TL;DR: Autumn is prime RVing season due to cooler temps, stunning fall scenery, reduced crowds, fewer bugs, and seasonal activities. Ideal for enjoying nature & less busy campgrounds.
Traveling in an RV is an unparalleled experience. There's almost no bad time of year to travel. However, for many RVers, autumn is considered the perfect season for RVing. During this well-loved season, the leaves change colors and fall to the ground, as the air becomes crisper, with cooler temperatures that are just right for traveling in an RV. It's also typically less busy than the summer travel season, allowing many to avoid crowds and long lines. If you're looking for a great time to take your family on vacation, fall is definitely it!
Consider taking an RV trip in the fall for:
Less Extreme Temperatures
Beautiful Scenery
Reduced Crowds
Fewer Bugs
Enjoying fall activities
Temperature
As the temperatures start to drop, so does the need for air conditioning. Because of this, boondocking or dry camping is so much easier and more doable in the fall season. Even without solar, many RVers can still dry camp for a few days without electrical hookups. After all, almost all RV stoves and fridges utilize propane. When the temperature is more comfortable, RVers can open their windows and utilize vent fans on warmer days.
Fall is the perfect time to travel since it’s usually not too cold yet either. RVers don’t need to risk their pipes freezing or being unable to find a water hookup to fill their tank. This makes it an ideal time of year to hit the road and see all the places that are often too warm in the summer or too cold in the winter.
Scenery
It’s difficult to debate the beauty of fall scenery. One major perk of traveling in an RV is getting to freely choose your destination. Whether it’s a coastal New England fall adventure or the option to stay at a Midwestern Harvest Hosts farm to enjoy some autumn activities, the choice is yours. Either way, you’re bound to make some amazing memories and capture some fantastic photos.
Less Crowded
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Discover New and Exciting Places with Friends and Family
While some families and RVers prefer to visit places during the busy seasons, many do not. Visiting popular points of interest in the fall can be the perfect time to visit while not being overly crowded. This can result in cheaper entry fees, more campground availability, and shorter wait times or lines.
It's past the busy season
In the fall, theme parks, national and state parks, and other popular attractions are most likely in their off-season. Kids are back in school, and families rarely take vacations in the fall months before Thanksgiving. This can be the perfect opportunity to purchase off-season discounted tickets or stop by a popular park to enjoy the benefits of the slower season while still able to enjoy all the same fun activities available in the spring and summer months.
Campgrounds are less packed
As stated above, many families with children travel in the summer, avoiding travel between September and early November. This can be the perfect time for campgrounds to have openings, especially those near popular attractions, such as national parks, which are often overwhelmed with booked-out reservations in the summer. However, in the fall, many campgrounds have more availability, making this n easier time to plan vacations.
Fewer Bugs
Insects can be a major downfall of enjoying the outdoors for some folks. A major perk of the fall weather is that there are less bugs out overall. Pesky mosquitoes, flies, gnats, and other insects are less prevalent in the fall. RVers traveling with pets are often concerned about mosquito-contracted heartworms for their dog or cat. Most destinations in fall have significantly reduced bug populations, but there are some exceptions.
However, depending on where you’re traveling, tick season can peak in the fall months. Be sure to either wear a hat with long pants and sleeves, and/or check yourself thoroughly when returning from the outdoors. Be sure that if you bring your pets that they have the proper tick prevention as well.
One Last Trip Before Winter
Many RVers only recreate seasonally and choose not to travel in the winter due to the difficulties. When the temperatures get too cold, pipes can freeze, and many RVers can have a hard time finding water to fill their tank. If that’s the case, fall can be the perfect time to squeeze in one last trip before winterizing your RV for the year. We think fitting in one final trip is a great reason to travel in the fall, especially in conjunction with all the other great reasons why listed above.
Fall Activities
Many businesses across the country offer fun seasonal activities. With a Harvest Hosts membership, many of these businesses will provide overnight accommodations in exchange for a purchase. Farms, wineries, and breweries are just some of the places that often host fall activities, which can only make your RV trip that much more fun.
Check out Harvest Hosts’ websites and social media to see what fun activities various hosts have planned. Many farms annually offer pumpkin patches, corn mazes, and apple picking. Imagine picking pumpkins and apples right outside your RV and returning back to it to carve the pumpkins and bake apple pie. What better way is there to enjoy the fall season?
If you’re thinking about taking your RV on an adventure, think about traveling during the fall. It’s often considered one of the best times to travel for all of the reasons listed above, including weather, availability, fewer crowds, fun activities, and more. We hope this blog post gave you some insight into why autumn could be a great time for an RV vacation!
Harvest Hosts is a unique RV camping membership that offers self-contained RVers unlimited overnight stays at 9,700+ unique locations across North America with no camping fees. Stay at farms, wineries, breweries, museums, golf courses, attractions, and other one-of-a-kind destinations while enjoying memorable travel experiences and the peace of mind that comes with knowing a safe place to stay is always nearby.
