Scenic RV Routes to Enjoy in Shoulder Season

Imagine a stay at your favorite campground, but without the busy summer crowds. Without pushing your RV’s air conditioner to the limit. Without mosquitoes lying in wait for the moment you step outside. Now, also imagine there's hardly any snow on the ground, outside temperatures are moderate, and winter’s grip has loosened.  

If this sounds idyllic, we invite you to consider a travel window known as shoulder season—a period of time between the extremes in early spring, and one of the best-kept secrets of RV travel.  Shoulder season RVing offers an opportunity to visit popular destinations and take a memorable trip with fewer tourists and lower-than-average nightly rates (and that’s not to mention extensive campsite availability). 

To help make your shoulder season dreams a reality, we’ve curated three routes, complete with top-rated campgrounds and attractions along the way.  

The beauty and wonder of the Great Smoky Mountains are all-encompassing. As one of the most biodiverse regions in North America, a road trip through the area offers visitors an experience that combines natural beauty with regional festivities. 

Beginning in Cherokee, North Carolina, at the foothills of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, you have the chance to see elk roaming the open fields, long-range views of the nearby mountains, and even the opportunity to catch trout in native waterways. As you travel up the Blue Ridge Parkway and nearby highways from Cherokee to Gatlinburg, you’ll be treated to expansive mountain views, a bevy of local eateries, and plenty of chances to pull off and take photos. 

Gatlinburg, Tennessee, is an ideal family-friendly final destination on this route. Surrounded by the continued mountain peaks of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, you’ll find a nearly endless list of restaurants, kid-friendly activities, and events.

Where To Stay: 

• Dudley Creek RV Resort, Gatlinburg, TN 

• Stonebridge RV Resort, Maggie Valley, NC

A cross-Georgia road trip is a great stepping stone into RV travel. Mild weather conditions, paired with easy, flat highway driving, make this an excellent choice for newer RV owners during the months between winter and summer. 

The route combines two highly popular destinations in two vastly different Georgia terrains, each with its own local charm and unique camping options. Starting on the coast, Savannah is known for its historic charm, moss-draped oak trees, and peaceful scenery. Plus, it’s home to multiple choice campgrounds in and around the city. 

As you travel north on I-16 W, you’ll watch the flat coastal land slowly climb into the Georgia mountains. Hidden between the rolling hills is Helen, a small mountain town known for its Bavarian-style buildings and a culture hard to find anywhere else in the Southeast.

Where To Stay: 

• CreekFire RV Resort, Savannah, GA

• Yonah Mountain Campground, Cleveland, GA

Hit the Road: Headed to Geogria? Good Sam Elite Members get a free night's stay at this peach farm as part of the Overnight Stays program.

With summer temperatures throughout Utah routinely exceeding 100 degrees, shoulder season is one of the best times to visit Utah’s Mighty Five, offering cooler days, fewer crowds, and more campground availability. The mild conditions make this safer for those traveling with younger children or pets. 

Scenic Byway 12 is the main highway connecting most of Utah’s Mighty Five, and it’s a nearly perfect loop to visit one or all of the five parks in one winter RV trip: 

• Zion National Park

• Bryce Canyon National Park

• Capitol Reef National Park

• Canyonlands National Park

• Arches National Park

  

Small towns like Boulder, Bryce Canyon City, and Escalante are scattered along the route, offering a variety of restaurants, shops, and local events. Whether you’re looking to hike in the national parks—or in monuments like Grand Staircase-Escalante—the route is an ideal shoulder season endeavor. 

Where To Stay:  

• Bryce Canyon RV Resort

• Canyons of Escalante RV Park

Read More: See how one early-season campground preps for the upcoming RV travel season.