Camping Across America

05/22/2026

Great Smoky Mountains Turns 100: Celebrating a Century Since America Chose to Protect the Smokies

Today, May 22, 2026, marks 100 years since President Calvin Coolidge signed the 1926 act that authorized the creation of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. One important note: the park was authorized in 1926, officially established in 1934, and formally dedicated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1940.

Today marks a milestone worth celebrating across America’s camping, RV, hiking, and outdoor community. On May 22, 1926, President Calvin Coolidge signed the legislation that set the Great Smoky Mountains on the path to becoming one of America’s most treasured national parks. One hundred years later, the Smokies remain a symbol of natural beauty, Appalachian heritage, family travel, and the simple joy of getting outside.
For Camping Across America, this anniversary is more than a date on the calendar. It is a reminder of why places like the Smokies matter. They give families a place to camp under the stars, hikers a place to chase mountain views, RV travelers a reason to slow down, and future generations a chance to experience the same misty ridge lines that inspired people a century ago.
Great Smoky Mountains National Park covers more than 522,000 acres across Tennessee and North Carolina, with forests, waterfalls, historic cabins, wildflowers, mountain streams, and hundreds of miles of trails. The National Park Service says the park is consistently the most visited national park in the country, with more than 12 million recreational visits in 2024 and 11.5 million visitors in 2025.
That popularity is not hard to understand. The Smokies are accessible, scenic, family-friendly, and rich with things to do. Visitors come for Cades Cove, Newfound Gap Road, Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, Kuwohi, Laurel Falls, Elkmont, Deep Creek, Cataloochee, and countless quiet pull-offs where the view makes you forget about your phone for a while.
For RV travelers and campers, the Smokies are one of the great American destinations. Whether you stay inside the national park at a campground or base yourself in nearby towns like Gatlinburg, Pigeon Forge, Townsend, Cherokee, or Bryson City, the region offers that perfect mix of mountain adventure and small-town comfort.

Pull up a chair by the campfire, follow along, and let’s explore America together

05/22/2026

The campfire is waiting — but so is traffic.

Campgrounds, highways, fuel stops, beaches, lakes, and national parks are expected to be packed this weekend as millions of Americans hit the road.
If you’re RVing or camping, don’t wing it. Leave early, double-check your campground reservation, fuel up before tourist areas, and have a backup plan.

AAA is projecting record Memorial Day travel, with about 45 million Americans traveling 50+ miles and most of them driving. That means crowded highways, busy fuel stops, packed campgrounds, and heavier traffic around lakes, beaches, state parks, and national parks.

Pull up a chair by the campfire, follow along, and let’s explore America together.

05/21/2026

Happy Memorial Day from Camping Across America 🇺🇸
This Memorial Day weekend, we want to wish everyone a safe, peaceful, and meaningful weekend wherever the road may take you.
Whether you’re camping by the lake, relaxing at the beach, gathering around the campfire, or spending time with family and friends, let’s take a moment to remember what Memorial Day is truly about.
Memorial Day is a day to honor and remember the brave men and women who gave their lives while serving our country. Their sacrifice gave us the freedom to travel these open roads, enjoy this beautiful land, and spend time with the people we love.
So this weekend, fly the flag proudly, hug your family a little tighter, slow down, and take a quiet moment to remember those who never made it home.
From all of us at Camping Across America, have a safe and peaceful Memorial Day weekend.

Leave a comment below: Share what this weekend and day means to you.

Pull up a chair by the campfire, follow along, and let’s explore America together. 🇺🇸🔥

05/20/2026

Today's Camping Across America big news for
RV travelers! 🚐 🔥
AllStays is now on Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, making it easier to find RV parks, campgrounds, rest areas, dump stations, propane stops, fuel, and RV services right from your vehicle’s dashboard.
For anyone traveling with a camper, motorhome, fifth wheel, or big rig, this is a great road-day upgrade. Less phone fumbling, easier planning, and quicker access to the stops RVers actually need.
This could be a game changer for travel days — especially when you’re looking for a safe place to stop, dump tanks, refill propane, or find a campground before dark.
My take: still plan ahead, still call campgrounds when needed, and always double-check road restrictions. But having AllStays on the dash is a big win for RV life.
Would you use AllStays on CarPlay or Android Auto while traveling?

Pull up a chair by the campfire, follow along, and let’s explore America together.

