but they have an interesting collection of things to see and do. On your way there, stop in and see the World’s Largest Ball of Twine. In Hutchinson, take a walk-through Carey Park and wind up at the Arkansas River. Across from the park is the Hutchinson Zoo. It is only about 9-acres, but it’s a great stop for the whole family.

One of the things we found most interesting was the Strataca Salt Museum. You can take an upgraded miner’s elevator down a shaft about 650 feet below the surface. Here, you will see how they store Hollywood movies and lots more interesting features.

Campgrounds near Hutchinson

Things to do near Hutchinson

Around Hutchinson, you can also visit:

Mushroom State Park – It is the smallest park in Kansas but a unique one with rock formations.
City of Wichita – This city is filled with museums: Miniature Museum, Old Cowtown Museum, and Museum of World Treasures (which has Egyptian mummies and a T-Rex skeleton).
Cosmosphere – This is a space museum affiliated with the Smithsonian. It has the largest collection of Russian space artifacts.

This is an iconic picture of Kansas, but there is so much more beneath the surface – literally.

6. Deadwood, South Dakota

Deadwood is one of our favorite places to go RVing in South Dakota. Although it is a little touristy, it has maintained an Old West flavor. They have succeeded with a balance by keeping old historical town fronts on the buildings, and they have reenactments of gunfights in the town streets.

You can visit the Mount Moriah Cemetery, where you will see graves of Wild West figures like Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane. Deadwood is also central to seeing the Black Hills National Forest. You can head out from Deadwood and take the Needles Highway – but don’t do it in your RV! There are too many twisty turns and steep mountain climbs. Use the RV LIFE App for RV-safe GPS navigation in the area.

Campgrounds near Deadwood

Things to do near Deadwood

Some other things to see nearby include:

The 1880 Train Ride – This goes from Hill City to Keystone, and you can take it round-trip or one-way from either city. You get a little history lesson along the way and can see wildlife.
Devil’s Tower – This is not too far away; you can cross over into Wyoming and see this national monument.
The Badlands – This is another drive worth doing. It is great in the spring because this desert area can get into the 100s in the summer.

Needles Highway in South Dakota – The rocks stick up like thin needles everywhere.

7. Goodlettsville, Tennessee

This is a great area to get a taste of Nashville without having to go into downtown. Lots of RV parks offer country music live on the weekends.

If you are into ‘Hee Haw’, there are stops all around the city to see memorabilia from the shows. Also, stop at the Mansker’s Station, which is a historical site that recreates a log cabin and plantation house. On the porch, you can enjoy ‘Pickin’ on the Porch’, where they do a good job keeping up with Nashville.

Campgrounds near Goodlettsville

Things to do near Goodlettsville

Close by, there are other experiences unique to Tennessee:

Downtown Nashville – This is a stop to see some of the legends of Nashville singers and songwriters. Don’t miss the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum and the Johnny Cash Museum.
City of Lynchburg – Here, you can visit the distillery for Jack Daniels. Even if you are not a whiskey drinker, the history and tour are great.
Natchez Trace – This is a beautiful drive along a historic forest trail that ran 440 miles from Nashville to Natchez.

8. Chiefland, Florida

Stopping midway through Florida is something that many RVers miss while making their way down to the Keys. However, Chiefland, Florida is the perfect place to stop for some great experiences around Central Florida.

Primarily, you can experience Manatee Springs State Park. There is an 800-foot boardwalk that runs amidst the cypress trees. The water is about the same temperature all year, which draws in the manatees. You can also walk over 8 miles of nature trails (or ride bikes). Bring your camera because there is a postcard-perfect picture at every turn.

Campgrounds near Chiefland

Things to do near Chiefland

Some of the other things to see in the area include:

Daytona Beach – A couple of hours away, you can see where the Daytona races started on the local beaches.
City of Ozella – Take this drive with lots of Spanish moss to a salt marsh area. Also, check out Crystal River and Homosassa for beautiful beaches and great dining.
Suwanee Belle Landing – This restaurant is located on a former landing spot for the steamboat on the Suwanee River. The seafood is good, and the views are even better. Go for the sunsets from the deck.

You will find beautiful water views while staying in Central Florida. (Suwanee River at sunset)

Find more places to go RVing

I hope you enjoy some of our favorite springtime experiences around the United States. I’d love to hear some of your off-the-beaten path places you have enjoyed. Share them in the comments below or with the RV community on iRV2 Forums.

For all of your camping and trip planning needs, look no further than RV LIFE Campground Reviews and RV LIFE Trip Wizard. Campground Reviews is a trusted source of campground and RV park reviews offered by camping and RV enthusiasts just like you. With its accompanying RV LIFE App, RV Trip Wizard gets you to your camping destinations utilizing RV-friendly routes specific to your RV and travel preferences.

Article Courtesy of: https://rvlife.com/places-to-go-rving-spring/

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