Below I have included some general places to park your car overnight. There are always a lot of great places for overnight parking, and this is a rough overline for you to get some ideas.
I would love to hear from you about any other exciting places you have stayed overnight that were not listed. Or any tips for parking in those locations that have worked great for you.
Overnight Parking at Gyms
Recently, during Covid, most gyms were closed or didn’t have their showers available for public usage. Living in a van or out of a car in the US, having a gym membership is a handy perk.
Having a gym membership is handy, especially for individuals traveling around, so it is nice to have access to a clean shower 24/7.
Also, 24-hour gyms are a convenient spot for parking stealthily since cars come and go throughout the day. Hence, they also won’t keep track of the parking lot vehicles.
You can take your valuables and store them inside their lockers when you are working out. It is safer to bring your purse or wallet with you than to leave it inside the car.
If you live in one location, the excellent idea is to get one of the gym memberships and get to know the owner or the employees of the gym which you frequent.
Parking at gym locations is one of those gray areas regarding whether it is legal; I would recommend the common sense of not causing too many disturbances when parking overnight.
Generally, people would not notice you unless you purposefully draw attention to yourself. Staff doesn’t know what’s going on outside during their shifts. But unless one of the gym members says something about it.
Many people living out of vans or cars during the pre-covid condition mostly use the Planet Fitness gyms(not sponsored).
Here is a list of gym options with the description you could also consider:
- Planet Fitness: One of the cheapest gym options and has over 2000 clubs all around the US. Their PF Black Card Membership has a startup fee of $29, monthly dues of $22.99, and an annual fee of $39 [link]
- Anytime Fitness: It has over 4000 locations in 50 countries and can be accessed 24–7. Their average cost for membership is $41 in the United States and with an initiation fee of $49.99 [link] [link].
- Crunch Fitness: Has over 400 locations all over the United States. Their base membership fee is $9.95/month, an initiation fee of $20, and an annual fee of $39.90 [link] [link] [link].
One of the problems that might occur is if there are police that are working out at the gyms where you are parking overnight. I bet they will notice if you are parking there for more than a day.
It would be best not to make it evident that you live in your car. Instead, it is good to be stealthy and blend into the surroundings.
Another thing I would consider is whether it would make it more obvious you are living in your car if you have your window shields on the front window of your vehicle.
People don’t have their sunscreens to cover their front windows in the middle of the night; that is an easy giveaway.
If you are sleeping in the back, you can drape a cloth on top of the front seats for privacy reasons. A fabric will act like a curtain that will block the view of the people seeing inside the back.
The third thing is to have the front end of your car parked facing a wall of the gym. That way, people will have a more challenging time looking through your windshield. It could also be a tree or anything that will make it less pronounced for the people walking by your car to see inside your vehicle.
Overnight Parking at Rest Stops
There are some pros for parking at rest stops:
- Restrooms are open throughout the day.
- There are specific amenities like picnic tables that you can use for sitting or a table for eating your food, or it can also be a desk for working if that’s okay for you.
- There are usually some great spots with grass and trees where you can take the dog out for a walk or a potty break.
- There are also vending machines and water fountains at most locations.
A big problem of parking overnight at rest stops:
- You should be aware that most states have specific laws or restrictions that might apply to parking overnight at rest stops. These restrictions can also define how long you can park there.
- Not every rest stop is safe for parking; some rest stops might have a higher crime occurrence. It is an excellent idea to do some due diligence by looking at some reviews on Google to determine the place’s reputation.
- Something to be cautious about is that some rest stops are in a very secluded area. By looking at the surroundings, the more people it has, the safer the place.
It is wise to research the state’s law before heading off. But, on the other hand, most cops would be okay with a driver parking overnight since they want drivers to sleep enough and drive safely than risk getting into an accident.
Maybe tell the police officer that you are pretty tired and you would need enough sleep to make it to your next destination. Then, officers will understand when you explain your situation to them if they knock on your window.
