CAMP WAL-MART: Coast to Coast

[Aids10]

You might be a Wallydocker if.... - The Casita Club Forums

[Alf S.]

Hi: All...That shot (Northbay Walmart) looks like Bolerama 2010 ( Wagons Ho) traveling road show to Earlton Ontario Canada. Hatching place for many...many Bolers. They had to limit #'s of rigs to 50 for that trip and in many places along the route had special escorts. Sorry we missed all the fun!!!
Alf S. North shore of Lake Erie

[Ken C]

David & Leslie, ha ha love your security guard story. The prettiest one I have been to is Kona Hawaii. See the ocean from the parking lot, wow. Being the home state of wal-mart we Love what the family has done for our state! That walmart yahoo group is a good group for info.

[Tom U]

Originally Posted by Francesca Knowles

I haven't encountered any stores in Washington/Oregon that don't allow it, not that I've "camped" at them all.

The Walmart in Talent, near Ashland, OR, didn't allow over night parking last time we were there - 7/2010. Also on the "No Stay" list is Barstow, CA.

Most stores that prohibit over night parking have posted signs. Even if there are no signs posted we always check with the security personnel to let them know and respect their suggestions as to where and how to park.

[Adrian W]

Know Before You Go - Wal-Marts - Yes or No for Overnighting
Walmart Locations - Wal-Mart Parking Guide

But Nothing is 100% Correct, I would would assume.

The Trinidad, CO Wal-Mart was a nice one as well:


The Walmart Supercenter in Pierre, SD was a nice one.
1730 No Garfield Road, Pierre SD 57501
605-224-8830

As was the one in Liberal, Kansas
250 East Tucker Road, Liberal KS 67901
620-624-0106

Both Wal-Marts in Las Cruces, New Mexico allow Overnights & they have Security Roaming
Off I-25, West Side: 1550 S Valey Dr, Las Cruces NM 88005
575-523-4924
Off I-10, East Side: 571 S Walton Blvd, Las Cruces NM 88001
575-525-1222

We have used the one in Las Vegas, NM 3 times, always had a nice quite night.
2609 7th Street, Las Vegas NM 87701
505-425-5242

[Francesca Knowles]

Love the teardrop/motorcycle combo you caught in the background- how often do we park near a trailer that's actually smaller than our little rigs?

Thanks for the link- it'll make planning for my family's annual Camp Cheapskate Road Trip (so named by the grandkids) a lot easier!

[Matt in SV]

Adrian, you had that whole lot and couldn't find a level spot?

Originally Posted by Adrian W

The Trinidad, CO Wal-Mart was a nice one as well:

[HikeSticks]

I must admit... I was not a fan of Wal-Mart, for a variety of reasons, until I bought my Trillium. I have traveled many thousands of miles with my trailer and have 'taken advantage' of Wal-Marts generous policy many times. Out of my sense of fairness, I now shop at Wal-Mart, especially when traveling. Having the option of staying at a Wal-Mart, in a pinch, certainly makes travel planning easier with much more flexibility.
Now a fan....
Cheers,
Barrie

[Byron Kinnaman]

After 5 years of Scamp use I finally spent the night in a Wal-Mart Parking lot. We had picked a couple of places to stay and headed for them only to discover there really wasn't any place we could stay. So we stopped at Wal-Mart store, asked about spending the night, did a bit of shopping. We did notice that was a person sitting inside at the only door you could get in in the middle of the night. He always spoke and smiled when we came in to use the facilities.
I read someplace that if anyplace doesn't allow you to spend the night in your RV at a Wal-Mart store it's not Wal-Marts idea. They claim it's always local ordinances that prevent it.
Some RV resorts attempt to stop Wal-Mart from allowing overnight parking. I heard of at least one that backfired. Billings, MT was getting pressure from RV park owners, RV groups promoted boycotting Billings. Apparently the boycott worked and Billings amended an old law to allow 10 hours of parking on commercial property(Wal-Mart) by RVers.
It's nice to know you can usually find a place to spend the night. We've spent more night in interstate rest areas than in Wal-Mart Parking lots, but that could change within the next few months.

[Francesca Knowles]

Compliments to Adrian for putting pads under the trailer levelers!
Asphalt gets REALLY soft in hot weather, and our leveler feet will sink in it.
Only inconsiderate "guests" leave behind holes in the asphalt- if they can extract the feet and leave at all!

[Adrian W]

Originally Posted by Matt in SV

Adrian, you had that whole lot and couldn't find a level spot?

