Places You Can Park Overnight and Sleep in Your Car
One of the most common questions I get asked about living in a car is, “Where do you park at night?” Finding a place to park is an issue all vehicle dwellers face each night. Like real estate, all parking is local. By that, I mean local ordinances vary greatly from municipality to municipality. Take, for example, rest stops. Some will allow overnight parking, while others limit parking to two or three hours.
Many vehicle dwellers like me who stay primarily at a home base close to their work often have several reliable places to park in town. A few workers are even able to park regularly at their worksite overnight.
Whenever I’m traveling, on vacation, or on a weekend road trip where I will stay at multiple locations, I utilize an app called iOverlander. It’s one of the most popular campsite finder apps for van life and car camping. It is an invaluable tool to locate places to park overnight.
Sometimes, finding a place to park and sleep overnight can be challenging. But there are places to pull over and park overnight to sleep without drawing attention to yourself and minimizing your chance of getting the knock and having to move in the middle of the night.
Here’s a list of 20 places where you can park overnight. These places are suitable for travelers, part-time vehicle campers, and those who live full-time in their vehicles.
1. Walmart
I’ve utilized Walmart on many occasions, and it can be a great place to sleep overnight. However, Walmart locations are increasingly introducing surveillance cameras and “No Overnight Parking” signs. The good news is that many of their locations still allow overnight parking.
Walmart stores are plentiful across the country. You will usually see a section of the lot where large trucks, RVs, vans, SUVs, and cars are parked overnight. Most of their stores stay open until 11 p.m., so you can shop for groceries and necessities while you are there. A few are open 24/7, so you have round-the-clock access to their bathroom facilities.
2. Cracker Barrel Restaurants
Cracker Barrel is a restaurant chain that allows overnight parking at most of their restaurants and often has a section of their parking lots set aside to accommodate large RVs and campers. I’ve stayed at Cracker Barrel several times on my road trips and have never had a problem. It’s a great alternative or backup to Walmart when traveling on the road.
3. Commuter Lots / Park & Ride
Where I live in Maryland, we have commuter lots called “Park & Ride.” More than 100 park-and-ride locations throughout Maryland provide commuters with over 12,000 free parking spaces. These free lots accommodate carpools and vanpools; some have regular bus service. No permits are required, and lots are open 24/7 unless otherwise noted. Overnight parking is permitted.
These lots empty out by 8 p.m. each weeknight, so plenty of parking is always available to sleep overnight. Just be aware that they will fill up early, with commuters starting to arrive by 5 a.m.
Other states have commuter lots, but the rules and regulations vary from state to state. For example, Pennsylvania does not allow overnight parking in their lots.
4. 24-Hour Gyms
Gyms that are open 24 hours work well for vehicle dwellers. I have stayed overnight at a couple of different Planet Fitness gyms. Since I have a membership, I can walk into the gym first thing in the morning to use the bathroom, work out, shower, and prepare for my day. It can be a great place to stay overnight.
5. Rest Areas & Welcome Centers
I’ve used many rest areas and welcome centers on my road trips. These centers have bathrooms, vending machines, water fountains, and picnic tables. While some rest areas permit overnight parking, others limit the number of hours one can stay. They are sometimes near a noisy highway, but I have earplugs for those occasions.
Welcome centers are also a favorite of mine when traveling. You will usually see signs for them once you cross a state line. Some of these centers are pretty nice, with 24-hour access to bathrooms. A couple of the welcome centers I stayed at were located further away from the highway, thus making it quieter and easier to get a good night’s sleep. Like rest areas, many have picnic areas where you can cook meals and hang out.
6. Hotels
Most 2-star hotels don’t require guests to register their vehicles at the front desk, and security doesn’t patrol their parking lots to monitor individual vehicles. Some hotels aren’t staffed during overnight hours, making hotel parking lots a potential place for car and van dwellers to spend the night.
I have used hotel lots on a couple of occasions. I make sure there is plenty of open parking so I’m not taking any spots away from actual guests. I prefer to occupy a space far from the entrance, arriving after dark and leaving before sunrise.
7. Hospital Parking Lots
I have heard from several vehicle dwellers that parking at the hospital can be a good option. I’ve never tried it, but they are open 24/7, and the lots are usually well-lit. I recommend not parking in the emergency section and sticking with the general parking area. Emergency rooms can occasionally get pretty crowded, and you don’t want to take away a spot from a family experiencing an emergency.
8. Car Dealerships & Auto Repair Shops
If you are good at being stealthy, car dealerships and auto repair shops can be decent places to park overnight. I’ve never tried this myself. The general rule is to arrive after they close at night and leave before they open in the morning.
9. Industrial or Business Parks
Business parks often have very large lots with many parking spots that are mostly empty after the evening rush hour. However, these lots can vary significantly from location to location. Some are not monitored, while others have round-the-clock security, no overnight parking allowed, and tow-away signs. I’ve never done overnight parking but have seen others utilize it.