Always make sure the doors are locked and avoid parking near a badly parked car. Another thing is to stay in spots that are well lit and don’t park in rest stops with windows broken and graffiti everywhere.
Living on the road relies a lot on being cautious. A tip that my friend suggested for parking at rest stops is to park with the front of the car facing the exit.
Maybe it is because I watch many horror movies, but that does not sound like a good idea. With your car facing the exit, it would be easier to start your vehicle and go if you meet any suspicious individuals.
Another thing that a friend taught me was that when parking overnight, turn off all your Bluetooth devices and not have any valuables in view since thieves can open their phone settings and detect a whole list of Bluetooth items.
Overnight Parking at Residential Areas
It is entirely legal to park in residential areas. However, some areas have signs indicating restricted parking except for residents. Meanwhile, some places require a parking permit for on-street parking.
There are a lot of websites that provide crime statistics for the residential neighborhood. However, crimes may go unreported, so they might not be factual.
Finding streets to park can take some intuition. You want to find a place where you can feel safe parking overnight.
At the same time, the neighborhood needs to be a location where the residents won’t feel suspicious if a car is parked there in the middle of the night.
Besides single-family homes, you can also consider parking at apartment complexes. Single homeowners can likely be suspicious of vehicles parked on the street if they aren’t used to seeing that car regularly.
Meanwhile, rental properties are more common to see different cars parked outside. That’s why people don’t usually bother to notice if there are a few new cars parked at their premises.
Instead of parking inside or directly to the apartment parking premise, you can park your car on the side streets with spillover cars from the nearby residents.
In contrast to the single-family residents, the areas for an apartment complex parking space have many cars, and there are a lot of different cars coming in and out throughout the day.
You can also easily scout apartment parking spots from the use of Google Maps:
Here are some tips for overnight residential parking:
- Never park on the street corner where cars might run a turn. Parking away from the street corner will help prevent accidents if somebody drunk might drive their car too fast late at night.
- An essential principle for residential parking is to arrive late and leave early. Arrive at night around 9–10 PM, then leave at 6–7 AM when the people are not awake.
- Look for private property signs: “No parking” signs, “No overnight parking” signs, street sweeping signs. Looking for them is a tip not just for residential parking but also for other types of parking for different places. You can use google street view for this. But sometimes, it might not be up to date.
- Don’t park right in front of somebody’s house and assess the neighborhoods. Affluent neighborhoods don’t want cars filling their streets, and bad areas with frequent crimes are suspicious of vans parked in their lane.
- Park under a street light if possible. Since parking under some lighting will help prevent any suspicious intruders from trying to break into your car at night.
- Ideally, for stealth, you want to park in a place where there are a lot of vehicles scattered about or full of cars. That way, your vehicle alone won’t stand out.
- The cops would not usually trouble a person sleeping in a vehicle, except if repeated complaints regarding the situation. It is typically the case for sleeping in the same spot for more than one day.
- The nightspot is for one thing only: sleeping. Try to limit the amount of light or leave your vehicle.
- Lastly, don’t let the trash build up in your car, since a good first impression will make it easier for the public to trust you in their streets and parking lots. It doesn’t need to be fancy clean, just enough to make your interactions with the public or police smoother if any problems come up.
Overnight Parking at Walmart
In light of recent years, Walmarts open for overnight stays have gone down from 78% in 2010 to 58% in 2020 [link]. It can partly be because of the local laws and because some homeless individuals in trailers are not properly disposing of their trash and gray water.
Also, not many big corporations like Walmart would like to take on such a liability risk. There’s nothing to gain and everything to lose if anything goes wrong on Walmart’s premises.
Typically, Walmart is open to overnight parking. The good thing about overnight parking at Walmart is that it is easy to access shopping for groceries, food, and various brands and amenities.
They also have tons of locations all over the United States. Along with a bathroom from which you can use during store hours.
However, there is usually a lot of noise that might disturb sleeping, especially in the early mornings. Consider getting earplugs (amazon affiliate link) to avoid noises that might disrupt your sleep.
