Some RV parks welcome dogs. Others seem to have been designed for them.
We found campgrounds with private fenced RV sites, off-leash beaches, swimming ponds, agility courses, dog wash stations, pet-sitting services and even entire resorts built around people who travel with dogs.
These aren’t places where “pet-friendly” just means your dog is allowed to come along. They give dogs room to run, swim, play and enjoy the trip too.
4 Paws Kingdom Campground & Dog Retreat, North Carolina
Address: 335 Lazy Creek Drive, Rutherfordton, NC 28139
Website: 4PawsKingdom.com
Calling 4 Paws Kingdom pet-friendly almost undersells the place. The campground in the foothills of North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains was created specifically for people traveling with dogs. In fact, all human campers and guests must be at least 18 years old. The campground has multiple fenced off-leash play areas, a dog swimming pond, an agility park, hiking trails, and a dog bathhouse with a grooming station.
One of its best features for RVers is the option to book a site with its own fenced yard. There are several levels available, including premium sites with fenced yards and super-premium sites where the entire campsite is fenced. Two RVs traveling together can even reserve adjoining “Buddy Sites” with a large shared fenced yard between them. That gives dogs room to spend time outside without every bathroom break or afternoon at the campsite requiring a leash.
Waggin’ Tail Ranch RV Resort, Texas
Address: 10801 FM 2931, Pilot Point, TX 76258
Website: WagginTailRV.com
Waggin’ Tail Ranch doesn’t hide who it is trying to attract. The North Texas resort describes itself as an RV park for dog lovers, and some of its most interesting accommodations are fully fenced RV sites. Campers can choose regular fenced sites, covered fenced sites, or ultra-premium sites with oversized private fenced yards. The latter have concrete pads large enough to accommodate RVs, travel trailers and fifth wheels up to 50 feet long.
Dogs have plenty to do away from the campsite, too. The resort has a dog agility park, a swimming pond, a separate small-dog park and an on-site dog wash station. For the humans, amenities include a swimming pool, laundry, an outdoor cooking area, and a community pavilion. The ranch setting also includes goats, chickens and a community garden, making this one feel quite different from a typical paved RV resort with a small dog run tucked in the corner.
Lake George RV Park, New York
Address: 74 State Route 149, Lake George, NY 12845
Website: LakeGeorgeRVPark.com
Lake George RV Park is a large Adirondack vacation resort with plenty of amenities for people, but its two-acre Charlie’s Bark Park is what puts it on this list. The off-leash recreation area has separate sections for large and small dogs, a large synthetic-turf play area, agility equipment and shaded walking trails. There’s also comfortable seating and a pavilion, so owners aren’t left standing around the edge of a fenced dirt lot while their dogs play.
The park goes further with an indoor dog wash station, a dog spray fountain and even a pet-treat vending area. Charlie’s Bark Park is open from dawn to dusk for registered campground guests, and dogs must meet the park’s vaccination and behavior requirements. Taken together, the size of the dog park and the extra amenities make this much closer to a dedicated canine recreation area than the basic dog runs found at many RV parks.
Fort De Soto Park Campground, Florida
Address: 3500 Pinellas Bayway S., Tierra Verde, FL 33715
Website: Pinellas.gov/parks/fort-de-soto-park
Fort De Soto gives RVers something most campgrounds cannot offer: a beach where dogs can actually run off leash and splash in the water. The designated dog beach is part of the 1,136-acre county park, which sits on five interconnected islands near St. Petersburg. Next to the beach are two fenced off-leash areas, one for large dogs and another for small dogs, with water stations. Pinellas County says this is the only beach in its county park system where dogs are allowed off leash in a designated beach area.
The campground has 236 sites, but RVers traveling with pets need to reserve in the designated pet-friendly camping area. Those sites accommodate RVs and include water and electric hookups, while the campground has dump stations rather than individual sewer connections. Dogs must remain in the pet camping area at the campground, but elsewhere in Fort De Soto, campers have access to miles of recreation trails and the dedicated dog park and beach.
Sun Outdoors Ocean City, Maryland
Address: 12550 Eagles Nest Road, Berlin, MD 21811
Website: SunOutdoors.com/maryland/sun-outdoors-ocean-city
Sun Outdoors Ocean City sits on 50 waterfront acres along Sinepuxent Bay, a few miles from Ocean City. For dog owners, the standout amenity is Bark Beach, a designated dog beach where dogs can roam off leash along the bay. The resort also has a separate bark park, giving dogs another place to play when a beach trip isn’t on the agenda.