05/19/2026

Camping Across America: A Campfire Story
The road began before sunrise.
The sky was still dark blue, the kind of blue that makes everything feel quiet and possible. A fifth wheel sat ready in the driveway, hitched behind a big truck that looked like it was built for long highways, mountain passes, and every backroad in between.
On the side of the rig were three simple words:
Camping Across America
It wasn’t just a name.
It was a promise.
A promise to chase sunsets, wake up beside lakes, sit under tall pines, listen to waves hit the shore, and find the kind of peace that only comes when the campfire is glowing and the world slows down.
The first stop was a quiet campground tucked along a mountain river. The water rolled over smooth stones, and fog lifted off the valley as the morning sun touched the treetops. Coffee brewed outside while birds sang from the branches above.
A couple from Ohio walked by and waved.
“Where are you headed?” they asked.
The answer was simple.
“Across America.”
They smiled like they understood exactly what that meant.
Because camping people get it.
It’s not always about the destination. Sometimes it’s about the pull-off with the perfect view. The small-town diner with homemade pie. The stranger at the next campsite who becomes a friend by the end of the night. The gravel road that leads to a hidden lake. The storm that rolls through and leaves behind the clearest sky you’ve ever seen.
As the journey continued, Camping Across America rolled through the Smoky Mountains, where the morning mist wrapped around the ridges like a blanket. It followed coastal roads where the salty breeze came through the windows and seagulls circled over the beach. It crossed wide-open plains where the sunsets stretched forever, painting the sky orange, pink, and gold.
Everywhere the road went, there was a story.
There was the retired couple living their dream one campground at a time.
There was the young family teaching their kids how to roast marshmallows and count stars.
There was the solo traveler who said the road helped them find themselves again.
There was the old man sitting beside his camper who said, “I’ve been doing this for forty years, and I still haven’t seen it all.”
That was the beauty of it.
America was too big, too wild, and too full of wonder to ever truly finish exploring.
One evening, after a long day of driving, the rig pulled into a lakeside campsite just before sunset. The air smelled like pine and woodsmoke. The water was calm, reflecting the sky like glass. A fire was built, chairs were opened, and dinner cooked slowly over the flames.
As darkness settled in, the stars came out one by one.
No traffic noise.
No rush.
No deadlines.
Just the crackle of the fire, the sound of crickets, and the feeling that this was exactly where life was supposed to be.
That night, Camping Across America wasn’t just about RVs, campgrounds, gear, or travel tips.
It was about freedom.
It was about family.
It was about slowing down long enough to remember what matters.
It was about pulling up a chair by the campfire, sharing a story, and inviting others to come along for the ride.
Because somewhere out there, another road was waiting.
Another campground.
Another sunrise.
Another view worth stopping for.
And as long as there were mountains to climb, beaches to walk, lakes to sit beside, and campfires to gather around, the journey would continue.
Camping Across America wasn’t just a trip.
It was a way of life.
So pull up a chair by the campfire, follow along, and let’s explore America together.

05/18/2026

Have you ordered your word search book yet?

Love Yellowstone? 🦬🌋🏔️

This **Yellowstone National Park Word Search Puzzle Book** is the perfect way to relax, unplug, and enjoy a little adventure from home, at the campsite, or on the road.

Great for:
✅ National park lovers
✅ RV travelers and campers
✅ Yellowstone fans
✅ Kids, adults, and puzzle lovers
✅ A fun gift for birthdays, road trips, or cozy nights in

Packed with Yellowstone-themed word searches, this book brings the beauty of the park to every page — from geysers and wildlife to mountains, trails, and adventure.

Grab your copy today and bring a little Yellowstone fun to your coffee table, camper, or next road trip! 🦬

LINK BELOW 👇👇👇👇
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GSWT4BYQ

05/18/2026

Today’s top Camping Across America story:
Free camping near Zion National Park is being restricted under a new BLM management plan.
This hits RVers, boondockers, budget travelers, and public-land campers directly. The Bureau of Land Management’s SR9 Campground Management Project affects public lands along Utah State Route 9 near Zion National Park. The plan includes two proposed developed campgrounds, designated dispersed campsites, restoration of damaged areas, and new limits on where people can camp.
The big issue: long-used free dispersed camping areas near Zion could be reduced, with overnight camping limited to designated areas. Recent coverage says campers may be left with about 30 designated dispersed sites, while two proposed campgrounds could add around 230 developed sites at Flagstone Quarry and Gooseberry Mesa.

Why it matters: Zion is already one of the most crowded national park destinations, and campground reservations can be hard to get. For RVers and van campers, nearby BLM land has been a pressure valve when park campgrounds are full. Access groups argue this could make affordable camping harder, while BLM says the changes are meant to reduce damage from heavy dispersed use, including soil compaction, vegetation damage, trash, and human waste.

My take away for Camping Across America:
This is bigger than Zion. Campers need to start checking BLM rules before every trip, because the old “just find a spot and camp” days are disappearing in high-traffic areas.

What are your thoughts?

05/17/2026

Big Grand Canyon Camping News, OFFICIALLY OPEN!
The North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park has officially reopened for the 2026 summer season, and this is huge news for campers, hikers, and RV travelers planning a western road trip.
All paved North Rim roads are open again, including Highway 67, Cape Royal Road, and Point Imperial Road. But RVers need to know this: vehicles over 22 feet are not allowed on Cape Royal and Point Imperial Roads because of tight turns, narrow roads, and limited parking.
Cottonwood Campground has reopened for hikers on the North Kaibab Trail, and the North Rim Campground is expected to reopen for tent and RV camping once conditions allow.
This is one of those trips where planning ahead matters. There will be no overnight lodging inside the park on the North Rim this season, so make sure you check campground updates, fuel stops, water access, and reservations before heading out.

Have you visited the North Rim before?

Follow Camping Across America for more RV travel news, campground updates, and road trip ideas.

05/16/2026

🚐🔥 Come Join Me on the Journey!

Camping Across America is more than just a page — it’s the start of an adventure across this beautiful country we call home.

From peaceful mornings by the lake, winding mountain roads, hidden campgrounds, small-town stops, national parks, RV life, campfire stories, and everything in between — I’m building a place where we can explore, learn, laugh, and enjoy the journey together.

Whether you love camping, RV travel, hiking, road trips, nature, or just dreaming about the open road, you’re invited to come along.

Pull up a chair by the campfire, follow along, and let’s explore America together.

👉 Follow Camping Across America and join our community page Camping Across America RV & Camping Community private group. Be part of the adventure!

05/16/2026

Thank you Wildrvlife Craig and Victoria.

05/16/2026

Today’s top Camping Across America news:

Yosemite National Park is opening up more access for the 2026 summer season — including full front-country campground availability and an early Tioga Road opening. That means more chances to camp, hike, explore the high country, and experience one of America’s most iconic parks. But don’t wing it — Yosemite is warning visitors to expect heavy weekend traffic, early parking fill-ups, and busy entrance stations.

Will you be camping at Yosemite this summer?