NO! it seems, Not that I remember, At least not were we wanted to park.

[Morgan]

Originally Posted by Adrian W

Know Before You Go - Wal-Marts - Yes or No for Overnighting
Walmart Locations - Wal-Mart Parking Guide

But Nothing is 100% Correct, I would would assume.

The Trinidad, CO Wal-Mart was a nice one as well:
...

The Walmart Supercenter in Pierre, SD was a nice one.
1730 No Garfield Road, Pierre SD 57501
605-224-8830

As was the one in Liberal, Kansas
250 East Tucker Road, Liberal KS 67901
620-624-0106

Both Wal-Marts in Las Cruces, New Mexico allow Overnights & they have Security Roaming
Off I-25, West Side: 1550 S Valey Dr, Las Cruces NM 88005
575-523-4924
Off I-10, East Side: 571 S Walton Blvd, Las Cruces NM 88001
575-525-1222

We have used the one in Las Vegas, NM 3 times, always had a nice quite night.
2609 7th Street, Las Vegas NM 87701
505-425-5242

Adrian,

You mixed up those two MalWarts in Cruces; just swap I-10 and I-25.

[floyd]

We have stayed at Wal-Mart all over the country over the last 10years or so.
We look for signs which refuse overnight parking and consider their absence to be tacit permission.
We never deploy awnings, outriggers, lawnchairs or other trappings which imply "Camping" [we have no slideouts.]
We park in a reasonably level, inobtrusive spot, near other campers or one of those sod islands,[think minipark] and settle down for a movie from the redbox and a hot meal from the deli.
In the morning, it's return the movie, grab some breakfast,a few supplies, and get on our way, leaving the place as we found it without ever having been noticed.

[Francesca Knowles]

That's me all over, Floyd!
The published lists are useful but they do seem to change from time to time.
On-site "conditions" like other RV's and signs work real well as indicators....so far!

Francesca

[Cyndi B.]

I saw my first Wal-Mart Campers in Dickinson, ND.

[Francesca Knowles]

. HEY DONNA D.

How about telling us again (think 2007) about going to Wal-Mart!
Only this time we're going to pick up a free stopover Atlas...or even already parked to stay overnight in the lot!

Francesca

[Adrian W]

Originally Posted by Morgan

Adrian,

You mixed up those two MalWarts in Cruces; just swap I-10 and I-25.

Yes, I did. Thanks!

Wal-Marts in Las Cruces, New Mexico allow Overnights & they have Security Roaming.

West Side of Town: Off I-10; Exit 140 (Avenida De Missilla), 1550 S Valey Dr, Las Cruces NM 88005
575-523-4924

East Side of Town: Off I-25 (Lohman Ave); Exit 6, Just off Lohman Ave: 571 S Walton Blvd, Las Cruces NM 88001
575-525-1222

[theresa p]

we've benefitted from walmart's generosity many times. we've been the solo trailer a couple of times, one of just a few on a number of occasions and one of a large group (greater than 20) only twice. we ask permission because that is what it requests RVers to do on the walmart corporate website.

we've been awakened once at 0300 or so by their parking-lot sweeper machine.
no problem...we were happy for the company as it one of the times we were "solo"....

but---we've also seen many lawnchairs, bbq's, slides, even tent trailers opened up (pop-ups)..and this is really taking things too far. but by far the worst was when we saw someone dumping their black water tank in the back part of the parking lot....the store manager, once we alerted him to this abuse, said that he wasn't surprised, since this same Rv had been "living" there for over 3 weeks!!!

[BigMike]

Originally Posted by Francesca Knowles

How many of us have taken advantage of Wal- Mart's generous though unpublished policy of permitting RV's to overnight in its parking lots? This is an invaluable resource for anyone who needs to overnight unexpectedly, or even as part of a travel itinerary. Wal-mart has very nearly realized its goal of having a store within 40 miles of every American. This may not sit well with some folks, but for those of us who need a place to park for a spell, it's an oasis. With security!
You tell your "Camp Wal- Mart' stories, and I'll tell mine!

There was just a story about this on the news. Walmart and some municipalities are limiting camping in their lots in some locations due to a large population of homeless people living out of their cars and RV's. The problem is, some folks are dumping their waste in the parking lots.

[Greg H]

Those are lazy homeless people, aren't most wal-marts 24 hrs? and I'm pretty sure they all have restrooms. There are a lot of people down on their luck and homeless, jobless but if they are too lazy to go in to useb the restroom, then it's no wonder they can't find work.