Since not all Walmart locations are open for overnight sleeping, you might know if it is a good idea when you see a group of vans and RVs clustered together in an area outside of the lot.
Also, it is a good idea to use some of the tips explained before. It is a good idea to park away from the entrance and stay at the far end of the parking lot.
Besides that, it is good to arrive a little early when plenty of cars and people are still there. But, on the other hand, your late arrival might draw unwanted attention when it is late and traffic is dim.
Below are some resources that might help you find Walmart locations that are suitable for overnight stay:
- Walmart Map
- Walmart Locations Store Details & Parking
- FreeRoam App
- RV Parky
- IOverland App
If you cannot find the information you want through these resources, you can also look into the question section. And through the question section, sometimes you might be able to see if that particular store is suitable for an overnight stay.
Another option is to call up Walmart, where you plan to stay overnight. But, again, make sure you’re getting permission from the manager alone.
Also, while you’re calling the manager, remember their name, how many nights you can park, and where you can park.
Besides overnight parking at Walmart, here are a couple of other options you can consider:
- Home Depot:
- Lowes
- Cabella
- Costco
- Safeway
- WinCo
- Fred Meyer
Not every place in the list above is open for 24 hours. Stores that are open at all times are a better option for overnight parking since it will make it more difficult for people to know whether you are sleeping overnight or shopping inside the store.
Overnight Parking on BLM Land
I include BLM land, national forests, and other outdoor free spots into this category.
When you park your car overnight at these free campgrounds, they don’t include the following amenities:
- No shower facilities
- No restroom facilities
- No tables or trash cans
- No drinking water in the area
- Likely to be without internet service
Since there aren’t any of the services mentioned above and amenities, you need to be the one who makes your stay comfortable. If you are going to be staying for more than a night, make sure to bring enough water. You can get a water container (amazon affiliate link) to store enough water to last for a while.
In many campgrounds, you have to pay a fee to stay there and to use their facilities. But that cost can add up eventually, that’s why it is preferable to have other options available.
You might also want to download an app that stores an offline map of the place. For example, you can download an offline map from Google Maps:
The trade-off for parking in these free campgrounds is that there won’t be a parking fee and the worries of a security guard knocking on your door at night. And it also comes with a great view at night.
When finding the land you want to spend the night, make sure to do it before during the day. However, it might be more challenging to find the place at night, so I recommend arriving there early.
Frequently you can find the right campground through a quick search online, and there are a lot of resources on the internet you can use. You can also search it up on Google Maps:
Overnight Parking at Hospitals
One of the good things about parking at hospitals is the crime rate is meager. I can go as far as to say the crime rate at hospital parking lots might be non-existent.
A lot of people that are parking at hospitals overnight usually have a good reason for doing so. Most of the time, they are waiting for their loved ones inside the hospital.
Hospitals are also one of those places where it is common to see visitors coming and going at all hours throughout the day.
So even though it is technically not allowed, they will still let these family members do so. They don’t want to move on to people going through the most challenging times in their lives.
It is also okay to be entering hospital parking lots. However, since there aren’t usually any signs or things put up on the fences, it is an ‘implied consent for you to enter into their parking lots.
You will want to check out the place online before you arrive. Some hospitals do charge a fee for parking. Look for those hotels with a big parking lot and many cars that make it easier to blend into the surroundings.
Hospital security guards remember which cars have been there for far too long. So it wouldn’t be a problem unless you stay there for more than a night, in which case it will be obvious what you are doing.
Besides looking things up ahead of time, I would also create an excuse to explain why I’m parking there overnight. Maybe something along the lines of my family member is in the intensive care unit, and I’m just trying to catch some sleep until the following visitation hours.
But if they still insist and give you a difficult time, tell the truth that you are sleeping in your vehicle since they had probably seen similar situations over the years and can recognize immediately. Then, at most, they would tell you to pack up and leave.
