When you picture where you’ll be spending your time when starting van life, you almost always picture huge open public land in the mountains of Montana, the deserts of Arizona, or the beaches of Oregon. One thing we didn’t picture was just how much time we would actually need to spend in cities and larger towns. Whether it’s refilling your water tank, stocking up on weeks of groceries, or even wanting a nice hot shower and a night off from cooking, cities are actually a huge part of life on the road.
Sometimes finding good cities where stealth camping is easy, water fill ups are present, and there are great places to spend the afternoon can be a huge task. After 2 years on the road we have experienced all of the worst, while also compiling our favorites that we always make sure to drive through on any road trip the year is taking us. We’ve put together our top 5 to take some of the guesswork out of your own van life journey!
San Diego, CA
Southern California, the textbook image when you think about old school pictures of Volkswagen vans with surfboards loaded on top, showing the perfect image of what we know today as “van life”. In reality, Southern California can be super hard to overnight in a vehicle. There are tons of no overnight parking signs, high roof vehicle laws, and let’s not talk about those gas prices.
Yet, in light of all of that, lies San Diego. One of our favorite van cities in the country. With lots of “stealth” camping options, a ton of shower options ranging from every gym you can imagine to beach side cold showers, and the most beautiful lots to spend your day working in your van with the sounds of the ocean, San Diego is a must-visit in California. Below are some of our favorite spots in the city:
- Overnight Parking: Shelter Island, Mission Beach side streets, Rob Field
- Showers: Planet Fitness, Anytime Fitness, Center Beach Bathroom, Coronado Community Center
- Places to Spend The Day: Fiesta Island, Mission Beach, Wind and Sea, Pacific Beach, Balboa Park, Sunset Cliffs, La Jolla Cove
- Water Fill-Up/Dump Station: Sea World Dump Station, Mission Bay Potable Water at Public Boat Ramp
Bend, OR
There’s a reason that anytime you pull into the town of Bend, Oregon you will find yourself in a sea of overlanding vehicles. Bend is THE spot to be in a van when the weather’s nice. With a great mix of a populated town, any outdoor activity you could ask for, and beautiful scenery, we highly recommend adding Bend, Oregon to your list.
Overnight Parking: Use iOverlander to check out spots in: Deschutes National Forest
- Showers: Planet Fitness, Anytime Fitness, Pay shower in Sisters, Oregon
- Places to Spend The Day: Check out cafes to work at like Lone Pine Coffee Roasters, grab a beverage at one of their many breweries, tube along the Deschutes River, or check out one of their 80+ local hikes. There’s also tons of parks to hang for the day like Riverbend Park!
- Water Fill-Up/Dump Station: Check out Safeway locations for water kiosks, and Chevron for Dump/Water/Propane stations!
STANLEY, ID
Probably the most hidden-gem on the list, but deserves to be put at everyone’s top 5. Stanley, Idaho is a small town with a permanent population of around 60 that is nestled in the Sawtooth Wilderness. However, come spring and summer, the town comes to life with hundreds of seasonal workers and van lifers pulling in from every direction.
We’ve spent two seasons here since moving into our van, and are very excited to share our in’s and out’s of van life in Stanley.
- Overnight Parking: Iron Creek Dispersed Camping, Nip N’ Tuck Road, Near Salmon River
- Showers: Redfish lake has amazing hot showers!
- Places to Spend The Day: Redfish Lake, Bonneville Hot Springs, City Park, Boat Box Hot Spring, Mountain Village, and look up some of the 100s of hikes in the Sawtooths!
- Water Fill-Up/Dump Station: Mountain Village Gas Station has a great water fill-up in the back. City Park, Ranger Station Dump Station
CHICAGO, IL
Driving into Chicago in our van for the first time, we honestly were not expecting much ease when it came to finding a good, safe, spot to park the van for exploring and also stay overnight. Our plan was to go in for an afternoon and then head right back on the road, but when we pulled into Chicago we were so pleasantly surprised.
Chicago offered tons of free, secure, parking spots for oversized vehicles (we even saw large buses nearby!), has lots of public transportation so you can leave your van for an afternoon and explore, and the food scene was absolutely unmatched. These were some of our favorite spots:
- Overnight Parking: Lincoln Park Zoo
- Showers: Planet Fitness, Oak Beach, Family Recreation Center
- Places to Spend The Day: 31st Street Beach, Rainbow Beach, Logan Square, The Chicago Diner, Kitchen 17
- Water Fill-Up/Dump Station: Cabelas, Flying J, Addison Water Treatment
JACKSON, WY
Known for being the little town at the base of the Grand Tetons, Jackson, Wyoming is an absolutely perfect town to spend well over a week in your van. With incredible views, tons of shops, great food for any diet, and being minutes from a National Park, you cannot go wrong in Jackson. After two long-stretches in this town, we’ve made a list of our favorites:
- Overnight Parking: Phil Baux Park, Powderhorn Park, Shadow Mountain, Spread Creek Meadows
- Showers: Teton Recreation Center
- Places to Spend The Day: Jackson Town Square (so many options!), Million Dollar Cowboy Bar, Snake River Brewing, Cultivate Cafe, Surf Wave on Snake River
- Water Fill-Up/Dump Station: Jackson Visitors Center, Powderhorn Park, Albertsons, Colter Bay Campground
While the internet will typically share the beauty of life on the road in beautiful, open spaces, the reality is that most of us rely on towns and cities a lot more than you may think before getting on the road. At first it can seem overwhelming to navigate a large rig in places like that, but when you find the right ones it can really feel like a nice way to recharge before getting back off-grid. Remember to respect the towns and cities you travel through, stealth camp when you can, and enjoy supporting local businesses whenever you can!
Shay Edwards
Author
I am a musician about to jump head first into vanlife. This information is going to be a HUGE help. Thank you. Thank you so much.
Thank you for these great tips!!