RV parking in public park

4 Reasons You Shouldn’t Overnight in a City Park

City parks can be great for all ages to burn off some energy and get some exercise. They often have playgrounds, walking trails, and many other resources that make it easy to spend time outside. 

Some city parks are even hospitable to nomads and overnight guests passing through town that need a place to stay for the night. However, these spots aren’t always what they’re cracked up to be.

Today, we’re sharing four reasons to avoid staying overnight in a city park. Let’s dive in!

What Are City Parks?

City parks are public recreational areas set aside by the local government to encourage outdoor activities in the community. City parks often have swimming pools, basketball courts, walking trails, playgrounds, and sports fields. 

Local taxes help fund the maintenance and continual development of these parks. As a result, they often host community events throughout the year, like fairs and festivals. 

For many smaller towns, these parks become the hub of activity during the summer and on weekends.

RV parking in public park

Whether overnight parking in city parks is legal or not can be tricky. This is because some cities allow overnight parking, and others have stringent rules and regulations prohibiting it. 

If you set up camp for the night in a city park that prohibits overnight parking, you could find yourself in hot water with the local police department.

In recent years, we’ve seen a massive increase in city parks and other public areas prohibiting overnight parking. Authorities often place signage at the entrances or parking areas, letting visitors know the rules. 

Some allow parking for a certain amount of hours, and others strictly prohibit guests from staying the night.

If you don’t know the legalities, call the local police department before you get too comfortable. It’s better to be safe than to get a knock on your door or window in the middle of the night. If you can’t stay in the city park, they may assist you in finding a safe place to go for the night.

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Are City Parks Safe for Overnight Parking?

City parks are generally safe for overnight parking. Local authorities often patrol the area throughout the night and monitor for illegal or unsafe activities. 

However, a park is only as safe as the surrounding area. If a city has a high crime rate, you may have more of a safety concern while parking overnight.

On the other hand, plenty of city parks are quiet and very safe. You might find security features like cameras, lighting, and regular patrols by law enforcement. 

If you’re in an unfamiliar area, you’ll have to research whether it’s safe to park for the night.

RV parked in public park

4 Reasons to Avoid City Parks for Overnight Stops

While some city parks can make fantastic spots to park for the night, that’s not always the case. You’ll want to avoid setting up camp in some of them. Here are four reasons to avoid city parks for your overnight stops.

Local Rules and Regulations

One reason to avoid city parks for overnight stops is the rules and regulations. You’ll have difficulty keeping track of where you can and can’t legally park. Just because you stayed somewhere previously doesn’t mean it’s still legal to do so.

Depending on city parks for your overnight stops can be risky. You may find yourself in a jam if you arrive and discover the rules have changed. The only way to eliminate the risk is to avoid these spots.

No Amenities

Another reason to avoid city parks for overnight stops is that they generally provide little to no amenities. You’ll be entirely self-sufficient, and you likely can’t run a generator to power your rig. You could be in for a long night if you don’t have the proper equipment or setup.

In addition, while many city parks have restroom facilities, they’ll often lock them at a certain time. We’ve seen some facilities with automatic locking features where the restrooms lock at a specific time each night. So you may not have access to a bathroom unless you’re in an RV.

Safety Concerns

You never know what to expect from city parks, especially in an unfamiliar area. Even if you do a lot of research, unexpected things can happen. While law enforcement may routinely patrol an area, you may have several hours without law enforcement presence.

While city parks are generally safe during the day, crime rises in the dark. You may settle in for the night and discover that the city park isn’t nearly as secure as it had seemed during the day.

Lack of Privacy

City parks are public areas, which means everyone else has just as much right to use the facilities as you do. This means that you could have people walking by or near your vehicle while you’re trying to rest. 

If you value your privacy, city parks might not work best for your overnight stops. You don’t want to worry about someone peaking in your windows while you sleep. 

While you can use window covers to increase your privacy inside your vehicle, you’re in public the second you step out of your car. So you’ll also want to make yourself presentable before going outside.

RVs camping in public park

Tips for Overnight Parking

If you plan to find overnight parking regularly, you should remember a few things. Here are a few tips to help you make the most of your overnight parking experiences.

Know the Legalities

Most importantly, you must know the legalities of where you can park. Some cities allow overnight parking on city streets or in parking lots, and others do not. 

We’ve seen some areas that limit vehicles to park overnight for a certain number of hours and will issue tickets for anyone exceeding the limit.

Whatever the rules or regulations, it’s up to you to know them. Not only do they vary from one city to the next, but they constantly change. 

It can sometimes feel like a guessing game about whether you’re legally parking overnight. However, it’s a part of the adventure!

Be Prepared to Leave

Even if you’ve parked in a legal spot, always be prepared to leave quickly. You never know when an emergency or situation might occur around you that would require you to go in a hurry.

You want to minimize the time it would take for you to make your exit. This means minimizing the number of tasks you’d need to complete and items you’d need to put away before hitting the road.

If you’re in an RV, avoid putting down your landing gear or leveling jacks or opening slides unnecessarily. This way, you can hop in the driver’s seat and move on to a safer location when needed.

Leave No Trace

One of the biggest reasons overnight parking spots get shut down is that people leave trash and cause damage to the land where they park. 

If you plan to park overnight, leave no trace, no matter where you go. By reducing the impact on the land and keeping things clean, you increase the chances that the overnight spot will remain available.

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When in Doubt, Avoid City Parks

In general, city parks can be hit or miss for overnight parking spots. While we’ve stayed a time or two in a city park, the experience has changed considerably in recent years. It’s not like it was when we first started traveling.

It seems like you’re much more likely to run into an angry resident than you were previously. If you have other options, it might be best to skip city parks.

Have you ever camped in a city park before?

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