The Best National Parks To Visit In Winter

12 Wednesday Feb 2025

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Camping, Hiking, National Parks, RV National Parks, Travel, Winter National Parks, winter rving, Winter Travel, Yellowstone

Winter is in full swing, but that doesn’t mean your RV travels have to come to a stop. My family enjoys traveling all year long, and yes, we do even work outdoor destinations into our winter schedule. In this article, I will share some of the best national parks to visit in winter so you can do the same!

The Best Cold Weather National Parks to Visit in Winter

Want to embrace the winter weather and take in the icy beauty it has to offer? Head to one of these gorgeous cold weather places, which are easily some of the best national parks to visit in winter.

Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park is one of the country’s most popular parks, and for good reason. This place is absolutely gorgeous, and in the winter it becomes a magical wonderland filled with snow-covered landscapes, steaming geysers, and plenty of wildlife, including bison and wolves.

Best Things to Do

Some of the best things to do in Yellowstone in the winter months include snowcoach or snowmobile tours to attractions like Old Faithful and the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing are also popular, along with wildlife watching in Lamar Valley.

Where to Camp

RV camping in the park itself is limited in winter. Mammoth Campground remains open year-round, so you might be able to snag a spot there, but be prepared to camp without hookups.

Otherwise, you might head to the nearby Yellowstone Grizzly RV Park in West Yellowstone, Montana. This campground stays open in winter and offers heated facilities.

Bryce Canyon National Park

I absolutely loved the bizarre hoodoos and other weird and wonderful rock formations in Bryce Canyon. These become even more strange and beautiful in winter when they are covered in snow, creating an otherworldly landscape you won’t soon forget.

Best Things to Do

Not sure what to do? Walk along the Rim Trail for breathtaking winter views. If possible, you’ll also want to attend ranger-led full-moon snowshoe hikes for a memorable experience. Cross-country skiing is also available near Fairyland Road.

Where to Camp

Inside the park, North Campground is open year-round. Sites are first-come, first-served and do not include hookups of any kind. If you do need hookups, head to Ruby’s Inn RV Park and Campground, located just outside the park entrance.

The Best Warm Weather National Parks to Visit in Winter

If you’re like me, you’d prefer to skip the winter cold altogether. In this case, you might want to consider one of these warm-weather national parks. They are the best national parks to visit in winter if you’re looking for warm temperatures and sunny skies.

Everglades National Park

We’ve visited the Everglades many times during the winter season. We love it because winter is the dry season, meaning lovely weather, fewer mosquitoes, and excellent wildlife viewing. Besides, who doesn’t love basking in the Florida sun in the wintertime?

Best Things to Do

I highly recommend taking a guided boat tour or renting a kayak to explore the mangroves and hopefully spot some manatees. It is also super fun to go birdwatching at Shark Valley or along the Anhinga Trail.

Lastly, make sure to join a ranger-led program to learn about the park’s unique ecosystem. We especially loved the nighttime tour to see the gators in action.

Where to Camp

Long Pine Key Campground and Flamingo Campground are both located inside the park and can accommodate RVs. Flamingo offers electrical hookups, while Long Pine Key has dry camping. Both fill up quickly though, so be sure to book early!

If you can’t grab a spot in the park, consider Miami Everglades RV Resort. This is a full-service option close to the park entrance and we’ve always enjoyed our stays there.

Joshua Tree National Park

Another park we’ve visited many times in winter, Joshua Tree is absolutely stunning. The mild weather during the cold months makes hiking and rock climbing more enjoyable than it might be during the heat of summer. Winter is also a quieter season, meaning fewer crowds.

Best Things to Do

While you’re in Joshua Tree, be sure to hike the Hidden Valley or Barker Dam trails, and rock climb at famous formations like Intersection Rock. It’s also a good idea to do some stargazing once the sun goes down. This is a designated International Dark Sky Park after all, and the night skies are suitably incredible!

Where to Camp

Inside the park, you will find that the Black Rock and Cottonwood campgrounds are RV-friendly, but there are no hookups to speak of, and big rigs may not fit. If you need to find a place outside of the park, you can boondock on the BLM land surrounding the park or head to an RV park such as Joshua Tree Lake RV & Campground, which offers full hookups.

