# Finding places to park?



## Rune (Oct 7, 2020)

During my adventures I noticed that it was infuriatingly difficult to find a place to park.
What are some good, reliable parking spots that wont make me have to worry about my car getting towed or breaking some kind of law?

What Ive gotten so far:
24 hour gyms
Many Walmarts
Maybe hotels
Maybe churches
24 hour Rest Stops
Bars [buy a drink first?]
24 hour gas stations? [ask permission first?]

I camped out at a Krogers for like a week I think and nobody bothered me in any way.
I cant say that theyre all like that though.


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## coltsfoot (Oct 7, 2020)

most of the spots u listed have worked out for me whenever ive traveled in a car/van

Free Camping Near You | Go Camping for Free! - https://freecampsites.net/ <---- useful resource, lots of the obvious spots like walmart, cabelas, cracker barrels etc plus a lotta lesser known spots too


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## RedRoverBeard208 (Oct 8, 2020)

Cabela's, Bass Pro Shops! Some of them have dump stations (some for free even!) if you're in a RV. I've also heard that Cracker Barrel restaurants are popular for overnight parking. I'm sloowwlyy debating on well lit bars for parking. The bowling alley I currently frequent has distant parking with decent lighting. Hope those help!


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## Rune (Oct 8, 2020)

They do! Thank you!


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## Deedledees (Oct 8, 2020)

Since Covid I spend 99% of my time at rest areas, Love's truck stops, and hiking trailheads. But they tend to be outside of town so if you have to do stuff in town often it might not be ideal.


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## pseudo (Oct 9, 2020)

Also check out the iOverlander app/site


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## Sameer (Oct 9, 2020)

I am usually on public land. A lot has to do with the local ordinances. "Sleeping in a vehicle laws". Use freecampsites.net. 
When in town I always ask for permission.


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## Fuzzypeach (Oct 11, 2020)

A van dweller on YouTube, who used to park regularly at a Kroger, was told by the manager that corporate is now banning overnight parking  Sorry for the bad news. Cracker Barrel is now welcoming overnight parkers.


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## tanukizooted (Nov 8, 2020)

Here are some of my methods:
Locate industrial area on google maps. Houses are tiny, but industrial areas pop out easy on satellite view (basically look for massive buildings, usually white roofs, and they usually take up several blocks so you cant miss them. Then locate areas with semis / vehicles parked on the sides of the street, ignore parking lots. There's a good chance other people sleep there as well but Its usually really quiet in my experience. I try to park next to an empty lot, or a gate or a wall, far as possible from entrances / doors to avoid being oogled by workers in the morning while I sleep (I'm in a car atm. You won't have to work as hard to find the best spot if you're in a van or something obviously.

google maps, search apartments. use satellite view to find apartments with street parking. I try to park near the end or beginning so fewer people will walk by in the AM but that's because I'm quite visible in my car haha.

When I had my van I used to park on residential streets that are lined with vehicles, especially if it looks so crowded that you can tell people park wherever they can as opposed to right in front of their house. You blend in on those crowded residential streets! Use satellite view on google maps, you can usually get an idea of good neighborhoods to try.

In bigger cities many times you can find people living in vehicles just off the highway exits. Not always available and sometimes sketchy af but it's fairly easy to use satellite view on maps and follow the highways and search near exits for clusters of parked cars and RVs.

I also look for parks with street parking via Satellite view which is a bonus because I walk my pup before I leave the next morning.

I love campendium.com but make sure you search " free (your state here)" because they have a ton of free campsites all over the US but not all of them are free. I think Colorado had like 250 free campsites for instance.

I've slept in hospital parking lots or street parking in front of a church in a pinch.

Just a note, if cars are parked roadside on maps satellite view there's a good chance there usually are people parked there so you will blend in.

I hope this helps you. I've gotten pretty good at finding spots through experience and generally not giving af. All they can do is make you leave so dont be afraid to try new things. hope my instructions were clear, I'm a little sleepy. Good luck and safe travels to you, friend.


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## RavenOnTheNethervoid (Nov 20, 2020)

a lot of "corporate" seem to have been using the pandemic as a reason to jump on the nimby wagon. places that used to allow / look the other way have about faced.


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## Sameer (Nov 20, 2020)

Well here is my standard comment like a broken record..... Public land and BLM land is the best place to park.
Use
freecampsites.net. 
There is usually a 14-day limit for camping then you have to move but my experience in Northern Arizona and Flagstaff was that they are not enforcing that rule. Now here in the southern desert of Arizona and Quartzite there is lots of places to camp and Park. Of course public land is not practical for everybody nor is living out in the sticks, meaning small towns. But even towns like Palm springs or Indio are surrounded by public lands. For me during the pandemic I'll avoid the large cities and of course, the shithole State of California. The only places in California I go are the Imperial Valley and The Slabs...


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## 4dozr (Jan 12, 2021)

Along the coast through California to Washington ive had a lot of positive experiences parking at "scenic outlooks" turn outs off the hwy1 and 101. There technically rest areas and no one ever hassled me


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## bote (Jan 12, 2021)

when travelling outside cities, I've had good luck locating smaller waterways on maps, then finding service roads that follow them. If you have internet you can zoom in on google earth, sometimes the roads are there, but smaller dirt roads aren't always listed. Found many nice places to sleep this way and a swim in the morning.


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## Groundscore (Jan 29, 2021)

Hospital parking lots usually have plenty of vacant spaces around the back, and few people will notice you there.


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## 4bird (Dec 29, 2021)

I've had good look with a site called freeroam.app, it's similar to freecampsites.net and also has map overlays of BLM land and USFS land, as well as a fancy lil map overlay for cell coverage. Lots of filters too, everything from weather to road difficulty (reviewed by users of the site)


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## khonjin (Mar 4, 2022)

4bird said:


> I've had good look with a site called freeroam.app, it's similar to freecampsites.net and also has map overlays of BLM land and USFS land, as well as a fancy lil map overlay for cell coverage. Lots of filters too, everything from weather to road difficulty (reviewed by users of the site)


this is a very useful resource, thank you


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## 4bird (May 26, 2022)

Glad to help!


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