A dog cleaning station near the beach solves another problem RVers know well: getting a wet, sandy dog clean before letting it back inside the RV. Beyond the pet amenities, the resort has its own sandy beach, swimming pools, kayaking, fishing, mini-golf, restaurants, and a complimentary shuttle to area attractions. The combination makes it a good choice for travelers who want a full RV resort experience without leaving the dog out of the vacation.
Normandy Farms Campground, Massachusetts
Address: 72 West Street, Foxboro, MA 02035
Website: NormandyFarms.com
Normandy Farms has devoted 1.5 acres to Freedom Tail Park, its fenced off-leash dog area. The park includes agility equipment, a dog wash, a drinking fountain, and a separate section for dogs under 30 pounds. That’s already more than the small fenced runs found at many campgrounds, but Normandy Farms has another amenity that makes it especially interesting for people sightseeing with their dogs.
Campers can reserve one of the campground’s Canine Coops, private outdoor kennels that include a doghouse and their own keyed access. They’re designed to give dogs a secure place to spend some time outside while their owners visit the pool or head out sightseeing. Normandy Farms also advertises a pet-walking service subject to availability. For RVers visiting the Boston and Cape Cod area, those services can make day trips considerably easier when a destination doesn’t allow pets.
Settler’s Junction RV Resort, Utah
Address: 1700 N 750 W, Toquerville, UT 84774
Website: sj-rv.com
Settler’s Junction is especially interesting for dog owners visiting southern Utah because of what happens when they want to spend a day somewhere their dog can’t go. The resort has two fenced dog parks, walking paths and a complimentary pet wash station, but the standout amenity is an optional pet concierge service. Guests can request a caretaker to look after their dog while they head out for a longer excursion.
That service could be particularly useful for RVers planning to visit nearby Zion National Park, where pets are prohibited on most trails. Settler’s Junction also borders public BLM land and points guests toward other nearby areas with more opportunities to hike with a leashed dog. This combination of on-site play space, a place to wash off the desert dust and optional pet care makes the resort much more useful to dog owners than a campground with only a fenced run.
Ocean Lakes Family Campground, South Carolina
Address: 6001 South Kings Hwy, Myrtle Beach, SC 29575
Website: oceanlakes.com
Ocean Lakes has set aside an entire acre beside Magnolia Lake for its Lakeside Paws N’ Play dog park. The partly shaded, fenced area has several pieces of equipment built specifically for dogs, including the Elevation Station, Ramp-n-Run and K-9 Kopter. There’s also a dog-friendly drinking fountain and plenty of room for off-leash running and play.
Right next door is Sandy’s Wash N’ Wag, with two self-service dog-washing stations equipped with stainless-steel tubs and dryers. That’s especially handy at a campground with nearly a mile of oceanfront. Dogs are allowed on the campground’s beach during permitted hours under Horry County rules, although they must remain leashed. One restriction to know before booking is that Ocean Lakes currently does not permit Pit Bulls or Rottweilers, and pets are allowed at campsites but not in its vacation rental units.
Alum Creek State Park Campground, Ohio
Address: 2911 S. Old State Road, Delaware, OH 43015
Website: Alum Creek State Park Campground
Alum Creek shows that a state park campground can compete with private RV resorts when it comes to traveling with dogs. Its campground offers electric and full-hookup sites, and the current campground map lists all campsites as pet-friendly. Elsewhere within Alum Creek State Park is a four-acre public dog park along the reservoir, giving campers access to something considerably larger than the typical campground dog run.
The dog park has separate fenced areas for small and large dogs plus a fenced area that provides direct water access for dogs that want to swim. Additional amenities include drinking water and a dog wash station. The dog park is near the marina rather than directly inside the campground, so campers will need to make a short trip within the larger state park to use it.
Crystal River KOA Journey, Florida
Address: 2680 N. Turkey Oak Drive, Crystal River, FL 34428
Website: koa.com/campgrounds/crystal-river
Crystal River KOA earns its place on the list because some RVers don’t necessarily want a huge communal dog park. They want their own fenced space. Select full-hookup RV sites here can be booked with a private Paw Pen and include back-in and pull-through options. One Paw Pen site includes a roughly 300-square-foot, partially shaded private play area, while upgraded versions combine a fenced space with a paved patio, outdoor seating and a fire pit.
Dogs aren’t limited to their campsite, either. The campground also has a separate KampK9 dog park, and pet waste stations are located around the property. The private Paw Pen is what sets this KOA apart for RVers who like spending evenings outside their rig but don’t want to keep their dog tethered the entire time.
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