Ready for a wintertime RV adventure? Choose one of the parks above, book a campsite, and get ready to see these beautiful places in all their wintery glory!

About the author: Chelsea Gonzales

Chelsea has the amazing opportunity to take part in full-time RV living and traveling with her tiny tribe. She homeschools her five-year-old son as they travel, and takes full advantage of their unique situation by using the entire world as her son’s classroom. A group of total Disney fanatics, Chelsea and her family often find themselves in the Orlando area in order to visit the Disney parks, but they have also visited over 25 of the 50 states with plans to see many more along the way. No matter where her travels take her, Chelsea enjoys riding bikes, gazing at beautiful sunsets, finding new coffee shops, Irish dancing, and sitting around a campfire with her family.

You can join her adventures through her blog, Wonder Wherever We Wander.

RV Furnace Maintenance

11 Wednesday Dec 2019

Posted by Coach-Net in RV Information, Tech Tips

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

RV Furnace, RV Furnace Voltage, RV winter maintenance, winter camping, winter rving, Winter Travel

Just because cold weather is right around the corner, or has already frozen the corner in your neck of the woods, doesn’t mean you’re done camping for the year! More RVers are using their rigs for winter activities such as skiing, ice skating, and even ice fishing trips rather than trying to find a hotel miles away from the activities. If you plan to do any cold weather camping, it’s important to make sure your RV furnace is operating properly and some tips to make it run more efficiently.

Let’s first cover how the liquid propane (LP) furnace operates;

The thermostat is set to the desired temperature, once the inside temperature drops below that setting, the thermostat calls for heat from the furnace. Most thermostats have a variance that can be as much as 4 degrees below the setting. Your RV thermostat is powered by the 12-volt house battery system, therefore you can not replace it with a residential model such as the NEST or other devices as they operate on 24-volt power. Older models were designed with a bi-metal interior coil that would shrink and expand with temperature changes and we all remember the old “mercury in a tube” type models! These should be changed with a newer RV specific model. Also, make sure you match your heating and cooling system to the proper thermostat as some control both the heater and air conditioner, others have a heat pump, and some models have several zones with temperature sensors in individual rooms.

Once the thermostat calls for heat, the control module starts the blower motor inside the furnace which blows out any older air that may be trapped inside the burner assembly which could contain trace amounts of LP. This is exhausted outside through the vent tube. The blower motor also draws cold air from inside the RV and routes it back over the burner tubes and through the interior vents. This forced air pushed up a “sail switch” located behind the burner tubes and once the switch reaches the desired height, creates a closed circuit that tells the module board there is sufficient airflow and to open the gas valve and light the burner assembly. One common problem with RV heaters is low house batteries that will not provide enough airflow to raise the switch! If your batteries are below 11-volts, the blower fan will run, but the unit will not light. This can also be deceiving when the furnace does light and runs for some time and then just the blower runs. This typically means the house batteries started off with enough voltage, but then drained fast due to sulfation.

Also, if you have a few heat vents closed, a rug over the floor vents, or a pinched or kinked supply hose in the rig, it will restrict the airflow and the sail switch will not rise, therefore the gas valve will not open and the spark igniter will not light the flame.

Once the sail switch has verified sufficient airflow and created the closed circuit, the circuit board will open the gas valve which you should hear a distinctive click, followed by the spark ignitor clicking and lighting the LP mixture in the burner assembly. Then the heat exchanger will heat to approximately 200 and the air wheel pushes fresh air over the heat exchanger to provide warm air to the inside of the rig.

(Sail Switch)

The air going through the heat exchanger is exhausted to the outside of the RV through an exhaust vent. Some models have two vents on the outside of the rig, with the upper vent designed for fresh air, and the lower for heated air coming out of the heat exchanger.

Tips to make your heater run more efficiently

As mentioned before, do not cover vents with carpeting, rugs, or close off to many vents inside the rig. Not only does it limit airflow at the sail switch, it will also build up excess heat in the heat chamber and trigger the high limit switch.

(High Limit Switch)

Verify your exterior exhaust and intake vents are unobstructed and your house batteries are in good working order. Lead-acid batteries will become sulfated and lose storage capacity if not properly charged and maintained. Verify your LP pressure is sufficient which should be at 11” of water column and should be checked by a certified technician. Make sure your LP regulator is not exposed to the elements and does not get snow and ice buried around it.