10. Parking Garages
Parking garages can be another place to park and sleep overnight. Some garages in the suburbs may have free parking, while others in urban areas usually charge you a fee. Some parking garages will allow you to buy a monthly parking pass. Rates can range from $50 to $250 or more per month. It may work for some people who need a longer-term place to park and sleep, especially if they have a worksite nearby.
11. Casinos
I have never tried this, but I’m told casinos are good places to park overnight. Most of them are open 24/7, so you can use the restroom or grab some food anytime during the day or night.
A few casinos allow you to check in with security, where you provide your vehicle information to get an overnight pass. Some even give you free play on a slot machine as part of your check-in.
12. Bureau of Land Management Areas
The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is an agency within the US with approximately 247 million acres of public lands. BLM land exists in many states, but primarily in the Western US. You can park and camp for free for up to 14 days. Please always follow the Leave No Trace principles.
13. Truck Stops
Truck stops can be good overnight destinations regardless of your type of vehicle. Almost all of them are open 24/7, and you can access food, bathrooms, and showers. The showers are expensive (usually $15), but I hear the bathrooms are super nice at most locations.
Some truck stops have specific areas for cars and vans. The one negative is some stops can be rather loud at all hours of the night. After all, it is a truck stop.
14. Churches
Churches can be a viable place to park since their lots are usually empty most nights. It’s a good idea to ask for permission to park there. Some churches can be very accommodating and may allow you to stay multiple nights.
15. City Street Parking
I’ve never tried street parking in urban areas, but I have done it in smaller towns. Parking is free after a specific time (usually after 10 p.m.) and remains free until 6 to 8 a.m. the next day. I prefer the smaller town in a quieter area because I don’t have to deal with the noisy late-night activity you find in more urban settings. Just be aware that sleeping in your car on city streets is often illegal, so be as inconspicuous as possible.
16. Residential Neighborhoods & Apartment Complexes
Residential neighborhoods can be viable places to park. I’ve done this on a few nights without any problems, but I’m just not as comfortable as other locations. Apartment complexes with visitor parking areas that do not require a guest pass can also be good places to stay.
17. Safe Parking Programs
Some cities in several states have developed safe parking programs in response to the rising number of people living in vans, cars, and RVs. These programs designate certain parking lots as safe zones, and services are often provided, such as portable bathrooms, bottled water, overnight security, and sometimes meals.
You can also check out the National Vehicle Residency Collective. They have a database of all the Safe Parking Programs in the United States. Their mission statement: The National Vehicle Residency Collective advocates for the civil, property, and human rights of people who live in vehicles. We unite a diverse community of vehicle residents, service providers, policymakers, allies, legal experts, and researchers to support healthy communities, social inclusion, free movement, legal representation, and infrastructure for all vehicle residents across the United States.
Safe parking programs have popped up in several states, with California having the most programs, with more than two dozen.
18. Dispersed Free Camping & Paid Campgrounds
When I visited the Spruce Knob and Seneca Rocks area of West Virginia in the Monongahela Forest, I discovered a couple of areas next to several dirt roads allowing free dispersed camping. You can find places like this in many states. Check out freecampsites.net to locate free and very cheap dispersed camping grounds ($0-$10).
If you cannot find a free spot, you can reserve a space at a campground. The cost will vary depending on the amenities, but it will usually be around $20 or more. The price may be worth it for some folks since no one can bother you or make you move your vehicle. Many campgrounds have bathrooms, and some have showers. A few even have laundry facilities.
19. Home Depot / Lowe’s / Hardware Stores
Some Home Depot stores allow RVs and campers to park. However, local regulations restrict overnight parking in some areas, so it’s essential to check with the store and ask for permission.
20. Your Worksite
If you have a regular job, you can ask your manager if you can park overnight where you work. Of course, you have to be comfortable with your manager and co-workers knowing you live out of your vehicle.
Before the pandemic, the business press featured several articles about tech workers living out of their vehicles in the company parking lot in San Francisco. The rents were sky-high back then, too, and this was the only way these workers could save money. Imagine how much worse it is today amidst arguably the worst housing affordability crisis in recent memory.
Conclusion
Finding safe, quiet parking spots is not always easy when you’re a car dweller. But with some patience and trial and error, you’ll usually be able to find several options available to you every night. It took me about two weeks of trying out various spots to adopt the best options for me, my location, and my circumstances. I’ve been doing this for nearly a year and never got the knock.
Preparation and planning are essential. Like all things, learning the best places to park is a skill you will develop over time. Overnight parking was the one thing causing the most anxiety when I first started living out of my vehicle, but after a couple of weeks, I adapted and learned how to find safe and quiet spots that worked for me.
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I have lived in my car since August 2023. You can follow my adventures on Facebook and Instagram