Using Your RV
City parks offer inexpensive, often free RV camping

Some of the nicest and least expensive campgrounds in America are in small town city parks. Yet many RVers are unaware of these places, mostly because the parks seldom appear in campground directories and the cities that sponsor them don't advertise. But for RVers in the know, these parks are great places to spend a night and sometimes even a week. Some are free, others cost a few dollars. Surprisingly, many of the parks offer hookups, both water and electric. Alas, for some of us, with rare exceptions, most of the parks are located in the Midwest or the Mountain West.

The best source of information about free and nearly free city parks is FreeCampgrounds.com, where we found these listings.

Beloit City Park, Kansas
This city park at a bend in the Solomon Rover has lots of trees and offers electric hookups. Beloit is the gateway to Waconda Lake, also known as Glen Elder Reservoir with many opportunities for the outdoor enthusiast including fishing, boating and hunting. The area surrounding Waconda boasts over 11,000 acres of prime public hunting ground. The park has water, a dump station and 30- and 50-amp electric hookups. It's free.

Sisters City Park, Oregon
This pretty little forested park sits on the eastern edge of Sisters, a quaint tourist town northwest of Bend. You can walk to town in a few minutes where there are shops and restaurants. This is a good place to stay a few days. RV sites are $10 or $5 for tents. All have a picnic table and the park has drinking water. It's located right along U.S. Route 20. Plenty of shade from the many pine trees.

Brookfield City Park, Missouri
This clean park has about 15 level pull-through gravel/grass sites that will accommodate any length RV. There's water, 30-amp hookups, two dump stations and the city pool is close by. The cost is $10 a day on the honor system. The park is about one mile off U.S. 36. Pass the Wal-Mart Supercenter and follow the road to the park.

Brush City Park, Colorado
RVers love this free city park along I-76 on the south edge of town on Clayton Street. Camping is free the first night and $10 after that for up to seven nights. It's a gravel lot that can get dusty in a windstorm. But there is plenty of grass, too, and some shade. Some sites have water and 20-amp electric hookups, and there's a dump station.

Fairmont City Park, Minnesota
This city campground is located next to the city pool. Sites have water and electricity. The first three nights are free, $4 for next three nights and then $10 every night thereafter.

Griffin City Park, South Dakota
This newly renovated park along the Missouri River has back-in campsites, 16 of which have hookups to 20, 30 and 50-amp power. There's a dump station, space for extra parking and it's a half-block walk to the marina. Overnight camping is $10 per night on the honor system with a five-day limit.

Visit FreeCampgrounds.com



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