Troubleshooting Tips:

No Operation

If the furnace does not light, verify there is 12-volts going to the thermostat and then at the control board on the furnace.

Check to see if the blower motor is working but the valve is not opening and trying to spark. If the blower motor is not working, check to make sure there is no obstruction such as a mouse nest. This requires removal of the shroud or often time the entire unit to access. Removal will also allow you to test the sail switch and high-temperature switch which can be done with an ohm resistance test.

Blower runs, no heat

Test for 12-volt at the control module, listen for the gas valve to open with a click, listen for spark attempt. If the gas valve does not open, it could be a faulty control board. If it attempts to spark, it could be a cracked ceramic insulator on the lighter probe causing the spark to follow the crack to ground known as carbon tracking which means the spark does not get to the burner. It could also mean a dirty or contaminated spark ignitor or improper gap. And finally, it could mean low LP pressure due to a weak or faulty regulator.

Furnace runs for a short time, shuts off too soon.

This is typically due to weak house batteries that are sulfated and do not hold a charge very long as mentioned earlier. Once the furnace shuts off, immediately check voltage at the control board, anything below 11-volts will create this situation. Even if the rig is plugged into shoreline power, the converter or battery charger will not engage until the batteries hit 10.5-volts so there may be a power gap between what the furnace needs to light and the converter senses for charging.

It can also mean the high limit switch is getting too hot due to obstruction in the vents or is getting weak.

Give your furnace a helping hand!
It’s important to understand your furnace systems’ capacity and sometimes provide a little help with supplemental heat and additional insulation. A catalytic heater is a safe supplement in the bedroom at night or living area in the daytime.

Check out the articles in our archive on Tips for winter camping and learn about skirting the underside of your rig, insulating the windows, and finding leaks that would allow warm air to escape.

Dave Solberg: Managing Editor, RV Repair Club

For the last 25 years, Dave has conducted RV maintenance and safety seminars, developed dealer and owner training programs, written RV safety and handyman articles, authored an RV handbook reference guide and logged over 100,000 miles on the road in an RV.

RV Repair Club is your go-to online resource for enthusiasts who want quality RV maintenance, repair and upgrade information – a community where passionate RVers can come together to gather knowledge and share their experiences.

Learn more about RV Repair Club.

Deborah B. ~ “We believe that our money on having Coach-Net is WELL spent. Great service!”

Driving Your RV In The Winter

06 Wednesday Feb 2019

Posted by Coach-Net in RV Information, RV Safety, Tech Tips

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

recreational vehicle, RV, RV driving, RV tech tip, Tech Tips, vehicle maintenace, Winter Driving, Winter Travel

More winter enthusiasts are taking to the slopes and frozen tundra in RVs to support their cold-weather hobbies and activities. Winter festivals are becoming popular such as the “Color Of The Wind” in Northern Iowa, Polar Bear plunges all over the US, and one of the largest festivals, The Winter Carnival in St Paul, MN.

An RV, whether it’s a motorhome or truck and trailer, makes a great warm getaway, mobile hotel room, or cozy “Chalet”! However, just like any winter activity, caution and some preparation is required to make sure your event or journey is a safe one.

Prepare Your Vehicle

Batteries

Make sure your chassis battery has been checked and fully charged as well as your charging system. If you will be dry camping or camping “Off The Grid” make sure your house batteries are in good working order and you have the ability to recharge them with either a generator or solar panel system. If you do not have an on-board generator, a portable is a good idea in case of an emergency. Make sure it’s a generator/inverter as this will provide a pure sine wave and will not damage delicate microprocessors in electronics.

Check Your Weight

It’s a good idea any time you pack a vehicle for a trip to get your vehicle weighed to make sure you are not exceeding the weight ratings. Gross Vehicle Weight Rating (GVWR) is the maximum weight your rig can weigh with all water, LP, cargo, and passengers in the case of a motorhome. Gross Axle Weight Rating (GAWR) is the maximum weight that can be on each axle. Visit www.catscale.com to find a Cat Scale near you to weigh your rig. A safe rule of thumb is to make sure your rig is at least 10% under maximum GVWR and GAWR. Being at maximum weight or over is dangerous for tires, bearings, and makes it especially harder to stop!