Overnight Parking at Hotels
After a while, you will begin to have a sense of where it is safe to park and how to be stealthy. For overnight parking at hotels, as a beginner, you want to learn about the place ahead of time.
When you are at the parking lot, it is okay to circle and look for a spot secluded from the main areas. But, at the same time, not so remote that you’re the only car out on your own.
It is common for guests to come and go and have many cars in the parking lot. When parking in a hotel lot, you are parking on private property, so you would be kicked out if they notice you sleeping there without paying for a room.
When they arrive at the front desk, many hotels ask their guests for the license plate or car model. However, it is a considerable risk to park in a hotel lot for more than a day since the owner might get the police involved if they find your license does not match any of their guests.
Also, more and more hotels are now charging for parking every day. So the amount for parking could be $10–15 or even more in the busier cities.
Many high-end hotels will have security guards walking around the parking lot. Frequently some signs threaten to tow your car if you use their parking lot and are not a guest.
Besides picking out your hotel parking carefully, you will also want to do the showering, brushing your teeth and everything else blocks away from the location.
Have your shades or whatever you need to set up for sleep without making it noticeable by the guests outside that you are sleeping inside your car. For stealth, always assume that someone monitors you when you arrive at a new location, even if there isn’t anybody.
Make sure your car key and phone are in the same spot every night. Then, it would be easy to find and drive away if you get any knocks on the window or meet something suspicious.
Although not every hotel is like this, sometimes they won’t care if you are parking there overnight unless it is for some holiday, in which case they will need all the parking space they have.
Cops have better things to do than knock on vans, don’t park at places where you are not allowed or wanted. Some of those hotel chains can be a good choice since they pay most security officers by the hour, and they will not disturb you as long as you are quiet about it.
Overnight Parking at Casinos
I like casinos because they are open 24/7, making it easy to access the toilets.
However, similar to hotels, they are not always considerate of the non-patrons parking there overnight.
Like parking at stores like Walmart, the parking lot will be well lit with lights. However, it is also quite crowded and with a lot of noise.
Their restroom facilities are a lot nicer than the ones in rest stops. You can also find other things like free coffee and soda inside at some casinos. Meanwhile, if you park your car is parked just close enough, you can use the casino’s free wifi.
Casinos also have a lot of security cameras all over their parking lot and a lot of people watching those cameras.
At the same time, having tight security also has the benefit of making it a little safer to sleep in casino parking lots and preventing sketchy people from causing trouble that might create a massive disturbance in the middle of the night.
If you are looking for an excellent casino to stay overnight at, I would recommend this website: RV Friendly Casino Locations.
Casinos are frequently more lenient to people staying at their lot overnight if they are playing inside their casino — that way, they are earning money off those drivers.
The worst thing that would happen is that the security officer would ask you to leave or leave a note asking you to leave.
But customers sleep in their parking lot and go back in to spend money in their casino some more.
Overnight Parking at Truck Stops
Generally, truck stops don’t charge money for parking. Hence you are free to park as long as you need.
However, the truck stops will charge between 10 dollars to 20 dollars for parking in some busy areas depending on the place.
Usually, they will charge you money in busier areas if you park there for more than 2 hours. And to waive this time limit, you will need to purchase things in the store or with some gallons of fuel.
Depending on the location, some also do reserved parking. In which case, some truck stops will charge a fee of at least $10 — most sites like NYC, LA, and Atlanta charge for parking.
The good thing about overnight parking at truck stops is that they have a lot of amenities available:
- Refueling for your car
- Parking space
- Ready-made food
- Showers
Showers in truck stops usually range from $9 to $15, similar to hotels with towels, soap, bathmat, and washcloth. You will need to bring your flip-flops even though most facilities are pretty clean.
I recommend checking up the reviews on Google for a specific truck stop location since not all truck stops provide showers and act more like a gas station.
Fuel can be considerably lower than it costs at the nearest gas station at some truck stops.
You can find out the nearest truck stops through Google Maps:
You might also be able to find answers about the truck stops, like their cost of showers and whether they allow overnight parking through Google:
