Can You Park at Costco Overnight? - Boondocker's Bible (2024)

FAQs

Can You Park at Costco Overnight? - Boondocker's Bible? ›

You can park overnight at Walmart, Sam's Club, Costco, Home Depot, Camping World, and a few other big box stores. You can also park along most city streets as long as you don't see any “No Parking” signs. Rest areas are a good choice too. Most stores don't mind overnight parking in their lots.

Yes, you can park at Costco overnight. Generally, Costco stores want you to park furthest away from the store so that shoppers can park closer.

Most Costco locations allow for overnight RV parking. They usually close around 8:30 PM on weekdays and a little later on the weekends so their parking lots are empty overnight. The manager or security guard will usually have an area for overnight RV parking and it's typically in a well-lit area in the parking lot.

Home improvement stores such as Home Depot, Lowe's and Menards are generally welcoming to those travelers looking for overnight parking. Most stores' overnight parking allowance is determined by local store managers, though. Be sure to call ahead to make sure.

The policy of Walmart welcomes RVers to spend a night in their parking lot, as long as you have the individual location's permission. In some places, city zoning laws or ordinances will prohibit overnight stays in parking lots. Typically, larger cities are most likely to have these types of restrictions in place.

Since we are a private membership club, our warehouses (including parking lots) are only open to Costco members and their guests. Nonprofit campaigns are not permitted on Costco property.

And while getting some shut-eye inside your car isn't necessarily illegal, it's where you are parked while you sleep that can get you in trouble. For instance, many parking lots, private garages, and even public areas ban overnight parking — with or without sleeping people onboard.

Time to share it with you. The general answer to this question is 'yes'. It's usually safe to leave your trailer parked alone while boondocking.

Many drivers know Costco for frequently having the lowest fuel prices. When fueling an RV with a huge tank, it can lead to tremendous savings. However, fueling at a Costco Gas Station requires a Costco membership or Shop Card. Your savings may be enough to justify the cost of membership because of fuel prices alone.

As for overnight parking, many locations do NOT allow over night stays in parking lots due to managers or local laws. Please call ahead to be sure if you want to do this.

What does Boondocking mean when camping? ›

Some avid RV owners refer to boondocking as dry camping or free camping. Others may refer to it as independent or wild camping. Boondocking in the RV world means that you are not connected to water, sewer, or electricity.

Why Do Some Walmarts Prohibit Overnight Parking? It's not so much that some Walmart store managers don't want you to park overnight in their lot, it's that there are other issues that create problems for them… Local Laws Prevent Overnight Parking – Medium to large-sized cities have laws against sleeping in vehicles.

Walmart parking lots are not campgrounds. It does not matter whether you go in there and spend money, if you plan to stay overnight, park as far from the store entrances as possible. Even if the store has closed and you are the only vehicle in the parking lot, park away from the entrance.

Walmart knows this and knows that RVers can often be big shoppers as they head out for a camping trip or vacation. That's why Walmart's corporate policy allows RVers to park overnight in their lots when possible.

Generally, you are safe if you use common sense when Walmart overnight RV parking. You're better off/safer when boondocking in the sticks than you ever are in a parking lot. Still, it's easy, convenient, and free to sleep at Walmarts that allow RV parking. Bonus- you can arrive at night, and the place will be lit up!

Walmart. Parking overnight at Walmart is a well known free camping option in Canada. There's nothing fancy about it, but parking at Walmart can definitely be convenient on long road trips and while exploring urban areas.