Tires

Check your tires every day you hit the road for proper pressure and any obvious defects and wear such as sidewall weather checking, or poor tread. Most states require replacement of tires when the tread depth reaches 2/32”. This is fine for normal driving conditions, however when there is wet or snowy pavement, the moisture must be channeled or directed away from the surface of the tire and the road. This is what the tire tread is designed for and most tire manufactures recommend at least 4/32” to reduce hydroplaning. A new tire typically has 9/32” tread depth. This not only applies to drive tires on a truck or motorhome, but also to other tires on the steering axle as well as a trailer as water and snow needs to be channeled away to prevent a breaking loose situation when applying brakes.

Chains

Keep in mind that several states have laws requiring tire chains over certain roads during a storm. If you do not have chains, you will receive a hefty fine! Most RVers don’t carry chains as they are expensive, hard to put on, and can cause damage to the RV if they slip off. Most simply wait out the storm until the plows clear the road and they can drive normal. If you are on a time crunch, do some homework to find out what areas you might be traveling to and what you might run into for chain requirements. There are some other options such as cables and even socks that are legal in many states that are worth researching for your rig as well.

Antifreeze

Make sure your engine cooling system has the appropriate antifreeze mixture for the temperatures you will encounter. This also includes a windshield wiper antifreeze to keep the windshield from icing over. Larger motorhomes especially are difficult to keep heated and many RVers carry a bottle of windshield deicer as well. A new product in the RV Repair Club shop called Clarity Defender has been proven to reduce the amount of snow and ice buildup on windshields.

Fuel

The cheapest fuel is not always the best in the winter. Use a premium blend to reduce gas line freezing, keep the tank at least ½ full, and use an additive such as Sea Foam or other Isopropyl.

Winter Safety Kit

It’s a good idea to carry a few winter essentials in case of emergency.

Extra Winter Clothes – Gloves, Coat, Blanket
Bag of Sand, Cat Liter, or Salt
Windshield Scraper
Shovel
Flashlight
Jumper Cables
Tow Rope
Warning Triangle or LED Lights
NOAA Emergency Radio/Charger
Portable Jumper/Charger

Tips For Driving

Take it slow

Fast acceleration or stopping will cause your vehicle to break loose and loss of control. Remember, it will take you almost twice as long to stop on wet or snowy roads so adjust your speed and following distance accordingly. The National Safety Council recommends a 2 second following distance on normal roads. Most RVs take twice as long to stop, therefore requiring a 3-4 second following distance on dry roads! Factor in wet and snowy conditions and you will need twice that. Don’t be in a hurry, it’s easier to stay out of trouble than it is to get out of trouble!

NO Cruising

Don’t use cruise control on wet or snowy roads as the drive wheels can break loose easily and increase speed.

Be Prepared

Understand what happens when your vehicle does lose control or “breaks loose”. In most situations, simply taking your foot off the pedal will help correct the situation. There are two types of skids, rear wheel, and front wheel. In a rear-wheel skid, take your foot off the pedal and steer in the direction you want the vehicle to go. This is referred to as oversteer. Do not apply the brake as it will enhance the skid. A front-wheel skid typically happens when the brakes are applied. Remove your foot from the brake pedal and steer the front again to the direction you want the vehicle to go known as understeering.

Scan ahead of you and see how other vehicles are reacting. Keep a safe following distance and adjust speeds when others are having issues with driving conditions. You do not want to stop in the middle of a hill so maintain a moderate speed at a safe distance to carry you up the hill and reduce speed at the top to limit the amount of braking required when going down the hill.

Look for slippery conditions on bridges and open road areas commonly referred to as “Black Ice”.

Understand Your Brakes

If you have Anti-Locking Brake System (ABS) a sensor will provide a pulsing brake application if the tire starts to skid. This allows the wheel to start spinning again and the driver to regain control. If you have ABS brakes, keep your foot on the pedal and allow the sensor to help regain control. If you do not have ABS brakes, keep your heel on the floor and apply a slight pumping of the brakes.

About the author:

Dave Solberg: Managing Editor, RV Repair Club

RV Repair Club is your go-to online resource for enthusiasts who want quality RV maintenance, repair, and upgrade information – a community where passionate RVers can come together to gather knowledge and share their experiences.

Learn more about RV Repair Club.

