I'm curious as to how many have done an overnighter in a Wal-Mart parking lot. Is there a fee? DO you need to go into the store and register? Any info would be appreciated. We are travelling to the Oregon Coast this Friday, but will likely only make it to this side of Portland, and need a place to stay over night in the camp trailer. Thanks!

I have stayed in a WalMart parking lot overnight many times. No registration. Just pull up and hit the sack. Works out ok for Walmart as I always remember something I had forgotten, so I trot right in to make a purchase.

Jimbo

Boondocking at Walmart. Pretty popular. I would check with the manager. If you go to the link below, section 11 is about walmart.

http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/264829.cfm

I have done this myself a few times. Do a search for boondocking at walmart I cannot remember the site but there is one that lists which walmarts you cannot overnight at. This is not walmart saying you cannot but city/town ordiances that forbid camping.

I see that here quite a bit in the Wal-Mart and Target parking lots. Seems to be very common....

There have been a few Wal-Marts that have put a stop to the overnight parking .
Reason is campers who do not know how to leave the space cleaner than they found it. Gray water, trash, etc.

I would be interested in the Walmart at Hood River, Oregon. Anybody here have pertinent info on that one? It will be late when we arrive, so no issues regarding awnings, stabilizers, noise, etc. Just a quick place to stop and sleep, pick up a few supplies on the way to the coast.

Have you considered just pulling into one of the large truck stops? We tried that and felt quite safe sitting among about a hundred big rigs. It was cooler out so the windows were closed, not too much noise from idling trucks. Even some motels don't mind you staying in the parking lot if there is room. Chances are that you may have breakfast in their restaraunts before you head out.

I've not stayed in the Wal-Mart lot, but some friends of mine from Montana have. When they checked with the store manager one of the reasons for letting over-nighters stay is to help keep the vandelism in the store areas and lots down. Don't know if it works, but it's good for both parties then.

http://www.walmart.com/cservice/ca_storefinder.gsp?NavMode=7

Try this link for the Wal-Mart store locater and call ahead to the manager. I've done this many times and have never been turned down.

Wallmart encourages campers to camp out.
Pull up and camp, nothing else.
When we're haulin arss across the country, every night is spent in wallmart.
Their atlases show you store locations, etc.

I've seen $300K rigs camped out at Wallmart!

We stayed in Walmarts all over the country for years! It's nice when you are on the road just to pull in and hit the sack! Frankly, we also like Walmarts because it's usually quieter at 7AM! In campgrounds there's always an early riser yelling to his wife and banging tool boxes and pulling out at 7AM! He probably went to bed at 9PM! You know who you are! I just have a different biological clock than a farmer, so I stay at the Walmart so I don't have to get up at 7AM with those positive, cheerful, have a cup of coffee and sing a few songs from "The Sound of Music" as you walk around your trailer! I get up at 9PM, groan, grumble, rub my eyes, and drag myself to a local breakfast house for a cup of coffee and breakfast! I retired so I didn't have to get up with the chickens! JUST KIDDING FOLKS! God bless those who like to beat the sun up, it's nice in the early morning! I just have a different biological clock! Many do!

The Walmarts that don't let you stay overnight are usually under pressure from the city! They usually are based on a local laws regarding health codes to deal with RV campground and hotel complaints! It's a phoney issue, but if I had an RV park I wouldn't like me parking free at Walmart either! I've been at Walmarts where the security people in go carts offered to help people park their rigs!

I park at Walmarts and my wife always finds something to buy to return the favor! It's one of them Kharma things, or what goes around comes around! I go around to Walmart and my money goes around the Walmart store! Seems fair!

Yup the anti walmart campground owners have been whining for years. Truth is for a quick overnighter walmart is great. I'm against those who "destination camp" at walmart. They put their jacks down, chairs out, take up many parking spaces and proceed to ruin it for everyone. Those fools will ultimately be the reason walmart changes its overnighter policy. They do deny business to legit campgrounds, clog the parking lots and usually make a mess. Walmart is NOT BLM free camping.

You're right Paul! If Walmart let's us park there we should respect the courtesy! I've been stopping in Walmarts for years! I always keep a low, quiet profile and buy all my supplies there to show appreciation! Sometimes I think at lot of people are in the "It's all about me club!"

We've camped overnight at Wal-Mart on a long trip. The Wal-mart folks love it because the overnighters tend to buy at the store at some point.

The only places you cannot is where the local ordinances forbid it. And they are usually driven by the local campgrounds who are losing the revenue from the Wal-Mart campers.

If you purchase the "Wal-mart" Rand McNally atlas, there are listings in the rear of which Walmarts are RV "friendly"

most of the ones that dont allow it are in n. cal.,because of the mess left behind,its usually a lot quieter than the truckstops or rest areas

The City of Elk Grove put the squash on the Wal-Mart stops. They felt they were loosing too much in taxes allowing free stays.

"So Billy, did your family go on summer vacation?"

"SURE DID TEACHER!!! We went to WALMART!!!"

:D

The wife and I parked a 25' CruiseAmerica RV overnight at a couple of walmarts in Ga.

We only hit the 24 hour superstores and sure enough we went in and bought some goods.

No one said a word and we didn't think to ask permission (oops).

We went back inside in the morning and got some fresh fruit for breakfast.

:)

The last Walmart I stayed at was great until about 3:00 am. I woke up to a funny noise then the sound of a vacume. It seems that they washed and vacumed the parking lot every night to try to keep the place clean. This went on for about a half hour or so then all was quiet again. Oh well not a big deal I just didn't know what the noise was.