Thomas L. ~ “Everything was easy, the service was prompt, and the people were friendly! It was just a great experience “

Where Do RV Snowbirds Go in Winter?

09 Friday Nov 2018

Posted by Coach-Net in RV Information, The Great Outdoors, Travel Destinations

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beach camping, beach-side camping, Desert, desert camping, RV, RV Life, RV Tips, Travel Destination, winter destination, Winter Travel

The long, dark and cold days of winter are almost here, but if you’ve got house on wheels there’s no reason to stick around and endure another season. Make the most of your RV by packing up and driving south to bask in sunshine and spectacular sunsets. Don’t know where to stay? Here’s a brief look at the most popular places RV snowbirds go in winter: South Florida, Southern Arizona and Baja California, Mexico.

Central and South Florida

Stop dreaming of a cheeseburger in paradise and go live the Parrothead fantasy in RV snowbird destinations like Sanibel Island, the Florida Keys, and Sarasota among many others. Follow the stream of migrating RVers and head as far south as you can for the best winter weather. Right away you’ll notice it’s popular and pricey, but the good news is that Florida has a wide range of accommodations for RVers with every kind of budget.

For example, some RV parks like Pelican Lake Motorcoach Resort near Naples cater to motorcoach crowds who prefer a country club environment – and at $150 a night during the high season – don’t mind paying for it. Alternatively, bargain-minded RVers can actually find a surprising number of low cost and free campsites in Florida by searching the internet for places like Deep Creek Preserve, a state-owned forest and west coast wetlands area near Arcadia.

Keep in mind that winter camping in Florida shouldn’t be made with a spur-of-the-moment decision. Advance planning pays off since you’ll need reservations wherever you go, especially during the snowbirding season.

Southern Arizona

No, we’re not talking about visiting the Grand Canyon, which is cold and partially snowy by the time you read this. Snowbirds tend to skip the colder northern half of the rocky state and head directly south. You’ll find them gathering in popular Arizona snowbird RV parks in places like Mesa, Yuma and Tucson, where temperatures hover in the low 70s all winter, even in January.

Great weather isn’t the only reason to snowbird in Arizona. You can find just about any kind of campsite from rustic to resort, at a variety of price points. The most expensive snowbird accommodations are located in cities like Mesa, where full-service parks such as Mesa Spirit RV Resort host over 1800 snowbird guests each season. But if busy RV resorts aren’t your thing, just wander west to Quartzsite where thousands of acres of public land await boondocking enthusiasts. A pass to dry camp with plenty of elbow room costs as little as $40 every two weeks or $180 per season, which includes free use of a public dump station, trash removal and the best sunsets west of the Mississippi.

Baja California / Baja California Sur, Mexico

Feeling adventurous? Join the large numbers of snowbirds RVing in Mexico’s two least populated states, Baja California (the northern half of the 806-mile long peninsula) and Baja California Sur, the narrow, southern end of the region. Most Baja RVers will tell you that reports of crime are exaggerated and the area is perfectly safe for tourists. Whether you decide to travel with experienced RV caravans or explore Baja on your own, the western states are a gentle introduction to the more rugged and adventurous mainland Mexico RV destinations. You’ll find a nice selection of full-service RV parks like Kiki’s RV Camping Hotel in San Felipe, along with an incredible number of free and low-cost beachfront boondocking campgrounds from north to south, on both the Pacific Ocean and Sea of Cortez stretches of scenic coastline.

Don’t sit out another winter wishing you had escaped from the weather. Your RV is the ticket to your second summer of the year – all you need to do is turn the key and start driving south.

About the author: Rene Agredano

Rene Agredano, a Coach-Net member since 2015, is a self-employed full-time RVer who enjoys writing, jewelry design and animal advocacy. Her adventures with a three-legged dog and husband Jim are chronicled at LiveWorkDream.com

Kay H. ~ “The Roadside assistance provider, Allen, was Extremely knowledgeable, helpful, and courteous. He arrived quickly and had my car back on the road in a flash.”

Coach-Net

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Tag Archives: Winter Travel

The Best National Parks To Visit In Winter

The Best Cold Weather National Parks to Visit in Winter

The Best Warm Weather National Parks to Visit in Winter

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RV Furnace Maintenance

Let’s first cover how the liquid propane (LP) furnace operates;